TheNewsGuru

Tag: saraki

  • Saraki’s acquittal: SERAP seeks UN-backed Commission against Impunity in Nigeria

    Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has faulted the acquittal of Senate President Bukola Saraki at the Code of Conduct Tribunal charges, saying the acquittal “suggest serious shortcomings” in Nigeria’s criminal justice system.

    The CCT on Wednesday dismissed the 18-count of false asset declaration against Saraki following his no-case submission. But SERAP, in a statement by its deputy director Timothy Adewale on Thursday, said that the acquittal seriously weakened the notion that high-ranking public office holders accused of corruption would be held accountable.

    It said, “The acquittal yesterday of the Senate President Bukola Saraki at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) of corruption charges suggests serious shortcomings in the criminal justice system, and means that a complementary and supportive mechanism in the form of a UN-backed commission against corruption and impunity in Nigeria is urgently needed to achieve President Muhammadu Buhari’s oft-stated anti-corruption agenda.”

    SERAP, therefore, urged the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, “to urgently and proactively pursue the establishment of a UN-backed International Commission Against Corruption and Impunity to assist our criminal justice system to effectively and efficiently investigate and prosecute high-level corruption cases in the country, like it happened in Guatemala, for example. This government needs help in its fight against corruption, and strong leadership is now needed to urgently design a complementary and supportive plan.”

    According to SERAP, a UN-backed commission would help to improve our criminal justice system in the short, medium and long terms so that it would be better able to prosecute complex grand corruption cases.

    The group further argued that the Commission would also meet the longstanding and legitimate demands of the Nigerian people for vigorous and meaningful action against corrupt leaders, past or present.

    “Supporting a strong partnership between Nigerian prosecutors and international law enforcement experts would show that the authorities have the ability and political will to chip away at the country’s corruption and impunity of perpetrators, and help address Nigerians’ scepticism about the viability of the anti-corruption agenda.

    “Further, to end a culture of corruption and impunity of perpetrators, we urge the Attorney General of the Federation and the Minister of Justice Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN to urgently take over the prosecution of the corruption case against Mr Saraki by ensuring that the CCT decision is urgently appealed and that the case is diligently prosecuted within the limits of the rule of law.

    “The outcome of the Saraki’s case sends a damaging message that suspected corrupt leaders can get away with their crimes while keeping their stolen assets. Many would-be corrupt leaders may now see engaging in acts of corruption a risk worth taking.

    “The Guatemalan commission established by the UN in 2006 has a strong record of fighting organised crime and high-level corruption and the Nigerian authorities can learn valuable lessons from its operation and achievements in the efforts to take the fight against corruption in this country to another level.”

  • Saraki: Buhari fighting political enemies with no evidence to tender – Fayose

    …says he earlier predicted Saraki’s victory at the CCT

    Governor Ayodele Fayose Ekiti State has hailed the triumph of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) as another victory by Nigerians over tyranny, saying; “I am happy that I predicted that the CCT will absolve the Senate President in my 2017 predictions and it has come to pass.”

    Governor Fayose who called attention to number eight of his 22 predictions for year 2017, said; “I said it categorically that the Code of Conduct Tribunal will absolve Senate President Bukola Saraki and today, the prediction came to pass.”

    Reacting to the CCT judgment discharging Senator Saraki through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, the governor said the judgment was another lesson for the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) federal government that criminal cases are not won on the pages of newspapers.

    He congratulated the Senate President, urging him to see the victory as a challenge to him and the entire members of the National Assembly to always stand up to defend the rule of law and fundamental rights of Nigerians.

    The governor said; “I have maintained that the government of President Buhari is not fighting any corruption. Rather, what is being done is hiding under anti-corruption fight to persecute, humiliate, harass and malign perceived political enemies.

    “They go about trying their perceived political foes in the media, with the aim of destroying their names when they do not have any evidence that can sustain court trial and it is for this reason that they have been losing corruption cases.

    “Look at all the noise they made when they started Senator Saraki’s case, it was as if he will be sent to jail the following week. But when it was time for them to prove their allegations, they could not.

    “Even the case of the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), that they said stole $2.1 billion arms money and that destructive weapons capable of disrupting the peace of any city in Nigeria were found in his possession, why are they the ones seeking for secret trial while Dasuki that they accused is insisting on open trial?

