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Tag: Yakubu Dogara

  • Dogara tasks security agencies on interagency cooperation

    Dogara tasks security agencies on interagency cooperation

    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has called on security agencies to work together seamlessly in order to overcome security challenges in the country.

    He said this in Monguno, Borno state at the Mini Trade Fair and Military Equipment Exhibition organized by the Nigerian Army as part of the week-long Nigerian Army Day Celebration 2018.

    “I must mention the very saddening and regrettable spate of killings and destruction of property of defenceless citizens by bandits and alleged herdsmen militia in various parts of the country, especially in the middle belt region. I am aware that the Army has often been involved in quelling these dastardly attacks.

    This intractable internal security challenge is giving every well-meaning Nigerians and, indeed, the international community, very grave concern. I, therefore, wish to use this forum to call on all our security agencies to collaborate more closely in the areas of intelligence, idea and information sharing to provide a reliable security network for all parts of the country.”

    Represented by Hon. Rima Shawulu, chairman House Committee on Nigerian Army, the Speaker further commended the Army for efforts towards defeating the deadly Boko Haram sect and urged them to do even more to restore peace to the North East region.

    “Let me also seize this opportunity to commend the Nigerian Armed Forces for their efforts in containing the notorious Boko Haram insurgency, which has caused monumental loss of lives and economic ruins in the country, particularly in the North East axis.

    Your sacrifices and commitment in this war, and the achievements you have recorded in degrading the insurgents are well acknowledged and commendable. Nevertheless, you cannot afford to rest on your oars until the insurgents are beaten to a state of total surrender, so that the nation can move forward.”

    The Speaker, who said that progress can only be attained when the country is peaceful, also pledged the commitment of the National Assembly to helping security agencies tackle the spate of insecurity through appropriation.

    “The theme for your celebration this year, which is “The Nigerian Army and National Security: A Panacea for Nigeria’s Economic Development”, aptly captures the importance of security as the bedrock for economic development. Progress can only thrive in an atmosphere of peace. This is why the nations of the world give priority attention to security in their planning and resource allocation.

    “The Nigerian National Assembly has been taking due cognisance of the paramount place of security in our legislative activities, particularly in ensuring generous financial appropriation to the security sector, within the limits of the available resources. Let me assure you that we will continue to give our best support to the Armed Forces and other security agencies by working in tandem with the Executive Arm to always give them the maximum possible budgetary allocations.”

    He also spoke on ongoing consultations with the Executive in order to provide a legislative framework for security reforms.

    “On our own part, the Nigerian Parliament is already making concerted efforts in consultation with the Executive Arm to provide the legislative framework for a fundamental reform of our security system. We cannot afford to allow the insecurity in the country to degenerate beyond the present level.”

    The trade fair was organised by the Nigerian Army in collaboration with Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

    He urged those present to leverage on the gains of the exhibition to invest more in production of military wares and in other sectors such as health, agriculture and industrial production and to sustain the synergy for the overall benefit of the country.

     

  • Dogara urges Buhari to assent bill mandating budget submission in September

    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to assent to the constitutional amendment Bill which provides for early submission of budget proposals to the National Assembly by the President.

    Delivering a remark at the resumption of plenary on Tuesday, the Speaker said so long as the Bill is not signed into law, any talk of an orderly appropriations process would be mere cheap talk.

    The Bill stipulates that the President shall prepare and lay before each House of the National Assembly estimates of revenue and expenditure 90 days before the end of the fiscal year, and was transmitted to the President along with other constitutional amendment Bills some of which have been assented to by the President.

    “It is as a result of this that the National Assembly proposed an amendment to the section to require the President to submit the Appropriation Bill not later than 90 days to the end of the financial year. The President has not yet signed this Bill which is so critical to an orderly Appropriations process. Let me use this opportunity to remind Mr President of the fact that if this Bill does not become law, any talk of an orderly appropriations process would be mere cheap talk.

    According to the Speaker, “It is important to reiterate once again, that the National Assembly has the Constitutional powers, duty and responsibility to intervene in the budgeting process to ensure equity, federal character and even distribution of projects and amenities to all nooks and crannies of this great country as direct Representatives of the people.

    “It is also important to emphasise that the 2018 budget benefitted from active cooperation and consultation between the Executive and Legislature during the Appropriation process. No doubt, Nigeria’s budgeting processes is in need of further reforms and that is why the National Assembly took the bold initiative to introduce the Budget Process Bill that is expected to lay out, timelines that will guide the appropriations process from conception to passage.

