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Tag: Yakubu Dogara

  • Dogara says National Assembly will commit itself more to repositioning sports

    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, on Tuesday in Abuja promised that the National Assembly would deploy all within its legislative powers to reposition the sports sector in Nigeria.

    Dogara, while speaking at a one-day National Sports Summit organised by the House Committee on Sports, said the repositioning was necessary in the interest of peace and progress in the industry.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the summit has the theme “Growing Nigeria Sports from the Grassroots for Championship, Excellence and Sustainable Development’’.

    The House Speaker said the summit captured the place of sports as a veritable tool of sustainable development.

    Dogara listed some of the summit’s objectives to include facilitating sports development in Nigeria through adequate legislation of policies and helping to harmonise sports polices for effective and efficient implementation.

    He said this was also necessary because the potential for Nigeria to become a global power in sports could not be limited.

    “We have a large pool of youth population with rich talents and passion for sports.

    “What is needed is to effectively harness these endowments in order to unlock a world of treasure that can effectively drive our development,” the Speaker said.

    Dogara lamented that sports in Nigeria have continued to be at an epileptic state without significant contribution because there has been a management failure in sports management.

    “If Nigeria gets sports management right, the sector should be contributing more to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) than the other major sectors we rely on today.

    “Nigeria sports has been bedeviled with series of teething problems, this situation has led to growing concern for stakeholders in sports and a serious agitation for the need to salvage the situation,’’ he said.

    Earlier, the Chairman, House Committee on Sports, Goni Lawan, had said the summit was aimed at fashioning a way for the enactment of proper legislation for sports in the country.

    He added that it would help in removing impediments hindering sports development.

    “Such legislation, when enacted with the support of all stakeholders, will go a long way in removing the burden of sports sponsorship from government,’’ the committee chairman said.

    He added that the role of sports in closing the gap of unemployment and taming youth restiveness cannot be over-emphasised.

    “The decadence and negligence in our sports industry, especially at the grassroots level, have reached an alarming state and something very urgent must be done to safeguard the situation,’’ Lawan said.

    NAN reports that the summit brought together top sports stakeholders from across Nigeria to deliberate on the way forward for sports in Nigeria.

    NAN

  • Impeachment: Saraki only postponing his doomsday – APC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) said it has uncovered sinister plans by the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) to attack its Senators, even as the party says Senate President Bukola Saraki and his cohorts are only postponing doomsday by not reconvening.

    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports APC Ag. National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Yekini Nabena, in a statement on Tuesday made this known while stressing that the change of Senate leadership is imminent.

    “As Chairman of the 8th National Assembly, Saraki’s decision not to reconvene the National Assembly done with the support of the Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara further buttresses our position that Saraki is ever ready to pursue his selfish interests over National Interest.

    “This is another brazen display of his penchant for abuse of powers and sabotage of government, however the cost and implication.

    “While Saraki and his cohorts continue to postpone their doomsday regarding the imminent Senate leadership change, the yet-to-be considered 2019 budget of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is dangerously delayed.

    “Clearly, Saraki’s actions as Senate President now bother on high treason.,” the statement read.

    TNG reports the NASS was billed to reconvene today to consider the INEC 2019 elections budget request forwarded by President Muhammadu Buhari on July 17, 2018.

    However, Saraki and Speaker House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara , through Yusuph Olaniyonu, Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) to Senate President and Turaki Hassan, Special Adviser (Media and Public Affairs) to Speaker, House of Representatives in a statement had given reasons why the NASS was unable to reconvene.

    According to the statement, the Joint Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Electoral Matters and officials of the INEC must have held on or before Monday August 13, 2018 before the reconvening of the NASS.

    “The joint committees were also expected to meet with the joint Senate and House Committees on Appropriations, Loans and Debts on the Eurobond loan request after which two reports would have been ready for presentation in the two chambers.

    “However, no such meeting had taken place yet as a result of which both Senate and House of Representatives cannot reconvene as there is no report to consider.

    “Until the Committees have a ready report for the consideration of the two chambers, it will be most irresponsible to recall members from recess especially those that may have travelled to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj,” the statement read.

