The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Hon. Yakubu Dogara

  • Dogara’s outrider dies in crash

    Dogara’s outrider dies in crash

    Aminu Salisu, one of the outriders in the convoy of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara has died in a crash.

    The Nation learnt that Salisu who was a Sergeant in the Nigeria  Police Force, was involved in a collision with a car while piloting the Speaker home on Wednesday evening.

    The accident occurred along Aminu Shagari Way when a car suddenly intercepted Salisu’s BMW motorbike at the junction leading to the SGF and DSS offices, while it was on top speed.

    Salisu died instantly, The Nation learnt, and his body was subsequently deposited in a yet-to-be-disclosed morgue.

    Officers of the Police Force working in the National Assembly were in a gloomy mood yesterday as the news of the death of the Benue State- born officer circulated around the Complex. They spoke positively of his person and character.

    Salisu, it was gathered, had been in the convoy of the Speaker when he ( Dogara) went to Sheraton Hotel earlier on Wednesday morning for a retreat for the wives of Rep members. So, it was mystifying for many when they learnt he was dead by evening of the same day.

    The late officer who hailed from Okpokwu Local Government area of Benue State was married with four male children and lived in Dede Police Barracks, Abuja until the time of his death.

    The Speaker’s media team is yet to respond to inquiries on the incident at at the time of filing this report.

  • We discussed national issues with President Buhari – Dogara

    We discussed national issues with President Buhari – Dogara

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has said that himself, president of the Senate, Bukola Saraki and leader of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, discussed national issues when they visited President Muhammadu Buhari in London  Wednesday evening.

    Dogara in a tweet via his verified official twitter handle @YakubDogara on said they discussed national issues with the President in the United Kingdom.

    The Speaker, according to a statement by his Special Adviser Media & Public Affairs Turaki Hassan further said “President Buhari is as fit as a fiddle and cracked jokes in his usual manner.

    “President is as fit as a fiddle, “after burning national issues, it was all PMB’s vintage humorous jokes. I’m so elated he is as fit as a fiddle.”

    Recall that the leadership of the National Assembly’s visit to the President is sequel to an agreement reached between the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

  • NASS presiding officers got no accommodation money from FCTA – Dogara

    NASS presiding officers got no accommodation money from FCTA – Dogara

    Presiding Officers of the National Assembly did not receive any money for accommodation from the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara has said.

    In a statement by his Special Adviser Media & Public Affairs, Turaki Hassan, reacting to an online publication on the issue, Dogara said the story should be discountenanced unless evidence was produced.

    The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to a story published by an online media platform, Sahara Reporters, where it was alleged, without any shred of evidence as always that presiding officers of the National Assembly including the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, collected money from the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) for rent of their official residences.

    “The report, which was credited to a group known as Citizen Action to Take Back Nigeria (CATBAN), deliberately set out to misrepresent and distort facts with the aim of blackmailing the persons of the presiding officers and the Legislature as an institution.

    “Presiding officers of the National Assembly are entitled to official accommodation which is provided for by the FCDA as host of the National Assembly. The same is applicable to the President, Vice President and the Chief Justice of Nigeria because their offices were not covered by the monetisation policy. Consequently, no National Assembly presiding officer receives any money from any other source for accommodation or rent.

    “The FCDA is solely responsible for providing official accommodation for presiding officers of the National Assembly and how it goes about it is entirely its business and not that of any presiding officer. It’s callous, wicked and evil for any news medium to seek to perpetuate the mendacity that National Assembly Presiding officers collected money from FCDA without any form of evidence whatsoever.

    “The public should discountenance the story in its entirety unless of course the so called Sahara Reporters put out evidence of the trace of any such funds to the Presiding officers.

    “We challenge those undertakers and merchants of lies for filthy lucre to tell the Public which countries of the world allow presiding officers of their Parliament to live in their personal houses.

    “Certain officers of state were excluded from monetisation policy because of the nature of offices they hold that involves hosting certain level of official guests and other sundry activities.  Should Nigeria’s case be different?”

  • NYCN to Reps: Declare Jibrin’s seat vacant

    NYCN to Reps: Declare Jibrin’s seat vacant

    …Says suspended lawmaker has five  foreign Accounts

    The National Youth Council (NYCN) of Nigeria is asking the Speaker of the House, Hon. Yakubu Dogara to declare vacant the seat of the suspended former Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin.

