The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Anambra Assembly

  • BREAKING: Anambra Assembly suspends PDP lawmaker over social media post

    BREAKING: Anambra Assembly suspends PDP lawmaker over social media post

    The Anambra State House of Assembly has suspended the member representing Ayamelum Constituency, Bernard Udemezue, for three months over what it described as a “damaging” social media post.

    Udemezue, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker, had alleged on his social media handles that his constituency was being marginalised in the disbursement of constituency allowances.

    The matter first came up at plenary last Tuesday after Tony Muobike, representing Aguata 2 Constituency, raised it under the matter of urgent public importance, with Chief Whip Jude Ngobili (Ihiala 1) seconding the motion.

    Read Also: Anambra Assembly hails Soludo’s leadership on third anniversary as governor

    Speaker Somtochukwu Udeze thereafter referred the issue to the House Committee on Rules, Business, Ethics and Privileges for investigation.

    At Tuesday’s plenary, the committee submitted its report, leading the House to resolve that Udemezue be suspended for three months.

    Details shortly…

  • Anambra Assembly to Police: find fleeing suspects

    Anambra Assembly to Police: find fleeing suspects

    The Anambra State House of Assembly has challenged the state Police Command to re-arrest the alleged killers of the lawmaker, Justice Azuka, to restore its integrity

    Two of the suspects escaped few days ago when the Police went out with them to arrest the receiver of stolen goods from the hoodlums.

    Read Also: BREAKING: Portable arrives Ogun Police HQ

    The public accused the Police of complicity in the escape.

    Also, the Speaker, Somtochukwu Udeze, said the escape was unacceptable. The House maintained that the incident had cast an aspersion on the Police and urged them to apprehend the fleeing suspects.

  • Anambra Assembly passes bill to reduce funeral expenses

    A bill seeking to curtail burial and funeral expenses in Anambra State has been passed by the House of Assembly.

    The bill, which was sponsored by Charles Ezeani (Anaocha II), was passed during Wednesday’s plenary.

    The burial and funeral expenses had been on the rise in the state, which forced the Catholic Bishop of Awka, Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor, to raise the alarm few years ago.

    The cleric said if not curtailed, people would go hungry after such burial ceremonies. He also advocated for a one-day burial instead of the usual three to four days.

    The bill provided that in the event of death, no person shall deposit a body in the mortuary or any place beyond two months from the date of death.

    The bill equally bans the destruction of property, gunshots, praise-singing, blocking of roads and streets during burial ceremonies. Defaulters shall be punished according to the law.

    The bill also stipulated that no person shall subject any relative of the deceased to a mourning period of more than one week from the date of the burial.

    Read Also: ‘Obi introduced equity not zoning in Anambra’

    Ezeani maintained that the bill also made provision for a monitoring and implementation committee that would enforce the law as well as their responsibilities.

    He described the bill as important and a great achievement by the sixth Anambra Assembly, saying it has put to rest the high cost of burial and funeral activities.

    The Speaker, Rita Maduagwu, praised the lawmakers for passing the bill. She noted that it would moderate burial expenses.

  • Breaking: Anambra Assembly passes bill to reduce burial expenses

    A Bill seeking to curtail burial and funeral expenses in Anambra State has been passed by the state House of Assembly.

    The Bill which was sponsored by the member representing Anaocha 11 constituency,Hon Charles Ezeani, was passed after due consideration by the House during Wednesday’s plenary.

    The burial and funeral expenses had been on the rise in the state, which forced the Catholic Bishop of Awka, Most Rev Paulinus Ezeokafor to raise the alarm a few years ago.

    The Cleric said if not curtailed, people in the state would go hungry after such burial ceremonies, while also advocated for a one-day burial instead of three and four days being practised in Anambra.

    The Bill provided that in the event of death, no person shall deposit any corpse in the mortuary or any place beyond two months from the date of the death

    Also, while burial ceremonies in the state shall be for one day.

    The Bill equally places ban on destruction of property, gunshots, praise singing, blocking of roads and streets during burial ceremonies in the state as defaulters shall be punished according to the law.

    Read Also; Anambra APC to tribunal: nullify APGA’s victory in Idemili South

    The bill also made it clear that from the commencement of the law, no person shall subject any relation of the deceased person to a mourning period of more than one week from the date of the burial ceremony.

