The Nation Newspaper

Tag: assembly

  • Orji’s son vies for Abia Assembly

    The first son of Abia State Governor Theodore Orji, Chinedu, has expressed his interest in the state House of Assembly by obtaining his nomination form. If elected, he will be representing Umuahia Central constituency.

    Speaking with The Nation in Umuahia, the state capital, Chinedu said that he has been under immense pressure from his friends for over four years now to run for the state house of assembly seat to consolidate on all his good works for the youths of the state.

    Chinedu stressed that he is not going to the State Assembly to be its Speaker but to give quality representation to the people of his constituency and consolidate on the gains of those who were there before him.

    He said that he has no ambition to be a speaker, “I have been under immense pressure to run and if I have the ambition to be a speaker it will not be to the best interest of my constituency and other interest groups”.

    Chinedu said, “If I have an inordinate ambition, I would have sneaked myself into the House of Representatives or the state house of assembly and I would have been a high ranking member to enable me be the speaker, that is if ranking is the criterion to be a speaker”.

    The man who is popularly known as Ikuku by his admirers said since he did not sneak into either the federal House of Representatives or the state house of assembly, “It shows that I do not have any interest to be the speaker of Abia House of Assembly”.

    He however made it clear that despite the fact that he has no interest to be speaker, “It does not mean that anyone can intimidate me out of my democratic right to contest election into any elective position in the state now or in the future because I know that I am competent”.

    Chinedu said that he is one man who cannot easily be controlled when he knows that he is standing on the right part, stressing that this part of his life may lead to his being impeached easily as the speaker at the slightest opportunity.

    On the question that stakeholders from the central zone of the state may force him to be the speaker of the house of assembly, he said, “I will never accept to be the speaker because of the reasons I had earlier stated”.

    He explained that none of the house members from Abia Central senatorial district have been told not to return, saying that only those who have spent twelve years in the legislative arm of government have been told by their people to allow others to go and represent them.

    Chinedu dismissed the insinuations at the figments of the imaginations of the enemies of the state, stressing that the state has been known to be peaceful and save for a long time since the era of kidnappings and violent killings were stopped, “Since they have nothing doing they decided to cause trouble through spreading false rumours”.

  • Plot to disrupt Ekiti Assembly uncovered

    Plot to disrupt Ekiti Assembly uncovered

    All Progressives Congress (APC) members in the Ekiti State House of Assembly have uncovered a plot by seven Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members to storm the Assembly and install a new speaker.

    They said this is to create a crisis in the House and give Governor Ayodele Fayose control of the House.

    The Speaker, Dr Adewale Omirin, said this was a betrayal of Ekiti people by those who should champion the cause of stability and peace to grow the economy.

    In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Wole Olujobi, Omirin said the plot was hatched at Spotless Hotel, owned by Fayose last Thursday.

    “At the hotel, a grand plan was hatched to forcibly take over the House leadership and install the governor’s crony as speaker.

    “Present at the meeting were the APC members who defected to PDP two weeks ago.

    “This followed a similar plot to storm the House a few weeks ago before the plan leaked.

    “One of the defected lawmakers reportedly insisted at the meeting that he had the capacity to carry out the plot provided that funds are made available to mobilise for the execution of the plot.

    “We call the attention of security agents to this diabolical and distabilising act to set the state on fire. Our state witnessed four years of interrupted peace and progress under former Governor Kayode Fayemi.

    “Just two weeks into the new administration, the state is in the news again for bad reasons as was the case between 2003 and 2006 when Fayose was governor.”

    Omirin said APC lawmakers would remain focused in their legislative duties to deliver good governance to Ekiti people and advised the PDP-led government to concentrate on good governance instead of causing chaos in the state.

  • APC chietain joins House of Assembly race

    APC chietain joins House of Assembly race

    FormerChairman of  Ajeromi Local Government Area of Lagos State, Dr Abiola Ajijola, is eyeing the House of Assembly seat in Ajeromi/Ifelodun Constituency 1 in next year’s elections.

    The seat is currently occupied by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Kolawole Taiwo, who has been serving in the House since 1999.