    “But for this Bill to be passed, section (81) subsection (1) which gives the President power to prepare and lay before each House of the National Assembly AT ANY TIME estimates of revenue and expenditure in the financial year must be amended.”

    He also charged House Committees to process all pending legislative measures before them and ensure expeditious consideration as they enter the twilight of their legislative mandate and said “we already have a record number of Bills, Resolutions and Public Petitions passed more than any other Assembly before us and we can do even more in the remaining period of our tenure.”

     

  • Democracy: African parliaments must stand up – Dogara

    Speaker of the House of representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara has stated that parliaments are the hope of saving the people from dictatorship, even as he called on African countries to invest more in building democracy and it’s institutions.

    Dogara stated this when he played host to a parliamentary delegation from Liberia, undertaking a study tour in Nigeria, comprising of members of Joint Committee on Public Accounts, Expenditure and Audit, led by Sen. Henry Yallah.

    He said for democracy to be solid and sound, the institutions must be strong, as their failure would always be blamed on the parliaments who fail to rise up in their defence.

    “Democracy as they say is not something that you gain from the ballot box, as a matter of fact, the ballot box sometimes has produced some enemies of democracy, those who have completely discarded the tenets of democracy”.

    “So we have to invest more in building democracy and democratic institutions. Where Institutions are strong; democracy itself will be made strong. And to be very candid, Parliament are the hope of saving the people from dictatorships. Where democracies fail; it is common place to blame it on Parliament, it becomes the fault of Members of Parliament who are not willing to stand up to principles and be defenders of those democratic Institutions”.

    The speaker who decried the delicate nature of democratic institutions all over the world , advocated for the establishment of a body that will be vested with the responsibility of defending democracy against dictatorship.

    “Democracies all over the World are very fragile and that includes even democracies in advanced countries that we regard to have advanced democracies. Even in the United States we are beginning to see that there is the fight to keep the loyalty with the people rather than to any form of democratic malfunction. Even things that we thought were completely impossible to happen in advanced democracies, we are beginning to see them, like breaches. That therefore tells us that we even need to institute a body that may be known as the defenders of democracy, I don’t know how we can go about that, I’m just thinking loudly about some of these issues. But to be candid, even though it is not the best form of government, but this is the best that is known to man. Anybody who doubts this can try dictatorship. Those who have lived in a dictatorship will tell you how bad it is. Where the will of an individual is the Law, as a matter of fact you don’t even need the Parliament, in which case all of us will be jobless as it is just the will of an individual that is the Law. It is the will of the individual that is argued out in the courts.

    The Speaker who said a performing budget is also needed to sustain democracy and achieve stability opined that to win citizens’ confidence, government must deliver to the people’s yearnings and expectations, especially in terms of security and welfare.

    ” A performing budget is needed to sustain even the very idea of the democracy itself, because it has to be a government that delivers to the people in terms of expectations, in terms of security and welfare. When you have few people mismanage the resources belonging to Government; the end result will be that the expectations of the people will be cut off: No quality service, welfare and that obviously will result in distress, and we have seen this distress manifest in so many African countries where the entire process of expenditure, transparency and accountability is a bit opaque”.

    The Speaker took time to explain to the visiting MPs, the workings of Public Accounts Committee in the country.

    ” In Nigeria; Public Accounts is a Committee that is headed by a Member of the opposition, we do not give it to a member of the ruling party, obviously the reason is on account of transparency. It deals with the task of over-sighting expenditure, so we can’t have the same members in charge of over-sighting the way expenditures are made. If that were to be the case, you can’t run away from the incidence of conflict of interest. As it is one of the critical requirements and center pillar of our jurisprudence and justice must not only be done, but manifestly seen to be done. So when you have the people of the same political party investigating themselves, no matter how fair-minded they are, there is no way a reasonable person sitting outside there will say they have done justice in that manner. So that is the foundation upon which our Public Accounts Committee operates and in most cases they are in tandem with the Auditor-General of the Federation which we are set to empower and to insulate using the Constitution Amendment exercise which we are currently embarking on”.

    Speaking further, Dogara highlighted some of the processes followed by the committee to achieve results in its mandate and assignment.

    “It encompasses the operation of all agencies, including the National Assembly, and the reports are submitted to the Public Accounts Committee of the House. Once they receive the reports from the Auditor-General; they embark on thorough investigation of the figures, as I said before this is to ensure transparency. I know that it is so in fledgling democracies like ours and that will be the case in your democracy which is much younger than ours, we also need transparency, we need to ensure that we have entrusted resources and allocations with integrity. But where you see that resources are better managed and allocations are fairly done across board; you’ll see that there’ll be some elements of stability in those countries”.

