TheNewsGuru

Tag: Speaker

  • 80-year-old Pelosi re-elected speaker as new U.S. Congress takes office

    80-year-old Pelosi re-elected speaker as new U.S. Congress takes office

    The 117th U.S. Congress took office on Sunday with Nancy Pelosi securing re-election as Speaker of the House of Representatives with a narrow voting margin.

    Pelosi, 80, retained the position after garnering 216 votes to beat her rival, Kevin McCarthy of the Republican Party, who secured 209 votes.

    Five fellow Democrats chose not to support Pelosi. While two voted for lawmakers who were not running, three others simply voted “present”, according to ABC news.

    This will be the California lawmaker’s 4th term (non-consecutive) as speaker, and she remains the only woman to have ever held the office.

    The Democratic Party lost 11 seats in the Nov. 3 elections thus narrowing its majority in the House to 222-212.

    Meanwhile, Vice President Mike Pence swore in members of the new Senate, whose control has not been determined due to two pending run-off elections in Georgia.

    The Republicans are currently leading with 50-48 seats, and should the Democrats win the two vacant seats on Tuesday, the Vice President, who is the chairman of the senate, becomes a tie-breaking voter.

    On Wednesday, the two chambers will hold a joint session to certify the election of President-elect Joe Biden before his inauguration on Jan. 20.

    It promises to be the first major test of the new Congress where 11 Republican senators, led by Ted Cruz (Texas), have vowed to vote against Biden’s victory in swing states disputed by Trump.

    But in a statement on Sunday, a bipartisan group of 10 senators said the 2020 election was over, and urged their colleagues to certify Biden’s election.

  • JUST IN: Imo Assembly impeaches Speaker

    JUST IN: Imo Assembly impeaches Speaker

    The Imo State House of Assembly has been impeached the Speaker, Chiji Collins.

    Collins was removed from office by the lawmakers on Friday during a plenary at the legislative chamber of the Assembly complex in Owerri, the state capital.

    When the motion for the impeachment of Collins was supported by 19 out of the 27 members of the House, Channels TV reported Friday.

    He was impeached over allegations of financial impropriety, high handedness, and gross misconduct, among others.

    The lawmakers immediately elected Paul Emeziem, member representing Onuimo Local Government Area as the new Speaker of the House.

  • BREAKING: Edo Assembly reverses impeachment of former Speaker

    BREAKING: Edo Assembly reverses impeachment of former Speaker

    The Edo State House of Assembly on Wednesday reversed the recent impeachment of the former Speaker, Mr Francis Okiye, and commuted it to resignation.

    The House also reversed the suspension slammed on Okiye, who later joined the lawmakers during the plenary session.

    The reversal of the impeachment followed a motion moved by the Leader of the house, Mr Henry Okhuarobo, and seconded by Mr Emmanuel Okoduwa, representing Esan North East 11.

    Moving the motion, Okhuarobo said the need to reverse the Speaker’s impeachment followed appeals from their constituents.

    Consequently, the motion, which received the overwhelming support of the members, was adopted by the House.

    The Speaker, Marcus Onobun, told newsmen shortly after the plenary session that there was no rift between the House and the executive arm of government.

    In a reaction, the former speaker said he was pleased that the House reversed its decision on him.

    He expressed his readiness to work with the present leadership for the good of his constituency.

    Meanwhile, Okoduwa had been appointed the Chief Whip of the house.

  • BREAKING: Edo Assembly impeaches Speaker, elects another

    BREAKING: Edo Assembly impeaches Speaker, elects another

    The crisis rocking the Edo State House of Assembly has deepened as the Speaker of the House, Frank Okiye was on Monday impeached.

    The impeachment of the Speaker followed a motion moved by the Leader of the House, Mr. Henry Okhuarobo.

    No reason was however mentioned for his impeachment.

    The motion was seconded by the member representing Akoko-Edo I Constituency, Prince Yekini Idaiye.

    Thereafter, the member representing Igueben Constituency, Mr. Ephraim Aluebhosele, moved a motion to nominate a new Speaker.

    The motion was seconded by the member representing Akoko-Edo II Constituency, Mr Emmanuel Agbaje.

    The Deputy Speaker, Mr Roland Asoro, who presided over the plenary after the impeachment put the motion to a voice vote where it enjoyed the support of all the members at plenary.

    Mr. Marcus Onobun, the member representing member representing Esan West Constituency was thereafter elected as Speaker.

