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Tag: Deputy Senate President

  • Buhari’s $5.815bn Chinese loan faces hurdles in Senate

    …Summons Amaechi for explanation

     

    President Muhammadu Buhari’s request for the National Assembly’s endorsement of $5,815 billion loan suffered setback Tuesday in the Senate.

    The Federal Government planned to raise the loan from China Exim Bank to execute the modernization of Lagos-Kano, Kano-Kaduna, Lagos-Ibadan and Lagos-Calabar rail lines.

    Following a motion by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South), the Senate resolved to invite Minister of Transportation to explain why South East corridor rail line was omitted in the areas covered by the proposed loan.

    The upper chamber however rejected a prayer that urged the Senate to suspend consideration of the loan request pending until correction of the apparent oversight of the eastern parts of the country is made.

    The motion entitled “Outright Omission of Eastern Corridor Rail Line in the request for approval of Federal Government 2016-2015 External Borrowing (Rolling Plan)” was hotly debated on the floor of the Senate.

    Abaribe in his lead debate recalled that on 26th of April, 2017 the Federal Government laid before the National Assembly a request seeking an approval for a loan of $5,851 billion from China Exim Bank to execute the modernization of Lagos-Kano, Kano-Kaduna, Lagos-Ibadan and Lagos-Calabar rail segment;

    He observed with dismay, that the above sections of the rail line that the loan was being sought for covers only a section of the country, the western corridor or sections;

    The Abia South lawmaker noted that the Eastern section of the rail segment, which has a link between the South Eastern to North Eastern parts of the rail line is completely excluded from the request;

    He further noted that the loan being a Federal Government borrowing would be paid for by all SECTIONS of the country; therefore every section of the country should be taken into consideration;

    He said that he is aware that there is a Railway Master Plan developed by the Ministry of Transport and of which such plan has not being referred to in the current borrowing plan;

    Abaribe also said that he is aware that for the railway projects to have a meaningful impact on the development of the country; it should cover all parts of Nigeria.

    He expressed concern that the complete exclusion of the Eastern section that links the four zones of South-South, South-East, North-Central and North East and the key cities such as Port Harcourt, Aba, Enugu, Makurdi, Lafia, Gudi, Jos, Bauchi and Maiduguri is inexplicable,

    He prayed that Senate to suspend consideration of the loan request of any guise until the correction of this apparent oversight of the eastern parts of the country.

    He also urged that Senate to invite the Minister of Transport to appear and explain the reasons for the exclusion of the Eastern Corridor of Nigeria’s Rail Lines from the proposed loan from China Exim bank.

    Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu who seconded the motion said that the Senate should see injustice done to any section of the country as injustice to all.

    Ekweremadu said that it is on record that the Federal Government had been rehabilitating rail lines in the country with the exception of the rail lines in the South East.

    He noted that the promise of the government that the rail line in the South East would be accommodated in future is doubtful.

    Ekweremadu said that no section of the country should be excluded in development projects.

    But Senator Gbenga Ashafa, (Lagos East) described the information in the motion as “inadequate and inaccurate.”

    Ashafa who is also Chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transport, said that the Lagos-Kano and Lagos-Calabar rail lines covered the areas listed in the motion.

    He said that Onitsha and Aba areas are also covered in the plan of the rail line.

    He urged the Senate to look at the issue dispassionately insisting that the loan should be secured for the development of the country.

    Ashafa added that government is a continuum.

    Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki said that leadership of the National Assembly took up the issue with President Buhari.

    Saraki said that the meeting of the National Assembly leadership with the executive informed the second letter of the President on the issue.

    He said that the second letter of President Buhari specified that every section of the country would be covered by the loan.

    Saraki said that if the report of the Senate committee on Local and Foreign Debts failed to cover the South East, the Senate would resolve how to deal with the loan.

     

  • Submission of 2017 budget report suffers setback in Senate

    Submission of 2017 budget report suffers setback in Senate

    …2016 budget to run till end of June, says Ekweremadu

     

    The Senate Thursday deferred the presentation and consideration of the 2017 budget report.

    The presentation and subsequent consideration of the budget report would have paved the way to the passage of the budget submitted to the National Assembly on December 14th, 2016.

    Although the submission of the report was listed as the first business of the day in yesterday’s Order Paper, it was stepped down.

    The inability of the Senate Appropriation committee to conclude work on the fiscal document was cited as the reason for stepping it down.

