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Tag: Bukola Saraki

  • Osinbajo, Saraki, governors meet in Aso Rock

    Osinbajo, Saraki, governors meet in Aso Rock

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Monday met with the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and some state governors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara was also part of the meeting.

    The governors at the closed-door meeting included Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello and Adamawa State Governor, Jubrilla Bindow.

    President Muhammadu Buhari left Abuja on Monday for Morocco to attend the 22nd Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), also known as COP-22, in Marrakech.

    Before Buhari’s trip out of the country, Saraki had met with him three different times within one week over his request for approval to get $29.9 billion loan.

    The Senate had recently rejected Buhari’s approval request for the loan.

    It also described the 2017 to 2019 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) forwarded by President Buhari for approval as “empty.”

    The MTEF is yet to be approved by the Senate.

    At the end of the meeting with Osinbajo on Monday, Saraki simply told State House correspondents: “Am sure the VP will issue a statement. But nothing of great alarm. It’s all for good governance, inclusion and collaboration with all arms. The states are here, national assembly executives just came up with ideas on how to make things work even better, that’s all.”

    No official statement on the meeting has been issued at the time of filing this report.

  • Buhari, Saraki meet third time in Aso Rock

    Buhari, Saraki meet third time in Aso Rock

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday met for the third time within one week with the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    They met first last week Friday while the second meeting was on Wednesday after the President met with members of the South East Caucus in the Senate led by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, and Eyinnaya Abaribe.

    The third meeting on Friday was held after the Jumaat prayer in the President’s office.

    Just like Wednesday’s meeting, this Friday’s meeting was termed private as State House correspondents were not allowed to cover the meeting.

    The Senate had recently rejected Buhari’s approval request for $29.9 billion loan.

    It also described the 2017 to 2019 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) forwarded by President Buhari for approval as “empty.”

    The MTEF is yet to be approved by the Senate.

    The Senate President, at the end of last week Friday’s meeting, had told State House correspondents that the issue of the $29.9 billion loan was work in progress.

    Bukola during the encounter also warned Nigerians not to politicise the issue of the loan request.

  • Don’t politicize Buhari’s $29.9 billion loan request, says Saraki

    Don’t politicize Buhari’s $29.9 billion loan request, says Saraki

    Senate President Bukola Saraki on Friday urged Nigerians not to politicise the $29.9 billion loan request forwarded to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari for approval.

    The Senate on Tuesday rejected the request based on lack of detailed information.

    The Senate’s action was followed by opposition from some quarters.

    The Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed had disclosed on Wednesday that the end of the request has not come as it will be represented with detailed information to the National Assembly.

    Speaking with State House correspondents after observing Juma’at prayer and holding meeting with the President along with some lawmakers, Saraki said that the loan request is a work-in-progress.

    Asked to speak on the Senate’s relationship with the executive as far as the loan is concern, he said: “We should not look at that as a reflection of the relationship. Don’t let us politicize very important issues. As we said this is work in progress.

    On the purpose of his visit to the Presidential Villa, he said: “I came here to pray, I have finished praying and I just had a general felicitation with the President. It didn’t go beyond that.”

  • CCB Act amendment has nothing to do with Saraki’s trial – Ndume

    Senate Leader, Alhaji Ali Ndume, said amendment of Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) Act had nothing to do with ongoing trial of the President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki.

    Reacting to the debate which the issue has generated among Nigerians, Ndume told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri on Tuesday that the National Assembly had no particular interest in the bill.

    “It is insulting on us to say that we are doing the bidding of Saraki, because laws are not made in retrospect.

    “If we make a law today, it cannot immediately invalidate the existing laws on the same issue,” he said.

    He said that the main concern of the National Assembly was to make the organization more effective in its functions.

    “The amendment focused mainly on two things: that is the age of the chairman of the CCB and the number of persons to be appointed as members of the bureau or the tribunal,” Ndume said.

