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Tag: Ekweremadu

Rich Nigerians should pay more tax- Senate

Asks FG to implement free compulsory education

The Senate yesterday backed the Federal Government’s position that rich Nigerians should be made to pay more taxes as a way to engender wealth redistribution in the country.

The upper chamber said that said that people who earn higher emolument should pay high taxes on luxury goods.

Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over yesterday’s plenary said the rich must pay more taxes, while poor Nigerians should pay less.

He said with more money in government’s confers, more Nigerians will be lifted out of poverty.

Ekweremadu was contribution to a motion on eradication of poverty raised by Senator Ali Wakili and 22 others to commemorate United Nations International Day for the eradication of poverty.

Ekweremadu said, “In other countries of the world, governments make deliberate efforts to get their people out of poverty. This is the practice all over the world. Nigeria should not be different. We need to provide for our people and get them out of poverty.

“There are so many ways we can achieve this. Government needs to implement policies that will take us out of poverty. One of them is the issue of taxation. The rich need to pay more taxes, while the poor should pay less. When the rich pay more taxes, there will be enough money to get our people out of poverty.

“We have our able youths who are jobless, despite the fact that they are educated. This cannot continue. We need to provide jobs for our youths and take them off the streets. As a parliament, we will take the necessary steps to ensure that this is achieved.”

Read: Nigeria loses over N15tr yearly to tax evasion

Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, had while speaking to the press at the annual meeting of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington DC on Sunday, insisted people with higher income must bear a greater part of the tax burden.

Wakili in the motion noted that a recent report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), no fewer than 112 million Nigerians representing 67.1 per cent of the country’s estimated population, now live below the poverty level.

He said that commemoration is intended to promote dialogue and understanding between people living in poverty and their communities and society.

“It is meant to demonstrate the strong bonds of solidarity between people living in poverty and people from all works of life, and the commitment to work together to overcome extreme poverty,” Wakili said.

Senator Shehu Sani, (Kaduna central) in his contribution lamented that more than 80 per cent of Nigerians live below the poverty level.

The lawmaker said that successive governments have not done enough to implement programmes that will lift Nigerians out of poverty.

Senator Jibrin Barau (Kano North) described poverty as a weapon of mass destruction.

He noted that China in the last 20 years has lifted more 300 million of its citizens out of poverty.

Barau urged the Federal Government to do more and implement social programmes to lift the living conditions of Nigerians.

Lawmakers, after a brief debate, called on the Federal Government to declare free education at every level.

The upper chamber said that policies and programmes evolved by the Federal Government through the Social Investment Programmes and other poverty alleviation and eradication measures be vigorously pursued.

October 17, 2017
Ugwuanyi, Ekweremadu hail Fed Govt on 41km Enugu-Ebonyi road

Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Senate Deputy President Ike Ekweremadu have hailed the Federal Government for starting the rehabilitation of the 41-kilometre Ozalla-Akpugo-Amagunze-Ihuokpara-Nkomoro Ebonyi road.

The project, which was awarded in 2010, was stopped because of poor funding, but was re-awarded by the Muhammadu Buhari administration, following the intervention of Ugwuanyi, Ekweremadu, and other federal lawmakers from the state.

At the kick-off of the project, Ugwuanyi expressed appreciation about the synergy among the federal lawmakers from the state.

The governor noted that this contributed to the start of work on the road.

He said: “What we are witnessing here is the gift of synergy among National Assembly members from Enugu State, led by Senator Ekweremadu.

“On behalf of Ndi Enugu, we appreciate the Federal Government for acceding to the request by the state for the road rehabilitation, which will bring about socio-economic transformation to the people.”

Also, Ekweremadu praised the Buhari administration for making funds available for the project.

The senator noted that the project faced an initial challenge because it started as a constituency project under Peace Nnaji.

According to him, such projects usually suffer a setback for continuity, especially when the lawmaker who initiated it did not return to the National Assembly.

