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Tag: Reps

  • Reps Eulogize Ex-President Shehu Shagari

    Reps Eulogize Ex-President Shehu Shagari

    …Want him immortalized

    From Jonas Ike, Abuja

    The House of Representatives yesterday urged the Federal Government to immortalize former President of Nigeria Alhaji Shehu Shagari saying that he was a patriotic Nigerian who served the nation at the highest level without blemish.

    The House also eulogized the former president for his integrity and public service credentials saying that incoming generation of Nigerian leaders should emulate him for his selfless service to the nation.

    In a motion sponsored by the House Leader Hon. Femi Gbajabiamilla and thirty-five other lawmakers, the House urged the Federal Government of Nigeria to immortalize the former president.

    Gbajabiamilla while debating the motion noted that the nation woke up to hear the news of the demise of former president Alh Shehu Shagari on Friday December 28th 2018 at the age of 93.

    He further noted that he was buried on Saturday December 29th 2018 according to Islamic rites.

    According to him, he was survived by two wives, children, grand children and great grand children prominent among which is Hon. Aminu Shagari representing Yabo/Shagari Federal Constituency of Sokoto State in the House of Representatives.

    He informed that House that late Alh Shehu Shagari was born on 25th February 1925 at Shagari village Sokoto State. He added that he was the sixth child of his father Aliyu Shagari who was a farmer, trader and herder.

    He further hinted that he graduated from Teachers Training College in Zaria, Kaduna State and began a teaching career , a profession he loved so much at Sokoto province between 1953-1958.

    He also said that he started his political career as Secretary of Northern Peoples Congress in Sokoto between 1951 -1956 and was elected as member of the Federal House of Representatives representing Sokoto West in 1954 and in 1958.

    He added that he was the Presidential candidate of National Party of Nigeria NPN and in 1978 was elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He also said that he was re-elected in 1981 for a second term of four years but was overthrown in a military coup on December 31,1983.

    The lawmaker said said that Alhaji Shagari was a father to all Nigerians and will be greatly missed but still be remembered as a patriotic Nigerian, bridge builder and astute politician.

    Other lawmakers also spoke in like manner eulogizing the ex-president for his outstanding leadership and forthrightness during his day in office..

    Consequently, the House presided by the Speaker Hon. Yakubu Dogara adopted the motion with a voice vote asking the Federal Government to do something to immortalize his name.

    The Speaker equally condoled the government and people of Sokoto State, the Shagari family and government and people of Nigeria over the loss of the former President.

     

  • Alleged certificate scam: Reps recommend sacking of Buhari’s special adviser

    The House of Representatives has called for the sacking of Chief Okoi Obono-Obla as the Special Adviser on Prosecutions and Chairman of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel.

    While asking the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to investigate and prosecute Obono-Obla, the lower chamber of the National Assembly urged the schools the presidential aide claimed to have attended to withdraw his certificates.

    The lawmakers alleged that Obono-Obla’s Law degree was allegedly “obtained fraudulently and should be withdrawn by the University of Jos.”

    These were part of the recommendations in a report by the Houses’ Ad Hoc Committee on ‘The Need to Investigate the Legality and Modus Operandi of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel.’

    The report was unanimously adopted at the plenary on Thursday.

    The recommendations as approved were that “the President should be urged to dissolve the panel in view of the arbitrary use of powers and abuse of office by the chairman (Obono-Obla).”

    Other recommendations included, “That the Code of Conduct Bureau should be utilised to perform the functions that the panel sought to perform in the current anti-corruption drive.

    “That the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission should investigate the allegations of corruption contained in the Audit Report of the Auditor-General of the Federation on the financial transactions of the panel and prosecute the culprits.

    The House further approved that, “The Law degree of Chief Okoi Obono-Obla, having been obtained fraudulently, should be withdrawn by the University of Jos

    “That the Council of Legal Education should withdraw the Law School Certificate awarded to Ofem Okoi Ofem, now known as Chief Okoi Obono-Obla, as it was based on the degree which he obtained from University of Jos through fraud.”

    The lawmakers urged the Nigerian Bar Association to drag the presidential aide before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee of the National Judicial Council, adding that the “President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria should discharge Chief Okoi Obono-Obla of his responsibility as Special Adviser and Chairman of the SPIP.”

    They also resolved that, “Chief Okoi Obono-Obla should be investigated by the Inspector-General of Police and prosecuted for forgery and misrepresentation.”