    Ajijola said he wanted to bounce back, 17 years after leaving power. The medical practitioner said: “Although I left office in 1997 after a remarkable 16-month experience in grassroots administration before the military coup, I have always been a card-carrying member of progressive parties, including the Alliance for Democracy (AD), the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the All Progressives Congress (APC). In fact, I belong to the party’s apex leadership body known as G10 in my local government area.

    “I am in the race to step up my commitment to bringing the fruits of governance to the people. I firmly believe that,with patriotic representation in the House, my constituency should be better than it is today and it takes selfless representation driven by undiluted patriotism to turn things around for the people. This is my concern.”

    Ajijola said that the fifth term aganda of Hon. Taiwo would not threaten his ambition. He said: “He (Taiwo) is no threat to my ambition; in fact, most people see my coming out as his greatest challenge because of my popularity based on what I did when I was chairman and my unbroken relationship with the people. This is democracy, a system that gives room for freedom of choice by the electorate.

    “ Hon Taiwo has served for four terms in the House and people have seen what he could do. I feel it is simply fair for someone else to have a shot and bring his acumen to bear in further serving the constituency in the best interest of the people.”

    The aspirant said the exemplary services delivered by the party’s national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, when he governed the state and Governor Babatunde Fashola’s exploits are enough to convince Lagosians that the APC is better than the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

  • Ex-council chief joins assembly race

    Ex-council chief joins assembly race

    Pioneer chairman of the old Ajeromi Local Government Area of Lagos State, Dr Abiola Ajijola, is vying for a seat in the state House of Assembly in the forthcoming elections.

    He is a major contender for the slot from the Ajeromi-Ifelodun Constituency 1 which is currently being occupied by the Deputy Speaker of the assembly, Hon Kolawole Taiwo.

    Explaining his return into the contest 17 years after leaving office as chairman, Ajijola, a successful medical practitioner said: “Though I left office in 1997 after a remarkable 16-month experience in grassroots administration before a military coup cut it short, I have always remained a card-carrying member of political parties of progressive inclination. I was in the Alliance for Democracy (AD), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and now All Progressives Congress (APC). In fact, I belong to the party’s apex leadership body known as G10 in my local government area.

    “I am in the race to step up my commitment to bringing the fruits of governance to the people of my constituency. I firmly believe that with patriotic representation at the assembly, my constituency should be better than it is today and it takes selfless representation driven by undiluted patriotism to turn things around for the people. This is my concern.”

    When reminded that he would have a major opponent in Hon Taiwo who is gunning for re-election, Ajijola said: “He (Taiwo) is no threat to my ambition; in fact, most people see my coming out as his greatest challenge because of my popularity based on what I did when I was chairman and my unbroken relationship with the people. This is democracy, a system that gives room for freedom of choice by the electorate.

    “Most importantly, Hon Taiwo has served four terms in the assembly and people have seen what he could do. I feel it is simply fair for someone else to have a shot and bring his acumen to bear in further serving the constituency in the best interest of the people.”

    On the chance of APC in the coming elections in the area, the state and indeed, the nation, the aspirant said the exemplary services delivered by the party’s national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu when he governed the state and the current Governor Babatunde Fashola’s exploits are enough to convince anyone that the party is the need to develop the society.

  • Assembly, others hail Ikuforiji’s acquittal

    Assembly, others hail Ikuforiji’s acquittal

    More reactions have trailed  the “no-case” ruling delivered by a Lagos High Court on the alleged money laundering case instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against the Speaker, Adeyemi Ikuforiji.

    In one of such reactions, the Spokesperson of the House of Assembly, Segun Olulade, in a statement yesterday,  noted that the legislative institution had survived the plot to undermine its integrity and that of its leadership by unknown agents of “retrogression and enemies of progress.”

    The House had given a “vote of confidence” to the speaker at a media briefing addressed by other 39 lawmakers led by the Deputy Speaker, Kolawole Taiwo.

    The lawmakers again yesterday reaffirmed their belief in the Ikuforiji-led House.

    The chairman of Committee on Information and Publicity reminded the public that the speaker was never at any point charged with stealing, embezzlement, misappropriation or financial corruption as was misconstrued in some media reports.

