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Tag: Bukola Saraki

  • Return all monies collected as pension, group tells Saraki

    Return all monies collected as pension, group tells Saraki

    A socio-political group, Kwara Mass Movement (KMM), has called on the President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, to return all monies he had collected as pension from the state government.

    National Coordinator of the group, Mr Salmon Jawondo, made the call in Ilorin on Thursday while briefing the media on “the state of the State’’.

    “We watched with great consternation the twist in the pension policy for former governors in the state which had benefitted Dr Bukola Saraki in no small way.

    “Saraki served as the governor of Kwara State from 2003 to 2011.

    “According to Saraki’s media aide, he wrote to stop his pension in August, 2015 after he benefitted from it for a period of four years,” he said.

    Jawondo said that the moral burden on the senate president was for him to return all the benefits, including houses car and cash, to the state.

    He said that KMM was poised to return the state to the path created by those who worked for its creation, the only path that can guarantee sustainable development and prosperity.

    “Definitely, there had been serious deviations from the dreams and aspirations of the founding fathers of Kwara.

    “There is no time in our chequered history that we need to be united than now.

    “We must work assiduously to reposition our dear state, where the founding fathers envisaged, so that their labour shall not be in vain,” he added.

    Jawondo said that KMM would provide a platform for all Kwara people to vent their ideas in the quest to build a society that could guarantee better living for diligent man without being a praise singer.

    “We want a Kwara that will mop up the vast majority that have been deliberately pauperised so, that they can always come back to pick crumbs that fall from the table.

    “We commend those who have raised the bar of diligence and patriotism in the face of maladministration and impunity in the corridor of power.

    “The days of reckoning are closing up on adversaries every day,’’ he added.

    Jawondo called on the people of the state to come out to exercise their franchise during the Nov. 4 local government councils’ elections.

  • I am APC member ‘body and spirit’ – Saraki

    I am APC member ‘body and spirit’ – Saraki

    President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, said contrary to insinuations, he was a full member of All Progressives Congress (APC) and remained there “body and spirit’’.

    Saraki said at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja that the speculations were part of the mischievous activities against him and urged the public the discountenance them.

    He said that those spreading such information were doing so as propaganda for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Saraki, however, blamed the development on inactivity in the APC, saying that the party’s leadership had failed to focus it properly.

    He, therefore, charged the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party to wake up to its responsibility as it had remained without activities for too long.

    The president of the senate said that the docility in the party was giving room for unfounded allegations against some of its members.

    According to him, if the party had organised regular NEC meetings and other caucus meetings, there would have been enough activities to determine who the true members are.

    “I think there is no APC member that will tell you he is happy with the state of affairs of the party; there is a lot of work that we need to do.

    “The party that hasn’t met for a long time, it’s beyond comprehension and I think that we should all quickly put that in order and start to get NEC, caucus and others going.

    “We need to start early to get the drive in the party back.

    “Luckily, in spite of the lack of meetings here and there, if you go round the 36 states, it is in just few states, not many states, where you may see internal crisis.

    “It’s not that the party, at the grassroots level, had a lot of crisis here and there; it’s just for the administrative aspect and the national executive to provide leadership.’’

    Saraki also said that if there had been meetings of the party, his detractors would have seen how actively involved he was in the party “and will not have any room to spread such lies’’.

    “They are just using that to do a propaganda for PDP. Where are they seeing that I am not in the party in spirit? Where is the spirit they are judging from, where are they seeing the spirit?

    “That is why I am saying that the reason for all that speculation is because the party is docile, because the party is dormant.

    “If the party goes back to what we all know that every month, we hold NEC meeting, you have caucus, they will stop all these `spirit’ and no `spirit’ thing.

    “It is not that they have had a meeting and you didn’t see me, and then, you can say that yes, my spirit is not there.

    “I can’t call a meeting of the party. I have expressed my view and the responsibility of calling a party for a meeting is that of those who we elected as party officials” he explained.

