The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Abubakar Bukola Saraki

  • CCT trial: Saraki raises alarm over blackmail efforts

    CCT trial: Saraki raises alarm over blackmail efforts

    Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki has raised alarm over ‘the renewed attempts being made by forces behind his on-going trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) to muddle up the case and blackmail key individuals and groups involved directly and indirectly in the case’.

    This is contained in a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Senate President on Media, Yusuph Olaniyonu on Tuesday.

    The Media Office of Senate President alleged that the said forces, over the weekend preceding the resumption of the case on Friday, began to sponsor various spurious allegations aimed at intimidating members of the Tribunal, lawyers, journalists, legislators, Saraki’s loyalists and aides.

    The statement reads: “Using the same scare-mongering methods that these devious forces have employed since the commencement of the case last September, they have employed an on-line medium known for its shady and unethical reputation and another national newspaper to peddle inaccurate information aimed at prejudicing the coming case and forcing the actors in the case to take certain predetermined decisions.

    “In their desperation, they have been heckling key aides and associates of the Senate President using some unidentified individuals who make phoney calls to the phone numbers of the individuals close to Dr. Saraki, trailing the movement of these associates and giving different interpretations to the actions of these associates, all in a bid to poison the minds of the public against Saraki and to muddy the waters before the case commences on March 11.

    “In one of these desperate attempts, they have tried to set the tribunal members, prosecution and defence lawyers in the case against one another. Yet again, they have sought to intimidate journalists who they envisaged may be assigned to cover the case while also seeking to cause disaffection among loyalists of the Senate President.

    “The people behind these machinations believe they have to intensify these external, dirty campaigns against Saraki as they see that more and more Nigerians now understand that the trial is about who occupies the office of Senate President and not about any campaign against corruption.

    “We will like to recall that this same group of people, using the same set of media and style, have last year successfully forced a Federal High Court judge to withdraw from the case filed by Dr, Saraki at the early stage of the Code of Conduct case.

    “They also blackmailed the Court of Appeal to abruptly postpone its judgement some minutes to the period scheduled for the delivery of the judgement. Similarly, they have waged a war of attrition against Supreme Court Judges shortly before the delivery of the Apex Court’s judgement on the appeal filed by the Senate President on February 5.

    “In this smear campaign, the anti-Saraki forces using their allies in the media have tended to rubbish reputations built by some individuals over several decades. One of such individual was the respected former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Alfa Modibo Belgore who they falsely accused of trying to bribe judges on behalf of Dr. Saraki when nothing like that ever happened.

    “We therefore call on members of the public to disregard the antics of these desperate and devilish elements. We assure all Nigerians and other observers of the Nigerian situation to be rest assured that the Senate President is ready to have his day in court. His lawyers are ready to defend his right and prove his innocence.”

     

  • Senate demands First Option Policy on made in Nigeria goods

    Senate demands First Option Policy on made in Nigeria goods

    The Senate Wednesday asked the Federal Government to urgently initiate and implement the First Option Policy on purchase of locally manufactured products for government procurement in all arms of government.

    The upper chamber said that the policy should also be extended to every public funded organization.

    The lawmakers expressed commitment to amend the Procurement Act to ensure that agencies of government and government funded institution  adopted made-in-Nigeria goods First Option Policy.

    This followed a motion by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South) entitled “Need for patronization of made in Nigeria good in Nigeria.”

    First Option Policy on purchase of locally made goods would compel Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government to place priority on purchase of locally made products.

    Senate Abaribe, in his lead debate, expressed concern that investment in real sector had given way to trading in foreign and imported goods resulting in negative balance of trade, close down of textile companies, wood processing factories among others.

    The Abia State born lawmaker recalled that Nigeria’s economy was dependent on made in Nigeria exports, in the 60s and early 70s.

    He noted that in 60s and 70s, industries were located in the rural areas, while made-in- Nigeria products were popular in parts of the country and many other African countries.

    He said, “I recall that as at 1990, Nigeria had over 170 developed textile industries employing between 2000 and 10,000 workers each.

    “Today, only 12 are still functioning, the resultant loss of opportunities and employments is anyone’s guess.

    “The current depletion in forex earnings and forex available is a symptomatic effect of an import dependent economy, which is riddled with unemployment, negative balance of trade and low capital formation.”

    Abaribe noted that governments in other countries have developed and adopted varying measures of First Option Policy for their locally manufactured goods in their various countries.

    He listed countries like the United States, Chinese, and India, as some of the countries that made it mandatory for government agencies to source for locally manufactured goods before patronising goods from other countries.