    He added that other issues in the amendment of the Act were secondary to the main ones, pointing out that the Bill for the amendment “did not even emanate from the senate’’.

    “Nigerians should know that the bill emanated from the House of Representatives; our own duty was just to concur.

    “Since I became the Senate Leader of the 8th Assembly I made a proposition that all bills coming from the house must not be allowed to suffer set back, so, we look at those bills every Thursday for consideration,” he said.

    Ndume added that as far as he was concerned “there is no big deal in the bill; laws are not made for individuals.

    “The Senate President is Saraki, but Saraki is not the Senators’ president,” he stated.

    He cautioned that rather than criticize the bill blindly, Nigerians should look at its merit and other sides, in the interest of the country.

  • Buhari to join Saraki, Dogara for national prayers

    Buhari to join Saraki, Dogara for national prayers

    President Muhammadu Buhari is to attend the 7th edition of the National  Prayer Breakfast organized by the National Assembly, it emerged Thursday.

    Buhari, who is to join the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and other principal officers and lawmakers are expected to seek divine intervention for the nation’s challenges.

    The prayers, put together by Christian Legislators in the National Assembly under the auspices of Christian Legislators Forum (CLF) said the seventh edition of the prayers became necessary due to the socio-economic and political challenges the country is currently going through.

    President of the group, Sen. Barnabas Gemade said it was in view of the challenges that the theme of this edition was tagged ‘Tree and Its Fruits: Is Yours a Blessing or a Curse to Nigeria’ was chosen.

    According to Gemade, the event Thursday 27th October 2016 at the International Conference Center (ICC) Abuja would have legislators and other policy makers in the Executive branch of government as well as members of the Judiciary in attendance.

    “It is a non-denominational gathering of Christians to honour and praise God for his graces the nation and seek his face for the challenges facing it.

    “The purpose of the gathering according to its organizers is to build bridges of unity and to engender harmony and progress in the polity.

    “In a chaotic world like ours bedeviled with various challenges notably crisis situations, hard struggles and sufferings, we need God to usher us into a new Beginning.

    “This prayer would afford us an opportunity that reminds all persons that no matter how much responsibility we have or how much power we think we hold, we are imperfect vehicles.

    “We enjoin all patriotic Nigerians to join us to pray  God of creation to direct our nation as one where peace and justice reigns,” he said.

  • CCT: Court of Appeal reserves judgment on Saraki’s appeal

    CCT: Court of Appeal reserves judgment on Saraki’s appeal

    The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Thursday reserved judgment in an appeal filed by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, challenging the jurisdiction of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) to trial him.

    Justice Abdu Aboki-led other four justices of the appellate court reserve the date after parties had adopted their written addresses.

    Aboki said that the date of the judgment would be communicated to the parties.

    The notice of appeal was filed on March 24 after Saraki’s motion challenging the jurisdiction of the tribunal was dismissed.

    Adopting his address, Mr Kanu Agabi (SAN), Counsel to Saraki, urged the appellate court to upturn the decision of the tribunal which had arrogated to itself jurisdiction to try the applicant.

    “That is to say that the tribunal has no jurisdiction to entertain the charge brought against my client,’’ he said.

    Agabi argued that under Section 3(d) of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, anyone alleged to have breached the provision must be given an opportunity for a written admission.

    He submitted that the non-compliance of the provision presupposed that the tribunal declared that legislation unconstitutional.

    “That is why we are here. Leaving an inferior court like the CCT to declare an important legislation unconstitutional will be fatal,’’ he said.

    Agabi further said that the applicant should not have been taken to the tribunal, adding that Saraki was not given his full right of admittance to the error spotted in his assert declaration forms.

    “If the Code of Conduct Bureau had followed the provision of the law we would not have been here. Saraki was not given the right of fair hearing and we are surprised why this happened.

