TheNewsGuru

Tag: Speaker

  • A NEW TWIST IN THE TALE: Oyo Assembly chooses Minority Leader as new Speaker

    The Oyo State House of Assembly on Tuesday chose a former Minority Leader of the House, Joshua Ojo, 67, as the new Speaker, to replace the late Michael Adeyemo, who died on April 27, 2018.

    The choice of Ojo, who is representing Orire State Constituency, was unanimous after an earlier political power play that threatened to polarise the assembly.

    Before his nomination by Joshua Oyebamiji, a member of the All Progressives Congress who is representing Akinyele State Constituency, a call for an election was challenged by Muideen Olagunju, a member of the Accord Party representing Oyo East/Oyo West. Olagunju argued that the Nigerian constitution favoured the deputy occupying the top seat in the absence of the former Speaker.

    Citing sections 90, 92, 94 and 95 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Olagunju argued that in the absence of the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker ought to automatically take over the office of the Speaker.

    He said, “The section of the constitution makes it clear that an election is unnecessary and also it is clear about the transition to the speakership in case of any absence or vacancy. The constitution clearly states that the Deputy Speaker shall vacate his office and preside over the house.”

    Supporting Olagunju’s position, another member of the house, Olusegun Olaleye, argued that the absence of a Speaker could also mean the death of a Speaker. Another member of the house, Solomon Akande, however, opposed the argument, saying that such provision did not apply to the legislative arm even if it was applicable to Presidency and governorship positions.

    But Fatai Adeshina, representing Ibadan South-East, cautioned the house, urging the members to allow for a smooth transition in honour of the late Speaker who stood for unity and peace.

    The acting Speaker for the session, Musa Abdulwasil, also urged the house not to give room for a crack in order not to fall into the hands of external forces. Although he said an election could cause a division in the house, the assembly later agreed on using an election to fill the vacuum. After Ojo was nominated by Oyebamiji, he was seconded by Gbenga Oyekola, a Labour Party member from Atiba. There was no other nomination which confirmed Ojo as the new Speaker.

    The new Speaker was elected on the platform of the LP but defected to the APC along with former governor Adebayo Alao-Akala. He had yet to formalise the defection in the house which gave him the opportunity to retain his position of Minority Leader before his nomination as the new Speaker.

  • Police seal Kano Assembly over plots to impeach Speaker

    Police seal Kano Assembly over plots to impeach Speaker

    Officers from the Kano State Police Command on Monday sealed state assembly complex over attempts by the lawmakers to impeach the Speaker, Alhaji Abdullahi Yusuf.

    It was gathered that as at Sunday night, 21 lawmakers had duly signed in support of the speaker’s impeachment.

    “We have already impeached the principal officers by having 21 lawmakers signed for their impeachment and we are needing only six members to make the requirement of 2/3 to impeach the speaker”, a lawmaker who does not want to named said.

    “The reasons are many but the major one is incompetence. The Speaker has completely localised the house.

    “We cannot sit until after 2 pm and even at that things are not moving as expected. We cannot just continue like that because we are representing our constituents.”

    Police Public Relations Officer, SP Magaji Musa Majia confirmed the deployment of operatives.

    He said, “We deployed our men to the Assembly to ensure that nobody breaks law and order.

    “We need peace in the state and therefore we will not allow anybody to temper with existing peace and harmony being enjoyed by the people in the state.”

  • [PHOTOS] Late Oyo Speaker, Michael Adeyemo laid to rest

    [PHOTOS] Late Oyo Speaker, Michael Adeyemo laid to rest

    The remains of the late Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Michael Adeyemo, was on Thursday interred at his hometown in Lanlate, Ibarapa East area of Oyo State, amidst tears and eulogies.

    Adeyemo, who represented the Ibarapa East State Constituency in the state House of Assembly, was sworn in as Speaker of the House on June 12, 2015.