    Meanwhile, speaking on the sinister plans by the PDP to attack APC Senators, Mr. Yekini in the APC statement said, “the plot was hatched in the private residence of a PDP leader in Maitama-Abuja on Sunday night.

    The statement reads:

    “Our attention has been drawn to sinister plans by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to attack some All Progressives Congress (APC) Senators as part of the PDP’s desperate bid to ensure that Dr. Bukola Saraki clings to the position of Senate President.

    “By this statement, we call on security agents to protect APC Senators. If any Senator is harmed, the PDP and Saraki should be held directly responsible. We call on security agencies to also closely monitor the activities of some PDP leaders including Saraki because the plan to attack APC Senators is real and imminent.

    “We were informed that the plot was hatched in the private residence of a PDP leader in Maitama-Abuja on Sunday night. The meeting was attended by 15 pro-Saraki Senators including the Senate President himself.

    “We learnt that the PDP expressed worry over the APC’s Senate majority and considered several options to stop the APC from taking over the Senate leadership among which is attacking some APC Senators to ensure their inability to attend legislative sittings.

    “The PDP have recruited thugs for this purpose, we have now learnt.

    “During Sunday’s meeting, the PDP Senators planned several types of attack, one of which is to lure some of them (APC Senators) out at night in the guise of inviting Senators to a political settlement meeting and thereafter instigate a violent confrontation during the meeting and unleash standby PDP thugs on APC Senators” Our source privy to the meeting informed us.

    “This revelation has not come to us as a surprise because the Senate President through proxies has made several failed attempts to buy over APC Senators with N100million each.

    “As a Party, we don’t believe in inducing lawmakers to achieve our legitimate goal of removing Saraki as Senate President. We will get the support of some PDP Senators to get the required 2/3 vote and impeach Saraki. We are already talking to some of PDP Senators who believe and support the direction of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to achieve our legitimate goal.

    “We reiterate our call for Saraki’s immediate resignation as Senate President. He cannot lead the APC majority Senate. But if he fails to resign honourably, we will impeach him. The PDP’s propaganda and threat of violence cannot save him”.

     

  • INEC budget: Why no date for NASS to reconvene – Saraki, Dogara

    The Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki and the Speaker, House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara, said on Tuesday that no date had been fixed for the two chambers to reconvene to consider the INEC 2019 elections budget request forwarded by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    This was contained in a statement by Mr Yusuph Olaniyonu, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Senate President and Mr Turaki Hassan, Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs to Speaker, House of Representatives in Abuja.

    The Senate president and the speaker said that no meeting between the two chambers took place to consider any report before the National Assembly.

    “Until the committees has a ready report for the consideration of the two chambers, it will be most irresponsible to recall members from recess, especially those that may have travelled to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj,” they said.

    Buhari forwarded the INEC 2019 elections budget request on July 17.

    The Joint Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Electoral Matters and officials of the INEC ought to have met on or before Monday Aug. 13.

    The joint committees were also expected to meet with the joint Senate and House Committees on Appropriations, Loans and Debts on the Eurobond loan request after which two reports would have been ready for presentation in the two chambers.

     

  • Dogara congratulates Kaita, Gumau

    Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has congratulated ‪Reps. Lawal Yahaya Gumau and Ahmed Babba Kaita on their victories in Saturday’s bye-elections in Bauchi and Katsina states.

    Dogara, in a statement he signed on Monday, said he was confident of their ability to provide quality representation of their constituents.

    “On behalf of the entire leadership and members of the House of Representatives, I congratulate you on your election to the Senate.

    I am proud of you‬ and know that you will continue the good job of representing the interests of your constituents in the Senate.

    “It gladdens my heart to note that you have now joined the league of former House members in the Senate,” the speaker said.

     

  • FG treating 2019 elections as an emergency – Dogara

    FG treating 2019 elections as an emergency – Dogara

    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara has said that the legislature is committed to free, fair and credible elections in 2019, and decried that the federal government is treating the 2019 elections as an emergency.

    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports Dogara stated this during a meeting of the leadership of both chambers of the National Assembly with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu.