    “In the light of this, there is no statement from the applicant which should have been accompanied with the prosecution’s proof of evidence as stipulated in the Administration of Justice Act.

    “The other aspect is for the appellate court to decide whether it is right not to treat all identical cases equally,’’ Agabi said.

    He also said: “we are saying this because the tribunal had some time ago ruled itself out of a similar case filed against Sen. Bola Tinubu.’’

    Agabi submitted that it was clear that the action against the applicant was not in the interest of justice.

    According to him, it amounts to judicial absurdity to bring the applicant to court on alleged offence committed 13 years ago.

    “The Code of Conduct Bureau exists as a reconciliatory unit meant to correct errors spotted in asserts declaration forms and not created to send people to prison.

    “I urge the court to impress it on the two institutions to do the needful by availing the applicant the opportunity for a written admission.

    “I also pray the court to hold that the tribunal does not have the jurisdiction to try the applicant in the circumstance,’’ Agabi said.

    Agabi further averred that it was a breach of statutory provision that established the Code Conduct Bureau for either the EFCC or ICPC to assist it prosecuted alleged offences bordering around assets declaration.

    “In this case, the EFCC was brought in to investigate and prosecute the applicant,’’ he said.

    On his part, Chief Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), the Prosecuting Counsel, prayed the court to dismiss the appeal, adding that it lacked merit.

    On Agabi’s submission that the applicant was not given the right of written admission, Jacob said that provision was an old law.

    Jacob said Section 3(d) of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act was contained in the 1979 Constitution but expunged from the amended 1999 Constitution.

    “I want to also make it clear before My Lords that the written statement of admission is different from the statement of defence that must accompany the proof of evidence.

    “The applicant was given sufficient right to file objections to all the allegations brought against him, therefore, it will be unfair for his counsel to claim that he was not given fair hearing,’’ Jacob said.

    Jacob also said the immunity status accorded the applicant by the constitution while being governor of Kwara for eight years delayed his prosecution, adding that it was not a case of selective justice.

    In a cross appeal filed by the prosecution team, the applicant was accused of abusing court process, as according to Jacob, most of the reliefs sought has been heard and decided by the Supreme Court.

  • Saraki in fresh move against CCB trial

    Saraki in fresh move against CCB trial

    Senate President, Bukola Saraki has initiated a fresh move aimed at neutralising his trial before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

    This time, he has filed a new suit before the Federal High Court, Abuja seeking among others, to restrain CCT and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) (who are listed as respondents) from proceeding with his trial.

    The suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/117/2016 was filed by one Timipa Jenkins Okponipere, who claimed to be “suing as attorney to Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki”).

    The new suit, a fundamental rights enforcement application, is one of the various attempts by the Senate President to stop his trial before the CCT for alleged corruption and false assets declaration.

    Saraki had challenged his trial up to the Supreme Court and lost. He has also lost past fundamental rights enforcement applications, the last being the one dismissed on April 15, 2016 by Justice Adamu Kafarati of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

    In the new suit, the applicant seeks the court’s declaration that “the plan to resume the trial of Senator Abubakar Saraki at the CCT is a breach of his fundamental right to fair hearing as guaranteed by Section 36(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

    He also seeks an order compelling the CCT and AGF to suspend indefinitely, any plan to resume the trial at the CCT.

    Among the grounds relied on by the applicant, include that the trial at CCT was commenced at the wrong time; four years after Saraki allegedly committed the offences.

    “Having regard to the aims and objectives of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and its functions in sections 2 and 3 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal (CCBT) Act, Senator Saraki ought to have been prosecuted by the respondents long before he returned to public life again in 2015 as an elected Senator.

    “Indeed, the CCBT Act never contemplated that an incumbent public office holder was already corrupt before he attained public office, otherwise, people like Senator Sraki, who had a case to answer regarding his activities between 2003 and 2011 would not have been permitted to return to public life.