    “What we were defending was the allegation that Mr. Speaker expended money collected in cash above the threshold, and which has been proven beyond reasonable doubt that the present system being run in the country does not leave any high public office-holder in the status of Ikuforiji out of spending in range of the amount he was alleged to have expended.”

    Olulade, who represents Epe 2 Constituency, stressed that throughout the regular court process, it was obvious that the case was one of calculated attempt to witch-hunt the speaker and rubbish Lagos Assembly.

  • Big for nothing

    Big for nothing

    •Nigeria should not repeat last year’s UN General Assembly jamboree

    If it were not such a shocking shame, the honest observation that the country’s delegation to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is usually wastefully bloated would qualify as just another evidence of laughable political administration.  What makes it even more depressingly worthy of attention is the source of the information, which would appear to be authoritative and unbiased.

    It is creditable that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bashir Wali, rose above considerations of political loyalty and non-professional sentiments during the inter-ministerial meeting in Abuja to adopt the country’s working documents ahead of this year’s 69th UNGA Sessionin New York. His candour while addressing heads of government ministries, departments and agencies reflected his understandable discomfiture, which was underlined by his declaration that he was seeking the approval of President Goodluck Jonathan to limit the number of delegates this year.

    Wali said: “The size of Nigeria’s delegation to the United Nations General Assembly last year was 567; that is something that is certainly unacceptable. On that basis I asked that they send me the list of three countries, Germany, South Africa and Egypt to compare with what we in Nigeria have. None of them is up to one third of our delegation.”   He reasoned: “So, you can see that there is certainly need to really take a second look and see that those of our delegates that go to the UN General Assembly do have value. It is not a question of having a jamboree; but indeed, it is more like a jamboree.”

    Significantly, the minister pointed out that his argument was informed by facts derived from experience. He said: “I happen to have observed for four years as Nigeria’s ambassador to the UN, the delegation of Nigeria to the UN General Assembly. So, I know and if we are going to be honest to ourselves, I know 80 percent of the delegates that go from Nigeria do not add value to our team to the UN.” In other words, apart from what amounts to a trivialisation of forum and function, it is like being big for nothing.

    Against this background, it is worth considering how such an unjustifiably high number of officials get on the train, which is to say that the business of representing the country at the UNGA may have become equivalent to riding on a gravy train with the implication that the delegates enjoy rich monetary advantages unmatched by the value they bring to their work.

    Sadly,  it is no secret that the country’s shambolic public administration system has over the years encouraged government workers to scramble for foreign official assignments in order to collect substantial travel allowances known as “estacode”. A logical but ultimately senseless consequence of such state of affairs is that many of the beneficiaries reportedly indulge in shopping trips, visit relations and attend to other personal matters while neglecting the official business that took them abroad.

    Wali’s observation, which goes to show the extent of the rot, should prompt a critical examination of this freeloading culture and a proper intervention to bring it to an end. It is instructive that he said at the meeting: “Certainly, something has to be done to put a stop to this embarrassment.” Indeed, the absurdity exposes the country to avoidable international ridicule, especially because   the sheer numerical strength of such delegations has little to do with qualitative impact.

    It is indefensible that in this framework, accountability and responsibility are relegated to insignificance, and the powers that be seem unbothered by the squandering of public funds as well as the unproductiveness of human resources. This is no way to make progress and earn international respect.

  • Assembly not in supremacy battle with Akpabio, says Speaker

    The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly is not in a supremacy battle with Governor Godswill Akpabio, the Speaker, Sam Ikon, said yesterday.

    Speaking with reporters on the beginning of the 2014/2015 legislative year, Ikon said the Assembly would not succumb to pressure by critics, who describe it as a “rubber stamp”.

    He said the House should not be opposing every policy of the executive to prove that it was active.

    Ikon, who chairs the Speakers’ Conference of Nigeria, said incessant disputes between the legislature and the executive were unhealthy for democracy, adding: “Such fights are meant to achieve personal political interest and not the interest of the people. The Fifth Assembly will continue to bury parochial political interest and work for the good of the people.”

