The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ali Wakili

  • Saraki mourns late Sen. Mustapha Bukar

    President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, on Wednesday expressed deep sorrow over the death of the Senator representing Katsina North, Mustapha Bukar, after a brief illness in Abuja.

    Saraki, in a statement by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Mr Yusuph Olaniyonu, in Abuja, described the death of Bukar as one too many coming a few weeks after the Red Chamber lost Sen. Ali Wakili.

    “I am saddened to learn about the passing of another friend and colleague, Sen. Mustapha Bukar.

    “When I and some of my colleagues visited Sen. Bukar in the hospital after Jummat prayers last Friday, we prayed with him and we were filled with hope that he would soon recuperate and resume his normal life and legislative activities.

    “As a first-time lawmaker, Sen. Bukar stood out for the quality of his contributions on the floor, his pragmatism and his work to strengthen the institution of the legislature.

    Read Also: Saraki eulogises colleagues as 8th Senate passes 201 bills

      “We shall surely miss his vibrancy and progressive mindset.

    “But now that he is no more, we cannot query Almighty Allah over the incident because He gives and takes as it pleases Him.

    “The late Bukar was forthright and gentle in all his dealings.

    “This is indeed another painful moment for the Senate, a sad moment for his immediate family, his constituents in Katsina North Senatorial District and the people and government of Katsina State.

    “As we mourn his passing, my thoughts and prayers are with his family, President Muhammadu Buhari and the government and people of Katsina State.

    “I pray that the Almighty Allah, in his infinite grace, grant the dear and departed senator a place among the righteous ones in Aljannah firdaus,” Saraki said.

    NAN

  • Wakili: Nigeria has lost a patriot -Aremu

    The General Secretary National Union of Textiles, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), Mr Issa Aremu on Saturday, described the death of Sen. Ali Wakili,(APC)-Bauchi), as a great loss to Nigeria.

    Aremu said in a statement issued in Kaduna, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria, that Nigeria had lost a distinguished patriot with his death.

    “I received with shock the death of my dear friend and Brother Sen. Ali Wakili.

    “I bear witness that he lived for all that will benefit fellow Nigerians and Africans.

    “Nigerian workers have truly lost a friend.  Shortly after assumption of the 8th National Assembly, Wakili began to call asking for relevant information on how to go about a new minimum wage for Nigerian workers,’’ he said.

    Read Also: Aremu advises African govts on workers’ rights, development

    Aremu said the best honor for the late compatriot was to deepen his efforts and struggle for a better Nigeria and Africa.

    “Let us organise and continue from where he left in alleviating our people out of want into prosperity.

    “”My condolences go to his family, the Senate President and distinguished Senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, all members of National Institute, the government and good people of Bauchi State and the entire nation for the irreparable loss.

    “May Almighty Allah grant him eternal rest in Aljana Firdausi,’’ he said.

    The News men report that Wakili, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Poverty Alleviation, died on Saturday in Abuja.

    NAN

  • I lost a brother, confidant, Dogara mourns Sen. Wakili

     

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara has described the death of Senator Malam Ali Wakili as devastating and heart breaking.

    The Speaker said Wakili was a personal friend, true brother and a dependable ally.

    Wakili who, until his death represented Bauchi South Senatorial District was reported to have slumped and died in his Gwarinpa, Abuja residence on Saturday morning.

    Dogara in a statement said, “The death of Sen. Ali Wakili is a personal loss to me. I’m short of words to describe how devastated and heartbroken I am over the passing away of this true friend, brother and confidant, with whom I had excellent brotherly relationship and association.

    “We have indeed lost a distinguished parliamentarian, easy going and courageous person who had worked tirelessly both in the Senate chamber and outside to defend the interest of his constituents, Bauchi State and the downtrodden members of the society in the country at large.

    “Within his short but eventful sojourn in the National Assembly, Sen. Wakili had distinguished himself with his characteristic display of patriotism, forthrightness and logical skills during debates and other legislative duties”.

    “We in Bauchi State and in particular, Bauchi South Senatorial District, have lost a  worthy ambassador and a distinguished gentleman. But we’ll take solace in the fact that his humanitarian services and other accomplishments will continue to be a source of inspiration to us all.

    “Our deep condolences go to his immediate family, constituents, the people of Bauchi State and the nation at large over this irreparable loss.”

  • NAPIMS boss gets 24 hour ultimatum to appear before Senate

    NAPIMS boss gets 24 hour ultimatum to appear before Senate

    Senate Committee on Local Content Wednesday gave the Group General Manager, National Petroleum Investment and Management Service ( NAPIMS ), Mr. Roland Ewubare, 24 hour ultimatum to appear before it or risk arrest.