    The lawmaker expressed optimism that if the present administration put measures in place to ensure obligatory official patronage of locally made products for all agencies of government, it would create jobs for the teeming population.

    Most Senators who contributed supported the motion and insisted that urgent action should taken by all arms of government to encourage the growth of made in Nigeria goods.

    Senator Dino Melaye in his contribution however personalized the issue.

    He said, “I want to celebrate the Made in Nigeria Senator for bringing this motion. In considering the made in Nigeria goods, we must look at enabling factors that will necessitate the made in Nigeria goods.

    “It’s beyond having one made in Nigeria attire and you have over 70 Tom Ford and Loubitins in your wardrobe.

    “We must reduce the allocation for made in Nigeria goods and services to the basics. What are those factors limiting the production of this goods. We must tackle them.

    “We must also begin to look at our legislation; we will begin to talk about made in Nigeria goods.

    “We will also move in order to encourage the made in Nigeria products in Nigeria, begin to talk about Made in Nigeria women.

    “Apologies to my uncle, the governor of Edo State, we must as a people stop paying dowries in dollars and pounds.  It is time for my colleagues here to become born again.”

    Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, commended Abaribe for his commitment for promotion of made-in-Nigeria products over the years.

    He said, “I had the opportunity to attend this year’s Made-in Aba trade fair, which Abaribe has been promoting using his own intervention fund.

    “It is commendable to see that for years he has used this money to support the trade fair. The major issue for us is the issue of job creation and we cannot do it without looking at ways to stimulate our own economy.

    “We would be spending close to N5 trillion in the 2016 budget in this regard and if that alone is going towards the local industries it will make a great deal.

    “We must see that we amend the law and oversight properly to see that we make a difference in this country.”

    Saraki called relevant committees to expedite action on amendment of the Procurement Act before passage of the 2016 budget to give First Option to two locally produced products. 

  • Senate will expunge anti-social media bill – Saraki

    Senate will expunge anti-social media bill – Saraki

    The Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki has assured that the Senate will expunge Section 4 of the Anti-Frivolous Petitions Bill, popularly known as ‘Anti-Social Media Bill,’ to give the media the freedom it deserved.

    Saraki said this in a statement signed by the Special Assistant on New Media, Mr Bankole Omishore and issued to Journalists on Friday in Abuja.

    The Senate President gave the assurance while delivering a keynote address at an interactive session of Social Media Week in Lagos.
    According to the statement, he.promised that the National Assembly would not pass any bill that would gag the media or infringe on the rights of Nigerians.

    He recounted the critical role played by online media in the successful conduct of the 2015 general elections.

    He said that social media ensured that manipulation of votes was reduced to the barest minimum because results were posted online as the elections progressed.

    He urged Nigerians to continue to contribute to the development of the country through dialogue and debate on social media.
    The Senate President assured that the legislature would be open to Nigerians as part of its effort to ensure transparency and accountability.

    Saraki said that the recent interactive session between the National Assembly and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) was part of such efforts.

    Saraki assured that the legislature would, from 2017, engage CSOs in budget hearing process to ensure inclusiveness.

    It would be recalled that the Deputy Senate Leader, Bala Na’ Allah sponsored a Bill for Act to Prohibit Frivolous Petitions, and other matters connected therewith in 2015.

    The bill scaled second reading on the floor of the senate and it is scheduled for public hearing in March.[incor]

  • Saraki disappointed over Supreme Court ruling

    Saraki disappointed over Supreme Court ruling

    The President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki has expressed disappointment at the ruling by the Supreme Court dismissing his appeal against his trial by the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

    A statement issued on Friday by his Media Adviser, Yusuph Olaniyonu, noted that the Senate President was alarmed that the apex court dismissed the six grounds on which he filed the appeal.

    The statement reads: “The Senate President however will like to put it on record that the facts of the substantial matter are not before the Supreme Court since the apex court was only invited to rule on some preliminary issues in the process of commencing the trial.

    “The Senate President believes he will have his day in the court to prove his innocence of the charges preferred against him during the trial proper.

    “Dr. Saraki will like to thank everyone who has expressed support for him from the beginning of the case. He assures everyone that at the end of the day truth will prevail and justice will be served.”

    [news_box style=”2″ display=”tag” link_target=”_blank” tag=”Saraki” count=”6″ show_more=”on” show_more_type=”link”]

     

  • Saraki’s position on 2016 Appropriation Bill

    Saraki’s position on 2016 Appropriation Bill

    The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki on Tuesday posted his comments on the 2016 Appropriation Bill after the Plenary.

    On Oil:
    “For the first time in the history of our great nation, 77% of our expected revenue is non-oil based. This represents a great foundation for the future.”