Ekweremadu said the road had been awarded as a full project under the Federal Ministry of Power, Works, and Housing.

The senate deputy governor hailed Ugwuanyi for cooperating with the National Assembly to reactivate the project.

He added that the Governor mandated them to ensure that no federal road in the State was abandoned.

Ekweremadu said: “I would, therefore, like to express our special gratitude to the Federal Government for making funds available to continue this project. I also call on them to step up efforts on other roads in the Southeast.”

The Managing Director of Arab Contractors, the firm handling the project, Mohammed El-Eldaros, assured the governor of timely delivery of the project.

October 16, 2017
Saraki, Dogara, Ekweremadu preach unity

Senate President Bukola Saraki, his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, and former Senate President, David Mark, have appealed to Nigerians to work towards the unity and progress of the nation.

In a goodwill message by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki also urged Nigerians irrespective of creed and tribe to continue to work for the peace, unity and stability of the country.

He also urged leaders – political, traditional, religious and business – to close ranks and implement strategies that would further develop the country as well as increase standard of living.

The Senate President said: “Our togetherness, abundant resources and diversity are our greatest asset. Therefore let us refrain from tendencies that tend to pull us apart.”

Ekweremadu urged Nigerians to be patient and optimistic, assuring the country would surely overcome its challenges.

He said although the nation is bedeviled by myriad of challenges, it would spring back to reckoning as a true giant of Africa and realise the dreams of the founding fathers.

According to him: “The important thing is that Nigeria remains a nation with unbeatable potentials.

“All we need is the right attitude and leadership to translate our potential to greatness.

“Our greatest challenge at the moment is not the economic hardship, biting as it is. Our greatest problem is disunity and disaffection because the country has never been this divided.

“We need a leadership that sees every part of the country as its constituency, irrespective of different political, ethnic and religious leanings.

Speaker Yakubu Dogara called on Nigerians to strengthen the bond of unity and cohesion.

Dogara made the call in a goodwill message to mark Nigeria’s 57 years Independence Anniversary, by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Turaki Hassan, in Abuja.

The speaker, who said that Nigeria would only attain greatness in an atmosphere of peace, unity and stability, also urged the citizens to shun every harbinger of hate, division and violence.

The speaker also urged Nigerians to eschew ethnic, religious and sectional chauvinism while coming together as one people and “one nation bound in freedom, peace and unity” as encapsulated in the country’s National Anthem.

October 1, 2017
Ekweremadu, Mark, Ashafa, Kashamu seek rededication to nation-building

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, former Senate President David Mark, Senators ‘Gbenga Ashafa (Lagos East), Tayo Alasoadura (Ondo Central) and Buruji Kashamu (Ogun East) have felicitated with Muslim faithful on the occasion of Eid-el-Kabir.

They stressed the need to rededicate to nation-building, self-sacrifice, forgiveness and other higher virtues that promote national unity and growth.

Ekweremadu enjoined Nigerians to eschew all forms of recrimination and imbibe self-sacrifice, forgiveness and other higher virtues that promote national unity and development.

He said: “I congratulate our Muslim brethren on this occasion of Eid el-Kabir. This season of conviviality presents another opportunity to reflect on our national challenges and the way forward.

“No nation realises its full potentials without equity, justice, unity, and peaceful co-existence. I enjoin the Muslim Ummah and indeed all of us to imbibe the virtues of sacrifice, forgiveness and love that the season represents in order to move the nation forward.”

Mark canvassed for justice, righteousness and peaceful coexistence between and among Nigerians.

The senator, in a goodwill message, said only a harmonious and peaceful coexistence could guarantee meaningful growth.

Concerned about recent outburst from different regions agitating for self-independence within the existing geopolitical entity, Mark cautioned against any action or utterances capable of threatening the indivisibility of Nigeria.

Ashafa urged Nigerians to use the occasion to pray for unity.