    On the allegation that his emergence as president of the senate was an affront to the party, Saraki said that he had kept the wishes of the party, including zoning of senate president’s position.

    He stated that at the last meeting of the party held over zoning of national offices, the position of president of the senate was zoned to the North-Central.

    “It was after that the party started to do different things, shifting its position.

    “The point I’m making is that that’s over two years ago; two years now, is that the reason why the party cannot hold meetings?

    “My own point is that the executive of the party just needs to wake up and start managing the party.

    “There is no day when I see the party chairman that I don’t tell him, ‘Mr Chairman, we must put the party in focus’.

    “The rules of the party also give you room by which you can call a meeting, but I think we have not got to that point yet.

    “I think we should do it in a smooth manner, but what I want to assure you is that the foundation is still strong. If there were crisis all over the place, that would have been a different matter,” he said.

    Saraki expressed hope that the party would hold its mini-convention as scheduled as delegates had been elected on Saturday.

    “You will see that after the mini-convention, all that speculation of body here, spirit there, would go away,” he said.

  • N40bn double pay: SERAP asks Saraki to return pension to state treasury

    N40bn double pay: SERAP asks Saraki to return pension to state treasury

    Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP) has also urged the Senate President, Bukola Saraki to publicly donate to charities of his choice all pensions and allowances collected from the Kwara state government.

    Alternatively, the organisation urged him to refund such emoluments received as former governor of the state to public treasury.

    The organization also asked the Senate President to initiate the process of such refund to the treasury by putting pressure on the governor of Kwara state Mr Abdulfatah Ahmed and the state house of assembly to move swiftly to abolish the law that has facilitated the payment of the unjust pensions in the first place.

    In a statement issued yesterday, SERAP executive director Adetokunbo Mumuni said the organization welcomed  Saraki’s decision to stop receiving pensions from Kwara state, where he was the governor between 2003 and 2011.

    It urged him to join the campaign to end the unjust, unfair and discriminatory practice of providing life pensions to former governors and to abolish laws that make this possible.

    Saraki had told a forum in Abuja on Tuesday, that he wrote a letter to the state government to stop the payment of the pension “the moment I saw that SERAP allegation.”

    He said, “No, I’m not collecting pension; the moment I saw that allegation, I wrote to my state to stop my pension.”

    The organization, in its reaction to the development said; “It’s good news that Dr Saraki has publicly made known that he has stopped drawing pensions from Kwara state.

    “We hope that other public officials still receiving double emoluments will follow Dr Saraki’s example and renounce such practice.

    “We also urge the Senate President to publicly commit to donating to charities of his choice all pensions and allowances he has so far collected or to such emoluments to the public treasury.”

    SERAP therefore asked the Senate President to use his leadership position to urgently facilitate a resolution by the National Assembly condemning the practice and laws on double pay and life pensions for former governors now serving public officials; urging state assemblies to abolish such laws; and calling on those that have received such emoluments to return them to the public treasury.

    SERAP urged him to work with the organization to put meaningful pressure on other states to abolish their unfair and discriminatory life pension’s laws as well as on serving senators and ministers who continue to receive double emoluments to end the practice and return all the emoluments they have so far received to the public treasury.

    It would be recalled that SERAP had last week in an open letter called on the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN) to within seven dayschallenge the legality of states’ laws allowing former governors to draw life pensions from their states.

    The letter dated  July 14, 2017 read in part: “Public interest is not well served when government officials such as former governors, deputies supplement their emoluments in their current positions with life pensions and emoluments drawn from their states’ meagre resources, and thereby prioritising their private or personal interests over and above the greatest happiness of the greatest number.”

    “By signing such double emoluments and large benefits laws which they knew or ought to know that they would be beneficiaries, these former governors have abused their entrusted public functions and positions, and thereby obtained an undue advantage, contrary to article 19 of the UN Convention against Corruption.

    “These states’ laws allowing former governors to receive life pensions either now or in the future have a discriminatory purpose that involves intent to discriminate against ordinary workers and pensioners. Such laws enhance the economic status of public officials and their families at the expense of the citizens that they are elected to serve, have no legitimacy at all, and cannot be justified either on legal or moral grounds.