    The Speaker, who acknowledged gains recorded during the last election cycle in 2015, urged the electoral umpire to ensure that standards are improved upon.

    “I want to reiterate that we are committed to an electoral process that will better our experiences of our 2015 general elections. We’ve already set a standard where the world has avowed our electoral process to be fair to a certain degree and we must not go below that standard,” Dogara stated.

    He pledged the commitment of the National Assembly to enabling INEC to achieve this goal through appropriation.

    The Speaker further expressed concerns about what he described an emergency approach being taken towards the 2019 elections.

    “As leaders of the National Assembly, we are committed to appropriating whatever is needed within the confines of the resources of the nation for INEC to be able to actualise this and that is why this meeting is important.

    “However, personally, I have some questions that I intend to raise, but I will raise these in the process of discussion because it appears that we are treating this 2019 election as an emergency, which it ought not to be, so that is just my concern,” said Dogara.

    The INEC chairman Professor Yakubu, on his part, thanked the leadership of the National Assembly for their continued support.

    “Let me, on behalf of the commission, thank your excellencies and the leadership of the National Assembly for this meeting. We are now reenergised and more reassured that our plans for the 2019 general elections are absolutely on course as far as funding is concerned,” he said.

    He, however, stressed the need to act quickly, especially as elections are “exactly a hundred and ninety-one days away”.

     

  • Mahmood briefs NASS leadership on INEC’s budget for 2019 general elections

    Mahmood briefs NASS leadership on INEC’s budget for 2019 general elections

    Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, on Wednesday briefed Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara at a Special Hearing on INEC’s budget for the 2019 general elections.

    TheNewsGuru reports Senate President Saraki had earlier in his opening remarks at a World Press Conference he addressed in Abuja said the National Assembly was prepared to do what is necessary to ensure that the 2019 elections held without any hitch.

    “We stand committed to doing our utmost as lawmakers to ensure that the responsibility and functionality of governance are met. Although we are on annual break, we are daily reviewing the situation and are alive to the responsibility to take action as necessary,” he said.

    He said that the National Assembly meeting with INEC leadership would have held on Tuesday but for the occupation of the NASS complex by security operatives from the Department of State Services.

    “Unfortunately, yesterday’s shutdown prevented us from meeting with INEC, as scheduled, to address funding concerns. We will continue to look into the matter,” Saraki said.

    He also appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to append signature on the 2018 Electoral Act Amendment Bill.

    “In the spirit of that, we also appeal to Mr. President to sign the 2018 Electoral Act Amendment Bill which has been sent for his assent.

    “I remain confident in the support of my colleagues and their focus on the job at hand, which is to serve the Nigerian people.

    “My confidence is unshaken. I remain committed to the success of the historic 8th National Assembly, and to the continued progress of our country,” he said.

     

  • Saraki, Dogara postpone leadership meeting

    Following invasion of the National Assembly complex by men of the Department of State Services (DSS), Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki and Speaker House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara have condemned the action of the security agents and described it as another attempt to subevert the nation’s democracy.

    TheNewsGuru reports the NASS leaders alleged that legislators and members of staff, including the Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Mohammed Sani Omolori, who is the administrative head of the Federal legislature, were harassed in the invasion.

    In a statement jointly signed by the two presiding officers of both Chambers of the National Assembly, Saraki and Dogara stated that the heavy presence of armed security men who unnecessarily militarized the legislative complex and harassed legislators and the workers in the complex could not be justified in a democracy.

    The Senate President and Speaker further noted that today was a sad day for democracy as very early in the morning, they got reports backed by video and pictures, from members of staff of the National Assembly, their colleagues from both chambers and other individuals, about the heavy presence of the security personnel who insisted that nobody would enter the complex except certain Senators who were to be conveyed into the complex in a Coaster bus.

    “By 6.30 am, the reports started coming in and by 7am, there were pictures and video online showing armed security men preventing Senators and Honourable members from coming into the Complex. Some of our colleagues then mobilized other members in both chambers from their respective abode so that they could pressurize the Security men from allowing them to gain entry.