    The NYCN Coordinator, Ifeanyi Okonkwo made the demand in a petition he submitted to the Chairman of the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges, Hon. Ossai Nicholas Ossai.

    In its petition the NYCN asked for the investigation and persecution of the former Chairman saying “Jibrin should be investigated for operating 5 foreign Accounts “in violation of 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act.”

    Okonkwo, in the petition further states: “we have uncovered several Foreign Bank Accounts still being operated by Hon. Jibrin in the Barclays Bank, United Kingdom. These accounts include: Barclays Bank International Accounts – SC 204744 AC 33471268; Barclays Bank Reserve Account – SC 204744 AC 43707164; Barclays Bank Mortgage Account SC 204744 AC 94030664; Barclays Bank Euro Currency Account SC 204744 AC 52339433; Barclays Bank USD Currency Account SC 204744 AC 74521222.

    “Address used in opening the accounts; 81 Cotswold Gardens, London, NW2 1PE.”

    He further said “Fifth Schedule, Paragraph 3 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides the list of category of public officers who shall not maintain or operate a bank account in any country outside Nigeria and that list includes members if the National Assembly.”

    He said the action of Jibrin also contravenes Section 7 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act.

    He further States: “we have also obtained among many other Code of Conduct Bureau Assets Declaration Form of several other Nigerians. We are investigating that of Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin which he deposed to at the FCT High Court on 8th June, 2016.

    He said it was evident that Jibrin “set out to deceive the Code of Conduct Bureau and in the process made depositions he knew at the time of making than not to be true.

    “Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin owns at least five accounts with Barclays Bank alone with an Euro Account, Dollar Account, Mortgage Account, Reserve Account and International Account.

    “All the accounts are functional and he uses them all while still serving as a member of the House of Representatives and have not declared their existence to the relevant authorities. ”

    The NYCN in its demands called on: “The Speaker and the House to publicly investigate the fresh evidence of corruption and pass a resolution and declare the seat of Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin vacant so that INEC can conduct election into the Kiru/ Bebeji Federal Constituency for the good people of that constituency can have good and befitting representation.

    The group also called in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC to act in their petition in the issue.

    It also called “on the Chairman of Code of Conduct Bureau to immediately refer Hon. Jibrin to the Code of Conduct Tribunal for immediate trial and barring him from holding public office for life.”

    It further called on “The Hon. Attorney- General of the Federation to ensure there is prompt and adequate prosecution of Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin for perjury as his depositions in his Code of Conduct Bureau Asset Declaration Form is to his knowledge not true reflection of the facts known to him.”

  • Reps to FG: Reconstitute boards of agencies, parastatals now

    Reps to FG: Reconstitute boards of agencies, parastatals now

    The House of Representatives Wednesday urged the Federal Government to , as a matter of urgency, reconstitute the boards of agencies and parastatals so as to facilitate good governance in the country.

    The House also mandated its committee on Governmental Affairs to ensure implementation and report back to it within four weeks for further legislative action.

    The resolutions of the House followed a motion by a member, Hon. Abdullahi Umar Faruk with the title: “Urgent need to Re-constitute the Boards of Parastatals and Agencies in Order to hasten Good Governance,” which passed with majority votes on the floor.

    While moving the motion, Faruk noted that “Section 5 (1) (a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 vests executive powers of the Federation in the President which he can exercise either directly or through the Vice President and Ministers of the Government of the Federation or officers in the public service of the Federation

    “The Boards of Parastatals are saddled with the daunting task of setting out broad economic, financial, operational and administrative guidelines and targets for their various Agencies as well as managing policy issues, monitoring of institutional projects, programmes and ensuring that the parastatals’ mandates are realized.

    “President Muhammadu Buhari dissolved the Governing Boards of Government Agencies and Parastatals on July 16, 2015 and the Chief Executive Officers of the affected agencies/parastatals were directed to refer all matters requiring the attention of the Boards to the President, through the Permanent Secretaries, until the Boards are reconstituted.”

    The lawmaker said that the absence of the Boards of these Parastatals, including the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS), National Universities Commission (NUC), among others has created major challenges to the operations of the agencies since critical decisions that need the Board’s attention in the face of the current economic recession are left unattended to.

