TheNewsGuru

Tag: Speaker

  • I didn’t take N100m bribe to suspend Emir Sanusi’s probe – Kano Speaker

    The Speaker, Kano State House of Assembly, Kabiru Rurum, has denied a media report that he received N100m bribe to suspend the probe of Emir of Kano, Mallam Muhammad Sanusi II.

    Rurum, on Tuesday in Kano, dismissed as false and an attempt to tarnish his image, the report by an online medium.

    He also gave the medium one week within which to retract the report and apologise to the State Assembly or face legal action.

    The speaker said the House would constitute a committee to investigate the matter, adding that the publishers must come before the committee to defend the allegation.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the state Assembly was divided over an alleged bribe received from industry mogul, Aliko Dangote, to suspend the probe of the emir.

    He said, “I wish to clearly make it known that the story is not true, but mere libelous and false information aimed at tarnishing my image and that of my colleagues.”

    According to him, the report is also targeted at creating tension and chaos among the lawmakers and ridicule the personality of Dangote.

    “The story was a fabrication, a tissue of lies and unjustifiable, because there was never a time I met with Dangote to discuss such an issue, not to talk of him offering us a bribe.”

    He explained that the intervention of Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, Northern governors and other notable Nigerians to stop the probe was channeled through the state governor and not directly to the Assembly.

    “It is a tradition that when such things happen, the governor gets in touch with us as one of the three arms of government.

    “Therefore, the governor forwarded his request letter, appealing for the suspension of the investigation on behalf of all the concerned citizens.” (NAN)

  • Impeached Delta Speaker, Monday Igbuya suspended for three months

    Impeached Delta Speaker, Monday Igbuya suspended for three months

    The impeached Speaker of the Delta State Assembly, Rt.Hon. Monday Ovwigho Igbuya has been suspended for three months.

    Also suspended indefinitely is the Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Tim Owhefere.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Igbuya was impeached Monday morning over alleged financial high handedness and misappropriation of funds.

    The member representing Isoko South and the member representing Warri South-West in the Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Johnson Erijo moved and seconded the motion for the impeachment of the Speaker this morning.

    TheNewsGuru.com that Igbuya was immediately replaced with the lawmaker representing, Okpe constituency, Mr. Sheriff Oborevwori as the new Speaker.

  • BREAKING: Delta speaker, Monday Igbuya impeached

    BREAKING: Delta speaker, Monday Igbuya impeached

    Delta State House of Assembly Speaker, Mr. Monday Igbuya has been impeached this morning during the house session.

    Mr. Igbuya was immediately replaced with the lawmaker representing, Okpe constituency, Mr. Sheriff Oborevwori as the new speaker.

    TheNewsGuru.com reliably gathered that Igbuya’s impeachment was signed by 22 out of the 29 members of the house.

    There has been obvious moves before now to impeach the speaker. Many attempts have been made.

    The Committee of the Whole House meet yesterday and adjoined till 10 am today only for a opposing group to spring a surprise by reconvening at 7 am today to impeach the Speaker.

    A leading member of the House, who spoke under anonymity says the move was illegal since the House rules were breached by the hurried 7 am convening of the House.

    He nevertheless agreed that only 20 members of the House, not 22 as alleged, carried out the coup. He agreed that they had two-thirds majority to carry out the action.

  • What gives me sleepless nights as Speaker – Dogara

    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has revealed that his determination to do things better and achieve a more successful legislative tenure than previous leaderships of the House is one of his greatest nightmares.

    Dogara noted that if there was anything he remains greatful to God for, it is the fact that he has removed the fear of anyone or anything from him.

    The Speaker revealed this in an interview with NIGERIA NOW Magazine in Abuja.

    Speaking on some of the challenges that has come his way since assuming the Speaker of the House and how he has successfully surmounted such, Dogara said: “I tell people that one of the things God has developed real well in me is to remove fear from me, I fear nothing.”‎

    He stated that the only thing that frightened him was if the Eighth House of Representatives, which he leads, is unable to leave landmark achievements.

    “The only thing that frightens me is if this Eighth Assembly which, by virtue of the grace of God, I have been called to lead, is unable to leave landmark achievements; that is what bothers me and prevents me from sleeping.

    “At times, I begin to think about what it is that we have achieved, done wrong or could have done better? What is the next line of things we can do for the betterment of the lives and living conditions of our people?

    “This is going to be 2 years, what can we really say we have done that has bettered the lot of Nigerians? What will be our place when the history of this country is written?”

    “Those are the issues that prevent one from sleeping, really, as against political battles with individuals or thinking about next elections – those are not the issues at all.

    “I bother a lot about where we are leading this House to and what it is we can achieve in both parliament and in government, because we are running the same government. If Buhari fails; all of us have failed, because it is one government and we cannot extricate ourselves”‎, he said.