    “SERAP is concerned that such laws have either the purpose or the effect of denying the citizens their right to the enjoyment of their commonwealth, and as such, prolonging the existing and entrenched poverty-gaps across the country. The implementation of these laws will continue to lock the citizens, especially the most marginalized and vulnerable groups, into lives of deprivation and hopelessness.

    “SERAP holds the firm view that there are clear casual and consequential links between implementation of unfair life pensions’ laws for former governors and violation of human dignity of citizens. Such laws deprive citizens of resources, capabilities, freedoms and choices necessary for the enjoyment of an adequate standard of living and sustainable livelihood.

    “The abolition of such laws therefore is a necessary first step towards delivering on the constitutional promise of equal protection and equal benefit of the law for a distressingly large number of Nigerians. Otherwise, public officials will remain seriously out of touch with a major source of poverty and discrimination in the country,” it added.

     

  • School teacher in Court for defaming Senate President

    School teacher in Court for defaming Senate President

    A 37-year-old primary school teacher, Biodun Baba, was on Thursday arraigned before an Ilorin Senior Magistrates Court forallegedly defaming Senate President Bukola Saraki on Facebook.

    Baba, a teacher at LGEA School, Olorunlana in Moro Local Government Area of Kwara was alleged to have through his Facebook postings been inciting the public against Saraki.

    The criminal charges were filed following a complaint by Alhaji Jimoh Adesina, Chairman, Kwara South Chapter of the APC to the Chamber of S. I. Solagberu and Co, Ilorin.

    Adesina, accused Baba of printing or engraving matters on his Facebook wall  known to be defamatory.

    Sollagberu, who filed criminal charges on behalf of Adesina, accused Baba of inciting disturbance, disturbance of public peace and injurious falsehood posts on Facebook.

    He also alleged that Baba’s postings was capable of causing disaffection and disparaging against Saraki.

    The offences, he said, were contrary to sections 113, 114, 393, 394 of the Penal Code of Northern Nigeria and section 883and 204 of the Criminal Code Act.

    However, the matter took a dramatic twist as counsel to the complainant, Sikiru Solagberu, said he had filed an application before the court seeking to withdraw the charges.

    Solagberu read a letter he received on July 26, instructing him to withdraw the case against the accused.

    The lawyer cited section 248 of the Criminal Procedure Act, Cap 41, Laws of the Federation 2004 to support the application for withdrawal.

    He said the instruction of the complainant to withdraw the case was as a result of intervention by well meaning Nigerians, including Ilorin Emirate Traditional Council, leaders of the various communities in the state as well as party loyalists.

    Solagberu, urged the court to grant his application.

    Responding, counsel to the accused, Mr Sambo Muritala, said his client would ordinarily not object to the complainant letter to withdraw.

    Muritala, however, submitted that in a situation of non compoundable offence, it is safer for the complainant’s counsel to make proper application before the court and support it with an affidavit.

    According to the counsel, coming by way of proper application and affidavit will demonstrate the wish of the complainant to withdraw the charges saying the application was an abuse of court process.

    Replying to the accused counsel’s submission, Solagberu argued his application was not an abuse of the court’s process adding that since  matter was not a civil action there was no need of deposing to an affidavit.

    “There is nothing in Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Act and Criminal Procedure Code that enjoins a complainant to depose to an affidavit before a case is withdrawn from the court,” he added.

    Solagberu added that the complainant’s letter before the court has satisfied the conditions for withdrawal of cases of this nature.

    “If a party says he wants to withdraw in a criminal case, the court should use its instrumentality to assist the parties to withdraw.

    The Magistrate, Ahmed Dasuki, later adjourned the matter to Aug 3 for ruling on the application.