    Senate Leader, Senator Ahmad Lawan, told his colleagues that members of the Appropriation committee of the Senate and House of Representatives were working assiduously to resolve grey areas in the money bill.

    Senator Lawan further informed that the budget report is now expected to be laid on May 9th, 2017.

    The Senate leader did not say whether the budget will be passed on Tuesday.

    Lawan said: “The committee chairman on Appropriations is not here. His counterpart who chairs the Finance committee is not here either. I am aware that members of Senate Appropriation committee are currently meeting with their counterparts in the House of Representatives, trying to settle the differences.

    “‎I have also equally been informed that by the grace of God, the budget of 2017 will be laid on Tuesday. Having said this, I will move that we stand down this report till Tuesday.‎”

    Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the day’s legislative business, said that there was no need to apprehension over the passage of the budget.

    Ekeremadu noted that the 2016 budget could still run till end of June, within which the 2017 budget would be passed.

    Ekweremadu said, “Let me also emphasise for the benefit of the public that we were ready to receive this report today. It was only this morning that it was necessary for us to be sure that we are on the same page with the House of Representatives to avoid any possible conferencing.

    “So we will like to see the House and the Senate laying just the same documents so that once we pass, we will now send the documents to the President for assent.

    “I think this is important that the point be made and the public know that the harmonization which is going on should be concluded over the weekend to enable us receive the budget report by Tuesday and by the grace of God, have it passed by next week and we will send it to the President for assent.

    “Let me also inform the public as well that the tenure of the 2016 budget ends today the 5th because it was signed into law on the 6th of May 2016, but under the constitution, the Federal Government is entitled to continue to spend money based on the 2016 estimates up to the 30th of June, 2017.

    “But we will not allow us to get into the reliance on the constitutional provision. Hopefully by the grace of God, we will have this budget next week. We will pass it so that implementation will start in earnest. So I just want to appeal for the understanding of the people of Nigeria.”

    President Muhammadu Buhari signed the 2016 budget into law on the 6th of May, 2016.

    The lifespan of the 2016 budget expires today, Friday, 5th May, 2017.

    There was apprehension of a possible shutdown if the budget is not passed and assented to today.

  • South East Senators, IPOB leader meet in Abuja

    South East Senators, IPOB leader meet in Abuja

    …As Ekweremadu raises alarm over alleged plot by EFCC to frame him

     

    The recently released leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu late on Tuesday met with South East Senators.

    The meeting held in the Apo Legislative Quarters residence of the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, was said to have been used by the IPOB leader to thank the senators for their efforts to secure his release.

    A source privy to the meeting said that the senators asked Kanu to endeavour to honour the bail conditions under which he was released by an Abuja Federal High Court on April 28, 2017.

    The senators were also said to have assured Kanu that they were working to actualize the three IPOB members still in detention.

    He said that the South East senators did not ask Kanu to shelve his agitation for the actualization of the sovereign state of Biafra.

    He added that the meeting also stressed the need for unity and development in the South East zone.

    The meeting came as Ekweremadu on Wednesday raised the alarm over alleged plot by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to frame him up and arrest him.

    Ekweremadu who raised the alarm on the floor of the Senate read an alert letter he received from an unnamed informant.

    The informant asked Ekweremadu to “Please treat this with utmost secrecy by protecting the identity of the source.”

    A source close to Ekweremadu informed that “We suspect that the EFCC is coming after key members of the South East Senate caucus due to their roles in the release of the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Mr Nnamdi Kanu.”

    He said that members of the South Caucus “met at the private residence of the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu in Abuja on Tuesday night, where they extensively discussed the alleged looming political persecution.”

    His listed some of those in attendance at the meeting to include, Kanu, Ekweremadu, Senators Enyinnaya Abaribe, Theodore Orji, Andy Uba, Hope Uzodinma, Gilbert Nnaji, Sam Egwu and Sonni Ugbuoji.

    Findings also showed that prior to the release of Kanu on April 28, members of the caucus met on several occasions at Ekweremadu’s Apo residence to strategise on how to get Kanu out of the hook.

    It was at one of the meetings that Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe elected to serve as the surety to Kanu.

    The source said that “the Presidency may be unhappy over the roles played by Senators, especially Ekweremadu and Abaribe.”

    Senator Ekweremadu told the Senate that he was alerted about alleged plot by the EFCC to invade his country home in Enugu and other apartments, under the guise of searching for looted funds and guns.