    ” I once again want to welcome you and charge you that corruption itself is not something that can be totally exterminated. Experience has shown that in even better democracies of more advanced countries so to speak, it is difficult to totally eradicate corruption. But experience has also shown that we can tame it by taking deliberate actions like we are doing now on how to combat it. I believe that as you come across the operatives of the E.F.C.C in Nigeria and indeed the Auditor General and so many other experts who have been lined up to talk to you; you will learn a lot as to how we have attempted, I will say attempted as we are still in the process of dealing with the problem. But you’ll come across challenges and I hope that you will use our own experience to learn, you don’t have to wait to learn by your own experience. You can build on our own experience and examine the pitfalls so that you can build on the strengths and weaknesses of our own Laws, so that you can better build your own Laws that will better serve the interests of the people of Liberia and the wider ECOWAS community. So we are Members of the same community, you are always welcome to Nigeria, our doors as a Parliament are always open to provide assistance and to see that you are up to speed with some of these reforms that we are trying to advance even in Nigeria”.

    Earlier, the leader of the delegation and Chairman of Liberian Parliament’s joint Committee on Public Accounts, Expenditure and Audit, Sen. Henry Yallah told the Speaker that they were in Nigeria on a study tour with the aim of building their capacity as a young democracy.

     

  • Dogara tasks EFCC on better welfare package for staff

    Dogara tasks EFCC on better welfare package for staff

    The Speaker of the House of Assembly, Yakubu Dogara, on Wednesday paid a working visit to the new head office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), describing it as ‘a dream come true’, while advocating for better welfare package for staff.

    Dogara, who stated this at the EFCC’s new office, said the huge amount expended by the government on the project is justified after considering the quality of infrastructure put in place and the fine finish of the work.

    TheNewsGuru reports the project which has been under construction for over eight years is being handled by Julius Berger Construction Company and is due for commissioning next week Tuesday.

    “You can see now, we have an excellent facility. I want to commend all who have contributed to the successful completion of this project particularly the Acting Chairman, EFCC, and his team. For me, it is a dream come true. This is the kind of thing we want to see,” Dogara said.

    He urged the EFCC staff to reciprocate the good gesture of the enabling environment provided by the government in ensuring that “looters of our commonwealth are brought to justice”.

    The Speaker stressed the need for better welfare package for the Commission staff, acknowledging the risks associated with their job.

    “This is a cutting-edge facility that has been delivered. It should be merged with cutting-edge services. Investing in physical infrastructure without investing in the people who combat the scourge is not enough.

    “I think it is time for us to look at the welfare package of the EFCC staff, who are putting their lives on the line to ensure that they combat the menace that has caused retardation to this great nation, in terms of economic advancement and development,” he said.

     

  • Dogara, House Leaders visit Melaye in National Hospital

    Dogara, House Leaders visit Melaye in National Hospital

    Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon. Yakubu Dogara Tuesday led other leaders and members of the House to visit Senator Dino Melaye at the National Hospital Abuja.

    Hon. Dogara accompanied by his deputy Yusuff Lasun, Deputy Minority Leader Binta Bello and other members were received by former Speaker of the House Patricia Etteh, and the Chief Medical Director of the hospital Dr Jaf Momoh.

    Senator Melaye who is asthmatic is receiving treatment at the Intensive Care Unit, trauma centre of the National hospital.

    The lawmaker developed complications after he was teargassed by police officers conveying him to Lokoja Kogi state last week.

    The speaker prayed God to grant Senator Melaye quick recovery.

     

  • Dogara speaks on why House is investigating state of refineries

    Dogara speaks on why House is investigating state of refineries

    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara has restated that the House of Representatives is bent on ensuring that due process is followed in governance business, and will continue to insist that public investment be managed professionally and profitably.

    Hon Dogara stated this while speaking at a public hearing organised by the House of Representatives Adhoc Committee on the investigation of the state of the nation’s four refineries, their tune around maintenance to date and regular/modular licensed refineries in the National Assembly.

    He said the investigation is aimed at determining whether it is beneficial for the government to continue to pump in public funds into refineries and still have to allocate crude oil for the same purpose of refining, as well as the status of all the refineries, their turn around maintenance and ascertain why holders of license have refused to utilise them.