    “However, four years later in 2015 4enator Saraki not only returned to public life as a Senator, he went on to become the President of the Senate, Chairman of the National Assembly and Nigeria’s number three citizen.

    “It is nobody’s fault that the 1st and 2nd respondents were not vigilant enough to stop or prevent Senator Sarki from attaining public office. If truly the respondents were proactive institutions of government, they ought to have prosecuted Senator Sarki immediately after he left office as Governor of Kwara State in 2011, but they never did.

    “The failure, refusal and/or negligence of the respondents to prosecute Senator Saraki for the offences he allegedly committed between 2003 and 2011 before he returned again to public life as a Senator, vitiated all his past alleged misdeeds such that, as of June 8, 2015 when he was inaugurated as a Senator, he was assumed to be a public office holder without blemish in the eyes of the law and in the eyes of the respondents, otherwise they would have long since initiated proceedings against him.

    “The subsequent attempt to put Senator Saraki on trial over offences allegedly committed between 2003 and 2011 are not only tainted with political mischief and desperation, they constitute a breach of his fundamental right to fair hearing,” Okponipere said.

    However, the AGF, in a notice of preliminary objection, has faulted the suit and urged the court to dismiss it for lacking in merit.

    The AGF noted that the subject matter of the suit did not fall within the provisions of chapter four of the Constitution, containing the guaranteed fundamental human rights.

    “The appellant lacks the locus to institute this suit on behalf of Senator Saraki in the absence of any legal basis which prevents him (Saraki) from deposing to the affidavit accompanying this application himself.

    “The grant of the applicant’s reliefs will constitute an abuse of court/judicial process having regard to the fact that the subject matter of this suit has been determined by the Supreme Court,” the AGF said.

    When the case up for mention on September 29 before Justice Gabriel Kolawole, neither Okponipere nor his lawyer was in court, following which the judge adjourned it to November 16 for hearing.

    Meanwhile, the CCT will tomorrow deliver ruling on an application by Saraki seeking that the tribunal Chairman, Danladi Umar withdraws from his trial on the grounds that Umar made some remarks in the course of the trial, which Saraki considered prejudicial to his case.

    Saraki’s lawyer, Kanu Agabi (SAN) – a former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) – had in an application filed on June 13, 2016, accused Umar of making remarks that purportedly betrayed his bias against his client during the June 7, 2016 proceedings.

    Umar had, while expressing his displeasure at the delay tactics employed by Saraki’s legal team (comprising over 10 Senior Advocates of Nigeria) warned that the delay strategy would not “reduce the consequences the defendant will meet in this tribunal at the end of the trial.”

    At the hearing of the application on June 21, Saraki’s lawyer argued that by his statement, the tribunal Chairman had already concluded that his client would be guilty and thereby exposed to “consequences.”

    In a counter argument, prosecution lawyer, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) faulted Saraki’s lawyers’ interpretation of the tribunal Chairman’s remarks.

    “That I am aware that the Chairman of this honourable tribunal on the said June 7, 2016 stated clearly that his mind is open to do justice to this matter and that he has no prejudice against any of the parties.

    “The statement allegedly made by the Chairman of the honourable tribunal was quoted out of context without referring to the statement made by the Chairman to the effect that his mind was open to do justice to this matter and that he has no prejudice against any of the parties,” Jacobs said.

  • Recession: NASS offers 20-point resolution to Buhari

    Recession: NASS offers 20-point resolution to Buhari

    To overcome the economic recession in the country, the National Assembly has sent twenty point resolutions to the Executive arm of government.

    The Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki disclosed this to State House correspondents at the end of the 56th Independence anniversary at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Saturday.

    According to him, the National Assembly has already started implementing four of the resolutions concerning the legislature.

    “Already, as you have seen, we have sat down to address the important issue which is the economy. We have come out with about 20 point resolutions to the executive that we think they should do. We also have about four for ourselves. And we have started doing it already,” Saraki said.