    “The continued failure to reconstitute the Boards poses great economic disservice to the nation and the directive for matters requiring the attention of the Boards to be referred to the President is unwieldy and will tend to over labour the President, thereby slowing the pace of the work of the parastatals,” the lawmaker said.

    Members like the Minority Leader of the House, Leo Ogor , Chairperson, House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Nnena Elendu- Ukeje, Edward Pwajok, Sadiq Ibrahim and Ogene Egoh, amongst others, supported the motion.

    When the Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara called for a vote, it was passed without dissent.

  • Budget padding: Jibrin challenges suspension in fresh suit

    Budget padding: Jibrin challenges suspension in fresh suit

    …Seeks N1bn compensation

    Former Chairman, Appropriation Committee of the House of Representatives, Abdulmumin Jibrin has challenged his suspension from participating in the House’s activities for 180 days.

    The legislator, who was recently suspended following his disagreement with the House’s leadership over alleged fraudulent conduct, including padding of the last national budget, is seeking N1billion damages against the defendants in a fresh suit he filed before the Federal High Court, Abuja.

    Jibrin, in the suit with House Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, Clerk and others as defendants, wants the court to declare among others, that his suspension amounted to a violation of his fundamental human right to freedom of expression.

    He equally wants a declaration that the resolution passed by the House, suspending him, was in breach of the provisions of Section 68 of the 1999 Constitution.

    Jibrin wants an order of injunction restraining the House from preventing him from participating in its activities, including those of its Committees, or accessing the legislative chambers to perform his legislative duties.

    He seeks an order for the award of N1 billion against the defendants as punitive and general damages for his unlawful suspension.

    Justice John Tsosho, to who the case is assigned, has fixed hearing for November 22.

    Meanwhile, Jibrin withdrew yesterday, an earlier suit he filed before before his suspension.

    He had sought to restrain the House of Reps and its leadership from giving effect to the threat to suspend him.

    Friday, Jibrin’s lawyer, Chukwuma Nwachukwu applied to withdraw the earlier case on the ground that it has been overtaken by event.

    Although defendants’ lawyer, Kalu Onuoha demanded for cost from the plaintiff, Justice Tsoho struck out the suit, but declined Onuoha’s request for cost.

  • Budget padding: Dogara, others should step down – lawmaker

    Budget padding: Dogara, others should step down – lawmaker

    The Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara as well as other principal officers of the House implicated in the budget padding scandal in the House have been advised to step down for proper investigation into the matter.

    Reacting to the issue, a lawmaker in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Moshood Oshun, who said that he could not reach any conclusion on the matter until the whole thing is made clearer, added that the matter should be handled with caution.

    “If we are saying that the Speaker should step down, other people that were accused with him should step down. I am not a member of the Federal House of Representatives, but if he steps down, what happens after that, will he be allowed to go back to the seat if he is innocent.

    “Many people were complaining, when President Muhammadu Buhari delayed in signing the 2016 budget, but if what is happening now is substantiated, that means he was right,” he said.

    Oshun stressed that one of the primary functions of the legislature is to approve budget by looking at the economy of the country and the available fund, adding that the legislators  need to know what the people want.

    The lawmaker said that it is not enough to say one wants to build a hospital, when what the people need is a school, saying that a legislative house has the right to either reduce the budget, leave it as it is or increase it depending on what they feel the people need.

    Oshun, who is representing Lagos Mainland 2 in the Assembly, said that there has been allegations and counter allegations over the issue, but that the people still need to wait to see the end of the matter.

    “Dogara said it did not happen and the former chairman of the appropriation committee, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin said that it was padded after it had been approved by the House. So, the whole thing has to be investigated.

    “Inviting the EFCC and ICPC to investigate the matter would reduce the power of the House because the House has the right to regulate itself.

    “The legislators have the right to reduce or increase the budget once they feel it is good for the benefit of the people.

    “If the House feels that a project, like a hospital is needed in Lagos Mainland for instance, we would approve it regardless of the contractor that would handle it. Where I have problem is when something is added after the budget has been passed by the House,” he said.

    The lawmaker explained that if the budget is debated on the floor of the House and members agreed, then there should be no problem about its content.

    He emphasised that it was not wrong for the House to have a team to discuss with the executive to work on the budget for the purpose of the people, for the interest of Nigerians.

    He said: “We don’t have to fight because we belong to different arms of government. What we should be interested in is to do things that would benefit the people. As legislators, we are representing the people.”