  • Senate directs Foreign Affairs Minister to submit Green Tree Agreement for ratification

    Senate directs Foreign Affairs Minister to submit Green Tree Agreement for ratification

    The Senate on Thursday directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to immediately submit the Green Tree Agreement entered into between the Federal Republic of  Nigeria and the Cameroonian Republic on June 12, 2006 for ratification.

    The Senate also called on the executive arm of government to come up with a clear policy on the protection of indigenes in the Diaspora, including Cameroon.

    The Upper Chamber further called on the Cameroonian Government to respect the provisions of the agreement entered into with Nigeria on the ceding of the Bakassi Peninsula.

    This followed a six-point motion by Sen. Rose Oko (PDP-Cross River) and co-sponsored by five other lawmakers.

    The senate also vowed to investigate recent harassment of Bakassi indigenes in Cameroon, which led to the death  and return of some Nigerians living in Cameroon.

    While condemning activities of the Cameroonian gendarmes against Nigerians in the Bakassi Peninsula, the senate further called on the National Emergency Management Agency to immediately send relief to returnees.

    Presenting the motion, Sen. Oko, said the Bakassi indigenes of Cross River and Akwa Ibom States had resided in the geographic area known as the Bakassi Peninsula for generations.

    She added that following agreements and treaties from 1885 between Britain, Germany and France over the boundary between Nigeria and Cameroon and actions between the two governments on the ownership of the Bakassi Peninsula became contentious.

    According to her, Cameroon on March 29, 1994, took the matter to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and on Oct. 10, 2002, the court ruled in favour of Cameroon.

    She stressed that following the judgment, the two countries signed the Green Tree Agreement with several provisions that would not affect Nigeria negatively.

    “The Green Tree Agreement provided that Cameroon would not force Nigerian citizens living in Bakassi Peninsula to leave the zone or change their nationality.

    “It also provided that Cameroon would respect the culture, language and beliefs of the Nigerian citizens as well as respect their rights to continue their agricultural and fishing activities.

    “The agreement  further provided that Cameroon would protect their properties and customary rights and desist from levying  in any discriminatory manner, any taxes and other dues on the nationals living in the zone.

    “Cameroon was also by the agreement asked to take necessary measures to protect the nationals living in the zone from harassment or harm,’’ she said.

    Oko lamented that in spite of the agreement, Nigerian citizens were being traumatised and treated as foreigners in their natural habitat.

    She further lamented that those that returned to Nigeria after the ICJ ruling were equally not properly settled, thereby living in makeshift accommodation for years.

    The lawmaker noted that recent reports had it that 97 Nigerians were feared dead following attack by Cameroonian gendarmes over failure to pay a discriminatory boat levy of N100,000.

    She said, “even if preliminary investigations have revealed as is reported in the media, that they were not killed but died in the sea, the fact remains that they were obviously fleeing from their host country in distress.

    “It is saddening that these things are happening despite the huge resources and benevolence of Nigeria to our African bothers.

    The lawmaker called on the need for the Nigerian Government to come up with a definite policy to protect its citizens in diaspora, particularly in Africa to stop growing attacks, killings and harassment.

    Supporting the motion, the Minority Leader, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, said the Nigerian Government must do everything possible to protect Nigerians living in Cameroon.

    He said in spite of the agreement entered into, Nigerians living in Cameroon were being subjected to several forms of torture.

    He also said that the Cameroonian gendarmes and other criminals had taken over the Bakassi Peninsula, where Nigerians lived, leading to serious security threat.

    He lamented that the Nigerian nationals in the area were being harassed in their natural habitat as a result of Nigeria’s ceding the area to Cameroon for the sake of peace.

    “We now have the Bakassi freedom fighters in the Bakassi Peninsula that are involved in all forms of criminal activities.

    “The area is now a den for criminals and nobody is allowed to fish unless they pay 100.

    “If you are not able to pay they throw you into the sea and as a result many of our people have died and many enslaved in their own land.

    “It is therefore important that we the representative of the people cry out.

    “Also, the Federal Government should do everything possible to compel the Cameroonian authorities to respect the agreement that we entered into.