    While explaining further, the sponsor of the bill , Charles Ezeani, maintained that the bill also made provision for a monitoring and implementation committee that would enforce the law as well as their responsibilities.

    He described the bill as important and a great achievement by the 6th Anambra Assembly, adding that the bill had put to rest the high cost of burial and funeral activities in the state.

    However, the speaker, Hon Rita Maduagwu commended the lawmakers for passing the bill.

    According to her, it would moderate burial expenses in the state.

  • Anambra Assembly passes vote of confidence in Speaker Maduagwu

    •DSS invites ‘factional Speaker’ Uzoezie

    The Anambra State House of Assembly yesterday passed vote of confidence in the embattled Speaker Rita Maduagwu for her leadership qualities.

    Mrs Maduagwu, who was purportedly impeached on November 13 by some lawmakers for alleged high-handedness, financial impropriety, among others, resumed sitting yesterday with 20 lawmakers.

    But the session was not attended by factional Speaker Ikem Uzoezie, who The Nation gathered, was invited by the Department of State Services (DSS).

    During the sitting, the member representing Ayamelum Constituency, Uchenna Okafor, moved a motion, which was seconded by Lawrence Ezeudu, declaring support for Mrs Maduagwu.

    Some of the 30 lawmakers in the Assembly did not attend plenary to show their disapproval of the latest development.

    Read also: Lawyers protest colleague detention in Anambra

    Deputy Speaker Hayford Oseke and some others, who hitherto teamed up with Uzoezie, showed their solidarity with Mrs Maduagwu.

    The member representing Anambra East Constituency, Obinna Emenaka, described the Speaker as a virtuous woman, whose character earned her the chairmanship of the Conference of Speakers in the Southeast.

    Also, Governor Willie Obiano will today present next year’s Appropriation Bill to the House of Assembly.

     

  • Police seal Anambra Assembly complex

    The Police Command in Anambra has announced the sealing of Anambra Assembly (ANHA) complex over the impeachment crisis rocking the House.

    SP Haruna Mohammed, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Anambra disclosed this in a statement in Awka on Friday.

    Mohammed said the application to seal off the complex was contained in an official letter to the Commissioner of Police.

    “The Anambra State Police Command wishes to inform the public that it has sealed off the Assembly Complex with effect from 6:00pm of Thursday 15th November, 2018 as a proactive measure to avert possible breakdown of law and order in the Assembly,” he said.

     

    Read Also:Anambra: New chief registrar, five others take oath

     

    The command implored members of the public to stay away from the complex until further notice.

    It also solicited the co-operation of Anambra people in its commitment to provide adequate security in the state.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that there was strong police presence at the complex on Nov. 15 when the House resumed after the impeachment saga that rocked it on Nov. 13.

    The house was divided between former Speaker Rita Mmaduagwu who was purportedly impeached and Mr Ikem Uzoezie who was installed as new speaker.

  • Anambra Assembly confirms commissioner-nominees

    The list of 19 commissioner nominees sent to the Anambra state House of Assembly by Governor Willie Obiano have been cleared and confirmed by the lawmakers.

    The Governor sent the list to the House on Tuesday, three days after his second term inauguration on Saturday last week at the Dr Alex Ekwueme square in Awka.

    And it took the screening committee headed by the deputy speaker, Hayford Oseke only Wednesday to clear the nominees as reported on Wednesday by the Nation.

    At the plenary yesterday during their confirmation, the Speaker, Hon Rita Maduagwu charged them to be up and doing in their responsibilities.

    She was also quick in telling them not to fight Obiano’s government, adding that they should key into the Governor’s transformation agenda.

    Maduagwu said they were cleared immediately because they were men and women of integrity, adding that there was no need delaying the process, when they were carefully selected by the Governor.

    Responding on behalf of others, Mr Greg Obi, who manns local government and chieftaincy matters, assured that they would not disappoint the Governor and the people of Anambra State.

    The new commissioners were, Dr Mrs Uju Nwogu, Ministry of Justice, Hon Ifeatu Onejeme, Finance, Hon Mark Okoye ,Economic Planning and Budget and Hon Greg Obi ,Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

    Also, Dr Joe Akabuike ,Health, Hon Obi Nwankwo,Public Utilities, Hon Afam Mbanefo ,Agriculture and Prof Kate Omenugha, Basic Education

    Others were Mr C. Don Adinuba,Information and Public Enlightenment, Engr Marcel Ifejiofor, Works, Nnamdi Onukwuba, Ministry of Lands .