    Ekweremadu read the letter said to have been written to him by an unnamed informant, informing him of EFCC’s plans and alleged plot by the anti-graft agency to “plant arms and ammunition in his apartment during the raid.”

    He said that the intention was to label him as a corrupt politician, unfit to hold any public office.

    Ekweremadu added that plans have also been concluded by EFCC to use groups to protest in major cities across the country, calling for his resignation and prosecution.

    The letter read in part: “Distinguished Senator, there is a grand plan from the cabals in the presidency, using the EFCC as an anti-graft agency to indict and remove you from office. These cabal in the presidency have mandated the EFCC chairman to carry out this evil operation within two weeks.

    “On the 6th of May Saturday night 2017/Sunday morning, the EFCC alongside local and international media both print and TV will raid an apartment under the guise of whistle blowing policy of the Federal Government.

    “They will come with a search warrant already obtained from a Magistrate Court to search an apartment alleged to be one of your guest houses in Enugu, the state capital or any available apartment in your senatorial district that will serve this evil purpose.

    “EFCC is claiming to have received a tip off from a whistle blower in your state alerting the agency of a huge amount of money of different currencies in the said apartment belonging to you, senator Ike Ekweremadu, the Deputy Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    “They will say that the money is a proceed which is likely to be illegally obtained and acquired, which constitute abuse of office and corruption.

    “A huge amount of money with different currencies, such as British pound sterling, US dollars, Indian rupee, South Africa rand, and Malaysian Ringgit will be ‘discovered’.

    “Documents alleged to be yours, such as 2015 campaign memo and logistic, a list of names of chairmen of local wards of party men and women that benefited from your empowerment programme and other cooked up documents bearing your signature.

    “A single photo portrait of yours will be placed in the sitting room. Ammunition such as AK 47, two pump action gun with unused gun bullet will be found.

    “You will be invited by the anti-graft agency for questioning and interrogation to shed more light on the said apartment which will lead to your arrest and detention, pending the outcome of the investigation.

    “While you are still in detention, sponsored non-governmental organizations will be protesting round the nation and in cities like Lagos, Enugu, Anambra, Abuja, etc.

    “Sponsored youth in your senatorial district will come to Abuja protesting in the National Assembly gate with petitions submitted to the Senate President and one to the Clark to the National Assembly to recall you.

    “While protest is ongoing according to their evil plan, the EFCC after detaining  you for at least three weeks, you will be charge to court since section 308 immunity clause does not apply to your office.

    “The cabals in the presidency are planning to indict you and to kill your political ambition so that you can no longer stand for any future elections. They also want to show to the international community and Nigerian people that you are a corrupt politician.

    “I sympathized with you and God will continue to use people like us to destabilize their evil plan against you. I wish you all the best in your political journey.‎”

    There was no debate of the letter and Ekweremadu said that he only wanted to alert the Senate about what was likely in the offing.

     

  • Ekweremadu raises alarm over EFCC’s plan to raid apartment linked to him

    Ekweremadu raises alarm over EFCC’s plan to raid apartment linked to him

    Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu on Wednesday raised the alarm over alleged plans by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to raid an apartment the anti-graft agency linked to him.

