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Tag: House leader

  • Reps adopt 2018-2020 MTEF document

    Reps adopt 2018-2020 MTEF document

    The House of Representatives was in total agreement with the Executive on the set parameters in the 2018-2020 Medium Term Expenditure Framework ( MTEF ) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP).

    This was despite an attempt by Betty Apiafi (PDP, Rivers), to divert attention towards the status of recovered looted fund in funding the 2018 budget.

    Though the House Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila reminded the House that the consideration was about MTEF report, the Chairman Committee of Supply, Speaker Yakubu Dogara nonetheless said it has become necessary for the House to investigate the state of independent revenue of government.

    “It is safe to say the 2018 budget will not be funded by recovered looted funds but it is necessary to investigate the independent revenue of government by way of a motion,” he said.

    The consideration went on and the report was adopted without a dissenting voice.

    Before the consideration and rhe adoption of the report of the Committees on Finance, Appropriations, Aids, Loans and Debt Management, Legislative Budget and Research and National Planning and Economic Development on the 2018-2020 MTEF and FSP, the  2018 Appropriation Bill  had scaled second reading on the floor of the lower House without a dissenting voice.

    Following the referral of the document to the joint Committee last week, in his opening remarks Ibrahim Babangida (APC, Katsina) said the Committees took cognizance of the economic realities on ground in relation to global events.

    In consideration of the recommendations, the House resolved that benchmark for crude oil production of  2.3 million barrels per day be retained as proposed by the Executive for the 2018 Budget.

    The House however reviewed upward from $45 per barrel to $47 per barrel as the benchmark for the fiscal year 2018. “This is in consideration of the current positive outlook in the global oil market and expectation that OPEC and other allied oil partnership countries will sustain oil production “cuts deep” into 2018,” Babangida said.

    The ₦305/US Dollar as proposed by the executive for the 2018 Budget was  adopted. Babagida explained that,  “It is also advised that CBN should adopt measures to close the gap between the parallel market and the official exchange rate”.

    The House also adopted projected ₦5.279 trillion for non-oil revenue in 2018, “In addition, revenue generating agencies should intensify efforts on collections and measures that would reduce revenue loss. Specifically, Pioneer status and Tax incentives must be beneficial to the economy,” Babagida said.

    The ₦1.699 trillion new borrowing for 2018 as proposed by the Executive was also adopted. “However, borrowing must be project-tied. In borrowing more, government must remain focused and ensure it is used to fund critical projects that will increase productivity and contribute to financing such debt,” Babangida said.

    The House also adopted the recommendation that a 3.5 percent  growth rate be adopted, especially with the latest figures indicating a doubling of growth rate to 1.4 percent  in third quarter, 2017.

    Furthermore, the National Assembly was also directed to amend the relevant Sections of the Fiscal Responsibility Act and other extant laws.

    The House also approved the$350m borrowing plan for the Kaduna bye pass after being presented by Chairman, Committee on Aids, Loans and Debt Management, Ajayi Adeyinka.

    The borrowing plan was presented to the House though President Muhammadu Buhari.

  • 2018 budget: Reps bicker; conclude debate on MTEF/FSP

    2018 budget: Reps bicker; conclude debate on MTEF/FSP

    The House of Representatives Wednesday passed the 2018-2020 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) through second reading after a contentious debate.

    The document was referred to the Committees on Finance, Appropriation, National Planning and Economic Development, Legislative Budget and Research and Aids, Loans and Debt Management to scrutinize and make recommendations to the House.

    The passage of the document paved the way to begin consideration of the 2018 budget on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday next week.

    Recall that President Muhamadu Buhari on Tuesday, 17th October, 2017 had forwarded a request to the Green Chamber for the approval of the 2018-2020 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and the Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP).

    Some of the key assumptions in the document is the production of crude oil at 2.3million barrels per day, oil price benchmark at $45 per barrel, while exchange rate is pegged at N305/$1 and GDP growth rate at 3.5 percent (revised)

    However the debate experienced hiccups as members of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP in the House insisted that it is procedurally wrong to debate the MTEF against the backdrop of the provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA).