    “Up till today, they have not brought any evidence against Dasuki. They have not even been able to commence his trial. Instead, they have continually disobeyed court orders that he should be released from detention.”

  • Presidency shocked by Saraki’s acquittal at CCT, vows to appeal ruling

    The Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti-Corruption, PACAC, Itse Sagay, has expressed shock at the acquittal of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, by the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the CCT on Wednesday cleared Saraki of false asset declaration charges brought against him by the federal government. The tribunal chairman, Danladi Umar, ruled that the prosecution failed to establish prima facie case against Saraki, thereby upholding a no-case submission made by the defendant’s counsel, Kanu Agabi.

    Sagay spoke in an interview with Premium Times on Wednesday. According to him: “I was shocked myself by the ruling. The amount of evidence amassed against him (Saraki) was considerable; so, I am surprised it was said no prima facie had been made against him. It’s shocking that’s all I can say.”

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the federal government arraigned Saraki before the CCT in September 2015.

    To prove his innocence of the charges, Saraki exhausted all avenues, up to the Supreme Court, which, however, resulted in his favour on Wednesday.

    “From the simple analysis of the evidence of the prosecution, we find it difficult to accept the seriousness of the witnesses. All the evidences were so discredited, unreliable that no reasonable court will attach probate value to them.

    “Since the essential ingredients of all the charges were not proved as required by law, this tribunal has no option to discharge and acquit the defendant in view of the manifestly unreliable evidence of the prosecution witnesses,” said Umar, whom Saraki had several times accused of bias.

    However, Sagay disagreed with Umar’s ruling.

    In his words: “”If you look at this case, the prosecution was very organised. Evidence was brought out very clearly. In fact, I would say mountains of evidence. So, nobody can blame poor prosecution in this case. So, what is the problem? A Nigerian factor? We don’t know,” said. Mr. Sagay.

    Speaking further, Sagay said the whole anti-corruption structure should be reexamined. He also dismissed popular insinuations that Saraki’s trial at the CCT was politically motivated in the first place.

    “It is a thing that will be under a very serious review to assess the whole anti-corruption fight; to see who is for it; who is subverting it.”

    “What I say is this: do not commit a crime so that no one will politically motivate your trial. Be clean. Who can come after me now politically? Nobody can charge me politically no matter how politically motivated he is against me, because I have nothing.”

    Asked to advise the government on what next to do, Mr. Sagay said: “obviously it (Saraki’s acquittal) has to be appealed against for the sake of the judicial system. The whole thing sounds incredible.”

     

  • My vindication at end of CCT’s trial calls for celebration – Saraki

    My vindication at end of CCT’s trial calls for celebration – Saraki

    Senate President, Bukola Saraki on Wednesday said his vindication at the Code of Conduct Tribunal over alleged false declaration of assets calls for celebration.

    Rejoicing that the Code of Conduct Tribunal sitting in Abuja today acquitted him on the case of false declaration of assets, which started in September 2015, Saraki said “I maintained that I will clear my name. The conclusion of this trial has vindicated my position.”

    The Senate President expressed his joy via series of tweets posted on his his official Twitter handle, @bukolasaraki added that with the outcome of the case, it shows judiciary in our country could indeed provide sanctuary for all those who seek justice.

    He furthered, “I thank the Almighty Allah, the ultimate Judge and the repository of all powers. He alone has brought about this victory. I am immensely grateful to all my colleagues in the National Assembly for their abiding support.

    “All through my trial, they demonstrated their strong conviction about the choice we all decided to make two years ago. I thank members of my family for their unflinching support.

    “I thank all friends and supporters back home in Kwara State and across the length and breadth of our country for their prayers and their sacrifices. My gratitude also goes to all members of my legal team for their tireless efforts to ensure the cause of justice is served.”

    “After undergoing the crucible of a tortuous trial, my vindication today calls for celebration. It is my belief however that if there should be any celebration at all, it should be a celebration of the hopes that this judgment gives us as citizens that despite all the challenges that we face as a country, we are well on our way to building a country where the innocent needs not be afraid.

    “I therefore urge all my supporters to refrain from any unbridled triumphalism. The challenges that our country faces today are enormous and do not allow for wanton celebration. Instead, we should all reflect on the significance of this moment and what it meant for our democracy.

    “On a personal note, I harbour no grudge against anyone, regardless of the role they might have played in the persecution that I had endured in the last two years. I believe that If my trial had in anyway given hope to the common man that no matter the forces arraigned against him, he can still get justice in our courts, then my tribulation had not been in vain.