    He said all standing House committees were dissolved at plenary, adding that the State Traffic Management Authority Bill, which seeks to address traffic congestion in Uyo, passed through its first reading.

    On the Assembly’s achievements in the last legislative year, the Speaker said seven bills were passed into law and many resolutions made.

    On the contributory pension scheme, he said the Assembly had extended the deadline given to the committee looking into it.

    Ikon said the committee was verifying the amount contributed by civil servants.

    He said the State Infrastructure Maintenance Agency was being re-organised for optimal performance.

    Ikon said the Assembly would maintain a robust partnership with other arms of government.

  • Nasarawa Assembly suspends APC lawmaker

    Nasarawa Assembly suspends APC lawmaker

    Nasarawa State House of Assembly suspended yesterday a lawmaker from the All Progressives Congress (APC), Tanko Tunga, for six months.

    The motion for the suspension was moved at plenary by Baba Ibaku (PDP-Udegye/Loko)  and seconded by Nathaniel Agyomesa (PDP-Lafia North), who accused Tunga of violating the Assembly’s rules.

    Tunga was also accused of attempting to snatch the mace and insulting his colleagues.

    Ibaku said Tunga should be placed on a half salary.

    The Speaker, Ahmed Musa Muhammed, has directed the Clerk, Ego Maikeffi, to write the National Judicial Council (NJC).

    It was alleged that the Chief Judge, Justice Suleiman Dikko, violated  Section 188 by appointing partisan persons to serve in the panel  probing allegations of gross misconduct against Governor Tanko Al-Makura.

    The directive followed a motion of public interest moved by the Majority Leader, Godiya Akwashiki and seconded by Yahaya Usman (PDP-Ugya/Umaisha).

    Francis Orogu (PDP-Keana) alleged that the Chief Judge conspired with selfish politicians to subvert justice.

  • Lagos Assembly confirms Chief Judge

    The Lagos State House of Assembly has confirmed the appointment of Justice Olufunmilayo Olajumoke Atilade as the State Chief Judge.

    Justice Atilade’s appointment was confirmed at plenary yesterday after she was screened by the lawmakers.

    Before her appointment as the Acting Chief Judge, Justice Atilade was the head of the Lagos Judiciary.

    She is the sister of the former Chief Judge, Justice Inumidun Akande. Justice Atilade became a Magistrate at 30 in 1982 and became a Judge in 1996.

  • Assembly approves 50 special advisers for fintiri

    •‘ INEC not notified on Nyako’s impeachment’

    THE Adamawa State House of Assembly has approved 50 special advisers for the Acting Governor, Ahmadu Umar Fintiri.

    Fintiri, in a letter read to the House yesterday by the Acting Speaker, Kwamoti Laori, requested the House to approve the list he sent.

    A motion was moved by the member representing Gombi Constituency, Jerry Kumdisi and seconded by member representing Mubi North Constituency.

    The House subsequently directed the Clerk to forward a letter of consent to the Acting Governor for the approval.

    But the Chairman on the House Information Services, Adamu Kamale, has confirmed that the lawmakers were yet to transmit a letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) notifying it that former Governor Murtala Nyako was impeached.

    Nyako was impeached on July 15th and according to the Nigerian Constitution, elections are to be held to replace the vacant seat in 90 days.

    Kamale told reporters that the delay in transmitting the letter to the electoral body was because the House went on recess since July16th and coupled with the fact that some of the lawmakers went for a conference of parliamentarians in Tanzania.

    He said that the House, being under obligation constitutionally, would transmit the notification letter to the electoral body as a matter of urgency in the collective interest of the state.

    The committee chairman also used the forum to debunk the allegation in some quarters that the lawmakers decided to embark on Nyako’s impeachment because of his failure to release statutory constituency project funds as demanded by the lawmakers.

    Kamale said the process of impeachment embarked upon was a statutory function and not for vendetta as alleged.

    He also debunked the insinuation raised by the leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Madam Binta Masi Garba, that the sum of N350 million was released to the legislators as part of the constituency projects in the course of the impeachment process.