    “The primary purpose of government as enshrined in Section 14(2b) is the protection of lives and property, so we have the obligation to protect our people.

    “We have realised that insurgents and militants are moving to the area,’’ he said.

    The lawmaker said Calabar that was known for peace was no longer peaceful as a result of the development.

    The President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, put the prayers of the motion to voice vote and they were unanimously adopted.

  • Media cautioned to look away from Executive, Legislature conflicts 

    Media cautioned to look away from Executive, Legislature conflicts 

    •Saraki, Dogara seek robust executive, legislature relations

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday criticised the attitude of the political elite.

    To him, governance must be people-centred.

    Prof. Osinbajo said it is only a robust and proactive relationship between the Executive and Legislative arm of the government that would ensure delivery of voters’ expectations.

    Senate President Bukola Saraki sought a change of public misconception of the legislature’s responsibility to nation-building while House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara regretted the reluctance of the Executive to return Legislature’s friendly gestures.

    Osinbajo, Saraki and Dogara spoke at the opening of the 16th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) in Abuja.

    Imploring political office holders to consider their position as a privilege but time-bound, the Acting President quoted the saying by a British theoretical physicist, Stephen Hawking, who warned of the anger of the ignored and the marginalised majority.

    Osinbajo added that Hawking cautioned the elite to learn from the lessons of the past.

    The Acting President said it was pertinent for the two arms of government to form a synergy for the good of the governed considering the anger of the poor, the ignored and marginalised majority.

    He said: “To stand in their shoes, sit where they sit, to feel their pains and understand that their frequently dashed hope is that the political elite should know that the heavy burdens that they bear is ours to lighten.

    “In comparison to the other parts of the world, the angst and cynicism of the populace is worse in Africa due to conflicts, corruption and weak institutions have ensured that the largest numbers of the poor and the deprived come from our continent.

    “It is the failure of leadership that has resulted in our present predicaments. How do we feel when our legislative halls, called hallowed chambers are referred to as temples of justice and executive villas as corridors of power – all suggestive of grand but isolated institutions?

    “The realities of majority of our people is the mystery of the slums and the indignity of powerlessness.

    “So while we describe ourselves as excellencies, distinguished and honourables, the vast majority of our people, in their polite moments, say that they see neither excellence nor much honour in their own lives…

    “Responsibility that privilege and power placed on us is to do our utmost to change the current bleak narrow tips and projections for our nations, our continent and the world.”

    Osinbajo added: “Poverty, hunger and disease can truly become history by pursuing those legislative and executive options that target education, food security and healthcare for all.

    “Let me say that the National Assembly in Nigeria and the Executive have shown that when we work together, we can make quantum leaps in bettering the lives and livelihood of our people.”

    He cited the gains of rice production in two years, whereby executive policies were given force of law by the legislature to guarantee import stoppage by 2018.

    This, the acting President said, will stop Nigeria from being the second world largest importer, spending N1 billion on rice import monthly.

    He said with rice importation dropping by 80 per cent and with the empowerment of over 1.43 million rice farmers in the North alone, Nigeria is guarantee self-sufficiency in rice production by the end of 2018.

    He said this and the decimation of Boko Haram insurgents were made possible because the two arms of government chose to work together.

    Osinbajo pleaded for the understanding of the media in their search for news, noting that the media and the social media were more interested in conflicts between the Executive and the legislature.

    But, Dogara, who is also the African regional Chairman of the conference regretted that the executive hardly reciprocate legislature’s gestures of cooperation to ensure smooth-running of government for the delivery of dividends of democracy to the people.

    “The legislature as the first institution of democracy must sacrifice more in this endeavour, even if the gesture is not often returned by the Executive,” he said.

    Saraki said it has become imperative to change the negative perception of the people towards the legislature.

    Saying that public misconception of the function and contributions of the legislature to development was worrisome, he noted: “Only few are aware of the level of intervention aimed at responding to national economic challenges, pressing poverty and rebuilding infrastructure.”