    The Speaker, who also revealed that he occasionally writes advisory memos to the Presidency, stressed the importance of working as one irrespective of party affiliations and positions occupied, in order to make the current administration succeed in its efforts to better the lot of Nigerians.

    “Sometimes I sit down, craft memos by myself and take it to the Executive; it is not my responsibility, the government has its own advisers, but I fear a lot about the place this government will occupy in history.

    “All of us will be involved in that history, none of us will run away whether you just a member, a leader, a Chairman of a Committee, whoever you are it is our government, it doesn’t even matter which political party you belong to, it is one government and we are all involved.

    “So the point is what is the legacy we are leaving behind? What are we achieving? That’s the thing that gives me nightmares sometimes.”

  • Katsina Assembly Speaker, Aliyu Sabiru impeached

    The Speaker of the Katsina State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Aliyu Sabiu Muduru has been impeached.

    Muduru was impeached by 23 out of the 34 state lawmakers in the assembly.

    After the impeachment, the House elected Yahaya Kusada as the new Speaker.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that reasons for Muduru’s impeachment are yet to be ascertained, however, the Assembly has been engaged in a leadership struggle since April 2016 when House Leader, Lawal Kuraye and Chief Whip, Bishir Mamman were ‘forced’ to resign or be impeached.

    Muduru and most of the principal officers were also under intense pressure to resign at the time due to the determination of the state lawmakers to bring a new leadership on board.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the 34-year-old former speaker, who was until his impeachment, the youngest speaker in the country, was elected in a controversial election in 2015.

  • Osun Assembly passes vote of confidence on speaker

    Osun Assembly passes vote of confidence on speaker

    Members of the Osun House of Assembly on Thursday passed vote of confidence on the Speaker, Mr Najeem Salaam, over what they described as “his quality leadership style”.

    The assembly members commended the leadership of the house when they appeared before the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation to defend the 2017 budget proposal in Osogbo.

    The N3.2 billion budget proposal was presented to the committee by the Leader of Government Business, Mr Timothy Owoeye.

    In his remarks, Mr Kamil Oyedele, the House Committee Chairman on Finance and Appropriation, said the manner in which the Speaker had been directing the affairs of the assembly has translated to peaceful coexistence between the executive and the legislative arms of government in the state.

    Oyedele said, “No doubt, the leadership style of Mr Speaker has always propelled members to toll the line of peaceful co-existence with the executive, and this has been translating to development of the state.

    “All these names calling like “rubber stamp”, “Yesso” and the likes, are enough to trigger violence in the house, but we are not bothered.

    “We can see that the collaboration with the governor is translating to the development of this state.

    “If they call us different names, we are happy that we rubbers stamp for development and stand for the development of this state.

    “So, we are passing vote of confidence on Mr Speaker and determined to toll the line of peaceful co-existence for the development of our state,” Oyelede said.

    Also speaking, Mr Rasheed Afolabi, the House Committee Chairman on Public Account, said the speaker was a man of peace.

    He also commended Gov. Rauf Aregbesola for cooperating with members of the assembly.

    He said the respect for the autonomy of the assembly was one of such cooperation in a right direction.

    Afolabi said the assembly would not relent in giving support to the governor.

    Mr Tunde Olatunji, the House Committee Chairman on Industries, Commerce, Cooperatives and Youth Empowerment, described the speaker as a man of peace, who is always catering for the interest of other members.

    Olatunji, said members of the assembly would continue to support the speaker, adding that he deserved the vote of confidence passed on him.

    Meanwhile, Mr Segun Olorunsogo, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Economic Planning, Budget and Development, presented a budget estimate of N725.9 million to the assembly.

  • [How it happened] Ondo Speaker, Deputy impeached over alleged fraud

    The Speaker of Ondo State House of Assembly, Princess Jumoke Akindele and her Deputy, Alhaji Fatai Oloutu, were late last night impeached by 20 out of the 26 members of the assembly in what many described as a “palace coup”.

    This was the second time within a year that the Speaker who represented Okitipupa State Constituency and her Deputy who represented Akoko North-East constituency would be facing the wrath of their colleagues as they were impeached by 18 out of the 26 members of the assembly in March 2016.

    The members who sat at the Assembly complex elected Mr Malachi Coker representing Ilaje constituency 1as acting Speaker while Ayo Arowele representing Owo Constituency 11 was elected as the Deputy Speaker.

    This development was coming less than a month to the inauguration of the administration of Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) A member of the Assembly, Otunba Olugbenga Araoyinbo representing Akoko North-West Constituency 11, told Saturday Telegraph, that members of the assembly numbering 20 impeached both the Speaker and her deputy yesterday evening.