    On Borrowing:
    “In general summary, we were all leaning towards the fact that it is not the amount that we borrow that matters, but the projects that the money is used for. Right now – as a percentage of GDP – we are still within the limits and parameters of fiscal responsibility.”

    On Economic Diversification:
    “A lot of Senators raised observations on the fact that in the allocations to the agricultural and mineral resources sectors, the message of economic diversification was not particularly reflected. Those are the areas that we should look into.”

    On Wastage:
    “Based on our experiences in the past, we have talked about not playing the blame game. However, the issue of blocking all loopholes and leakages is key. Hence, we must pay attention to the present, to address the potential for leakages in the future.”

    On the Role of the Legislature:
    “The Executive has played its role; it is time that we as the legislature do our part.”

    On Revenue Benchmarks:
    “The issue of revenue estimates must be gotten right particularly by the Finance and Petroleum Committees. The committees must particularly scrutinize this budget so that at the end of the day we can all be proud of it.”

    On Zero-Based Budgeting:
    “The Zero Budgeting means that projects will be critically assessed to go across all zones.”

    On Legislative Malpractice in the Budgeting Process:
    “Let me make this categorically clear: there will be no room for money-for-budget in the 2016 appropriations process as sanctions will be taken. We will ensure to report all inconsistencies to the relevant agencies of the executive branch.”

  • Senate urges CBN to relax strict Forex Policy

    Senate urges CBN to relax strict Forex Policy

    The Senate has urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to immediately relax its strict Foreign Exchange policy.

    The upper chamber said that the strict foreign exchange policy is doing more harm to the country’s economy than good.

    Senate President Bukola Saraki who stated this during a meeting with the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, IMF, Christine Lagarde said small businesses especially, are being made to suffer unnecessarily.

    Saraki asked the apex bank to introduce a more flexible foreign exchange regime and reduce the present restrictions on the autonomous market which does not allow business men to bring in foreign exchange or utilise what they have in their accounts.

    The Senate President had equally canvass a similar view at a private meeting with CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele during which he implored him to consider the effects of the present forex regime on small businesses which are dying  following evaporating crude oil revenue.

    Saraki also told Lagarde that “The IMF should support our CBN to bring in low interest loans to SMEs. We need to encourage entrepreneurs and make most of our new graduates job creators rather than job seekers. This is an area where we need the financial support and technical assistance of the IMF.”

    He explained that his office has received numerous complaints from small business owners, complaining that their businesses are being threatened by the huge bottlenecks now involved in doing business.

    “As legislators, we play an important role in making our people understand IMF’s advice, policy trade-offs, consultations and other engagements, so that ownership, transparency and accountability are brought to bear on economic policy choices.

    “The Nigerian legislature strongly believes that having a collaborative working relationship with the Executive Branch of government brings development closer to the people.

    “Since the advent of the new administration, we have worked closely to stabilize the economy and steady the fiscal environment. This, we have indeed demonstrated by the speedy passage of the Medium Term Expenditure Frame Work (MTEF) and recently in the postponement of our recess in order to receive President Muhammadu Buhari to present the 2016 Appropriation Bill.

    “The purpose of our Legislative Agenda is to enable us focus our lawmaking in areas that will help create jobs, expand our infrastructure base and make our economy work for the benefit and happiness of the majority of our people.

    “Pivotal to the attainment of this overarching objective is the state of the Nigerian business environment. In collaboration with major stakeholders, the 8th Senate is presently signing a memorandum of understanding on Enhancing Nigerian Advocacy for Better Business Environment Project, a National Assembly business and investment roundtable initiative, with developmental organizations”, the Senate President said.

    The Senate President used the occasion to call on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to ensure that in reacting to recent developments in the economy, it does not devalue the Naira for the mere sake of devaluation.

  • Full text of Saraki’s speech during IMF Chief’s visit

    Full text of Saraki’s speech during IMF Chief’s visit

      Facebook  Google+  LinkedIn

    ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND CHAIRMAN OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, HIS EXCELLENCY, SENATOR (DR.) ABUBAKAR BUKOLA SARAKI TO THE MEETING WITH THE PRINCIPAL OFFICERS OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ON THE VISIT OF MADAME CHRISTINE LAGARDE, MANAGING DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND, (IMF) ON 06 JANUARY, 2016.

    Protocol:

    Your Excellency, on behalf of my Distinguished and Honourable colleagues, I warmly welcome you and your entourage to the National Assembly. Your historic visit today, is a testament of the importance you attach to the role of the legislature in the attainment of economic development policies.