    “Obviously, the public outcry from Nigerians and members of the international community against this illegality, this desecration of the sanctity of the legislature and this flagrant abuse of powers forced the government to relax the directives given to the security men as they later allowed the legislators to walk from the main gate into the foyer. Still the lawmakers were not allowed to drive in, in their vehicles and were denied access into the main building housing their offices.

    “It is not clear what the plan of the government is but information reaching us indicated that some Senators who are pro-executive arm are being camped somewhere here in Abuja and they are being compelled to sign an impeachment notice that would later be brought to the Assembly complex. The Senate Chamber will now be forced open to enable an illegal change of leadership take place in the Senate.

    “It should be noted that the Senate formally adjourned on July 24, 2018 and it stands adjourned. To reconvene, there is a process which has to be followed. Also, it should be clear that these Senators who are camped somewhere know the procedure for changing the leadership of the Senate. Both the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Presidency officials masterminding this illegality know that they do not have the numbers to lawfully carry out this action.

    “Therefore, we call on members of the international community to view this development as a coup against democracy. This is a throw-back to the inglorious days of military rule where dissent is not tolerated and freedom of association and other fundamental human rights are willfully and carelessly violated.

    “We urge Nigerians and the international community to condemn this illegal invasion of the National Assembly complex and the attempt to asphyxiate the legislature as undemocratic, uncivilized and irresponsible.

    “Let us use this opportunity to thank our colleagues in the Senate and House of Representatives who immediately mobilized to resist this coup against democracy. Their action will be recorded as one taken at a time when the soul of this country is being imperilled. They have acted to avert the breakdown of constitutionalism and collapse of the rule of law. They have stood up to dictatorship and demonstrated that this country belongs to all of us.

    “We also thank members of the press, local and international, and all Nigerians whose support for the cause of democracy have sustained us this far.

    Following this unpleasant development, the joint leadership meeting slated for this afternoon has been postponed till further notice because under the prevailing circumstances, we cannot guarantee the safety of the 20 members from both chambers expected at the meeting”, Saraki and Dogara stated.

     

  • Speaker Dogara: Nigeria’s industrialisation unattainable without…

    Speaker Dogara: Nigeria’s industrialisation unattainable without…

    Speaker Yakubu Dogara has, again, called on the executive to give priority to steel development in Nigeria, saying it is the bedrock of the development of the country.

    He argued that the country keeps losing revenue through importation of steel, even more that the government is focused on implementing projects that are dependent on steel such as the Mambilla power project and the Second Niger bridge among others.

    Hon Dogara, who was speaking at the Open NASS event ongoing in the National Assembly, also harped on the need for provision of mechanised tools and subsidies to farmers for agricultural revolution to work.

    “Point to any nation out there that is industrialised that doesn’t have a robust steel and aluminum sector,” he stated, while adding, “As we edge towards the Mambilla Power Projects, we are utilising millions in tonnes of steel, and if we don’t have a robust steel sector, all the money would go to China for instance where we will be importing this steel from.

    “The second Niger bridge is there, it’s going to also consume millions of tonnes in steel. If care is not taken, China will also earn all the money. So what are we doing as a government to ensure this doesn’t happen?

    “Without the aluminum and steel sector, there cannot be industrialisation in Nigeria. The President of Ghana was speaking recently before an enlightened audience and he spoke of the need for Ghana to have a steel plant and they are starting soon. So if care is not taken, Nigeria, the giant of Africa will be importing steel from Ghana.”

    Speaking on how to revolutionalise the agricultural sector for the benefit of both the farmers and the country, the Speaker said, “To be very frank, if we don’t talk of mechanisation and subsidies for farmers, any talk about revolution in agriculture without mechanisation and subsidy is just rendering cheap talk. It will not be competitive and it will not work. I’m yet to see any developed country be it in America or Europe that doesn’t subsidise farming, and I’m yet to see any country that has completely mechanised its agriculture that doesn’t have a competitive edge against other nations.