    The speaker said, “Considering the importance of the turn-around maintenance of the four refineries as well as ensuring that the process is carried out in line with Public Procurement Act and other financial regulations for the benefit of the nation, the committee is expected to focus and act within the following terms of reference given to it by the House, namely:

    i. ascertain the viability of continuing investment of public funds on the nation’s four(4) refineries and allocation of 445,000 bpd crude utilization for the same purpose;

    ii. determine the current utilization level of Warri, Kaduna and Port Harcourt refineries;

    iii. carry out a comprehensive investigation on the turnaround maintenance (TAM) carried out to date on the refineries and

    iv. identify the private and corporate individuals that have refused to utilize the license and(regular and Modular), the readiness and status of all current holders and report back within 90 days for further legislative action.”
    He assured Nigerians that the House of Representatives will pursue all necessary provisions within the ambit of the law to support transparency, accountability, as well as to ensure that due process is followed in governance business in both the public service and other statutory organisations.

    “ We will continue to insist that public investment is managed professionally and profitably,” he added.

     

  • Speaker Dogara cautions against proliferation of government agencies

    The Speaker of House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, has stressed the importance of enacting new legislation to aid the drive to modernise agriculture and turn the sector into a major foreign exchange earner for the country in the nearest future.

    Speaker Dogara, who said this while delivering an address at the two-day public hearing organised by the House Committee on Agricultural Colleges and Institutions, also stressed the need to ensure bills processed by the legislature are cost-sensitive and do not increase the financial burden of the nation through the multiplication of agencies.

    The proliferation of agencies, according to the Speaker, is not conducive to the economic well-being of the nation as a new agency “comes with its complement of bureaucracy entailing a Chief Executive, A Board of Directors, complement of staff, Many Directors to man different departments, office buildings, vehicles, overhead and capital costs and all the other paraphernalia of a government agency.”

    Instead, he advocated for the amendment of the functions and mandate of existing agencies, where possible. Furthermore, “in cases where there is need to reinvigorate a particular sector and lay emphasis”, he said “it may become necessary to carve out an agency from an existing one.”

    He spoke on the need for up to date legislation in order to further develop the agricultural sector.

    “It is very gratifying to note that giant strides are being made in the sector”, he said. “Up to date legislation is required to aid the drive to modernize agricultural practices, drive economic diversification, achieve food self-sufficiency, and ultimately turn agriculture into a major foreign exchange earner in the nearest future” the Speaker concluded.

    The bills being considered by the committee are as follows: A Bill for an Act to Regulate the Profession of Agriculture and to make provision for the Establishment, Functions and Administration of Nigerian Institute of Agriculturists and for Other Related Matters (HB.838)’, ‘A Bill for Act to Repeal the Veterinary Surgeons Act. Cap. V3, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and for Other Related Matters (HB. 836)’, A Bill for Act to Amend the Nigerian Research Institutes Act Cap. N132, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to Include the Establishment of the Shea Butter Research Institute: and for Other Related Matters. (HB. 1271).

    The Speaker enjoined the committee to ensure the bills are in accordance with legal, regulatory and economic goals set out for the agricultural sector through appropriate scrutiny.

     

  • House ready to pass minimum wage bill, says Dogara

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara, on Tuesday in Abuja, says the House is ready to pass the minimum wage bill as legislature awaits the executive to forward the bill for upward review.

    Dogara, in a statement to mark 2018 Worker’s Day celebration, signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Mr Turaki Hassan, reiterated the desire of the House to provide a better life for workers.

    The Speaker said he was not unmindful of the struggles and hardship faced by Nigerian workers in their daily lives.

    According to him, this is why the National Assembly is committed to putting more resources in the hands of workers.

    He expressed optimism that the Federal Government Committee on Minimum Wage currently conducting public hearings across the six geo-political zones in the country, would soon conclude its assignment.

    He said that a new national minimum wage bill would be transmitted to the parliament by the President.

    “On behalf of the entire members of the House of Representatives, I want to use this occasion to, once again, underscore the importance of workers to the growth and prosperity of our dear nation, Nigeria.

    “We see the struggles you go through to survive on wages that can barely last through the first week of the month. “We see your dedication to doing your bit in ensuring that Nigeria continues to run effectively in spite of unfavourable conditions.

    “We commend your courage, your commitment to service and nation building and urge you to continue supporting government policies and agenda.

    “I assure you, on this occasion, that the National Assembly will give expeditious passage to the Minimum Wage Bill whenever it is transmitted by the executive and any other initiative that will promote the welfare of the Nigerian worker.

    “We will support it wholeheartedly,” the Speaker said.

     

  • Why House is probing Special Presidential Investigation Panel – Dogara

    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has explained why the House is investigating the Special Presidential Investigation Panel to ascertain where it got the powers to investigate public officers as it is not listed among the agencies listed to discharge that function in the constitution.

    Dogara said while speaking at a public hearing on the Legality and Modus Operandi of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel in the National Assembly on Thursday, that the probe became imperative because of the confusion of roles which has been identified by the Executive branch itself.