He said in his message that Nigerians have more to gain in a united and indivisible country than a nation where people live in suspicion and hatred for one another.

He said: “We should endeavour to pray for continued unity and togetherness. Nigeria can only attain the desired greatness in an atmosphere of peace and love.

“Everything must be done to guard against the disintegration of the country. We must refuse to dance to drum beats of those promoting enmity amongst us. There is a lot to gain in living together.”

Alasoadura congratulated the faithful on the religious festival.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream) urged Muslims to support Akeredolu’s administration to facilitate meaningful growth.

He said with the calibre of the new cabinet members appointed by the governor, the people should be rest assured of positive transformation in the state.

Kashamu enjoined Nigerians to embrace peace and love.

The lawmaker urged them to seize the opportunity of the feast to demonstrate the essence of unity among the various ethnic groups in the country.

“Lack of unity among various ethnic groups in the country and self-centredness are the major ingredients that compromise peaceful co-existence and national growth.”

September 1, 2017
Constitution amendment: Failed bills may still be revisited, says Ekweremadu

•’Devolution of powers key to infrastructural growth’

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu is optimistic that the amendments to the 1999 Constitution rejected by the DNational Assembly could still meet the constitutional threshold to become part of the constitution when revisited.

Senate President Bukola Saraki last week expressed the same sentiment when he declared that the killed proposal for devolution of power to state could still be revisited.

The National Assembly last week failed to pass some core issues, including removal of the Land Use Act from the constitution, devolution of more power to states, creation of states, boundary adjustment and institutionalisation of 35 per cent affirmative action for women.

A statement by the Special Adviser (Media) to Ekweremadu, Uche Anichukwu, said yesterday that Ekweremadu hailed his colleagues for approving about 95 per cent of the recommendations presented by his committee.

He assured Nigerians that it was not the end of the road for the failed alteration bills since constitution amendment is a continuum.

The statement quoted Ekweremadu as saying that further consultations as well as understanding of the issues at stake were needed.

Ekweremadu, who also chairs the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, spoke during a consultative meeting on Southeast infrastructural development with a delegation of the Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn (PERL) and the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) led by PERL’s Team Leader, Dr. Adiya Ode, in Abuja.

He said: “We commend our colleagues for their understanding and ensuring that about 95 per cent of the amendments we proposed to them scaled through.

“We are also conscious of the fact that Nigerians are worried about some of the recommendations that did not pass. Let me use this opportunity to further appreciate and reassure Nigerians that we are sensitive to their feelings and that we are likely going to revisit some of the issues they are concerned about when we return from our vacation.

“Some of the issues did not scale through because there is need for fuller understanding as well as more consultations and consensus-building on them and their implications for our people.”

Ekweremadu reiterated that devolution of more power to the federating units would quicken infrastructural development in the country.

He added: “No doubt, your studies on Southeast were right because the region is indeed highly challenged, especially in the areas of transport infrastructure such as roads, railway and seaport. We are also challenged in the areas of power.

“That is why we in the Committee on Constitution Review believe we mean well when we talk about things like devolution of power. Our view is that some of these things should be moved from the Exclusive List to the Concurrent List so that while the Federal Government is making efforts, the states too will be making efforts either individually or in clusters or partnership with one another.

“That was why we took things like power to the Concurrent List so that States can generate power, transmit, and distribute power. The same goes for railway, which is still the exclusive preserve of the Federal Government. That way, Nigeria can effectively speed up socio-economic development in all parts of the country.

“Unfortunately, some of these issues were misunderstood. But it is not the end of the road. We believe that with more engagements, the issues will be better appreciated and we are positive about more favourable dispositions when we revisit them. As leaders we all have our eyes on the future and are committed to building a better Nigeria for posterity”.

August 1, 2017
‘Ekweremadu wrong on Melaye’s recall’

Legal Adviser to the Okun Development Association in Lagos and the Southwest, Boyede Ogun, has faulted Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu’s views on efforts to recall Senator Dino Melaye by his constituents.