    “What are we doing in terms of mechanisation of agriculture in Nigeria and giving subsidy to farmers? Because virtually every practice that was there before is till there, you are a farmer and you are looking for loan, forget about anchor borrowers, you might not get the loan. And when you raise your produce, for instance I have an orchard which was done about fifteen years ago, they come to your farm and they want to buy your mango for thirty or fifty Naira, yet they turn around and sell the same mango for a hundred and fifty Naira. So the problem has always been these middlemen, and it is more profitable in the agricultural value chain to be a middle man, than to be a farmer. So how do we encourage the farmers? So that we grow what we eat, and we eat what we grow?”

    He also identified high interest rates on loans from Commercial Banks at the current high interest rate as a poverty trap that discourage entrepreneurship and encourage the movement of wealth from the citizens to the corporations, noting that this does not propel growth of the economy as it’s actually those who employ between ten to thirty people that are really the engine growth in any nation.

     

  • We must unravel mystery surrounding recovered loots, assets – Dogara

    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has said that Parliament will not continue to look on as confusion trails the recovery of looted funds and assets.

    This, he said, at a public hearing by the House Joint Committee on Public Accounts and Finance on the need to ascertain the status of recovered Public funds and assets from 1999 to date.

    “It is common knowledge that there are a lot of conflicting reports and claims from various agencies of government concerning the status of the funds and assets recovered from some citizens and corporate entities by law enforcement agencies. As a Parliament, we cannot fold our arms and allow the confusion trailing the whereabouts of the recovered funds and assets to continue.

    This is why the House of Representatives resolved to mandate this Joint Committee to investigate the issue in the interest of accountability and transparency.”

    He added that the investigation has become necessary in order to ascertain how resources are being appropriated, and that it is in line with the duties of the National Assembly as stated in the Constitution.

    “We believe that as a Parliament, we owe the people of Nigeria the duty to ascertain the resources available to government and how they are being appropriated in their interest. This is in line with the exercise of our Constitutional powers in Sections 88 and 89 of the Nigerian Constitution, 1999 as amended.”

    He urged stakeholders present to be patriotic, truthful and honourable in their submissions. He further urged the committee to handle the matter with utmost seriousness as it is capable of eroding the credibility of the present administration.

    The total value of recovered funds and assets is estimated at $2trillion and the House has also mandated its Committee on Financial Crimes to investigate whether any crimes have been committed in the course of the management and disbursement of funds recovered by the Federal Government in the last 12 years.

     

  • Rule of law, due process as hallmark of democracy – Speaker Dogara

    The speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, has emphasised on the need to improve on the crop of lawyers produced by the universities in order to improve on the nation’s rule of law and due process.

    Speaking when he received a delegation of Law Students Representatives Council from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State in his office, he also urged them to be innovative and bring the much needed difference that will reposition governance in the country.

    He said, “We need good lawyers in this country. We need good lawmakers because as you have heard it been said, democracy is dependent on rule of law and due process. Everything revolves around due process and rule of law.

    “So, it, therefore, means that your democracy can only be as strong as your laws because it is your laws that serve as the pivot upon which democracy is built.

    “And so, we need sound lawyers to represent people in court and to ensure justice that is due to our citizens is actually given to them. And much more, we need sound lawyers in the institutions like the National Assembly to ensure that the laws we are making meet the expections and yearnings of our people.”

    Hon Dogara went further to challenge the delegation to push for innovation and new approaches in the field of law in order to increase their knowledge and make groundbreaking changes.

    He also advised them and all Nigerian youths to take advantage of the Not Too Young to Run law passed by the National Assembly to participate in politics in order to transform governance in a manner that will be beneficial to all Nigerians.

    “The reason for the passage of the law was not just to bring young people into government or to expand the political space but one of the key motivating factor was to ensure that we have a difference in leadership because if the engagement of the youths in this manner cannot transform into any meaningful manner, the way and manner we govern ourselves , then ultimately the aim would have been defeated,” he said, while adding, “We should have better leaders and with discipline, you will get there and I hope you will not disappoint us.”

    Earlier, Mr Olawumi Tobi, leader of delegation, thanked the Speaker for receiving them on their visit to the National Assembly and sharing his experiences as a legal practitioner and legislator with them.

    Mr. Tobi revealed that speaker Dogara gives hope and inspiration to Nigerian youths with his support for the not too young to run and other youth friendly legislations in the National Assembly.