    “Once again, I thank my colleagues in the 8th Senate for standing firm. Regardless of the distraction of my trial, we have achieved more as legislators than the previous Senates. Now that this distraction is over, we can even achieve so much more. We must now proceed from here with greater vigour to deliver on the expectations of Nigerians and show that this 8th Senate can indeed play a central role in improving the quality of lives of our people.

    Lastly, I thank all the gentlemen of the press for your abiding interest in this case, which I believe had contributed in no small measure in ensuring that truth and reason ultimately prevailed.”

  • BREAKING: CCT frees Saraki, says he has no case to answer

    BREAKING: CCT frees Saraki, says he has no case to answer

    The Code Of Conduct Tribunal, CCT has ruled that Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki has no case to answer in the 18 charges of non-declaration of assets brought against him by the Federal Government.

    The CCB had on September 16, 2015 filed a 13-count charge against Saraki for alleged false and anticipatory declaration of assets.

    The charges were increased to 15 on April 18, 2016 and another charge was added on April 27, 2016 to make it 16.

    The government later increased the charges to 17 on January 11, 2017 and finally to 18 on February 23, 2017.

    The Danladi Umar-led two-man panel of the CCT had reserved its ruling after hearing Saraki’s no-case submission and the Federal Government’s objection to it on June 8.

    The Senate President, through his no-case submission filed before the CCT on May 26, 2017, contended that none of the exhibits tendered and no evidence given by the four prosecution witnesses linked him to the alleged offences to warrant him to defend the charges.

    Details soon

  • Senate will partner ILO to combat child labour – Saraki assures

    Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has pledged the commitment of the 8th Senate to work with the International Labour Organization (ILO) to eliminate all forms of Child Labour in the country.

    Saraki, who spoke in Abuja, when the Country Director of the ILO, Dennis Zulu, visited him as part of activities to mark the World Day Against Child Labour, reassured the ILO Director that the “Senate assigns particular importance to the fight against child labor.”

    In a statement by his Special Assistant on Print Media, Chuks Okocha, the Senate President commended the United Nations (UN) for its fight against child labour and said “we all must do more to eliminate the use of children for forced labour.”

    He noted that the overall lack of advocacy limited greater understanding about the issue. For this reason, he said he hosted a Children’s Day roundtable discussion with States Assembly on the Child’s Rights Act of 2003 to “raise awareness about our obligation to defend the rights of children.”

    “As you are aware, some States are yet to domesticate it, and we made some commitment to them. Hoping that the States that are left, will work hard to see that before the next Children’s Day, they will see that this Act is domesticated in their States.

    “It is important to promote universal basic education, to support the National Child Labor Policy and the National Action Plan the ILO developed with the Federal Government,” he said.

    He further reiterated the importance of working with the government to support these policies through legislation.

    “I have a strong record in support of the Child’s Rights Act, the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act (VAPP) and child labor rights,” said Saraki. “The Senate intends to work closely with ILO as a partner to combat child labor. By the next World Day Against Child Labour, we should see more progress in this area.”

    Saraki added: “This 8th Senate is very committed to issues of Child’s Rights, violence against children and Child labour. I hope that we will be able to work closely together in these areas and I will like you to leave here with the assurances that we are your partners.”

    Earlier, the leader of the delegation who is also the Country Director of ILO in Nigeria, Dennis Zulu, lamented that Nigeria “does not have recent statistics on the prevalence of child labor.” The last survey from 2003 estimated that more than 15 million children are engaged in economic activities and about 6.1 million classified as child laborers.

    He appealed to the Senate President to help in ensuring the passage of a harmonised legislation against child labour in Nigeria.

    The ILO Country Director lamented that there are inconsistencies between the minimum age requirement for children to work in Nigeria when compared with the National Agency for Prevention of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) Act from the Labour Act.

    He also complained about weak enforcement of legislation on child labour in the country and poor coordination among the different Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government dealing with the issues of children.

    The ILO representative therefore appealed to the Senate President to help facilitate a programme to coordinate and ease child labour issues in Nigeria as it is done in other African countries.

  • Nigeria’s 10 million out-of-school children may become suicide bombers – Saraki

    President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, has said having over 10 million children in Nigeria out of school is not only alarming but a ticking time bomb. He warned that the children could “constitute the next generation of suicide bombers and militant terrorists.”