    Following his election, the new Speaker, Mr Marcus Onobun, thanked members of the House for his election.

    He, thereafter, dissolved all the House standing committees and relieved all the appointees of the House of their appointments.

    The Speaker also constituted a three-man committee to look into financial records of the house under the leadership of the former speaker and also placed the former speaker under three months suspension to allow for a peaceful transition.

  • EFCC secures interim forfeiture of funds linked to Lagos speaker, Obasa

    EFCC secures interim forfeiture of funds linked to Lagos speaker, Obasa

    A Federal High court in Lagos has granted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) temporary forfeiture of funds linked to Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, speaker of the Lagos house of assembly.

    The EFCC in a motion dated August 12, 2020 and marked FHC/L/CS/1069/2020, asked the court to issue an order directing that the funds in three bank accounts be forfeited in the interim.

    According to the anti-graft commission, the three bank accounts are “being investigated for the offences of conspiracy, diversion of funds, abuse of office and money laundering”.

    All three accounts which carried the name of the defendant are domiciled in Standard Chartered Bank.

    While one of the accounts (001852963) is a domiciliary account, the other two (001852956 and 5002349821) are naira current and savings accounts respectively.

    After hearing the application filed by S.I Sulieman, counsel to the EFCC, the court ruled in favour of the commission on September 15, 2020.

    Earlier on Thursday, Wilson Uwujaren, EFCC spokesperson, confirmed that Obasa was at the agency’s office for questioning.

    “He responded to an invite from the commission this morning,” Uwujaren said.

    The Lagos speaker was accused of embezzling public funds and abusing his office.

    REcall that an earlier investigation published on the speaker in an online news website claimed that he (Obasa) allegedly owns more than 60 bank accounts.

    He was accused of using his office to misappropriate funds and allocate contracts to himself through third party sources, as well as acquaintances.

  • Edo Assembly saga: Court stops Police, others from arresting former speaker

    Edo Assembly saga: Court stops Police, others from arresting former speaker

    An Edo High Court in Benin has restrained the Police, the Department of State Security (DSS) and other security agencies from arresting former Speaker Edo House of Assembly, Kabiru Adjoto.

    The court’s order is coming on the heels of allegations by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state that the former speaker and others sponsored thugs who recently invaded the state assembly.

    Justice Efe Ikponmwonba on Tuesday granted the order, following an ex-parte application filled by RID Okezie Esq. asking the court to restrain the Police, DSS and NSCDC from arresting or detaining him without the process of law.

    Ikponmwonba said the order would subsist, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice brought before it.

    The judge also granted the application, ordering the police, DSS, NSCDC and other security agencies to suspend all actions, pending the determination of the substantive matter.

    “The respondents by themselves, their agents, servants,privies, workmen and/or assigns are hereby restrained from molesting, harassing or disenfranchising the applicant,” the judge stated.

  • You have no seats to occupy in Edo Assembly, Speaker tells 14 members-elect

    You have no seats to occupy in Edo Assembly, Speaker tells 14 members-elect

    The Speaker, Edo Assembly, Francis Okiye, says the 14 members-elect not yet inaugurated, no longer have seats to occupy in the assembly, following the declaration of their seats as vacant.

    Okiye who made the assertion during the assembly’s Tuesday plenary in Benin, called on the public to disregard the 14 elected lawmakers whom he said were “parading themselves as members of the Edo assembly.”

    According to him, the affected members-elect have lost their status and rights, following their refusal to be inaugurated.

    The speaker said that their purported inauguration in private residence was illegal.

    He named the members as Victor Edoror (Esan Central Constituency), Washington Osifo (Uhumwode), Vincent Uwadiae (Ovia North East), Kingsley Ugabi (Etsako East) and Michael Ohio-Ezomo (Owan West).

    Others were Sunday Aghedo (Ovia South West), Chris Okaeben (Oredo West), Crosby Eribo (Egor), Aliyu Oshiomhole (Etsako West 11) and Oshomah Ahmed (Etsako Central).

    Also listed were Ganiyu Audu (Etsako West 1), Ugiagbe Dumez (Ovia North East 1) Uyi Ekhosuehi (Oredo East) and Eric Okaka (Owan East).

    He said: “The Governor, following the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, issued a proclamation for the first session of the assembly on June 14, 2019.

    “The Clerk of the House issued a notice to all members-elect to attend the first session on June 17, 2019 and the house was duly convened and inaugurated.