    He died on Friday in Ibadan at the age of 47. A funeral service was held in his honour in Lanlate before the interment.

    After a special session and lying-in-state was held in his honor, Adeyemo’s body began its final journey as it left Ibadan for Lanlate on Wednesday.

    The body was received by thousands of sympathisers who had gathered to pay the late Speaker a final honour.

  • Alleged N338m fraud: S’Court orders re-trial of former Lagos Speaker, Ikuforiji

    Alleged N338m fraud: S’Court orders re-trial of former Lagos Speaker, Ikuforiji

    A five-man panel of the Supreme Court has ordered the re-trial of a former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, who was charged with an alleged N338 million fraud.

    The court gave the ruling on Friday. It was to rule on whether Mr. Ikuforiji should be tried anew as ordered by the Court of Appeal.

    The panel headed by Justice Mary Peter-Odili unanimously ruled that the case be re-assigned to another judge of the Federal High Court instead of Justice Ibrahim Buba, who had earlier absolved Mr. Ikuforiji of the charge.

    Justice Buba had, in a ruling in September 2014, held that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, failed to establish a case against Mr. Ikuforiji and his former aide, Oyebode Atoyebi.

    The judge had also dismissed the 56-count charge raised by the EFCC against Mr. Ikuforiji.

    Dissatisfied with Justice Buba’s ruling, the EFCC appealed to the Court of Appeal, which upturned the ruling.

    The Appeal Court also ordered both Mr. Ikuforiji and Mr. Atoyebi to be tried by another judge.

    However, in 2016, the accused persons approached the Supreme Court, where they filed separate appeals against the decision of the Court of Appeal.

  • Return official vehicles or face sanctions, Edo Assembly tells former Speaker

    The new leadership of the Edo State House of Assembly has threatened to institute criminal action against a former Speaker of the assembly, Hon Elisabeth Ativie, over refusal of Ativie to return her official vehicles.

    It said claims by the former Speaker that the vehicles were given to her by former governor Adams Oshiomhole were untrue as there was no evidence to show that Oshiomhole and the leadership of the House took such decision.

    Hon Ativie who represents Uhunmwode constituency served as Speaker for 84 days after the impeachment of Hon Victor Edoror.

    Ativie stepped down as a result of political pressure for balance of power in the state and Hon Justin Okonoboh emerged as Speaker while she became Deputy Speaker.

    Last week, both the Ativie and Okonoboh were impeached but Ativie has refused to return her official vehicles.

    Ativie had through her lawyer, Olayiwola Afolabi, written the Assembly that the vehicles were given to her by former Governor Oshiomhole as compensation for relinquishing her position as Speaker.

    She stated in the letter that she has sold one of the vehicles, a Prado Jeep 2016 model.

    Current Speaker of the Assembly, Hon Kabiru Adjoto, in a letter to Counsel to Ativie’s, lawyer, said the signature in the letter purportedly written to Ativie by Oshiomhole was not genuine.

    Speaker Adjoto in the letter signed by the clerk of the House, Mr James Omoataman, pointed out that the leadership of the House warned of severe consequences of parading such document.

    Adjoto said original documents of the vehicles were still in possession of the House.

    The letter reads in parts, “As your client will recall,the said vehicles were purchased for the use of the office of the Speaker when your client occupied the office. Consequently, when she became the Deputy Speaker, the official vehicles were left with her office whilst alternative arrangement were made for the office of the Speaker.

    “Despite the clarity of the above, your client deliberately skewed the words used in the purported letter from the former governor claiming that the former governor wrote to say the vehicles were given to her, which is far from the truth.

    “Further, the original documents of the vehicles are still in the possession of the House of Assembly till date which means that title to the vehicles were never transferred or intended to be transferred to your client contrary to your client’s assertions.

    “Accordingly, I hereby reiterate my instruction and demand your client’s immediate return of the vehicles attached to the office of the Deputy Speaker which are still in her possession. Finally, if your client maintains that she indeed sold one of the vehicles, the Lexus Jeep 2016 model, then we expect that your client will furnish us with the details of sales.

