The Nation Newspaper

Tag: assembly

  • Assembly to meet Emmanuel, security agencies on crisis

    The leadership of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly is to meet with Governor Udom Emmanuel and heads of security agencies to seek a solution to challenges in Ukanafun and Etim Ekpo local government areas.

    This was part of resolutions passed by the Assembly yesterday following a matter of urgent public importance raised by the member representing Ukanafun, Otobong Jonathan.

    Members urged the government to ameliorate the suffering and mitigate losses incurred by the people.

    Pleading with his colleagues to draw government’s attention to the destruction by criminals in his constituency, Jonathan told members that his council was engulfed in a protracted crisis, which affected its economic activities.

    He cited a recent attack on a popular market in Ukanafun, Urua Akpan Eshiet by hoodlums, who reportedly stormed the market and set the building on fire.

    “Ukanafun is plagued with security challenges. Hoodlums recently invaded the area and burnt down Urua Akpan Eshiet market. That market is a major source of livelihood and  revenue to our local government”.

    Speaker Onofiok Luke commended Jonathan for raising the matter.

    “We didn’t delay because of the nature of the matter. We had to give it the seriousness it deserves. We pledge our commitment to cooperate with the governor and security agencies to ensure the security of life and property of residents”.

     

  • Assembly sets up committee to investigate crisis

    The Osun State House of  Assembly under the leadership of the Speaker, Najeem Salam, has set up a 15-man ad hoc committee to investigate the account of the state-owned university between 2015 to  date.

    A statement by the Chairman, House Committee on Information and Strategy, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, said the House set up the committee yesterday in Osogbo after a closed door meeting with the management  and non-academic staff unions  of the institution.

    The Speaker directed the committee to look into the crisis of incessant strike by the non-teaching staff.

    Salam said the committee is to report back to the assembly in two weeks.

    He said the House Committee Chairman on Public Account,  Mr Rasheed Afolabi, would be the chairman of the committee.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Refuse: Assembly summons three commissioners, others

    •Public hearing on LUC on Tuesday

    The Lagos State House of Assembly at plenary yesterday summoned three commissoners, their respective Permanent Secretaries and the state Accountant-General to come and brief the House on all issues surrounding the handing over of the state environmental matters to Visionscape.

    Adeniji Kazeem (Justice and Attorney-General),  Akinyemi Ashade (Finance), Babatunde Durosinmi-Etti (Environment) andAbimbola Umar, the Accountant-General were summoned .

    The House also directed Ashade and Umar to henceforth stop further payment to Visionscape pending the outcome of its investigation.

    The House constituted an eight-man Ad-Hoc Committee to investigate the matter.

    The Committee which is headed by Bayo Oshinowo has other members as Oluyinka Ogundimu, Funmilayo Tejuoso, Abiodun Tobun, Saka Fafunmi, Mosbood Oshun, Gbolahan Yishawu and Rasheed Makinde.

    The resolution followed a motion moved Under Matters of Urgent Public Importance, by Olanrewaju Ogunyemi, who disclosed that refuse has taken over Lagos, noting that there is the need to avert serious epidemic in the state.

    “It is known by everybody that refuse is now taking over the streets of Lagos. It is an eyesore that brings shame to the state,” Ogunyemi noted.

    He argued further that the company in charge of collection and disposal of waste, Visionscape has failed to meet up in line with the vision provided in the new law passed to tackle issues surrounding refuse.

    Speaker Mudashiru Obasa said: “the consolidated law on the environment which the House passed was in order but it needs to be pointed out that a provision for concession included in the law was not complied with. The government ought to revert to the House before bringing in Visionscape.

    Obasa said: “We don’t know Visionscape, so we can only invite those that we know – those that the law recognises.”

    Bisi Yusuff said: “My colleagues, we need to unravel those behind Visionscape. The issue of inappropriate management of waste will have adverse effects on our health especially as it relates to Lassa fever.”

    Raheem Adams opined that the House should critically examine the issue to determine if there is need to give back the management of the waste to PSP operators.

    Abiodun Tobun stated that, “the handing over of waste management in the state is retrogressive. We must be at alert and do what is expected of us as representatives of the people.”

    Deputy Majority Leader Olumuyiwa Jimoh revealed that there were comments on social media condemning the amount of money Visionscape was being paid by the government, adding that such money was not appropriated in the budget.

    Meanwhile the House took the second reading of the new bill to review the Land Use Charge which has generated protest from Lagosians.

    It set up an ad-hoc committee to handle the review and directed it to hold a public hearing on the bill next week Tuesday.