Ogun said Ekweremadu’s alleged description of the process as “an exercise in futility” and a “waste of precious time” were incorrect in law.

Last Friday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) prayed the Abuja Federal High Court to vacate an interim order obtained by Melaye suspending his recall.

Justice John Tsoho ordered parties in the recall process to maintain the status quo until September 29.

“They are just wasting precious time because the Constitution is clear on what should happen. It is possible that the Attorney-General of Kogi State has not advised them properly,” Ogun quoted Ekweremadu as saying.

But the lawyer noted that the combined provisions of Sections 68(h) and 69 of the 1999 Constitution, and INEC’s regulations, make the recall process valid.

Ogun said: “My position is that in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, the recall is both a constitutional and a procedural matter.

“It is constitutional in the sense that if the provisions of Sections 68(h) and 69 of the 1999 Constitution are read together with INEC’s regulations for the recall of a lawmaker, he/she stands recalled upon INEC’s confirmation of a majority vote in the result.

“If INEC follows the procedure strictly and all the verifications are genuine, I sincerely disagree with Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu that the Senate can still refuse to recall Dino Melaye.

“If INEC fulfils the conditions precedent towards the recall, as provided for in the Constitution and INEC Regulation, the Senate cannot refuse to assent to the recall.”

Ogun said Ekweremadu’s comments suggested that “the right and interest of the voters in Kogi West, whether right or wrong, will not be protected by the Senate”.

The lawyer said the allegation that the Kogi State government spent over N10 million on adverts on the recall, and that it was sponsoring the process “cannot be substantiated and it amounts to hearsay”.

July 26, 2017
Ekweremadu decries high rate of human trafficking in Nigeria

The Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, on Thursday decried the high rate of human trafficking in Nigeria and called for concerted efforts to end the scourge.

Ekweremadu made the call at an event organised by Devatop Centre for Africa Development to mark the 2017 World Day against Trafficking in Persons at the National Human Rights Commission, Abuja.

Relying on recent statistics by the Global Slavery Index, he said the 875,500 humans trafficked per annum was worrisome.

He said the statistics, which showed that 45.8 million people living in one form of slavery or the other in about 167 countries around the world, was frightening.

Ekweremadu said Nigeria was a source, transit as well as destination of persons, including women and children trafficked for prostitution, forced labour, and other forms of dehumanising servitude and exploitation.

He, therefore, called for concerted efforts by Nigerians and the international community to end the illicit trade.

He said human trafficking syndicates were powerful and operated with the collaboration of corrupt persons in agencies entrusted with law enforcement and protection of persons across the world.

“The World Day against Trafficking in Persons is a reminder that the war against the scourge is one we are very capable of winning.

“It is a call to renew our resolve to not only track down and bring the perpetrators to book, but also to cut their supply chains,” Ekweremadu said.

He said poverty among other factors, was the cause of trafficking in persons as it predisposed victims to desperation into false greener pasture, “not knowing that they are jumping from the frying pan into the fire.”

NAN

July 21, 2017
Constitution review seeks power devolution to states, says Ekweremadu

The National Assembly has agreed to review some of the contentious issues in the 1999 Constitution, including ensuring the Federal Government shed some powers to states to enhance growth.

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu spoke yesterday on what to expect in the constitution alteration when he addressed reporters at a joint retreat in Lagos for the Senate and House of Representatives Committee on Review of the 1999 Constitution.

He said as part of the review, the country would be restructured. According to him, railways would no longer be in the Exclusive List.

Ekweremadu said within two days, the committee looked at 23 separate bills with separate issues.

He said: “The idea is to ensure that by the time we vote, each of them succeed or fail on its own when we conclude the work and send it to the House for approval.

“We will collate and ensure that the provisions of the constitution have been fulfilled regarding the alteration and we will send it to the President for his assent. And the President will decide which one to assent or not to assent.