    The House further urged the Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Walter Onnoghen; Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN); NBA President, Mr Paul Usoro (SAN); Director General of the Nigerian Law School and the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Jos, to investigate Obono-Obla and consider his prosecution.

    The committee had earlier in March written to Obono-Obla to demand 12 sets of documents about the presidential panel.

    The committee had in the letter dated March 28, 2018, said the details demanded were needed for the House’s investigation into “the modus operandi and legality” of the presidential panel.

    As at the time of filing this report, the embattled chairman was yet to issue any official statement to the reps decision.

     

     

  • JUST IN: Aggrieved lawmakers set to ’embarrass’ Buhari during budget presentation

    Indications from the National Assembly has shown that President Muhammadu Buhari may not have it smooth with some aggrieved lawmakers during today’s budget presentation to the lawmakers.

    The president is scheduled to commence the 2019 budget presentation anytime soon.

    However, some aggrieved members, particularly those not favoured during the controversial parties of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are poised to ‘revenge’ during the president’s presentation.

    Lawmakers on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are also poised to join in making the presentation difficult for the president.

    TNG correspondents in the National Assembly reports that the Speaker Yakubu Dogara has began the proceedings for the plenary.

    The lawmakers are currently in close doors session.

    Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo and Cabinet members of the Buhari led administration have also arrived at the complex.

    The House gallery has been opened for journalists to gain access into the chamber

    To prove that all is not well inside the chamber, one of the president’s loyalists, Gudaji Kazaure, came out speaking in Hausa saying “we will not allow anyone to embarrass the president”. He even rained curses.

    He was pacified by another presidential aide, Kawu Sumaila, and he has returned into the chamber.

    The executive session by House of Representatives members has ended.

    The president is now making entering the House of Representatives chamber. Members are currently protesting chanting “freedom cometh by struggle…”

     

  • Reps threaten to boycott Buhari’s budget presentation

    Reps threaten to boycott Buhari’s budget presentation

    From Gabriel Okoro, Abuja

    Speaker Yakubu Dogara had read at Thursday’s plenary the letter from president Buhari asking for Wednesday next week to enable him make 2019 budget presentation before the House.

    Dogara while concluding noted that the letter was brought to the House just this morning.

    Swiftly after Speaker Dogara had read it, a point of order was raised by Mr. Adamu Chika( APC, Niger) that his and other members privilege has been breached.

    According to him, as at yesterday the minister of budget and national planning had told Nigerians that they are waiting for the National Assembly to give them date only for the letter to appear today. This is portraying the members in bad light in the eyes of the public that they’re the ones delaying the 2019 budget presentation.

    Speaking further, Mr. Rotimi Agunsoye (APC, Lagos) advised that the minister be called to explain to the House by his comment else the House should take action.

    For Mr. Mark Gbilah (APC, Benue), “For lying to the public, we want the minister to formally apologize to the House else the House should boycott the budget presentation by Pres. Buhari.

    The House leader, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila further brought another twist to the issue. His words:”the minister called me this morning that he is shocked that he just read the story on one of the dailies. He said he will write a rejoinder that he never made such claims as reported”.

  • Reps urge NPC, BPE to suspend sale of Afam Power Plant as scrap

    Reps urge NPC, BPE to suspend sale of Afam Power Plant as scrap

    From Jonas Ike, Abuja

    The House of Representatives on Wednesday urged the National Council on Privatization NPC and the Bureau of Public Enterprises BPE to immediately suspend its ongoing sale of Afam Power Plc on a fast track transaction basis and allow for repair of of the national asset in phases to enhance its value.

    The House equally mandated its Committee on Privatization and Commercialization to invite the Director-General of BPE with a view to ascertaining the status of the project and report back to the chamber in 4 weeks.

    The lawmakers also resolved that the Federal Roads Management Agency FERMA do construct and rehabilitate roads leading to the power plant and the relevant government agencies to complete the repairs in phases 4

    and 5 of the plant to enhance its value.

    These were resolutions adopted after debating a motion on the subjectmatter sponsored by Hon. Ayodele Oladimeji (Ekiti, PDP) on the floor of the House.

    Oladimeji while debating the motion noted that the BPE has resumed the Privatization of Adam as a dilapidated asset or scrap on a fast-travk transaction of Adam Power Generation Company earlier suspended as the means to finance the 2018 budget.

    He further noted that Sapele Power Plc and Ugheli Power Plc were privatized by the BPE in 2013 in the same manner as the planned privatization of Afam Power Plant Plc and both are now in dire need of financial constraints with other generating companies (Gencos).