  • 2016 budget fallout: Reps Appropriation Chair, Abdulmumin resigns

    2016 budget fallout: Reps Appropriation Chair, Abdulmumin resigns

    …says: I did no wrong

    …..Replaced with Mustapha Dawaki

    The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin has resigned his position over the fallout of the 2016 budget appropriation.

    In a press briefing Wednesday, the lawmaker said he resigned after extensive consultations with his family members.

    Recall that in the wake of the passage of the 2016 budget, Jibrin was accused of allocating 20 projects worth N4.3 to himself without the consent of his committee members.

    A separate N40 billion worth of projects was also said to have been surreptitiously allocated to the leaderships of the Appropriations Committees of both chambers of the National Assembly which was allegedly shared without the consent or knowledge of other members.

    The budget was returned by the Executive for padding and had to be redone before President Muhammadu Buhari eventually assented to it sequel to a meeting of presidency with principal officers of the Senate and House of Representatives and the setting up of a 15-member harmonisation Committee to sort out grey areas.

    Members had called for the removal of Jibrin then as the Appropriation Committee Chair.

    But the lawmaker, who briefed in company of some members of his committee, said he has done no wrong in terms of the committee’s work on the 2016 budget. According to him, his resignation was a personal decision.

    Jibrin said his hands are clean, but promised to give details “of what transpired in the 2016 Appropriations”.

    The revelation, he said, “it was not to attack anybody but so that we can also learn collectively and see how we can move the system forward. But whether I like it or not, I was the Chairman of Appropriations and my signature was on all the documents even though I know that I am not at fault.

    “Of course we are all aware of a lot of issues that took place during the process of the 2016 budget. I have always maintained one position, that as the Chairman Appropriations, i did my very best. Until date, I have said that if anybody has anything that I have done that amounts to an abuse of my office, or amounts to an illegality, that it should be brought forward.

    “I’ve said it severally, that I can be reported to the authorities or the relevant arm of government, or the internal disciplinary measure of the House. Should take its course. And as it is until date, nobody has raised any issue against me.

    “And that has been the case even while I was Chairman Finance. For four years, I was chairman Finance and I executed my responsibility diligently and I left an unblemished record.”

    He said there were a lot of “obstacles here and there “during the 2016 budget appropriation.

    “Even if I’m not at fault, it’s only proper that I take the responsibility. I believe that the best thing I should do under the circumstances is to step aside so that the committee can move forward.”

    Earlier at plenary, the Speaker of the House, Hon. Yakubu Dogara had announced a replacement for Jibrin.

    Dogara said Jibrin has been replaced with Mustapha Dawaki Bala representing Kudu/Warawa federal constituency of Kano state.

    Dogara said: “He (Jibrin) met me and said he does not think he would continue as the committee chairman due to pressure of the work.”

    The Speaker therefore said the House leadership had taken a decision to replace him as the committee chairman.

    Jibrin who represents Bebeji/Kiru federal constituency of Kano State was the chairman of the committee on Finance in the 7th House of Representatives, and became the Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations in the 8th House under the leadership of Yakubu Dogara.

  • PIB to resolve all sensitive issues – Dogara

    PIB to resolve all sensitive issues – Dogara

    ….says Nigeria’s oil resources enriching elites

    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, Monday said no sensitive or contentious issue would be dodged as the National Assembly will engage stakeholders on contentious issues as it begins work on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).

    Dogara who spoke during the National Stakeholders Summit on Petroleum Industry Reforms organised by the House Committees on Petroleum in Abuja, said the legislature is determined to draft a law for the industry that will serve the best interest of Nigerians.

    His words:  “The need to make consensus and lend a voice to long suppressed agitations in the drafting and consideration of petroleum industry bills informed our decision to organise this stakeholders summit. We are optimistic that this approach will provide the crucial platform to enable us cross pollinate ideas and ventilate our positions on certain contentious issues, regardless how vexed they may be. You can rest assured that our work at the National Assembly is to do your good intention.

    “We are not unaware of the several failed attempts at redeeming the petroleum industry by our predecessors. The Petroleum Industry Bill has been down a long, tortuous, and chequered road. Most of us have been co-travelers on the journey to pass the bill into law, and have the requisite experience to avoid any pitfalls ahead, hence this resolve to seek proper consultations with you and build confidence amongst us.”