    “At the last session, we started addressing some of these issues that we are sure will make us come out of this recession in a short while.

    “We will start preparing for 2017 budget to ensure that there will be releases of funds that would be spent to do that.”

    Though he agreed that things are tough in the country, Saraki said that the problems are not insurmountable.

    “I believe that we can do it. Like I said earlier, we have stayed united, we have stayed focused, determined and hard working. It is not something that we cannot achieve. The potentials are there. We will weather it,” he said.

    On the issue of the Niger-Delta, he said that the National Assembly will be favorably disposed in looking at the budget of amnesty Programme in the 2017 Budget.

    “This is what we are looking at. We understand the challenges and we will play our own role to ensure we get out of it.

    “We have been able to achieve a lot for the country. I am sure in present times, people will wonder what we are celebrating. As a country, we have stayed united. We have have taken up a lot of challenges and we have come out better.

    “I believe we have the capacity and the expertise to do it this time around. People just have to believe in the country and we will get there,” the Senate President

  • Nigeria will overcome economic recession – Saraki

    Nigeria will overcome economic recession – Saraki

    Senate President, Bukola Saraki, on Friday assured that Nigeria will overcome the current period of economic recession.

    Speaking with State House correspondents after observing the Friday Jumaat prayer with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Saraki urged Nigerians to be patient.

    He said the nation’s leaders are very much aware of the economic hardship in the land.

    The leaders, he said, are also feeling the people’s pains.

    He urged Nigerians to support President Buhari in order to succeed.

    The Senate President wished Nigerians, especially the Muslim faithful, a happy Sallah celebration.

    He said: “With prayer Insha Allahu, we will overcome it (economic recession). The most important thing is for us to stay together and give the President support and continue to believe in this great country that we all have and be rest assured that we will all weather the storm and scale through together.

    “Once again, as a country in this period, we will continue to pray. On Sunday, the day of Arafat, we offer prayer for our leaders and President so that we can do what is right, because we feel the pain. We know what the country is going through.

    “Because there is no Nigerian with blood flowing through that will not know that things are difficult now and we pray that with God’s guidance, He will see us through.”

     

     

  • Sani-Omolori emerges Clerk of National Assembly 

    Sani-Omolori emerges Clerk of National Assembly 

    Mohammed Sani Omolori has emerged as the substantive Clerk of the National Assembly (CNA).

    Sani-Omolori, who until the latest appointment was the acting CNA following the expiration of the former CNA Maikasuwa, was the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the most senior Officer in the service of the National Assembly.

    The confirmation of Sani-Omolori was a vindication of the position of the governing board of the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) that stood its ground when the Senate President, Bukola Saraki kicked against the appointment in May 2016.

    Saraki’s position was that the Deputy Clerk of the National Assembly, Benedict  Efeturi, whose retirement from service was less than six month then ought to be appointed as acting CNA rather than Sani-Omolori.

    The matter got to a head when some members of the board disowned the decision of the 440th meeting of the Commission where Sani-Omolori was appointed as the acting CNA.

    However, the Commission resisted the interference of the Senate President and stood its ground in appointing Sani-Omolori as the acting CNA.

    Wednesday, in a letter confirming Sani-Omolori as the substansive CNA and signed by the Executive Chairman of the commission, Dr. Adamu Mohammed Fika, the appointment was in recognition of Sani-Omolori’s hard work, dedication to duty and responsible conduct as well as loyalty to the Leadership of the National Assembly.

    It reads in part: “I have the pleasure to inform you that the National Assembly Service Commission has at it 443rd Meeting approved the confirmation of your appointment as Clerk to the National Assembly.

    “This appointment takes effect from 15th August, 2016“.

    The Chairman also urged the new CNA to continue to demonstrate positive attributes to justify the confidence reposed in him by the Commission and the Leadership of the National Assembly.

    The presiding officers of the Senate and the House of Representatives were formally informed of the appointment for record purposes.