    Details soon…

  • Stop transfer of prisoners from UK, Senate urges FG

    Stop transfer of prisoners from UK, Senate urges FG

    The Senate on Tuesday asked the Federal Government to stop receiving prisoners under the Transfer of Sentenced Persons, (TSP) from the United Kingdom.
    The Senate said the government should wait for the regularization of the agreement between the country and United Kingdom on the issue before any prisoners should be received.
     It resolved to invite Attorney General of the Federation (AGF)and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama and Minister of Interior, Gen. Abdurahman Dnabazau to shed light on the TSP arrangement.
    The resolutions followed a motion, titled “Urgent need to regularize the agreement between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the government of the United Kingdom on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons” sponsored by Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu .
    The ministers were asked to appear before the joint Senate Committees on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, and Foreign Affairs.
    The Senate said that Danbazau should be specifically invited to brief  on his level of involvement in complying with the agreement on the transfer of sentenced persons between Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
     It said that the Committee should invite the Minister of Justice to give update on the status of ratification of all treaties from 1999 to 2017.
    In his lead debate, Ekweremadu said that the agreement was made by both countries on January 9, 2014 by former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke on behalf of Nigeria and UK’s Minister of Justice, Jeremy Wright respectively.
    Ekweremadu added that “Based on this agreement, the government of the United Kingdom has commenced the return of several prisoners to Nigeria, and has currently initiated the application for the transfer of more prisoners to Nigeria.
     “The United Kingdom Government has referred to this agreement as compulsory, whereas the content of the agreement made no mention, nor indicated that the agreement was compulsory.
    “The senate is cognizance that international law is based on cooperation of states, as such the rule of international law implies that where parties have contracted a cooperation agreement, they are expected to do all that is necessary to ensure a successful implication of the agreement by following the essential internal constitutional and legal procedures required.”
    He was disturbed that the provisions of Nigeria’s constitution regarding section 12(1) has not been complied with, saying that “the agreement in this instance signed by the then Attorney General of the Federation was not subjected to legislative scrutiny or enactment by the National Assembly; the agreement is therefore, not in force”.
    He further expressed worry that the British National Offender Management Service may not be under a misinformed impression that all the internal procedures have been completed warranting the entity into force of the agreement on September 29.
    Chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Senator Monsurat Sunmonu informed the Senate that there were 321 memorandum of understanding with only 93 signed but not yet ratified.
  • Ekweremadu to FG: Extend whistle-blower to arms proliferation

    Ekweremadu to FG: Extend whistle-blower to arms proliferation

    Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Wednesday urged the Federal Government to extend its whistle-blower policy in the anti-corruption war to the efforts to arrest the proliferation of arms.
    He said that whistle-blower policy should also be extended to incessant killings in various parts of the country.  
    Ekweremadu noted that the right to life remained the single most important human right.
    He insisted that unless such illicit arms were mopped up, the mass killings and destruction of lives and property would continue. 
    He also urged the Federal Government to ensure respect for human rights in the implementation of whistle-blower policy in the war against corruption and proliferation of arms.
    A statement by his media adviser, Uche Anichukwu, said that Ekweremadu spoke while paying host to a delegation of the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, (HURIWA), which paid a courtesy call to him in his office Wednesday. 
    Ekweremadu said: “Life has lost meaning in Nigeria and people are killed every day and everywhere in Nigeria and the Senate is very worried about it.
    “We just considered the report of the Senate Committee that investigated conflicts in many parts of Nigeria, especially the killings in Southern Kaduna. We asked the Committee to go back and do more work because the matter is such a very serious one. 
    “I also made it clear that it is important that just as we have addressed the issues of money laundering and corruption with the whistle-blower policy, it is time for us to bring that to bear on the issue of arms proliferation in the country.
    “People keep arms all over the place and some people know where they are. It is time that those who know where these arms are should be able to blow the whistle on them so that the security agencies will be able to go after them and ensure that they are seized and destroyed. So long as we have arms all over the place, the killings will continue”. 
    It said that while commending the Nigerian human rights community, especially HURIWA, for consistently standing up for the rights of Nigerians, Ekweremadu said human rights were at the heart of democracy.
    Ekweremadu said that all legitimate steps must be taken to preserve human rights as well as uphold constitutionalism and rule of law.
    Senator Ekweremadu, however, said that while he remained a proponent of whistle-blower policy, the invasion of people’s privacy without due diligence was completely unacceptable. 
    He noted that the Constitution guaranteed the protection of the people’s privacy, including their phones, and decried a situation where the courts, especially the magistrates courts, collude with security agencies to invade peoples homes on some spurious warrants.
    Such growing culture, he said, was “taking Nigeria back to the dark old days, because for you to go into peoples houses and search, there must be concrete evidence, due legal process, and not mere speculations”.
    He also called on the Nigerian Civil Society community to leverage on the CSOs Desk at the National Assembly to partner with the apex legislative body for good governance of the nation. 
    National Coordinator of HURIWA, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, extolled the efforts of the Senate to deepening Nigeria’s democracy and defending the separation of powers.
    Onwubiko said the recent amendment to the Electoral Act approving electronic voting was a cardinal move that would entrench democracy.
  • Ekweremadu seeks regional economic integration by states 

    Ekweremadu seeks regional economic integration by states 

    …Says volatile exchange rate killing industries, SMEs

     

    Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has made case for regional economic integration by the states of the federation along their geopolitical zones.

    Ekweremadu said such regional economic integration would fast-track the country’s industrialisation.

    This is even as he said the failure to maintain a uniform exchange rate was antithetical to the promotion of the industrial sector and Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, SMEs.