     

  • NPA gets Senate’s ultimatum on missing vessels

    NPA gets Senate’s ultimatum on missing vessels

    The Senate on Thursday, gave the Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Usman, four days to explain the whereabouts of over 282 vessels allegedly missing from the sea ports.

    Sen. Hope Uzodinma, Chairman, Senate’s Joint Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariff and Marine Transport, gave the ultimatum in Abuja, at an investigative hearing on N30 trillion lost through leakages in Customs and other agencies.

    Uzodinma, who expressed displeasure with the managing director for not honouring the committee’s two previous invitations, said the information on the vessels was imperative and must be available within four days.

    He threatened that the senate may be compelled to pursue a financial crime case against Usman should he fail to heed the committee’s directive.

    “We are looking for these vessels. We have the date of arrival, the ports of discharge and manifest.

    “Everything is with us but in information available to us, no money was collected by Customs, the NPA or any other person.

    “So you have four days to do your written explanation otherwise, we will consider it a financial crime,’’ he said.

    According to Uzodinma, there are also recent missing vessels that we have discovered.

    “I mean recent ones that happened under the new management.

    “The NPA is the custodian of the vessels; it received the cargoes and the terminal is theirs.

    “We want to know under whose authority the cargoes were released, “he said.

    The lawmaker said that the committee had also uncovered the activities of a port cabal that had defrauded the nation to the tune of over N30 trillion.

    “It is common knowledge that infractions abound in daily transactions at the nation’s ports, commercial banks, shipping companies, terminal owners and operators.

    “They connive at ease with officials to defraud the nation of trillions of Naira.

    “Preliminary evidence before us suggests that this is the case in all sea ports,’’ he said.

    He expressed concern that the leakages and infractions were costing the country huge revenue losses, while also constituting security threat.

    The lawmaker, however, expressed optimism that the Senate was determined to tackle the assault on the economy.

    He said that in doing so, the committee would be minded by the reality that those who wanted to bleed the nation to death without remorse must be dealt with without reprieve.

    “Consequently, all those indicted in this crime will be made to face the full wrath of the law.

    “The nature and methodologies of these infractions include abuse of Form M and violation of foreign exchange manual issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), incorrect classification, under-valuation and incorrect declaration.

    “Others are incorrect origin, error in calculation, temporary importation, exemptions and waivers, foreign exchange manipulations, unit cost analysis on excise, smuggling and illegal removal of cargo from terminals and lack of exit certificate by vessels.

    “We shall zero our search light into these areas of infraction and we are certain that our suspicions shall be confirmed.

    “Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Ports Authority, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigerian Shippers Council(NSC), shipping companies , operators of bonded terminals and importers and exporters have questions to answer,’’ he said.
    Uzodinma emphasised that the joint committee would carry out its assignment without fear or favour.

    In his remarks, the President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, decried the indicting reports about the ports.

    Saraki said that it was disturbing to hear that trillions of Naira in revenue was lost annually within the import and export value chain as a result of financial leakages caused through various malpractice and infractions within the system.

    He said that the Senate would use its oversight functions to expose corruption and ensure that all loopholes and leakages in the revenue system were blocked.

    “We are determined to reverse these financial leakages to enable us to get the much-needed resources to fund our children’s education, healthcare and fix the potholes on our roads.

    “I urge you not leave any stone unturned to ensure that we incrementally eliminate waste and corruption in the management of our resources,’’ he said.

    The president of the senate expressed confidence in the joint committee to carry out a thorough job that would help to sanitise the system.

  • Saraki urges all to be calm over new school curriculum

    Saraki urges all to be calm over new school curriculum

    The President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, has urged all stakeholders in  education to remain calm on the new nine-year Basic Education Curriculum to enable the National Assembly to look into various issues involved.

    Saraki made the call while receiving a delegation of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), who paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja on Wednesday.

    He assured the delegation that the Senate Committee on Basic Education would investigate the complaints by the association on the curriculum with a view to making it acceptable and satisfactory to all religions.