    Members like Betty Apiafi (PDP Rivers) Nnena Elendu- Ukeje ( PDP Abia), Daniel Renejue ( PDP Delta),  Yakubu  Barde ( PDP Kaduna) , Dan Asuquo ( PDP Cross River) were of the opinion that a bad precedence would be set if the House goes ahead to debate the MTEF/ FSP as it did not come three months before the budget as required by the Fiscal Responsibility Act.

    Hardly had the House Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila commenced the presentation of his argument on the document than Hon. Betty Apiafi ( PDP Rivers) took the floor through a point of order.

    According to her, it was essential to do the right thing lest Nigerians misconstrue the motives of the legislature. She said the MTEF should precede the consideration of the budget and is supposed to be accompanied with macro- economic framework for the next three years.

    She wondered how the House would make necessary adjustments since that have allowed the executive to err procedurally.

    The other PDP members backed Apiafi’s position and held their ground until the House Leader made an appeal to them to allow the passage.

    Deputy Speaker Yussuff Lasun also made several interventions by appealing to members to allow the document pass. According to him, the House still has the power to change the assumptions to reflect the realities of the time and the wishes of the people.

    He said: “The MTEF is a paper that contains key assumptions open to debate, including benchmark, deficit, revenue projections…it is not cast in stone. Wether it is four months or now, no process has been circumvented.”

    Gbajabiamila while moving for the consideration of the document said:” Section 11(2) of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007 provides that the Medium Term Expenditure Expenditure Framework ( MTEF) shall be considered for approval with such modifications, if any, as the National Assembly finds appropriate by a resolution  of each House of the National Assembly.”

    He said Section 11(3) of the same Act, “provides that the MTEF shall contain, among other things, a macro- economic framework setting out the macro-economic projections for the next three financial years, the underlying assumptions for these projections and an evaluation and analysis of the macro- economic projections for the preceding three financial years.”

    Lasun however said the leadership of the National Assembly has been in a series of meetings with the Executive in a bid to ensure the expeditious passage of the .2018 budget.

    He revealed that the two arms of government had met on Monday, Tuesday and would possibly meet today Wednesday  to smoothen grounds for a seamless passage of the appropriation bill.

     

     

  • Reps move to decongest prisons

    Reps move to decongest prisons

    • Pass Criminal Justice Act Amendment

    A reprieve may be in the offing for people who are awaiting trial in prisons across the country following the Wednesday consideration for the bill on Criminal Justice Act Amendment at the House of Representatives.

    This is as Lawmakers expressed support for the bill that strengthens the Criminal Justice system as it went through consideration at the committee in the Whole.

    The bill which amends the Criminal Justice (Release from custody) (Special Provisions) Act, Cap. C40, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, with the view to decongest and reduce the number of pretrial inmates in Nigerian prisons and for other related matters was co-sponsored by Nicholas Ossai and Ochiglegor Idagor.

    It seeks to “order the release of a person detained in custody pending trial where the prosecution fails to commence after the person had spent one-third of the maximum sentence prescribed for the offence.”

    Figures released by the United Nation’s Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in August 2016, states that  out the 63,000 inmates spread across 240 prisons in the country, 17,897 are convicted while 45,263 are awaiting trial.

    Idagor while arguing for a positive consideration of the bill said its “embarrassing and worrisome State of Nigerian prisons, where over 70% of inmates are awaiting trial, has made it imperative for us to apply extra LegislativeBudget measures to decongest our prisons and further strengthen the criminal justice system.”

    He further states: “Our society is one in which innocence until proven guilty has been thrown into the wind, as Nigerians are made to spend months and years in incarceration even without being proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.