    Saraki also said the National Assembly was ready to partner with stakeholders like the United Nations Children’s Fund to reduce the number drastically.

    He added that the legislature was committed to doing all it could to address the issue of out-of-school children through funding and material resources. He lamented that Nigeria had the highest number of out-of-school children in the world.

    A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sanni Onogu, quoted him as saying this while addressing a UNICEF delegation led by its Country Representative, Mohammed Malick Fall, on a visit to him in Abuja.

    Saraki said, “This represents approximately 20 per cent of the world’s population of children that are not in school. Having 10 million children out of school is literally a ticking time bomb for our nation.

    “An uneducated population will be locked in a cycle of poverty for their entire lives. Additionally, these children could constitute the next generation of suicide bombers and militant terrorists. In this regard, education is a national security priority.”

    He said that the 8th National Assembly is determined to make laws and appropriate resources needed to drastically reduce the menace.

    Fall, in his remarks, encouraged the Senate President to endorse UNICEF Nigeria’s 2017 school enrollment programme. He explained that the campaign sought to partner with the education stakeholders at the state level to ensure the impact reaches grassroots.

    He added that the campaign also sought to underscore the country’s commitment to free and compulsory education and to encourage states to prioritise education.

    Fall lamented that with the statistics of about 10.5 million children out of school in Nigeria, “such number pose a lot of danger to the growth and development of the country.”

  • 8th Senate at 2: We have done well, will do more – Saraki

    …Says

    …8th Senate has passed 96 Bills, 72 Petitions

    …Will support Buhari’s govt to succeed

    Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki on Friday said the eighth Senate is committed to providing legislative functions that will ensure the dividends of democracy is equally felt among Nigerians irrespective of tribe, gender or religion.

    The Senate President said this at a special plenary organized to mark the second anniversary of the eighth Senate.

    Saraki noted that despite the stiff opposition and aggression, the eighth Senate under his leadership has scored many firsts. He said this has helped erased several erroneous impression about the National Assembly.

    Read full speech below:

    PROTOCOL

    1. Distinguished colleagues, our invited guests, ladies and gentlemen, I am immensely pleased to welcome you to this special session on the second anniversary of the 8th Senate. Let me begin by thanking all of you my wonderful colleagues for the exemplary and unflinching support you have given to me and the entire leadership of the Senate thus far. Every one of you deserve to be singled out and acknowledged individually for your remarkable commitment and oneness of spirit. I thank you most especially for the sacrifices and your perseverance that has seen the Senate succeed thus far.
    2. I cannot fail to mention in particular the support and partnership I have enjoyed with our ever-amiable and dependable DSP H.E Ike Ekweremadu (the Ikeoha ndigbo), our Senate Leader, Senator Ahmad Lawan for his immeasurable industry and broadmindedness, our minority leader, H.E Senator, Godswill Akpabio and the entire leadership of the Senate. Thank you all for the bipartisanship, vision, patriotism, fraternity and solidarity.
    3. Distinguished Colleagues, our invited guests, today is an historical day for many reasons. First of all, today marks a celebration of our deliberative democracy and the immense opportunity to be part of an enduring legacy of political tolerance, engagement, participation and commitment. We are two year on this saddle and it has been two years of productive lawmaking period.
    4. While acknowledging the great work our predecessors had done before us, let me put on record that this current Senate has made progress on every front and therefore deserve to mark this day as a special day.
    5. When we started, I knew that the 8th Senate was going to be significantly different and effective. I saw across the aisle, a passionate, energetic and a set of leaders made of sterner stuff, and a desire to make the difference. Though we inherited a legacy that created in some minds cynicism and despondency, we were undeterred irrespective of an unending barrage of virulent attacks and unprovoked aggression, the 8th Senate matched on, together erasing records and setting new ones. Today, the 8th Senate has passed 96 bills and 72 petitions in just 2years eclipsing the highest ever in the history of the National Assembly, a record held by the 5th Senate after passing about 65 bills and 6 petitions respectively within the same time period.
    6. The 8th Senate has led with courage and taken up more hot-button- national and legislative issues and successfully dealt with them. We committed ourselves to greater openness and accountability and many doubted our capacity to do as we preach. But we have led from the frontline on the war against corruption, having passed several corruption-exposing resolutions that have saved our government billions of naira cumulatively. Today, in keeping with our pledge, the National Assembly has opened its line-by-line Itemed budget to the world (a first in the history of the National Assembly).
    7. I sincerely congratulate every one of you for putting in the shift to ensure we realized these milestones. Indeed, there have been many more. We have taken on the toughest bills and challenges affecting our unity, the welfare and security of our people and the necessary platform for a greater Nigerian economy. From the Nigerian Railway Bill, the Public Procurement Act Amendment, the Nigerian Ports & Harbour Bill, the National Road Funds Bill, the National Transport Commission Bill, the National Inland Waterways Bill and the Federal Roads Bill, the Competition and Consumer Protection Bill, the Investment & Securities Act Amendment, the Companies and Allied Matters Act Amendment, the Secure Transactions in Movable Assets Bill, the Independent Warehouse Regulatory Bill, the Bankruptcy & Insolvency Act (Repeal & RE-enactment) Bill, the Electronic Transactions Bill and the Nigerian Postal Commission Bill all of these and many more have been the highest compendium of economic reforms ever undertaken by any administration in the history of our country. But we are taking it and one by one we are laying the foundation for a new Nigerian economy to emerge. One that is empowering the private sector and liberal.
    8. Distinguished colleagues, our invited guests, today, the 8th Senate is laying markers and engraving its legacy in time by championing several first and providing the legislature with audacity. On the issue of opening the lawmaking process we have not been afraid to push the boundaries of convention, that is why the 8th Senate can be credited to initiated the first-ever National Assembly Joint Public Hearing on the Budget; the 8th Senate broke the 12year jinx on the PIB by passing the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB) that will reform the NNPC and return accountability in the petroleum industry. The 8th Senate scored another first as it become the first Senate to unveil and pursue a self-developed economic reform agenda to aid the ease of doing business in Nigeria and create new frameworks for creating jobs and improving Nigeria’s ranking in the global competitiveness index.
    9. On choice of bills to pass and be focused on, we have for the first time after many decades of trying passed bills that will see us reform the big elephant in the room (the NNPC), also, the Nigerian railway corporation, FERMA, the maritime regulatory institutions, including the Corporate Affairs Commission, the Securities and Exchange Commission are other critical general market regulatory structures that we have undertaken and are working very hard to pass into law through a well-orchestrated and comprehensive legislative policy framework. This would enable the Nigerian market join the league of nations and compete favourably as a destination for foreign direct investment and for ease of doing business.
    10. All of these we have done because we know and we believe that in order to create millions of employments quickly, give more opportunities to our people as well as get the full potential of our diversification of the economy policy on the one hand and close the gap on our infrastructure deficit we needed to get rid of our old and obsolete laws and enact new laws that have the right modern and intellectual mix.
    11. My Distinguished colleagues, I want to thank you again, for the great lawmaking environment that is empowering and genuinely fraternal and less divisive. This has enabled us focus a lot more on the work than on politics ensuring that our people are the ultimate beneficiaries of our time and energy. Today, we can be rest assured that though it may take a while to gestate, the initiatives we have started here will endure and bloom; from the made-in-Nigeria initiative, to infrastructure renewal framework to the access to finance initiative, all of these will come together to lay the new foundation on which the Nigerian economy for the better part of the 21stcentury will be built.
    12. My distinguished colleagues and friends, we have come a long way. I remember asking you to make sacrifices and more sacrifices. You answered my call emphatically and through hard work and commitment we have come this far, together. And I say thank you.
    13. Though, it has been a rough journey you have remained undaunted. Together, we have walked through the turbulence and in the last two years shown that with determination and courage of conviction we can get the job done. I am here to tell you that your sacrifices have not been in vain. Your steadfastness has paid dividend and if we keep at it, we will be delivering very soon to the Nigerian people a holistic legislative reform package that would see us enter a new era of prosperity built upon a solid legal foundation that would transform our economy, deepen our democracy, close our infrastructure deficit, grow and add millions of newjobs and help activate enterprise and reward innovation.
    14. I would like to end this address by appealing to every Nigerian citizen to be patient with the current administration of President Buhari. This government is sincerely disposed to turning things around but in a much more enduring manner. Let us pray to God to grant our President full recovery and give him the fortitude to continue to pilot the affair of state in the vision he has started with. As for us in the Senate we are firmly and fully committed to his leadership and will continue to do all in our power to support and give him all the encouragement to lead us into a strong united and more virile nation.
    15. I must also use this opportunity to thank our Acting President, Prof. Oluyemi Osinbajo, for his providing leadership and character and leading with conviction. Together with the executive this Senate is committed to continue to support our government and the Nigerian people all the way. We will not relent in our commitment to the enthronement of a strong and resilient Nigerian economy capable of ensuring the welfare and protection of every Nigerian irrespective of his ethnic group, political affiliation, sex or religious creed.
    16. We must eschew bigotry, tribalism and see each other as one and together build a new Nigeria of our dreams.
  • Unforgetable strides recorded by Saraki’s 8th senate in two years