    He hinted that the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN disbursed N701 billion as payment assurance guarantee due to expire in December 2018 to the Gencos adding that despite that they are still facing serious liquidity crisis.

    He also expressed concerns saying that the sale of the Adam Power PLC as a dilapidated asset on a fast track basis will not yeild the disired result envisaged by the Federal Government in privatizing public enterprises as it would likely join the league of 37 non performing public enterprises.

    Speaking in support, Deputy Speaker Hon. Lasun Yusuff said that the previous privatization of public enterprises in Nigeria were done awkwardly by government agencies.

    The lawmaker said that the power sector is an important sector and indeed the commanding height of the economy that ought not to be controlled by private entities.

    Also in his contributions, Hon.Femi Gbajabiamila said that as a House, we must be careful in privatizing government agencies. He said that the nation must be wary of issues of distortion in the sale of public assets.

    Other lawmakers as Hon.Sergius Ogun (Edo, PDP) and Hon.Nkiruka Onyejeocha (Abia,APC) also supported the motion saying that the Afam power plant should not be sold without due process not to talk of outright sale as scrap.

    Consequently, the Speaker Hon. Yakubu Dogara threw the matter to a voice vote and it was voted for overwhelmingly.

    Dogara also mandated the House Committee on Privatization and Commercialization to ensure it properly investigates the matter and report back to the green chamber in 4 weeks for further legislative actions.

  • Unremitted Revenue: Reps ad-hoc committee commences probe, orders detailed report from CBN, others

    Unremitted Revenue: Reps ad-hoc committee commences probe, orders detailed report from CBN, others

    By Gabriel Okoro, Abuja

    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara has charged the ad-hoc committee investigating the under remittances of revenue to federation account to correct the ills associated with revenue remittances in the country towards improving the country’s economic fortunes.

    Dogara gave the charge in at the opening of the four day investigative hearing organised by the ad-hoc committee of the House on Tuesday in Abuja.

    According to the Speaker, “There should-be no issues of cover up or connivance.

    He said it is disheartening to hear repeated allegations of non-remittances of huge amounts of revenue by Agencies required to generate and manage the country’s revenue at this period, when government is making efforts towards
    diversifying the economy in order to reduce the country’s over-reliance on the oil sector.

    On his part, chairman of the ad-hoc committee, Mr. James Faleke while noting that the current state of affairs in the country shows a crunch and cash-strapped economy that seems to be crawling at a slow pace out of recession explained that this has occasioned a bizarre situation where state governments can barely pay salaries, with borrowing categorising a large chunk of government spending and overall budgetary expenditure being adversely affected by dwindling revenues.

    Faleke said the current system has continuously encouraged unpatriotic Nigerians to device ways of diverting revenue of the country for personal use at the expense of the poor.

    He said: “It could be right to assert that given a transparent and accountable revenue remittance system, we would successfully reduce the over dependence on oil as well as the large amount of borrowing evident in our society.”

    “It is our hope that the outcome of this exercise will help in no small measure to reposition the revenue generating system at all levels of government towards adequately achieving their goals and mandate”, he said.

    While interrogating agencies and parastatals concerned, the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN declared that it does not have records of unremitted monies into the Federation Account.

    CBN’s Director of Banking Services, Dipo Fatokun who was represented by Jack Okituetu, an acting director said “We don’t have any record of under remittances as CBN is simply a government bank.

    “We’ve never falsified reports as all the revenue agencies have access to their various accounts and we are not also a revenue collecting agency of government, he added.

    The ad-hoc committee therefore demand for a comprehensive list of all mandates given to the apex bank and also direct other Commissions like Nigeria Communication Commission to provide other necessary details come Thursday to make it a complete process.

  • 2019: Buhari losses as Katsina rep dumps APC for PDP

    From Jonas Ike, Abuja

    Barely two months to the 2019 general elections, a member of the House of Representatives Hon.Muirtala Ibrahim Danmasari of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC has dumped the party to join the opposition Peoples Democratic Party PDP.

    He announced his defection to the ruling party in a letter addressed to the Speaker of the House Hon.Yakubu Dogara which was read on the floor of the House at plenary on Tuesday.

    The lawmaker represents Masawa/Matazu Federal Constituency of Katsina State in the lower chamber of the apex parliament.

    In the letter, the lawmaker said he wishes to inform the House that he is no longer a member of the APC adding that he is now a card carrying member of the PDP.

    He said he wishes to use the platform of the PDP to pursue his political interests and those of his constituents.

    Most lawmakers of the PDP extraction hailed the decision and boldness of the lawmaker since President Muhammadu Buhari was elected on the platform of the ruling APC and hails from Katsina State.