    Explaining the background to the introduction of the policy, Saraki said the process began in 2010 when the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan came up with a series of reforms.

    “This is with a view to reduce the number of subjects in school curriculum.

    “As leaders, we must continue to seek and find solutions to problems.

    ‘’You will remember that in 2010, the past administration came up with reforms on how to reduce the number of subjects at the basic education level.

    “There were about 20 subjects at that time, and subsequently they were reduced to 12.

    “In the process of implementing those reforms, we have this problem. Why I am saying this is so we don’t leave here and believe that it was done to favour one religion over the other.

    “Now the reform is clearly not working. So our responsibility is to look into that reform and make it work.

    “I am sure that there was no intention to make one group feel disadvantaged with this new school curriculum.

    ‘’This is why this Senate will direct our Committee on Education to look at the reform and find out why it is not working with the relevant stakeholders,” he said.

    Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Prof. Charles Adisa, called for the intervention of the National Assembly to ensure genuine respect for Nigeria’s Constitution.

    Adisa, who represented, the CAN National President, Rev. Samson Ayokunle, said: “We also call for the abolition of obnoxious laws that infringe on freedom of worship.”

    He said CAN wanted Islamic Religious Knowledge  and Christian Religious Knowledge to be offered separately, while Social Studies and Civic Education should be merged.

    Adisa also said the federal and state ministries of education should employ more teachers for religious subjects.

    “This will allow students to opt for religious studies of their choice in all public schools in Nigeria,” he added.

    Adisa noted that the Constitution was supreme over any other consideration.

    He stressed that Chapter 1 of the Constitution states the fundamental human rights of Nigerians, including freedom of religion.

  • Saraki inaugurates Adeleke as Senator

    Saraki inaugurates Adeleke as Senator

    Ademola Adeleke was on Wednesday inaugurated as Senator representing Osun West.

    Senate President, Bukola Saraki performed the inauguration at the senate chamber.

    Details soon.

  • Melaye’s recall: Saraki, Ekweremadu slams Kogi Attorney General

    Melaye’s recall: Saraki, Ekweremadu slams Kogi Attorney General

    The recall process for the senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye, got messier on Tuesday with the Senate President, Dr Olusola Saraki and Deputy President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu taking on the state governor and its Attorney General.