    Unforgetable strides recorded by Saraki’s 8th senate in two years

    The 8th Nigerian senate under the leadership of Sen. Bukola Saraki has undoubtedly recorded some successes in Nigeria as it plays its role which is to legislate for good governance, peace and welfare of the people while also serving as a check on the executive arm of government.

    As this arm of government marks its two years in office, TheNewsGuru.com has compiled some of the timeless strides attained by the legislative body that Nigerians will find unforgettable.

    1.

    The 8th Senate initiated the first-ever National Assembly Joint Public Hearing on the budget. 3-day Public Hearing was to give the public, CSOs and stakeholders like labour organizations an opportunity to weigh-in on the 2017 appropriations bill.

    2.

    Senate investigation exposed abuse of import duty waivers on rice: the senate in a motion mandated its ad-hoc committee to investigate the removal of import waivers on rice.

    3.

    In 2015, the Senate President promised to pass comprehensive electoral reform laws before the election season starts. This promise was actualized in April 2017.

    4.

    Senate promised to release the budget of the National Assembly as part of #OpenNASS. Fulfilled this promise on the 11th of May, 2017.

    To make the budget process more transparent, for the first time since 1999, the Senate laid the budget and its details on the floor of the plenary.

    5.

    The 8th senate intervention led to review of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN policy to enable small business owner’s access to Forex.

    6.

    Detection of the fraudulent activities involved in the implementation of TSA and resolutions to bring such act to a halt saving Nigeria N20 billion from the implementation of the TSA policy.

    7.

    Senate’s mandated Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC to immediately abolish fixed charges on electricity consumption, and bulk marketing of villages and communities.

    8.

    The Senate promised to intervene in the issue of the death of 3 Queens College students. The Senate President promised that the Senate would set up a Stakeholder Summit to look into comprehensive education reform in the country; ensure that additional funds were included for Queens College’s infrastructural challenges in the 2017 Appropriation Bill. The second part of this promise has been kept.

    9.

    The Nigerian Senate exposed how South African telecom giant, MTN, laundered billions of dollars ($12 billion) over a number of years from Nigeria and, failing to pay necessary tax in the country.

    10.

    In March 2016, the Senate allocated of N10bn to IDPs in the northeast in recognition of the dire situation.

    Others

    -Motion by the Nigerian Senate on International Women’s Day 2016 on Gender Equality: This motion decried the rate of marginalization of Women and sought fair treatment for women in Nigeria.

    -The Senate has set up a Senate Committee on Legislative Compliance to hold Senators and Senate Committees accountable to their deadlines, mandates, etc.

    -In September 2016, the Senate established an 8-man Ad Hoc Committee on North East charged with ascertaining the total amount of funds that have been released to the Presidential Initiative on the North East and probing spending by the Federal Government on the humanitarian crisis in the North-east. This Committee indicted the Secretary to the Government of the Federation for misappropriating funds upwards of N200million.

    -Senate, in a motion mandated Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC to immediately abolish fixed charges on electricity consumption, and bulk marketing of villages and communities.

    -The Senate constituted an Ad-Hoc Committee to investigate the fraud and anomalies uncovered by the 2013 audit report of the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI. This report revealed that Nigeria lost over $9 billion in stolen, unremitted oil money in 2013.

    -The Senate promised pharmaceutical manufacturers that it would intervene in the issue of additional tariffs charged on top of the CET for raw materials that are needed to produce drugs and vaccines. This promise was kept.

    -The Senate President promised to set up a technical committee to produce a report on the enabling laws that are needed to make sure that our pharmaceutical industry can meet the demands of the entire country. This promise has been kept.