     

  • 2019 Budget: We are still working on MTEF- Reps

    2019 Budget: We are still working on MTEF- Reps

    Jonas Ike, Abuja

    The House of Representatives has said that it is still working on the 2018-2020 Medium Term Expenditure Framework MTEF document presented to it preparatory to the formal presentation of the 2019 Budget of the Federal Government to the National Assembly.
    The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Media Hon. Abdurazak Namdas made the disclosure on Thursday at a Press Briefing of the Committee at the House Press Corps at the White House.
    He informed that the lawmakers are considering the MTEF document in preparation to the receipt of the 2019 Budget of the Federal Government in a few weeks from now.
    On why both chambers of the legislature did’nt sit on Tuesday as a result of protest by members of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria PASAN, he said that it was the resolve of the lawmakers not to hold plenary and not because of the protest.
    He explained that the protest is not about the legislators themselves but about management of the institution as regards payment of workers entitlements.
    The APC lawmaker added that the Legislative Powers and Privileges Act does not allow for such actions but they allowed it because it bothered on workers condition of service.
    Our correspondent reports that the MTEF document was presented to the lawmakers by the President Muhammad Buhari vide a letter on Tuesday November 6, 2018 during their plenary.
  • BREAKING: Reps approve June 12 as Democracy Day

    BREAKING: Reps approve June 12 as Democracy Day

    The House of Representatives has approved that June 12 be marked as Democracy Day in Nigeria.

    The approval followed the adoption of a report on a bill seeking to amend the Public Holidays Act 2004.

    Considering the report at the plenary on Thursday, the lawmakers approved the amendments to three clauses ‎in the Act, as recommended in the report.

    One of the clauses deleted May 29 as Democracy Day and replaced the date with June 12.

    Details later…

  • NEMA funds: Reps react to alleged impeachment plots against Osinbajo

    NEMA funds: Reps react to alleged impeachment plots against Osinbajo

    TheHouse of Representatives has denied having plans to instituteimpeachment processes against Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, was said to have summoned the member representing Egor/Ikpoba-Okha Federal Constituency, Edo State, Mr Johnson Agbonayinma, who alleged that some members were collating signatures with the aim of impeaching Osinbajo.

    Agbonayinma made the allegation while addressing journalists in Abuja on Tuesday.

    Speaking with our correspondent on the telephone shortly after, Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr Abdulrazak Namdas, dismissed the claim.

    Namdas said, “There is nothing like impeachment before the House of Representatives as I speak now. As far as I am concerned,  I speak for the House, and there is nothing like impeachment before the House for consideration.  I don’t speak for members, I speak for the House. But if there is anything, I don’t know.

    “At least, officially before the House, there is nothing like that.”

    Asked to speak as a member of the  All Progressives Congress, Namdas said, “I am not aware (of the impeachment plot).

    Agbonayinma made the allegation in a written speech entitled, ‘Call for Caution on the Purported Campaign to Smear the Office of the Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by Disgruntled Politicians and Some Media Houses.’

    He said, “It has become necessary for me to add my voice to the call by many Nigerians on the purported campaigns of calumny by some political gladiators and media houses  against the office and person of the Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), on spurious allegations of corrupt practices levelled against him.

    “(I am) Aware that signatures are being collated for the impeachment of the Vice-President. The reason is because of the outcome of the NEMA investigation.

    “For the records, the issues raised in the probe on NEMA had to do with (alleged) misappropriation of funds by the director-general and the day-to-day running of the agency vis-a-vis financial spending, procurement processes, among others.”

    Agbonayinma however failed to name those behind the campaign against Osinbajo when asked by journalists to do so.

    “Don’t forget that I am a member of the APC. I am a Nigerian. Not everybody has the boldness and  audacity to come out, not everybody. You have watched me on the floor of the House, I don’t play partisan politics. I supported the APC when I was in the  PDP. Now I’m in the APC, I do support  the PDP,” he said.

    Agbonayinma was also asked why he raised the alarm when the APC, which is the ruling party, has the majority in the House and the Senate, making an impeachment of the president or VP impossible.

    He said some  APC lawmakers were not happy as the party failed to give them tickets for the 2019 general elections.

    The House had probed into the activities of the National Emergency Management Agency in the North-East, during which it indicted Osinbajo being the Chairman of the Governing Board of NEMA and for approving funds to the agency as Acting President. The director-general of the agency also indicted.

    The VP however denied breaching the law in all his activities regarding NEMA.