    The ad-hoc committee is chaired by Bayo Osinowo. Members are Funmilayo Tejuoso, Chairman, Committee on Judiciary  Oluyinka Ogundimu, Chairman, Ad-Hoc Committee on Finance Tunde Braimoh, Chairman, Ad-Hoc Committee on Information Jude Idimogun and Hakeem Shokunle.

  • Assembly of jeopardy

    Perhaps Nigerians should plead the defence of double jeopardy against the determined effort of the National Assembly to clean off our national treasury even as they foist on us, misbegotten legislations. With the official confirmation that our senators and representatives are engaged in taking what does not belong to them, in the guise of running cost, I was hopeful that some of them would own up and openly canvass at least for institutional amendment, if not restitution. But alas, those who have spoken on the issue, tried to explain away their illegal conducts.

    Nigerians have Senator Shehu Sani to thank for confirming what we have all suspected – that this National Assembly has become a double yoke on our sagging body. How can our lawmakers pretend that they don’t know that the constitution expressly barred them from fixing their salaries and allowances? How can they try to justify the perfidy they are engaged in? How can they take so much from the commonwealth, and give so little in return by way of constitutional duty?

    Section 70 of the 1999 constitution, as amended, without equivocation states clearly: “A member of the Senate or of the House of Representatives shall receive such salary and other allowances as the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission may determine.” Without amending this provision, I have always wondered under what guise the National Assembly try to appropriate the power to determine their salaries and allowances.

    No form of ingenuity can change this constitutional provision, and any senator who collects any income not determined by RMAFC by whatever name called is engaged in unconstitutional conduct. Such a person is taking what does not belong to him. Of note, all the criminal laws of the country, whether federal or state, defines stealing as taking what does not belong to the taker. I have no doubt in my mind that if our country has the will, every kobo taken by any senator whether in this assembly or in the past could be recovered.

    While we know that a senator in this current assembly is taking what does not belong to him to the tune of N13.5 million, we have no idea of what the members of the previous assemblies were hefting from our commonwealth. Of course this would be in addition to what they can clean from the so-called provision for constituency projects. Since the projects are to be sited in their domains and since it is them who gained the provision, they are in a position to front their surrogates to further take more of what does not belong to them.

    Perhaps because the executive is knee-deep in the double jeopardy that is our lot in the hands of the political class, they are unable to stare down the legislators as envisaged by the constitution. Or is it because our democratic institutions are weak that the courts cannot declare without hesitation that what the National Assembly members are engaged in the name of salaries and allowances are manifestly unlawful? Or could it be that the executive does not appreciate its powers under the constitution or is afraid to exercise it?

    What is the driving force that has made the three arms of government to allow the mockery of the supremacy of the constitution? Yet, section 1(1) of the constitution states clearly that: “This constitution is supreme and its provisions shall have binding force on all authorities and persons throughout the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” To give effect to the provisions of the constitution, it provides in section 5(1) “Subject to the provisions of this constitution, the executive powers of the federation (b) shall extend to the execution and maintenance of this constitution, all laws made by the National Assembly and to all matters with respect to which the National Assembly has for the time being power to make laws.”

    By the above provision, the president has executive powers for the execution and maintenance of the constitution, and so it behoves on him to ensure the execution and maintenance of section 70 of the constitution. To allow what is going on in the name of salaries and allowances being hefted from the national treasury by the National Assembly, he is abdicating his constitutional responsibility. A simple reading of the constitution should reveal that to him. In the current circumstance silence is not golden, and if the president has any doubts, he should approach the courts.

    The president can ask his attorney-general to approach the courts to seek the interpretation of section 70, vis-à-vis the decision of the National Assembly to decide what to pay its members. If politics precludes the president from squaring with the assembly directly, he could ask the RMAFC to approach the courts to enforce its constitutional mandate. To do nothing should be completely unacceptable to a president elected on the platform of zero-tolerance for corruption, and this should be so, even if there are unresolved allegations of taking what does not belong to them, by some aides of the president.

    What is going on is a great disservice to our country. Those in power must know that the joke is on them. If they doubt, they should talk to our youths. Most of them have lost faith in the country. They refer to such cruel jokes as snakes swallowing money, money being kept in the cemetery and such bizarre tales as confirmation that we have an unserious country, whose leadership is out of tune with reality. Now with the confirmation that members of National Assembly are brazenly taking what does not belong to them, it will be further cemented in their sub-conscious that known humans are also involved in swallowing pieces of the commonwealth without any consequence.