    He noted that the Constitution which is the supreme law governing affairs in Nigeria has vested the respective powers of investigation and eventual trial of public officers who are in breach of the Code of Conduct on the Code of Conduct Bureau and the Code of Conduct Tribunal, in addition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) which were established by two extant laws and copiously vested with powers and jurisdiction to investigate allegations of crime and to charge possible offenders to the Federal High Court.

    Speaker Dogara added that while it is undeniably the responsibility of the Judiciary to give final interpretation on the legality or otherwise of any question of law, it is also the constitutional responsibility of the National Assembly to make laws, or to plug defects in any existing law, or to amend any laws as it deems fit, especially to protect Nigerian citizens from the possibility of double jeopardy of facing different laws and different judicial and executive agencies on the same subject matter.

    He stated, “This investigation is further strengthened by the confusion of roles which has been identified by the Executive branch itself. It is public knowledge that the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, had waded into these matters in a letter titled, ‘Re: Directive in Respect of Chief Okoi Obono-Obla, Chairman of the Special Investigation Panel on the recovery of public property’, which has not been denied. According to Malami’s letter to Obono-Obla: “I have received a letter Ref. SH/OVP/DCOS/FMJ/0424 dated 20th October, 2017 in respect of the above subject from the Office of the Vice President. In the said letter, the Vice President expressed his concerns on the activities of the Special Investigation Panel on the Recovery of Public Property which runs contrary to the enabling Act establishing it. He also noted that the activities of the Panel run foul or contrary to established administrative procedures and protocols in the Federal Civil Service Structure”.

    Hon Dogara continued, “The spirit, if not the letter, of Section 36(9) of the Constitution guaranteeing a right to fair hearing and outlawing double trial by Courts or Tribunal set up by law, should guide our attitude on this matter, especially now that the Supreme Court has decided that the Code of Conduct Tribunal has a quasi criminal jurisdiction.

    “While we recognise the need to tackle the problem of corruption with renewed vigour in our society, as we fully subscribe to the dictates of the Constitution which enjoins the State to ‘abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power’ Section 15(5), we must, however, be conscious of doing things and implementing our laws in such ways and manner that will portray us as a democratic society conscious of the Rule of Law and Fundamental human rights.”

     

  • Dogara urges constituents to support NASS members for multiple terms

    For legislators to represent optimally and influence development in their constituencies, the electorate must support them for multiple terms in the National Assembly, speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has said.

    Speaking in Oko town, Surulere Local Government Area of Oyo State, at the final funeral thanksgiving for Pa Sunday Akanji Odebunmi, the father of a member of the House of Representatives and chairman of the House Committee on Information and National Orientation, Segun Odebunmi, the speaker also noted that most lawmakers who have served multiple terms in the National Assembly have a better chance to become principals and even presiding officers.

    Dogara showered encomiums on Odebunmi whom he described as a committed member of the House whose interest is the development of the country and urged his constituents to give him support by reelecting him in the 2019 elections.

    “The Hon member representing this constituency is a brother, a wonderful member of the House of Representatives and he heads one of the important committees of the House and I will urge the people of this constituency to continue to support him.

    I have said elsewhere that a member is like wine, it is said of wine that it tastes better with age. If he was able to do some things during his first tenure, his second tenure is better than the first and likewise, if he is given support, his subsequent sojourn into the parliament will produce better results.

    “I guess the people of my constituency have been smart to understand this and therefore, they took me to the House for the third time, it was only on the third time that I became speaker.

    “So, if you want to produce leaders in the National Assembly, it means that once you have a member that is doing his best, you have to support him and I tell you that before time, he can be leading the House and the fruits of his representation will be made manifest,” the Speaker said.

    Speaking on behalf of the entire members of the House, he joined the family in celebrating the life of the departed Pa Odebunmi, noting that “he lived a life that touched so many people as an accomplished community leader, a philanthropist, he was someone who was very selfless….

    “If you look at the fruits that Baba has left behind, beginning from our own dear brother, who is a member representing this constituency in the National Assembly and his siblings that are here, you will be left with no option than to say that Baba lived a quality life and we can see that reflected in the fruits that he left behind”.

    On his part, the Oloko of Okoland, Oba Solomon Adegoke Akiyoka Oyeyode III, expressed gratitude to the Speaker for visiting his domain and urged him and other visitors to take advantage of the vast agricultural land in the area to invest.

    Also present at the event were the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yussuf Sulaimon Lasun, Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, House Leader Hon Femi Gbajabialima and other members of the House.