    “But the above-mentioned members refused to present their certificates of return and also refused to present themselves at any sitting of the house to subscribe to the oath of office as members.”

    The speaker further said that after several sittings by the house since June 17, 2019, Uyi Ekhosuehi (Oredo East ) and Eric Okaka (Owan East) deliberately stayed away from the sittings of the ssembly.

    He said that the said members-elect, instead of presenting themselves to subscribe to the oath of office, filed a suit at the Edo High Court, challenging the inauguration of the house.

    Okiye added: “Some members of this house approached the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt to stop the unconstitutional threat of the National Assembly to take over the house.

    “The court restrained the governor from issuing another proclamation and ruled that the house was constitutionally constituted to carry out its duties.

    “Following the continued absence of the members-elect, their seats were declared vacant on December 4, 2019.

    “The members-elect again approached the Federal High sittings in Abuja, challenging the resolution of the house declaring their seats vacant.

    “It is therefore shocking to hear that they converged in a private residenc and purportedly inaugurated themselves as members of the Edo House of assembly.”

  • Impeachment: Edo PDP women storm Assembly, insist Okiye remains Speaker [Photo]

    Impeachment: Edo PDP women storm Assembly, insist Okiye remains Speaker [Photo]

    Thousands of Edo PDP women on Friday stormed the premises of the State House of Assembly, in solidarity with the Speaker of the House, Mr. Frank Okiye.

    Led by Edo South woman leader of PDP, Lady Uwa Osunbor, the women denounced the purported impeachment of Okiye by the 17 members-elect who were allegedly inaugurated on Thursday at an unknown venue, with Mr. Tiger Victor Edoror elected Speaker.

    Lady Osunbor said: “We voted for them since last year, they are supposed to be in Edo Assembly to perform their duty, but they relocate to Abuja.

    “They are aware the the election is approaching, now that we are ready to vote to re-elect our Governor, they don’t have what to campaign with, they decide to use the House of Assembly to cause confusion, and we are not going to agree with them.

    “When we elected them, they preferred to stay put in Abuja. Let them remain in Abuja. They should not come to disturb us here. We are not tigers and lions, we are compassionate mothers. We are here to beg Edo women, Edo youths, not to listen to them.”

    Lady Osunbor, who said that Edo State is a peaceful state, insisted that they already have a Speaker in the person of Rt. Hon. Frank Okiye.

    She added: “All what they did in somebody’s private living room is not for Edo state, we have not inaugurated them, the people we inaugurated are already doing the legislative business. Let them go back to Abuja with their trouble. We are preparing for election to re-elect our Governor and they cannot disturb us.

    “That is why we are here to show solidarity with our Speaker, Hon. Okiye. He is the Speaker that we know.”

  • COVID-19: Enugu Assembly shut for decontamination after member’s death

    COVID-19: Enugu Assembly shut for decontamination after member’s death

    Speaker of Enugu State House of Assembly, Mr Edward Ubos, has ordered the total shutdown and fumigation of the assembly complex.

    This was contained in a statement signed on Saturday by the Chairman of the House Committee on Information and Communication, Mr Jeff Mbah.

    Mbah said that Ubosi gave the order as a precautionary measure following the death of Mr Chijioke Ugwueze, member representing Isi-Uzo Constituency.

    The statement read in part; “The speaker has ordered the immediate shutdown of the assembly complex for decontamination.

    ”Also the suspension of all activities in the complex till further notice.

    ”Our heartfelt sympathy goes to Ugwueze family, the wife, the children, the people of Isi-Izo Constituency and all our distinguished colleagues in the house and the State Government for the irreparable loss”.

  • Nigeria loses 400,000 barrel of crude oil daily – Speaker, Gbajabiamila

    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila said on Tuesday that the nation is losing about 400,000 barrel of crude oil daily to crude oil theft.

    The Speaker, who said this at a public hearing on crude oil theft, explained that money from crude oil stolen from the country would have been appropriated and used to improve the nation’s educational and health care system.

    He drew the attention of the public hearing to similar investigations carried out in the past, but lamented that the practice has continued unabated leading to huge financial loss to the country.

    He however expressed confidence that the present investigation will go a long way to address the challenge in the sector.

    Chairman of the Adhoc Committee and Deputy Leader of the House, Peter Akpatason said the house delayed the investigation as a result of reluctance of some stakeholder to make available relevant information to aid the work of the committee.