    “We can no longer continue living in the dark age where  people’s rights are constantly abused while the government stands aside and watch. We all know that in the 240 prisons spread across Nigeria, the innocent who were wrongly accused, wrongly detained and are awaiting trial constitute 70% of the Nigerian prison population.

    “It has also been revelead that 95% of riots, escapes and jail breaks are perpetuated by this category of inmates.”

    The lawmaker stated that the bill seeks to cure the age long problem of awaiting trial persons languishing in various prisons as well as saddle an awaiting trial perons with powers to apply to a Judge within the judicial district for unconditional release from custody.

    This he said is especially in a situation where the person has been in custody for a period longer than the maximum period of imprisonment which he could have served had he been convicted of the offence in respect of which he was detained in the execution of a court or Tribunal duly constituted by law.

    According to him, the Judge on receipt of the application will summarily release the inmate if satisfied that the person has been in custody longer than the maximum period the person would have served had he been convicted.

    The lawmaker states that the bill is beneficial in the sense that there is reduction in monetary expenses spent on feeding and upkeep of inmates across the country, reduction of Staff workload and stress, manageability of prisons/improved prison regime, reduction in prison overcrowding rate, improved sanitary and living conditions in prison and reduction of lack of discipline, disturbances and aggression in prison.

    He said the passage of the bill into law will help in reducing unnecessary violation of individual’s right to liberty, prevention of the negative effects of incarceration such as psychological stress to the prison, financial, psychological and social stress faced by the  families, opportunity for better preparation of their cases and prevention of criminal socialisation of those innocent by the more serious and sophisticated offenders.

    However, an observation by the House Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, that it requires amendment of section 35 of the 1999 Constitution to run the bill through, made the Deputy Speaker, Yusuf Lasun who presided to referred it to the House Committee on Rules and Business for further advise.

  • Gbajabiamila is House Leader

    Gbajabiamila is House Leader

    •Dogara bows to Buhari, APC

    Party supremacy advocates yesterday carried the day, with Femi Gbajabiamila becoming the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives.

    The sharing of offices in the House had be contentious. It all ended peacefully as Speaker Yakubu Dogara announced Gbajabiamila the Majority Leader – in deference to President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress(APC).

    Dogara, by accepting the party’s list, opted for peace than a prolonged crisis in the House.

    But, instead of riding his colleagues roughshod, Dogara allowed the caucuses of the APC to have input in the choice of principal officers.

    The horse-trading ran late into the wee hours of yesterday but all the factions accepted to bury the hatchets in the interest of the party’s success.

    Six factors accounted for the resolution of the crisis in the House, The Nation learnt.

    A member of the House listed the factors as follows:

    • the Buhari 20-minute intervention on Monday night;
    • follow-up intervention by the party leadership after the session with Buhari;
    • Dogara’s design of a consensus formula;
    • the need to compensate Gbajabiamila for his role as opposition leader in the House for eight years and in  making APC a reality;
    • Reps were crisis-weary; and
    • the need to save the nation’s democracy because the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was trying to capitalise on the crisis to derail Buhari’s administration.

    The source said: “Dogara and APC members were moved by Buhari’s 20-minute appeal. We saw a President who was wearied that we were not united and Dogara seized the moment. He abandoned all prejudices to put the nation and the survival of APC first.

    “I think Dogara has tremendous respect for Buhari and he decided to be his own man to defer to the President and APC. He kept on asking, without the party, would I have been here? What is so difficult that we cannot resolve?

    “That meeting at the Presidential Villa changed the mood of the warring factions in the House.”

    It was also gathered that Dogara was moved by the APC Chairman John Odidie-Oyegun and APC Follow-up Committee. He could not fathom why the elderly ones were begging him, it was learnt.

    According to sources, shortly after the session between Buhari and APC members in the House on Monday, the party raised a four-man ad hoc committee to follow up on the President’s mandate –  that the party’s stand must prevail.

    Members of the committee are Odigie-Oyegun, the National Secretary, Mai Mala Buni, the National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and the National Vice-Chairman, Northeast, Mr. B.B. Lawal.