    Deputy Senate President, Ekweremadu, fired the first shot when he drew the attention of his colleagues to a three page advertorial by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Kogi State, Ibrahim Sanni Muhammed disparaging his (Ekweremadu’s) contribution on the recall process.
    Muhammed noted in the advertorial that Ekweremadu’s submission that Melaye’s recall was an exercise in futility was made in bad faith.
    The Kogi Attorney General also said that it was unbecoming of Ekweremadu to have said that “They are just wasting precious time because the constitution is clear on what should happen. It is possible that the attorney general of Kogi has not advised them properly. If he had done that, I am sure they would have applied their time to more meaningful ventures in the state. The process of recall is the equivalent of impeachment of executive positions.”
    The Attorney General signed off his advertorial by saying “Finally, I must put on record that contrary to the legal opinion of Senator Ekweremadu on the role of the Senate in the recall process, the Senate has no role whatsoever in the recall exercise than to receive the Certificate under the hand of the Chairman of INEC stating that the provisions 69 of the Constitution have been complied with: See Sections 68(h) and 69 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).”
    Muhammed added that “Indeed by the provisions of the INEC regulations for the recall of a legislator, a legislator stands recalled upon INEC’s confirmation of a majority vote in favour of the recall.”
    But Ekweremadu who came under Order 43 (personal explanation) of the Senate standing rule insisted that the Muhammed was ill informed and should have advised those behind the recall process how near impossible it is to recall a member of the National Assembly.
    He noted that contrary to the position of the Kogi chief law officer, the Senate has a major role to play in the recall of senator and in fact final say in the recall process.
    Ekweremadu said: “This morning my attention was drawn to a three page advertorial by AG of Kogi State (in a national newspaper.)
    “He (attorney general) was responding to my contribution on the floor of the Senate when Senator Melaye informed the house of his constituents’ effort to recall him.
    “I urged them to apply their time to more useful venture in view of the strenuous nature of the recall process and I said the AG may not have advised them properly.
    “I understand that every page (of the advert) costs about 700,000 and five other papers carried the advert and we are talking of about N12m of Kogi money sent.
    “I would have ignored him but because of his statement in the final paragraph stating that “I must put on record that contrary to the legal opinion of Sen. Ekweremadu on the role of the Senate in recall process, the Senate has no role whatsoever in the recall exercise than to receive the certificate from the Chairman of INEC stating that the provisions of Section 69 of the Constitution has been complied with.
    “Indeed by the provisions of the INEC regulation for the recall of a legislator, a legislator stands recalled upon INEC’s confirmation of a majority vote in favour of the recall.
    “He is saying that the Senate has no role. I stand by what I said the other day and I would like to take him to Section 68(1H) and (2) show the role of the senate, which he says has no role.
    “Section 68(1H) reads, “ the President of the Senate or, as the case may be, the Speaker of the House of Representatives receives a certificate under the hand of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission stating that the provisions of section 69 of this Constitution have been complied with in respect of the recall of that member.
    “That was the section the Attorney General was referring to but he mischievously refused to state the provisions of section 2 or probably out of Ignorance, he did not put Section 68(2) which states:
    “The President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives, as the case may be, shall give effect to the provisions of subsection (1) of this section, so however that the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives or a member shall first present evidence satisfactory to the House concerned that any of the provisions of that subsection has become applicable in respect of that member.
    “I don’t know how he came to conclusion that we don’t have a role. I stand by my position. So, I pity the people of Kogi that hired this type AG. It is unfortunate that we are paying a public servant and he is unable to do a simple work of looking at the constitution.
    “Let me emphasise that this 68(2) is not part of the amendment we made to the Constitution.
    “This has been the original provision of the Constitution, so we did not effect it. It has nothing to do with Dino or whosoever. We inherited this provision since 1999. It has been there.
    “So, for him not to know about it I don’t know where he went to law schools anyway, because if he has been properly educated, he would have been conversant with the basic provisions of the constitution.
    “I also don’t know his age at the bar but I believe I am his senior at the bar and I expect him to show some respect to his senior because that is what we were taught at the law school.
    “For the avoidance of doubt, I also believe I have better credentials than himself in the legal profession.
    “I was a teacher and my specialization was Constitutional law. I also practiced law.
    “I have a doctorate degree in law and my interest is also Constitutional Law.
    “I am also the Chairman Constitution review committee of this National Assembly since 2010. So, if I am taking about the constitution, I know what I am talking about.
    “I expect the Ag, instead of him displaying his ignorance to simply call me and I will educate him on the correct position of the law.
    “So I take exception to this and I believe that he needs to refund the amount spent on this to the people of Kogi.
    “So I call on the Kogi House of Assembly to institute an inquiry on who paid for this and find a way of getting the money back to pay the salaries of the people of Kogi state.
    “Kogi should constitute an enquiry to know who paid the money.”
    Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki who did not allow any debate on the issue concurred with Ekweremadu.
    Saraki said, “The Deputy President of the Senate came under Order 43 and according to our rules it cannot be further debated, but honestly I am concerned with the caliber of people holding very senior position.
    “Even those of us who only have association with the legal profession by being married to one but we have learnt over the years to know that this is straight forward.
    “What is even more disturbing and irresponsible is how you can spend N10 million on advert. I have been a governor, when you file money for advert it is a difficult issue.
    “This pretty much shows that government is truly is behind the entire process, when a government can go about and take an advert on an issue like this.
    “There is a need for people on appointed or elected to positions to show some level of responsibility.
    “This is a very simple matter in the constitution. You did not write it neither did you invent it, so DSP, you were just reading it as it.
    “As you said it is very unfortunate for the people of Kogi State,” Saraki stated.