    BILLS PASSED

    BILLS PASSED BY EACH SENATE AT 2ND YEAR MARK

    5TH SENATE: 65

    6TH SENATE: 23

    7TH SENATE: 28

    8TH SENATE: 95

    BILLS PASSED BY EACH SENATE AT 4TH YEAR MARK

    5TH SENATE: 129

    6TH SENATE: 72

    7TH SENATE: 128

    8TH SENATE: YET TO REACH THE MARK

    PETITIONS CLEARED

    PETITIONS CLEARED BY EACH SENATE AT 4TH YEAR MARK

    5TH SENATE: UNKNOWN

    6TH SENATE: 6

    7TH SENATE: 6

    PETITIONS CLEARED BY EACH SENATE AT 2ND YEAR MARK

    8TH SENATE: 72 (CONCLUDED AS OF WEDNESDAY, MAY 31ST

     

     

     

  • Saraki asks tribunal to dismiss false asset declaration charge

    The Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki pointedly told the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) to dismiss the false assets declaration charges brought against him at the Code of Conduct Tribunal in Abuja by the Federal Government on the ground that no prima facie case has been established against him.

    He told the tribunal that from the 18-count charges and the totality of evidence adduced by the government witnesses, he had not been linked in any way with the allegations against him.

    In his no-case submission argued by his counsel, Mr. Kanu Agabi (SAN), Saraki said that the prosecution failed to establish the charges against him and as such there was no need for him to be ordered to enter defence by the Tribunal in respect of the charges.

    He said that the charges against him were predicated on petitions and that throughout the prosecution’s case, the reports of investigation on the petitions were never made available to the Tribunal for verification.

    Saraki’s counsel pleaded with the tribunal to painstakingly read all the petitions so as to be able to establish that the petitions have nothing to do with the Senate President.

    Apart from the fact that the reports on the investigation on the petitions were not made available to the tribunal by the Federal Government, the counsel submitted that none of the petitioners was invited as witness in the charges against the defendant.

    Agabi specifically informed the tribunal that he made a no case submission for his client because the charges against him were founded on faceless petitions and pleaded with the Tribunal to dismiss the charges so as discourage writers of faceless petitions.

    The senior lawyer also drew the attention of the tribunal to counts 1, 2, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 16, adding that in the counts Saraki was charged with false declaration of assets by making no declaration of assets.

    Agabi insisted that the charges were full of anomalies and also inconsistencies adding that false declaration by refusal to declare is unknown to law.

    He maintained that Saraki declared his assets as required by law and that no one can make declaration that the statement of a public officer is false unless such a person is authorized by law to do so.

    Throughout the prosecution’s case against Saraki, Agabi a former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice said that nobody was mentioned as having declared the assets declared by Saraki in his assets declaration forms as false.

    Agabi specifically referred the tribunal to the evidence of Mr. Samuel Madojemu, the Head of Investigation and Intelligence Unit of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and his affidavit evidence adding that throughout his testimony, he based his evidence on hearsay from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), adding that witnesses ought to be called to prove the case were no called.

    The senior lawyer therefore urged the tribunal headed by Hon Danladi Yakubu Umar to decide the no case submission on justice and not on sentiments from the prosecution.

    However, in his opposition to the no case submission, counsel to the Federal Government, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) insisted that serious prima facie case has been established to warrant the defendant to be called upon by the Tribunal to enter his defence in the charges against him.

    He drew the attention of the Tribunal to some assets forms of the defendant, adding that investigations established false declaration of assets.

    Rotimi told the Tribunal that discharging the defendant at a no case point level will defeat the fight against corruption and purpose of the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

    He maintained that name of the defendant was mentioned in the petitions and that even, without that, a person can still be prosecuted without any petition against him.

    The prosecution counsel urged the Tribunal not to form opinion, evaluate evidence or make observations on the facts at this level and urged the Tribunal to hold that a prima facie case had been effectively established against the defendant.

    The Tribunal chairman, Hon. Danladi Yakubu Umar, after taking arguments from both sides announced that he will sit down with his colleague on the panel to decide on the no case arguments and that a date for ruling will be communicated to the lawyers when the ruling is ready.

    It will be recalled the Federal Government had in September 2015 slammed charges of false declaration of assets on Saraki while the charges were amended three times in the cause of the trial.

    Saraki’s trial was initiated by government shortly after he emerged Senate President against the government preferred candidate.