    Arc Mike Okonkwo (Orumba South) will move from his former position as the managing Director of Awka Capital Development Authority (ACDA) to the Ministry of Environment.

    Dr Obiekezie Theresa Nkechi ,Tertiary and Science Education, Dr Christian Madubuko ,Trade and Commerce, Mr Uche Okafor , Transport and Mr Bonaventure Enemali ,Youth Entrepreneurship. Sally Mbanefo, Local Artwork, Culture and Tourism, Ndidi Mezue,Women and Children Affairs and Engr Emeka Ezenwanne,Housing.

  • Anambra Assembly may pass 166.9b budget this week

    Anambra Assembly may pass 166.9b budget this week

    The Anambra State House of Assembly is poised to pass the 2018 appropriation bill this week.

    This indication was given yesterday after the ministries finished their budget defence before the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation.

    Chairman of the Committee Obinna Emenaka (Anambra East) said the budget would likely be passed by the end of the week so that the governor can start work on it.

    The 36 Ministries, Departments, Agencies and Parastatals had been defending their budgets in the last one week.

    Emenaka said: “Budget defence is a very important legislative function which we did not handle with kids gloves, trusting that once the bill is passed, all officers concerned will swing into action.

    “Our primary duty is to ensure that the people get what they deserve in terms of good governance, and it is the duty of the lawmakers to give them a voice.

    “We promised to give the people quality representation and a hope to live a healthy life, through placing all dots in governance alright and we have lived up to our promise.

    “We will pass the budget soon and carry out our oversight functions to ensure that each ministry uses the money it gets purposefully.”

  • Anambra Assembly stops diversion of IGR through bill

    The Anambra State House of Assembly yesterday passed a bill stopping government’s revenue agents from diverting the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to private pockets.

    The sitting, which was presided over by Speaker Rita Maduagwu, was attended by almost all the 30 lawmakers.

    The bill, which introduced a new system of payment, called Use of Bank Point of Sales, was for the collection of government taxes, levies and sundry revenues.

    It also seeks to prevent government agents from collecting cash.

    The bill was sponsored by the member representing Orumba North, Romanus Obi, who also led the debate during yesterday’s plenary.

    The lawmaker said the bill was to increase the state’s IGR and prevent diversion of government money into private purse. He warned those he called fake revenue agents to steer clear revenue collection because the bill, when signed into law by Governor Willie Obiano, will empower the board of internal revenue to sanction offenders.

    The member representing Ayamelum, Uche Okafor, said the bill would ensure transparency and accountability in the collection of the government bills, taxes and levies, among others.

  • ‘Anambra Assembly passed 10 bills, over 100 motions in one year’

    ‘Anambra Assembly passed 10 bills, over 100 motions in one year’

    The Anambra State House of Assembly has asid it passed 10 bills and over 100 motions since its inception one year ago.

    Among the bills are this year’s Appropriation Bill; the Anambra State Housing Corporation Bill; the Anambra State Vigilante and Security Bill as well as the Tourism and Hospitality Bill 2016.

    Addressing reporters yesterday in Awka, the state capital, to mark the one year anniversary of the state’s Sixth Assembly, House of Assembly Speaker Rita Maduagwu said some of the bills were amended.

    The Speaker said the bills were among those that impacted positively on the lives of the people and the development of the state under the Willie Obiano administration.

    She said: “The lawmakers have enthroned participatory democracy in their various constituencies through town hall meetings and constituency briefings. These have enriched the quality of our bills and motions.

    “In the country of state legislature in Nigeria, the present House of Assembly is playing a pivotal role as I was elected the Southeast Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of the Houses of Assembly in Nigeria.”

    “Another important area of mention is the uncommon cordial relationship between the Assembly and the other arms of the government.”

    But Maduagwu reiterated that the Assembly would not approve the Grazing Bill being canvassed across the country.

    The Speaker noted that it should not be a priority in the country.

    She said her thinking was also the way other lawmakers felt about the bill.

    According to her, the Anambra House of Assembly will not support the grazing bill.

    Maduagwu said: “The Assembly is obviously happy with the Executive owing to Governor Obiano’s implementation of all the bills and resolutions of the Assembly. More importantly, the lawmakers should be commended for their support and understanding in moving Anambra forward and, not forgetting, all the workers of the Anambra State House of Assembly.”