    He linked the flight and death of many industries and enterprises to the failure to maintain uniform exchange rate.

    A statement by his Media aide, Uche Anichukwu, said that Ekweremadu spoke at the opening of the 28th Enugu International Trade Fair Friday, where he also advocated linkages between different groups of enterprises as big businesses had more access to international trade and investment links.

    The Senator said states stood to gain more and develop commerce, industry, mines, and agriculture faster when they converge their potentials and resources to benefit from the economies of scale.

    To encourage this, however, he said the nation needed restructuring to allow the federating units reasonable autonomy and constitutional empowerments to take initiatives.

    Ekweremadu said, “Contiguous to regional economic integration is the need for restructuring to move matters like power, railway, aviation, ports, and mineral resources, among others to the concurrent list. That way, States will not have to depend on the Federal Government for the critical infrastructure needed to drive industrialisation.

    “With this and visionary leaders, the South East can easily become the Japan, Dubai, and Europe of Africa rolled into one, given the entrepreneurial capacities and ingenuity of our people as well as the potentials already shown by Nnewi, Onitsha, and Aba.

    “By their convergence, for instance, South East States can easily attract investors or pool their resources to establish industrial parks, develop the Onitsha seaport, dredge the River Niger, revive the Oji River Power Station or build an entirely new one. This is the way to go.”

    He further called for systemic inter-governmental and inter-agency collaboration and synergy, where each State and Local Government is able to optimize its potentials.

    To this end, he said the report of the ‘One Local Government One Product’, OLOP, study carried out by SMEDAN to identify unique products or services in each of the 774 Local Governments in Nigeria should be taken seriously with a view to developing them to be competitively attractive in the global markets.

    The Deputy Senate President advised government to take steps to arrest the exchange rate volatility and create special tax regimes for SMEs, noting that “currency volatility is worse than high exchange rates as it makes planning and business transactions extremely difficult”.

    He appealed to the Federal Government and the States to design a special tax regime for SMEs to help them to grow.

    “In the midst of highly deficit socio-economic infrastructure, running businesses in our country is a herculean task, especially for upcoming firms, hence the need to streamline and trim their taxes”.

    Ekweremadu the Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Mines, Industry, and Agriculture of National Assembly’s readiness to always provide all necessary legal frameworks and legislative interventions to support the industrial sector and SMEs.

     

  •  APC must mediate in Senate, Presidency face-off – Don

    A Professor of Political Science, Femi Otubanjo, said on Thursday that the All Progressives Congress (APC) must mediate in the current face-off between the Senate and the Presidency.

    Otubanjo, who works with the National Open University of Nigeria, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Thursday.

    According to him, APC, being the ruling party has a role to play in ensuring that the process of governance in the country is not thwarted by the face-off.

    The don was reacting to decision of the Senate to suspend legislative approval for 27 Resident Electoral Commissioners forwarded to it by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    However, the Senate at its sitting presided by Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, suspend consideration of the request by two weeks pending when the President removes Ibrahim Magu, as Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    Otubanjo said that the APC should not allow the face-off to adversely affect governance.

    ”There is a ruling political party and fortunately, the majority of the people in the National Assembly are APC members including the President, and the Federal Government is APC government too.

    ”There ought to be a platform for discussing and reconciling whatever proposal or nomination the executive is bringing to the legislature for approval.

    ”We saw President Trump when he was trying to repeal the Obamacare, he called his party members in the parliament to a breakfast table to discuss his proposal, though, it did not work, but that is how things are done.

    ”The party leaders have a role to play to ensure smooth working relationship between the Senate and the Presidency.

    ”The party leaders should initiate mediation by calling their members in the Senate and the Presidency to a round table to talk and settle their disagreement.

    ”By doing so, they will be able to succeed and smoothly deliver their campaign promises to the people,” he said.

  • Senate opens probe of N298m SUV car purchase

    Senate opens probe of N298m SUV car purchase

    • ABU VC clears Melaye of certificate forgery

    The Senate Monday commenced an investigation into the allegation of purchase of N298 million Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) with fake customs papers levelled against Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki.

    The high-profile probe is coming as Saraki said that the upper chamber was being tackled by unnamed persons for resolving to order the reversal of the controversial policy of retrospective duty payment on vehicles introduced by the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS).

    The Senate President spoke when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, probing the alleged importation of N298 million bulletproof Ranger Rover SUV.