    The impeachment exercise, it was learnt, was carried out within the assembly’s premises with the Clerk of the Assembly, Mr. Bode Adeyelu, present during the sitting.

    Among the members who signed the impeachment notice according to sources in the Assembly included all the five members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and 15 out of the 21 members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

  • BREAKING: Ondo Assembly Speaker suspended

    The Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Jumoke Akindele has been suspended.

    Acting Speaker is Hon. Malachi Coker

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Akindele was elected in On May 27, 2015 following the sudden death of the former speaker Samuel Adesina.

    Akindele is the first female speaker of the state.

    Details later…

  • We share same umbilical cord with Fayose, he can’t be impeached – Speaker

     

    The Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Kolawole Oluwawole has said the legislature and executive arm of government in Ekiti State enjoy a smooth relationship and such cannot be destroyed by those desperately working and calling for the removal of Governor Ayodele Fayose.

    those fighting for the removal of Governor Ayodele Fayose, are chasing shadows.

    Oluwawole, said this on Wednesday in Ekiti.

    The Speaker was reacting to calls by Coalition for Good Governance and Anti-Corruption for Fayose’s removal from office.

    Oluwawole said: “Unfortunately, they are speaking from Abuja and not from Ekiti, thus they have no jurisdiction to cry more than the bereaved in the first instance about government and governance in Ekiti State.

    “The EKHA would have ignored these marauders, but they need to be aware of the following facts. The Office of the Governor of Ekiti State is established in Part 2, Section 176 (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended for a period of four years herein called the term of office and Section 180 (1) listed all intraneous conditions that can make an occupant to cease to hold the office as a governor.

    “Also, Section 189(1) of the same constitution listed the extraneous conditions of removing the governor of a state through the House of Assembly.

    “Nowhere was it stated that some drunkards can gather after a binge night out and ask for the removal of a sitting and performing governor with executive powers as conferred by Section 176 (2) of the constitution.

    “The EKHA is saddled with the responsibility of oversight functions, particularly with powers on matters of evidence against any political office holder in Ekiti state inclusive of the governor as enshrined in Section 129 of the Nigerian constitution as amended.

    “These functions, we have carried out without fear or favour and with so much vigour in the overall interest of the people of Ekiti State. Nowhere and no time in Ekiti State will the legislature and the executive be at loggerheads because we remain indivisible, inseparable and closely bounded, sharing the same umbilical cord with the Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Ayodele Fayose,” the Speaker explained.

  • ‘Why I was removed from office’ – ousted Abia Speaker

    Ousted Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Chief Martins Azubuike, said he was impeached because he chose to deploy available funds into projects and not consenting to sharing it among colleagues.

    Azubuike spoke on Monday at a civic reception organised in his honour by his people under the auspices of Umunneato-Ngwa, a loose socio-cultural body.

    The group is comprised of the three sister-local government areas of Osisioma Ngwa, Isialangwa North and Isialangwa South of the state.

    He told the crowd that he committed no impeachable offence but was removed because he did not accede to demands to share allocations to the House among the members.

    Azubuike, who was highly revered by assembly workers for bringing his experience to bear on the House as a third-term legislator, listed the projects executed during his more than one-year tenure as Speaker.

    According to him, the projects included the completion of an office complex building for the 24 legislators.

    He said that the building started in 2007, but could not be completed by his two predecessors.

    Azubuike said other projects were the computerisation of the operations of the Assembly and development of a website for the House to enable members track its activities from within and outside the complex.

    The ex-Speaker said that he also procured vehicles for the members and two buses for committee assignments.

    “These monetary achievements were the challenges I had with the members because I did not agree the money should be put on the table to be shared among the members,” Azubuike said.

    He also reeled out a number of constituency projects he executed in his Isialangwa North constituency, to include the grading of roads in the area and bursary award to 100 students.

    The former speaker said that he organised free medical services for people of the area as well as schools competitions, during which scholarships were awarded to the best students, among other projects.

    Azubuike said that at the inception of the sixth assembly, his leadership articulated a road-map for 2015/2019 on how to drive development in the state.

    According to him, whatever the present administration of Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu had achieved from inception to date was as a result of the initiatives by the House under his leadership.

    Besides, he said that since his emergence as Speaker, he gave support to the governor, against the background that it was the first time the Ngwa extraction produced a governor since the creation of Abia.

    However, Azubuike expressed his readiness to continue to support the governor to ensure his success.

    He also assured his people that he would continue to provide effective representation to the area in the House.

    He said: “I am not going to take the back seat but I will take the front seat because I do not see anybody in the House that can do it better than I.”

    The ex-Speaker thanked the organisers of the event and elders of the area for the honour done to him.

    Azubuike said that he had been consoled by their solidarity and kind words, which he hoped to cherish all his life.