Author: The Nation

The All Progressives Congress (APC) preferred candidate for the position of Speaker in the 10th House of Representatives, Hon Tajudeen Abass, has denied alleged membership of any “radical Islamic sect.”

Also, 74 Members-Elect out of 92 in the Northwest have pledged support for him emerge as Speaker and Hon Benjamin Kalu as Deputy Speaker next Tuesday.

Abass spoke at a dinner in Abuja on Tuesday night after the 74 members-elect endorsed Abass’ candidature for speaker.

Abass said that he is a Hausa/Fulani and concerns about his identity were baseless.

He said: “It is important to say that the 10th Assembly will not and will never be a rubber stamp to the executive. In areas where we need to cooperate or collaborate we will do the very best for us to ensure that there is that synergy.

Read Also: House Speaker: Why Tajudeen Abass fits the bill

“Where we believe that the Executive has erred, we will not be afraid to stand up and tell the the executive you are wrong in this place and we will not accept it.

“Again, I also want to highlight some areas of that in the past few months have been going on in the social media  about my identity.

“I want to use this opportunity to say that I am a Hausa man from my father’s side from Zaria and a Hausa man or Katsina man from my mother’s side. I’m both Hausa/Fulani from both sides.

“I also want to debunk allegations for those who are saying I have religious inclination to radical Islamic group. I want to say that I am a Royal Prince in Zaria. We don’t belong to any other Islamic sect than the Sunni.

“I have no other religious sect other than the Sunni. I tell you for those that know the North in general, a member of any sect other than the Sunni cannot even win election to any leadership position.

“Imagine somebody who has been a member three times spanning a period of 12 years can be branded a religious fanatic or a member of a radical sect. That is politics.

“Those who believe that they can only succeed by smearing their opponent’s image please stop because I believe as a Muslim that power comes from God. No matter what you do if it is not designed for you to be you can never be.”

Majority Leader and Chairman Northwest Caucus of the 9th House of Representatives, Hon Alhassan Ado Doguwa, who briefed reporters after the dinner,said the group is in support of the zoning of offices of presiding officers of the 10th National Assembly by the All Progressives Congress.

Members of staff of the Federal University Oye- Ekiti (FUOYE) on Wednesday lauded the management of the institution for providing a new 60-seater bus for staff.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the bus, according to the management led by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abayomi Fasinato, is to cushion the effect of the removal of fuel subsidy.

The Public Relations Officer of the university, Mr Funso Ogunmodede who spoke on behalf of the staff, noted that the vice chancellor had never betrayed their expectations.

Read Also: Students, staff hail FUOYE’s VC on second anniversary

Ogunmodede said that this was in spite of the various ongoing projects within the twin campuses in Oye and Ikole-Ekiti.

“We cannot thank God enough for making Prof. Abayomi Fasina, the FUOYE Vice Chancellor at a time like this.

“The vice chancellor has changed the face of leadership in FUOYE with his numerous achievements in providing infrastructure, promoting staff welfare and enhancing an enabling environment for the students.

“This no doubt, with his administration’s open door policy, is the best to have happened to FUOYE in recent times because he has no doubt registered his name in gold as the best administrator of FUOYE.”

He noted that the bus would go a long way in tackling the effects of the fuel subsidy removal, adding that the staff were excited with the development because the VC had not deviated from ensuring that the staff got the best treatment.

“We are very happy, because Prof. Fasina has transformed every aspect of the university. We are happy for this latest gesture, God bless him for us,” he said.

(NAN)

Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has approved the appointment of seven new Permanent Secretaries (PS).

This is contained in a statement by Mrs Abigail Waya, Acting Head of Civil Service in the state, on Wednesday in Lafia.

Waya said that the governor approved the appointment in furtherance of his quest to reposition the state civil service for improved productivity.

Read Also: I feel uncomfortable paying salaries in percentages – Gov. Sule

She listed the appointees to include Abubakar Abdullahi, Rabiu  Ashuku, Isaac Danladi, Belinda Oyigbenu, Garba Muhammad, Edward Daudu and Khadija Oshafu.

According to her, the new appointees are to fill the vacancies created by the recent retirement of some permanent secretaries in the state civil service.

Waya said the appointees would be inaugurated on a date to be announced later.

(NAN)