    The committee said that it would invoke constitutional provisions to compel the NAPISMS boss to appear he failed to honour its invitation within 24 hours.

    This is contained in a statement by the Media Adviser to the Chairman, Senate Committee on Local Content, Chief Kayode Odunaro.

    It said that the committee gave ultimatum after considering the huge variations associated with the $16 billion Egina Deep Sea Oil Project.

    It quoted Chairman of the committee, Senator Solomon Adeola, to have said that it has become the trade mark of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and its subsidiaries to “treat National Assembly invitations with levity and flimsy excuses.”

    Adeola noted that his committee will no longer deal with “lieutenants of these agencies without their heads or cogent reasons in advance.”

    He said that NAPIMS sent three General Managers as representatives to the committee after it received an invitation three weeks ago for appearance of the Group General Manager to throw light on submissions made by Total Exploration and Production Nigeria Ltd handling the Egina project.

    The statement quoted Vice Chairman of the committee, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to have said that “the importance attached to the information likely to be provided by the NAPIMS boss led members of the committee to turn out in large numbers.

    Akpabio was quoted as saying that “it is insulting not only to the Nigerian Constitution but also to the office of the GGM for him to disregard the Senate invitation on issues relating to how Nigerians are being shortchanged by foreign companies and their local collaborators.”

    It also quoted a member of the committee, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdulahi, to have said that the “Senate is angry that after 21 days notice the GGM refused to appear.”

    Abdullahi added that “NAPIMS is in charge of a very critical sector of our economy and should be ready to answer the call of the Senate in its efforts to support Federal Government in delivering the dividend of democracy.”

    It said that senators who attended the meeting included Gershon Bassey, Stella Oduah,  Biodun Olujim, Ali Wakili, Babatunde Alasoadura, Abdulahi Gumel and Hamman Missau.

  • Rich Nigerians should pay more tax- Senate

    Rich Nigerians should pay more tax- Senate

    Asks FG to implement free compulsory education

     

    The Senate yesterday backed the Federal Government’s position that rich Nigerians should be made to pay more taxes as a way to engender wealth redistribution in the country.

    The upper chamber said that said that people who earn higher emolument should pay high taxes on luxury goods.

    Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over yesterday’s plenary said the rich must pay more taxes, while poor Nigerians should pay less.

    He said with more money in government’s confers, more Nigerians will be lifted out of poverty.

    Ekweremadu was contribution to a motion on eradication of poverty raised by Senator Ali Wakili and 22 others to commemorate United Nations International Day for the eradication of poverty.

    Ekweremadu said, “In other countries of the world, governments make deliberate efforts to get their people out of poverty. This is the practice all over the world. Nigeria should not be different. We need to provide for our people and get them out of poverty.

    “There are so many ways we can achieve this. Government needs to implement policies that will take us out of poverty. One of them is the issue of taxation. The rich need to pay more taxes, while the poor should pay less. When the rich pay more taxes, there will be enough money to get our people out of poverty.

    “We have our able youths who are jobless, despite the fact that they are educated. This cannot continue. We need to provide jobs for our youths and take them off the streets. As a parliament, we will take the necessary steps to ensure that this is achieved.”

    Read: Nigeria loses over N15tr yearly to tax evasion 

    Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, had while speaking to the press at the annual meeting of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington DC on Sunday, insisted people with higher income must bear a greater part of the tax burden.

    Wakili in the motion noted that a recent report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), no fewer than 112 million Nigerians representing 67.1 per cent of the country’s estimated population, now live below the poverty level.

    He said that commemoration is intended to promote dialogue and understanding between people living in poverty and their communities and society.

    “It is meant to demonstrate the strong bonds of solidarity between people living in poverty and people from all works of life, and the commitment to work together to overcome extreme poverty,” Wakili said.

    Senator Shehu Sani, (Kaduna central) in his contribution lamented that more than 80 per cent of Nigerians live below the poverty level.

    The lawmaker said that successive governments have not done enough to implement programmes that will lift Nigerians out of poverty.

    Senator Jibrin Barau (Kano North) described poverty as a weapon of mass destruction.

    He noted that China in the last 20 years has lifted more 300 million of its citizens out of poverty.

    Barau urged the Federal Government to do more and implement social programmes to lift the living conditions of Nigerians.

    Lawmakers, after a brief debate, called on the Federal Government to declare free education at every level.

    The upper chamber said that policies and programmes evolved by the Federal Government through the Social Investment Programmes and other poverty alleviation and eradication measures be vigorously pursued.