    Those who believe that they can stop the craze to get-rich-quick amongst our youths, those believe that buying tons of arms and ammunition is what is needed to stop sundry criminality, those who model a few patches of oasis as signs of a national revival, those who take what does not belong to them ad use same to make their children comfortable and refer to those children as exemplars of progress are living in denial and playing the ostrich. It is inexcusable that those engaged in public service will be entitled to brazenly break the supreme law of the country without any consequences.

    Without any equivocation, a monthly take home of N13.5 million for a senator by whatever name it is called is both unconstitutional and amoral. To try to explain it away or justify it under any guise is reprehensible. Those of them in the National Assembly with any modicum of respect for their integrity should own up their mistakes and make amends. Even if they will not engage in restitution, they can turn a new leaf, and cease to be an assembly of double jeopardy.

  • 10 trapped in Assembly’s ‘faulty’ elevator

    TEN persons were yesterday trapped  in the elevator of the Lagos State House of Assembly.

    Rescue quickly came their way as the elevator  doors  were forced open by those outside.

    Those trapped were sweating profusely when they came out.

    It was learnt that the elevator has been developing faults on a regular basis and trapping people,  who were later released by the engineers maintaining it.

    As a result, workers and visitors, sources said, avoid the elevator and use the one meant only for the lawmakers.

    An eyewitness said  last week the elevator dropped from the 4th floor to the ground floor.

    “We were actually going up and as we got to the 4th floor instead of going on to the 5th floor the elevator just came crashing down to the ground floor, in fact only God saved us. Since then, I have stopped using the lift”, he said.

    Some workers said the elevator was due for replacement, noting that nothing has been done since the fault was detected some months ago.

    It was learnt also that another elevator in the block of offices for the Assembly staff, which was commissioned about eight months ago,  has also packed up.

  • Rivers Assembly okays 15 for CTC chairmanship 

    Rivers Assembly okays 15 for CTC chairmanship 

    The Rivers State House of Assembly yesterday screened and confirmed 15 persons as  Caretaker Committee (CTC)  chairmen.

    This followed the request by Governor Nyesom Wike to lawmakers to screen them for the position.

    The local governments are  Abua/Odua,  Ahoada-East, Ahoada-West, Akuku-Toru, Asari-Toru, Bonny, Eleme, Etche, Ikwerre, Obio/Akpo, Ogu/Bolo, Omuma, Opobo/Nkoro, Oyigbo and Port Harcourt City.

    Presenting the request at plenary yesterday, the Speaker, Ikunyi Ibani said: “I have before me the request of his Governor  Nyesom Wike for the screening and confirmation of chairmen and members of caretaker committees from 15 local government councils.

    “Representing the aforementioned local government areas are Magidi Dickson, Beatrice Awala, Frank Rodgers Ogiri, ThankGod Lelee, Tabotamuno Dick, Cyril Hart, Godwin  Abbey Olor, Gearshon Awunanya, Sunny Woricom, Nobel Amadi, Francis Ebenezer, Tande Ewunchu, Bama Brown, Ugochukwu Ijiri and Orukwem Amadi.”

    The persons were screened and confirmed after a voice vote at the end of questioning and debate.

    House leader Martin Amehule, who led the debate, urged the nominees and members to serve their people diligently.

    Ibani urged the Port Harcourt City Chairman, Erukwem Amadi, to ensure that the state is kept clean.

    He said: ‘’Answers given by the nominees are considered by members of the house satisfying, the nominees for the Port Harcourt council represent the entire nominees from various caretaker committees, I will urge you that proper things should be done and that Port Harcourt LGA should always assist to make other community clean, it is proper and fit for council to do what it is suppose to do in ensuring  there is clean environment and residence conform to law, you must always show leadership to other caretaker committee,

    “What you do today will speak for you tomorrow and I urge you to do your best’’.

     

  • ‘Why we want our man in Assembly’

    The Warri Southwest Political Alliance (WSWPA) in Delta State has explained why it is backing Ogbe-Ijoh leader Chief Favour Izoukumor for the House of Assembly.

    Speaking shortly after a rally for the re-election of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa in Warri, National Coordinator of WSWPA Comrade Solomon Eyione said Izoukumor has proved himself as a public-spirited politician.

    He said: “We want to unequivocally move a motion for endorsement of Chief Izuokumor for the House of Assembly seat in Warri. We have strong confidence in his ability and pedigree as a genuine lover of the people and one who would use his seat to better the lives of people of the constituent irrespective of tribe.”

    Other members, comprising Ijaw and Itsekiri of Warri South West, hailed Izoukumor’s “sterling performance as the commissioner representing Ijaw ethnic nationality” in the State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission.

    They urged him to contest the House of Assembly election in 2019, stressing that the group is behind him and the re-election of Okowa/Otuaro.