    Your Excellency, your visit in this New Year is very auspicious as we begin to deliberate on the 2016 Appropriation Bill as the world economy rebalances in response to falling commodity prices, in particular oil.

    Your Excellency, this National Assembly congratulates you and appreciates the new IMF recognition of the pivotal role parliamentarians could play in forging sustainable development policies for the attainment of the IMF mandate. To me this is critical to minimizing the erroneous perception on IMF policy prescriptions and conditionalities that have been entrenched over the years especially in Africa.

    This, I believe, is vital to the success of the Fund’s policies and programmes not only now but also in the future. As legislators, we play an important role in making our people understand IMF advice, policy trade-offs, consultations and other engagements, so that ownership, transparency and accountability are brought to bear in economic policy choices.

    Since the year 2000 when the IMF/World Bank Group founded the Parliamentary Network which is an independent, non-governmental organisation, participation in the programmes has been on the rise by legislators from all over the World. We commend the initiative. This outreach to legislators is a win-win situation since one of the objectives is to familiarize the legislators with the rationale behind the IMF advisory.

    We recommend that IMF should further strengthen this network as a veritable tool towards greater convergence of understanding and engagement.

    Here at home, the effect of the low oil prices on government revenue is challenging us to think out of the box in funding the repair of infrastructure, boosting employment, and securing our borders and people. These are no mean tasks and we welcome the support of our friends in this trying period.

    Our economic fundamentals remain robust and the economy is resilient to absorb the current oil price shock. The situation is bringing out the entrepreneurship in us. Our private sector is also rising to the challenge. We assure you we will use this occasion to build a new economy diversified away from the perennial effects of oil price shocks.

    The 8th National Assembly will provide the legislative leadership in ensuring a conducive environment for business to thrive.

    The Nigerian legislature strongly believes that having a collaborative working relationship with the Executive Branch of government brings development closer to the people. Since the advent of the new administration, we have worked closely to stabilize the economy and steady the fiscal environment. This, we have indeed demonstrated by the speedy passage of the Medium Term Expenditure Frame Work (MTEF) and recently in the postponement of our recess in order to receive President Muhammadu Buhari to present the 2016 Appropriation Bill. We have also set in motion activities towards reforming our oil and gas industry through legislative initiatives in order to meet international best practices.

    Engaging with our people the issues we strongly made here of FOREX – to do business.
    This is expected – what IMF can do to bridge the gap.
    CBN to advise open – allow Forex
    (ii) No devaluation.
    (iii) Loans to SMEs – bring interest to CBN
    (iv) Technical assistance
    (v) Support policies.

    The 8th Senate Legislative Agenda is of particular interest in Parliamentary Network initiative which brings together parliamentarians and representatives of private sector as well as civil society organisations to discuss how to improve the environment for doing business in the developing world and how countries can increase their ranking in publications such as “Doing Business Report”.

    The purpose of our Legislative Agenda is to enable us focus our lawmaking in areas that will help create jobs, expand our infrastructure base and make our economy work for the benefit and happiness of the majority of our people. Pivotal to the attainment of this overarching objective is the state of the Nigerian business environment. In collaboration with major stakeholders, the 8th Senate is presently signing a memorandum of understanding on “The Enhancing Nigerian Advocacy for Better Business Environment Project,” a National Assembly business and investment round-table initiative, with developmental organizations.

    These roundtables will provide opportunity to the private sector to work closely with the legislature in developing friendly-business environment.

    The initiative will commence with a review of institutional, regulatory and legal instruments currently becoming impediments and bottlenecks to doing business in Nigeria.

    Your Excellency, Distinguished and Honourable colleagues, in closing, I want you to take away these messages:

    Legislature/Executive Collaboration on the Economy:

    The National Assembly is committed to working closely with the Executive arm in addressing the challenges facing the Nigerian economy. This is the position on both sides of the aisle;

    Diversifying and Modernizing Our Economy:
    We will support the Executive with legislation where necessary to give confidence to investors.

    Blocking Revenue Leakages:
    We are assiduously working towards blocking identified legal loopholes on revenue leakages and expanding our tax base;

    Conducive Business Environment:
    We are giving priority to legislation aimed at providing a more conducive business environment in general and reducing the cost of doing business in Nigeria; and

    Ending Impunity and Reducing Corruption: The National Assembly more than ever before, is working at improving its oversight systems to expose corruption wherever it may be, and providing better legal frameworks to entrench the rule of law and end impunity.

    The global economy is currently well interconnected. With our economic weight in our sub-region, a well functioning Nigerian economy provides a strong pillar to its growth. We therefore, implore the international community and financial institutions to partner with us in supporting our economic development aspirations.