    It warned further that “the House expects to receive all the said vehicles or the vehicles that have not been sold, together with the details of the alleged sale of the Lexus jeep as enumerated not later than 2 days from the date of receipt of this letter. Failure to do so will attract the necessary legal action, both civil and criminal against your client”.

     

  • [Video]Edo lawmakers fight dirty over speaker’s removal

    Former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Dr. Justin Okonoboh was on Monday impeached.

    However, the impeachment did not come without some form of violence, as video clip of the lawmakers throwing punches and chairs has emerged.

    Watch:

  • BREAKING: Edo sacks speaker, Okonoboh elects new one

    Honourable Kabiru Ajoto has been elected as the new Speaker.

    Details soon…

     

  • Osun Speaker condemns abduction, murder of Permanent Secretary

    Sequel to the abduction and murder of a Permanent Secretary in Osun on Friday, Mrs Kemi Kolawole the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr Najeem Salaam, has called on the Federal authorities to provide adequate security on the nation’s highways particularly the Okene-Lokoja-Abuja Expressway.

    He spoke against the backdrop of the killing of Kolawole and her driver, on Okene-Abuja highway by some suspected kidnappers.

    “It is painful and shocking,” the speaker said in a statement on Saturday in Osogbo signed by Mr Goke Butika, the Chief Press Secretary.

    Salaam decried the spate of killings and insecurity particularly on Okene-Abuja road and urged Kogi and the Federal Government to take urgent steps to find the killers of the permanent secretary and her driver.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that until her death, Kolawole was the Permanent Secretary, Bureau of General Services, Governor’s Office.

    Kolawole was travelling to Abuja from Osogbo on an official assignment on Thursday when the hoodlums kidnapped and killed her and dumped her body at the roadside.

    The deceased was scheduled to attend the inauguration of Justice Abiola Adewemimo as one of the judges of the Industrial Court.

    “ I condole with the families of the deceased and pray that God will grant them rest; I also comfort their loved ones, relations and dependants.’’

    The Osun Head of Service, Mr Sunday Owoeye, has also described the deaths as a rude shock.

    Also, the Forum of Permanent Secretaries in the state commiserated with the families of the deceased, the state public service and the Osun Government on the loss.

     

    NAN

  • Sanusi’s probe: Kano Assembly Speaker, Kabiru Rurum resigns

    The Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, Kabiru Rurum, has resigned.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Rurum’s resignation is coming after he was alleged to have collected N100m bribe to suspend the probe of Emir of Kano, Mallam Muhammad Sanusi II, an allegation he blatantly denied few weeks ago.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Sanusi was accused of mismanaging N4 billion he inherited from his predecessor, Ado Bayero.

    His resignation was confirmed in a letter read at plenary by the Deputy Speaker, Ibrahim Chidariof, on Monday.

    The Majority Leader of the Assembly, Abdullahi Atta, has been elected the new Speaker.

    Details later…

     

  • Gov Ishaku, Taraba Speaker, others mourn Suntai

    Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State and the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr Abel Diah, have described the death of a former governor of the state, Danbaba Suntai, as a huge loss to the state and the entire Nigeria.

    Ishaku said in a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr Nelson Len, that Suntai was a treasure.

    The statement was issued on Thursday in Jalingo.

    The governor said that Suntai would be remembered for his contributions to the development of Taraba.

    He prayed God to comfort the deceased’s family and the entire Taraba people.

    Similarly, in a statement he signed, the speaker described Suntai as a pillar of Taraba.

    He said that the former governor died when his services were much needed.

    He prayed God to give Taraba people the strength to bear the loss.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Suntai died on Wednesday in Florida, U.S., where he was undergoing rehabilitation from brain injuries he sustained from a plane crash in October 2012 in Yola. He was aged 55 years.