    The Speaker said a few elite Nigerians benefitting from the petroleum industry due to poor management adding that such issues will be addressed during the summit.

    “Nigeria is one of the richest petroleum regions of the world. Paradoxically, it has never been able to maximize effectively its immense oil and gas potentials and the revenue accruing from it. The downstream operates in a state of almost continuous malfunction, and for years has been characterised by comatose refineries and an inefficient downstream.

    “It operates under an inadequate legal framework, with an inefficient and poorly maintained pipeline network and depot system. The result is that Nigeria is both one of the world’s largest producers of crude oil, and one of the world’s leading importers of petroleum products, a dependency that has enriched the elite at the expense of the increasingly impoverished masses.

    “The downstream runs on a system of subsidies until recently and uniform pricing which has proved ineffective, in addition to being administered in a very opaque way. Shortages and inadequate supply have characterized the Nigerian downstream for over two decades and can be described as an example of system failure,” Dogara said.

    He lamented that the upstream has not fared better with issues like pipeline vandalism, large-scale environmental degradation, and the world’s highest levels of crude oil theft which he noted had been constants for several years.

    “Decades after the advent of Nigeria’s petroleum industry, problems which led to host community agitation remain unaddressed and highly politicized, and the question of the extent to which revenues from the industry should be shared among the three tiers of government and the people remain, as do the content and limits of corporate social responsibility. These are all crucial issues that should be addressed to guarantee and ensure a stable polity in Nigeria.

    “These examples represent just a few of the present problems of Nigeria’s petroleum industry, and are reflective of an industry that is in critical need of total restructuring, which can only be commenced through the enactment of laws that provide the legal framework that will promote the emergence of an optimal petroleum industry, ” he said.

    The Speaker noted that a defective or inadequate legislation is similar to building a house on a shaky foundation with the expectation that it will stand nonetheless.

    “We cannot afford to continue with such faulty expectations,” he said.

    Dogara said over the years, Nigeria has performed much worse than sub-Saharan Africa as a whole and much worse than other regions of the developing world in terms of human development indicators.

    He said the situation is so bad that Nigeria is regarded as a poster child for ‘how not to run a petroleum industry, adding that good laws would be enacted for the industry by the National Assembly.

  • Dogara insists on NSE listing of companies operating in Nigeria

    Dogara insists on NSE listing of companies operating in Nigeria

    In order to deepen and make the Capital Market progress, key players in the Nigerian economy must list their businesses on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has said.

    Dogara made the remark while receiving members of the Capital Market Master Plan Inplementation Council in his office.

    The House of Representatives, he said, is willing to provide all necessary support, through legislations, incentives and any other instruments to compel all major companies in the country get listed on NSE.

    His words: “One of the deepest issues that we have to address is that of value that is being created and completely taken away by corporations. In other words, in some jurisdictions, they refer to it as corporate greed; where many companies are generating value investing in Nigeria, reaping profits but you find out that nine people will sit and just share billions of profit. I’m not exaggerating, it is happening right now in Nigeria and I am glad you listed one of them.

    “But by listing in the Nigerian Stock Exchange, it even helps in the income improvement of the ordinary citizen because they can invest in that company and whatever profits the company makes goes round and that reflects on the economy. But that is not what is happening.”

    The Speaker, however applauded the council for being focused and having a vision and plan for moving the Nigerian Stock Market ahead, adding that if democracy cannot deliver on the goods to Nigerians, then democracy is on trial.

    He further urged the council to look into tightening the regulatory power of Securities and Exchange Commission to ensure that manipulators of the NSE are properly sanctioned as a deterrent to future misdeeds, and to restore investors’ confidence in the market.

    Dogara said there is a need to define timelines for achieving set objectives in revamping the sector, while explaining that that is the only way to ensure that the whole process does not become another talk shop.

    Mr Olutola Mobolurin, head of the council, in an earlier remark urged the Speaker and the House to partner with the council to rebuild the NSE in order to grow the economy and diversify it.

    Mobolurin said the roles of the Investment and Securities Tribunal, should be defined by law, and sought an amendment to the law with regards to mutualisation of NSE, and clear legislation on unclaimed dividends, crowd funding, price stability in Commodities Market,  Trustees Act and the Housing sector through mortgage bank securities.