    Eyione explained: “WSWP is a socio-political organisation geared towards bringing the Ijaws and Itsekiris in Warri South West local government areatogether, with the supreme aim of adopting, endorsing and working for the election of credible personalities and/or candidates into political offices in the local government, Senatorial district as well as Delta state.”

  • ‘Why we want our man in Assembly’

    The Warri Southwest Political Alliance (WSWPA) in Delta State has explained why it is backing Ogbe-Ijoh leader Chief Favour Izoukumor for the House of Assembly.

    Speaking shortly after a rally for the re-election of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa in Warri, National Coordinator of WSWPA Comrade Solomon Eyione said Izoukumor has proved himself as a public-spirited politician.

    He said: “We want to unequivocally move a motion for endorsement of Chief Izuokumor for the House of Assembly seat in Warri. We have strong confidence in his ability and pedigree as a genuine lover of the people and one who would use his seat to better the lives of people of the constituent irrespective of tribe.”

    Other members, comprising Ijaw and Itsekiri of Warri South West, hailed Izoukumor’s “sterling performance as the commissioner representing Ijaw ethnic nationality” in the State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission.

    They urged him to contest the House of Assembly election in 2019, stressing that the group is behind him and the re-election of Okowa/Otuaro.

    Eyione explained: “WSWP is a socio-political organisation geared towards bringing the Ijaws and Itsekiris in Warri South West local government areatogether, with the supreme aim of adopting, endorsing and working for the election of credible personalities and/or candidates into political offices in the local government, Senatorial district as well as Delta state.”

  • Ebonyi Assembly lifts suspension of Female Lawmaker

    Ebonyi Assembly lifts suspension of Female Lawmaker

    The Ebonyi state House of Assembly has lifted the suspension slammed on the member representing Afikpo North East Constituency, Mrs Maria Nwachi over alleged acts inconsistent with her office as a lawmaker.

    The House came up with the resolution after considering a motion filled before the House by the Deputy Leader, Kingsley Ikoro.

    Mrs Nwachi was suspended in January this year for fourteen Legislative days after consideration of the allegations of photographing in public functions by the House Leader, Mr. Joseph Nwobasi.

    The speaker thereafter constituted a committee headed by the Chief Whip of the House, Chike Ogiji to consider the allegations and report back to the House.

    On 6th of February,this year, the Chike Ogiji led Adhoc committee presented its report and recommended Six months suspension against the lawmaker to inculcate in her the decorum expected of a lawmaker which was unanimously upheld.

    But barely nine Days after the suspension, the Deputy Leader of the House, Kingsley Ikoro approached the House with a motion to recall the embattled member citing remorsefulnesson the part of the lawmaker.

    He pleaded with the speaker and his colleagues to temper justice with mercy as Mrs Nwachi has approached her colleagues individually and collectively asking for forgiveness.

    The motion was seconded by Mrs Augusta Ude of Ohaozara East constituency.

    Mrs Ude said her telephone conversation with Nwachi confirmed the readiness of the Lawmaker to turn a new leaf.

    Mr. Victor Chukwu of Ezza North west constituency while lending support to the motion advocated for Counselling of the lawmaker to instill good behavior into the lawmaker.

    The speaker noted that the lawmaker has exhibited a certain degree of remorsefulness and subjected the motion into a voice vote and it was unanimously upheld. Ends

  • Assembly clears commissioners, others

    Assembly clears commissioners, others

    Lagos State House of Assembly yesterday cleared those nominated as commissioners and special adviser by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.

    The commissioners-designate are: Alhaji Hakeem Fahm  (Science and Technology), Ladi Lawanson – Transportation, Segun Banjo – Economic Planning and Budget and Mrs Olayinka Oladunjoye – Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives.

    Suleiman Hakeem is  Special Adviser on Community and Communications; former  table tennis star, Mrs Toyin Okenla-Ojeaga is a member of Lagos State Sports Commission Governing Board.

    The screening was a formality. Speaker Mudashiru Obasa said before the exercise that the nominees should just show their faces and introduce themselves.

    Apart from Mrs Okenla-Ojeaga, who was asked a few questions, others were not grilled. They just introduced themselves, the schools they attended, their marital status and their working experience and left.

    Also, the House took the third readings of the following bills and passed them into laws :  Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law, Lagos State Teaching Service Commission Law and Lagos State House of Assembly Service Commission (LAHASCOM) Law.

    The amended LAHASCOM  law raises  the  number of Deputy Clerk to four – Deputy Clerk, Legislative, Deputy Clerk, Legislative Drafting, Deputy Clerk, Publication and Public Affairs, Deputy Clerk, Human Resource and Account.