    On this note, Your Excellency, we welcome you once again to our beautiful city and wish you the Season’s Greetings.

    Bienvenue!

    PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE

  • Count me out of N60b arms deal – Saraki

    Count me out of N60b arms deal – Saraki

    Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, on Tuesday dissociated himself from the N60billion arms deal involving the immediate past National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd).

    Saraki in a statement  issued by his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu, said that contrary to report published on an online medium, SaharaReporters, he never had anything to do with purchase of security equipment.

    The Senate President noted that in his entire political career he never served in any committee or body which had any link with defence or national security.

    It said: “As a member of the Seventh Senate, Dr. Saraki was not a member of any of the committees with oversight function on the Ministry of Defence or the intelligence and national security apparatus.

    “If he was tagged the leader of the opposition to the Jonathan administration, how then will he be privy to arms purchases and have the influence to blackmail any government agency or institution over the release of funds.”

     

     

     

  • Ministerial list: APC chairman calls for calm

    Ministerial list: APC chairman calls for calm

    Abia State chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Hon. Donatus Nwankpa has called for calm among party supporters in the state as the country awaits the second batch of the ministerial nominee list.

    Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki had in a letter which he read at the floor of the House during Tuesday Plenary of the Red Chamber mentioned the 21 names out of 36 would be ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as was submitted by President Muhammadu Buhari with names of Abia, Imo and Enugu State nominees missing from the list.

    A source within the party in the state disclosed to The Nation that the inability of President Buhari to mention any Abia nominee for ministerial appointment could not be unconnected with the clash of interest within the ranks of APC members in the state over who should be presented for appointment by the President.

    The source who expressed fears that the situation could further delay the remaining names from being submitted to the senate for consideration urged all the warring factions to sheath their swords and allow the leadership of the state to unanimously present a candidate for appointment, adding that there were a lot of appointments yet to be made where others who could not make the ministerial list could be accommodated.

    When contacted, Nwankpa in a telephone interview debunked that the party was having internal wrangling.

    According to him, “APC doesn’t have problems. What happened is that we said that you cannot have headache and another person will be drinking medicine for you. People cannot labour and work for this party for Mr. President to emerge and somebody, somewhere will call himself a technocrat and will now come to say that He is a member of APC in Abia State because the constitution says that before you can be a minister, you must belong to a political party and that every state is entitled to a minister”. Unless we are forming a government of national unity, then you can choose candidates from the ruling party and the opposition party to become minister on behalf of the APC in Abia”.

    Nwankpa who recalled the humiliation they (members of APC) suffered among their kinsmen and members of the ruling party while campaigning for Mr. President before the elections said “I am not angling for that. We should know that there were people who took the risk and their names were submitted among those who should be considered as ministers. We were almost stoned like Stephen, we were bombarded, blackmailed and so many things were meted out against us in the process of campaigning for APC candidates in the state and Mr. President who we sincerely believed his message of change during the campaign period.

    “The people who are now jostling for Abia slot didn’t even allow us to eat in the same restaurant where they were eating or allow us to drink from the same cup with them. We were treated like lepers among our kinsmen because of APC. So, how can they come from behind to start saying that they want to reap from where they didn’t sow anything? It is an aberration and travesty of justice and very discouraging; it weakens the morale of people for tomorrow. We are only saying that we will resist any ‘mystrimer’; those who worked against us during the election will come to be a minister when the people who actually worked for Mr. President have not gotten anything”.

    Continuing, the chairman of the party who was optimistic that President Buhari would not allow anyone to misguide him from doing what is right, added “We trust the judgment of Mr. President because even when people by the side wanted to deceive him, he refused. Mr. President has been a head-of-state, a minister and among various positions that he has served in the past. One thing I admire about Mr. President is that he has a good sense of judgment and we know that nobody will mislead him, especially among the southeast where he knows people’s resentment towards some of us who took the initial risk of not only being in APC, but believing in the change which the President was and is still preaching about.

    “Within human limitations, I believe that Mr. President will not go wrong because I know that the President will not make us (APC) a laughing stock in the southeast. After all, he has taken the judgment in Ebonyi and Anambra state. So, Abia, Imo and Enugu cannot be exceptions. God will guide the President in his decision. And that God that guided the President’s decision in Anambra, Ebonyi, will also guide him to take such decision in Imo, Enugu and Abia.

    “Mr. President is not an accidental member of the party. He is a foundation member of the APC, CPC and ANPP, abinitio. There is one thing about Mr. President, he is a very careful person and he knows all those who worked for him and those who contested election in Abia and in the southeast; those he knew as the face of APC in various states of the southeast. He knows them right from the merging process”, Nwankpa opined