    The Senator Samuel Anyanwu led committee also questions Senator Dino Melaye over the allegation that he did not graduate from Ahmadu Bello University, (ABU) Zaria.

    Saraki’s appearance before the Ethics Committee marked the first time since the return to democracy in 1999, that a sitting Senate President will appear before Ethics committee to clear his name.

    The Senate had on March 21st referred the two issues to its Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions Committee for investigation.

    This followed a point of order motion raised by Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, (Borno South) that the issue is investigated to protect the integrity of the Senate.

    Ndume relied on some publications to draw the attention of the Senate to the damning allegations against Saraki and Melaye.

    Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, promptly referred the issues to the Ethics committee to investigate and report back within four weeks.

    Apart from Anyanwu, other members of the committee at the investigative hearing included Senators Mao Ohuabunwa, (Abia North), Bala Ibn Na’Allah (Kebbi South) who excused himself from Saraki’s probe but participated in Melaye’s investigation, Tayo Alasoadura (Ondo Central), Peter Nwaoboshi (Delta North), Mathew Urhghide (Edo South) and Albert Akpan who said he is a friend to Melaye.

    Before Saraki began his testimony, Chairman of the committee explained to him why he was invited by the committee.

    Anyanwu specifically asked Saraki whether he (Saraki) is an importer, whether he imported any vehicle in the name of Abubakar Bukola Saraki if it is true that he imported SUV Range Rover that was clear with fake customs papers.

    Saraki was also asked whether the SUV was cleared in his name or on his behalf and whether he asked anybody to clear the SUV on his behalf.

    The Senate President began his testimony with a warning those fighting the National Assembly should desist from the act in the interest of democracy.

    He insisted that democracy cannot thrive if institutions of government are deliberately weakened and ridiculed.

    Saraki said, “I use this opportunity to commend the good work that you are doing and your effort and contribution to building the institution of the Senate that we all have sworn to defend and we are all here to do that.

    “Part of my being here in person is all part of my belief that what you are doing here is to strengthen our institution.

    “I said I want to come here personally, subject myself to this process because I think we must continue to build this institution and this is part of the process of building this institution.

    “Most of the questions come to a basic issue.

    “I am not an importer and at no point did I import an SUV Range Rover. As you know this is a vehicle that is not a “personal vehicle. It is a vehicle which was processed through the National Assembly.

    “I don’t know anything about the importation; I did not appoint any clearing agent or anything like that.

    “Most of the vehicles that are here you only know when it is delivered to you. None of this did I import or getting any agent or going to the port.

    “This is not true, those that said it know it is not true, Customs knows it is not true because we all know that all treated vehicles have end user certificate and it states clearly who the importer is and these documents are available and there is no document anywhere that shows my name.

    “So I want to state categorically that this is not true and it is important that I come here and clear my name and put this matter to rest.

    “We all raised the issue of the policy that is anti-people in the interest of Nigerians. This policy that really had no value at all and that was why this motion came up and we debated it in the interest of Nigerians, but unfortunately those who want to fight back went and thought there was something to blackmail us with.

    “But I believe that the issue at hand regarding this issue as I said categorically I am not an importer and I know the documents you have will show clearly that it has nothing to do with me.

    “I believe that this process is good for us. It will further strengthen our institution. It is a great day for our democracy for me to come before you as the president of the Senate.

    “We must protect this institution. As members, we will come and go but we must protect this institution.

    “To ridicule an institution of this magnitude is not something we should take lightly and that is why I have taken the time to be here.

    “Today it is me but tomorrow it will be another person. I think it is part of the sacrifice we are making in the work that we are doing that we have these kinds of cases that did not hold water.

    “We must protect this institution because this is the only thing we can leave. The difference between military rule and democracy is the parliament. For as long as the parliament is weak, our democracy can never be strong.

    “That is why I told myself that I must come here no matter how ridiculous I felt it was because the documents are clear. There is nowhere it said I imported it, it is not my private vehicle.”

    On the importer of the car, Tokunbo Akindle, Chairman of the Committee Anyanwu told him that the allegation was that he imported an SUV and did not pay the import duties and that was the reason the Senate is having an issue with the Nigerian Customs.

    Tokunbo Akindele responded: In 2015 on behalf of the firm that I work for, Oando PLC, we imported a Range Rover Bullet Proof SUV vehicle.

    “We imported it as the company that needed to use it for the various operations that we have around the country.

    “The car took longer than was expected and by the time it reached Nigeria in 2015, September, we decided that we will no longer be using the car, so we effectively packed it.