“The implication, therefore, is that if he assent some, then those one becomes an alter part of the constitution. And the one he refused to assent, then we might decide whether to override the veto.

“So, we want each of them to have a separate life on its own. And this is based on our own experience in the last exercise, where everything was in one single bill and when the President withheld his assent, all of them collapsed.

“This is just an improvement on what we did last time. It is something we innovated base on our experience in the last exercise.

“Now, we have gone through some specific issues like the time timeframe within which a governor or president will be able to assent to a bill. If you look at our constitution, I think Section 58, if you pass a bill, you need to send it to the President for his assent and he has to assent it within 30 days. “

Ekweremadu explained that it was imperative for the Federal Government to shed some of its powers.

“We also tried to withdraw some power from the Executive List to the Concurrent List. You know we have been talking about the restructuring of Nigeria. One of the components of restructuring is that they are saying that there are too much power in the hands of the Federal Government and we need to strip some of them.

“What we have done is to look at the nitty-gritty issue where some of the item, which they actually need will be remove from the Executive List to the Concurrent List, where the federal and the states can make laws regarding some of those items.

“And where there is conflict, the laws of the National Assembly will prevail. So, things like railways will have to be moved to the Concurrent List.

“The idea is that state can build railways within their states and then a couple of states can even decides to build railways across their states. The Federal Government can also be building railways across the country and make policy around it.”

He noted that the country would continue to have minimum standards for wages in both the public and private sectors.

“There should be minimum wage for both the public sector and private sector; that is to say that if it is N5000, don’t pay any person less than N5000 but it can be increased. That is to say if Lagos has more money, they can pay beyond the minimum wage.

“All those who don’t have money cannot pay below the minimum way; no matter how poor they are. So, in that way, we have a minimum standards for workers in Nigeria.

“We also looked at the removal of the joint local government account. The challenge there has been how do you take care of the issues of teachers’ salaries because it is from that joint local account that primary school teachers’ salaries are paid. So, we wanted to be sure that if we remove the joint local government- state account, we will not jeopardise the payment of teacher salaries.”

July 18, 2017
Saraki, Ekweremadu attack Kogi govt over Melaye recall

Senate President Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, yesterday attacked the Kogi State government for backing the moves to recall Senator Dino Melaye.

They were reacting to the advertorial placed in newspapers by Kogi State Attorney General and Justice Commissioner Ibrahim Sanni Mohammed.

Mohammed was responding to Ekweremadu’s submission last week that Melaye’s recall process was an exercise in futility and made in bad faith.

The Attorney General said among others in the advertorial that: “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: “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 a senator and in fact final say in the recall process.

“I urge 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 N12 million of Kogi money sent.

”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.”

”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.”

The Senate President, who did not allow any debate on the issue, concurred with Ekweremadu.

Saraki said: “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 adverts. I have been a governor, when you file money for advert, it is a difficult issue.

”As you said, it is very unfortunate for the people of Kogi State.”

July 12, 2017
Senate to ‘clean up’ committees

Palpable apprehension gripped Senators on Thursday after the Senate President, Bukola Sarki, announced plans to reshuffle standing committees of the upper legislative chamber.

Saraki said the committee clean up would be carried out before Senate goes on recess on July 26.

The Senate has 69 standing committees with Saraki acting as Chairman of the Selection Committee.

The announcement followed observations by Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, that senators clustered in some committees, thus making it difficult for them to attend sessions of other committees.

Ekweremadu mentioned the Senate Committee on Tertiary Education and TETFUND as one of those under consideration.

He said that out of 21 members of the Tertiary Education and TETFUND committee, only 12 signed the report of Federal University of Maritime Studies Bill.

Saraki, who agreed with Ekweremadu on the issue, said something would be done to “clean up” the committees.

He said: “I agree with the DSP. We are going to clean up the committees before we go on recess. We have discussed this at the leadership level and we are going to do something about it to ensure that the right thing is done.”

July 6, 2017