    “Initially because we are not going to use it for any operations whatsoever because we already met the requirements needed.

    “The process of acquiring the car we mandated a company offshore, to buy the car, armour the car, ship the car, clear the car with Customs and just deliver the car to us as a full-fledged service.

    “We received the car in September 2015 assuming that all of these things are done, all payments were made for the acquisition, the armouring, the shipping as well as the clearing of which we have necessary evidence.

    “The car was not imported for the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki.

    “In the process of clearing the car, we did not receive any documentation from the National Assembly.

    “We were not a part of clearing the car, we were the customer, we were expected to receive the car for our own use.

    “The vehicle was not to be used by Sen. Bukola Saraki, it was not imported or acquired for his use at the time the vehicle came into the country.

    “The National Assembly took receipt of the car through a consignment from us, through Lanre Shittu Motors in December 2015.

    “The car had been in the country for two months and had been sitting with no use and it was at that point that we released it to Lanre Shittu on consignment who sold it to the National Assembly.

    “At no point did we submit any fake document for the clearing of the car. We followed all due process in terms of payment to the company which handled the entire process for us.”

    Also speaking, the car dealer, Olarenwaju Shittu, told the committee that they facilitated the sale of the car to the National Assembly.

    He said that there was never a time they sold the car to Saraki.

    “It was when the car was intercepted sometime in 2017 that it was brought to my knowledge and we contacted Oando who gave us the papers that they said was fake,” Shittu said.

     

  • Senate lauds enhancement of powers of ECOWAS Parliament

    Senate lauds enhancement of powers of ECOWAS Parliament

    The Senate Wednesday hailed the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for enhancing the powers of the ECOWAS Parliament.

    The upper chamber resolved to congratulate the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government as well as well as the ECOWAS Parliament on the milestone.

    It also pressed for the amendment of the Electoral Act to empower the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct election to fill Nigerian’s 35 seats at the Community Parliament.

    The resolutions were sequel to a motion sponsored by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu Wednesday.

    Ekweremadu who is also a former Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament, recalled that although the Parliament was established in 2000 sequel to the Article 13 of the 1993 Revised Treaty of ECOWAS, and ECOWAS Protocol A/P2/8/94 of 1994, the Parliament had existed only as a mere advisory body.

    He further recalled that while previous efforts to enhance the powers of the Community Parliament had failed, the 3rd Legislature of the Parliament, which he headed as the Speaker, championed a robust advocacy for the actualisation of this project, “including coming up with a Draft Supplementary Act on the Enhancement of the Powers of the Community Parliament to bring the institution to the international best standards”.

    The Deputy Senate President, however, regretted that despite the adoption of the Supplementary Act by the 46th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of the State and Government in Abuja in December 2014, the 47th Ordinary Session of the Authority had failed to sign, to bring it into force in Accra in May 2015, before the expiration of the 3rd Legislature.

    He commended the 4th Legislature of the ECOWAS Parliament for continuing with the relentless efforts (take this out :towards) to enhance the powers of the Parliament, and described as a thing of “immense joy” to the peoples of West Africa, the “eventual endorsement of the ECOWAS Supplementary Act A/SA/1/12/16 by the 50th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government in Abuja in December 2016”.

    On the implications of the enhanced powers of the institution, he said the Supplementary Act now bestows on the Community Parliament enhanced competences, (take out namely) such as involvement in the enactment of all Community Acts, adoption of the Community Budget, and powers of oversight function.

    Ekweremadu called on the Senate to note in particular the provision for the election of Community Parliamentarians by direct adult suffrage by Article 18 of the Supplementary Act provides, a situation, he said, called for the amendment of the Electoral Act of Nigeria to empower the INEC to conduct the election of the Nigeria Country Delegation into the Parliament when that Article comes into effect.

    Summing up the debate on the motion, which was was seconded by the Deputy Leader of the Senate, Senator Ibn N’Allah (Kebbi South), the President of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki, described the enhancement of powers of the Parliament as “historic and very commendable”

    He added: “We want to thank all those that worked towards it, especially our own Deputy President of the Senate and the leadership of the ECOWAS Parliament.

    “This is something we should all be proud of. It is a victory, not only for the legislative democracy, but I think the coming together of the ECOWAS body to a more people-oriented and focused assembly. We charge the regional body to take advantage of this to ensure that they continue to work for the actualisation of regional integration”.