    A source in the committee said: “We had a meeting with the Speaker and Deputy Speaker Lasun Yusuf. We also had a separate session with Femi Gbajabiamila.

    “The atmosphere was somber and the two groups agreed to harmonise their positions. They said we should allow the zonal caucuses to elect their leaders.

    “They all respected the meeting we had with the President on party supremacy. They said for Buhari to intervene, the crisis was getting out of hand.”

    The party source added: “There was intense horse-trading till the wee hours of Tuesday morning when the factions in the House agreed to move forward.

    “There were signs too that members of APC in the House were tired of the crisis. They saw the signs that the PDP was already capitalising on the gridlock to cripple the administration of Buhari.

    “They noticed that at the rate the crisis was going, it could derail the nation’s democracy. So, wise counsel prevailed and members chose to sheathe their swords.”

    The National Secretary of APC told our correspondent that the APC committee brokered truce among its members in the House. “It is a welcome development. We are impressed that they respected the party and affirmed the supremacy of the party,” he said, adding:

    “This has confirmed that we are one family. It is a clear manifestation that we can unite for the sake of the nation.

    “The case of the Senate will be addressed; it would soon be sorted out. We are equally expecting them to respect the position of the party as well.”

    The Chairman of the House Ad-hoc Committee on Information, Mallam Sanni Zorro, who spoke last night with our correspondent, said: “It was the triumph of democracy, the House is the winner. The House has demonstrated political maturity because politics is about give-and-take.

    “President Buhari is not only a leader but a game changer. Since 1999, past Presidents had always installed the leaders of the National Assembly but President Buhari decided not to interfere.

    “There was pressure on him to interfere but he refused. It was only when the crisis got to a critical stage that he intervened. Yet, he did not impose his will. The party also did not use force.”

    Zorro praised the Speaker for championing peace in the House.

    He added: “To resolve the crisis, Dogara came up with a final consensus formula which took into consideration the interest of critical stakeholders including the nation, the presidency, regional politics, zoning and all those things that divided members.

    “It is a win-win situation. There was no winner, no loser. With the crisis amicably resolved, the House is now open for business, legislative activities and engagement with public, private and non-governmental actors.”

     

  • Reps head for court as Dogara okays Doguwa as House Leader

    Reps head for court as Dogara okays Doguwa as House Leader

    There seems to be no end in sight in the battle for the post of principal officers in the House of Representatives, as members of the  Dogara Group, under the Consolidation Group,  yesterday named their choices for principal officers.

    The announcement coincided with the revelation that two members of the House have filed a suit against Speaker Yakubu Dogara.

    The members, Hon Abubakar Lado Abdullahi (APC, Niger) and Hon. Olajide Abdul Jimoh (APC, Lagos),  filed the suit at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

    They prayed the court to grant an order retraining the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; Deputy Speaker, Lasun Yusuf; Clerk of the House, Sani Muhammed Omolori from preventing the announcement of the list of principal officers forwarded by the APC to the Speaker as representatives of the party on the Body of Principal Officers of the House.

    The Nation learnt that all the defendants have been served a copy of the originating summons as at Thursday last week.

    The APC lawmakers in the Originating Summon asked the court to determine whether Section 14 of the Nigerian constitution (as amended) on federal character applies to the internal workings of the National Assembly and, in particular, the House of Representatives, particularly with respect to the appointment of principal officers and especially the positions of Majority Leader, Deputy Majority Leader, Majority Chief Whip, and Majority Deputy Chief Whip.

    The Dogare group, in a statement  yesterday, adopted Alhassan Ado Doguwa from the Northwest as House Leader, Buba Jibrin from the Northcentral as Deputy House Leader, Pally Iriase from the Southsouth as Chief Whip and Chika Okafor, from the Southeast, as Deputy Chief Whip.

    The group, in the statement signed by Abdulmumin Jibrin, said:  “Heavens will not fall if Gbajabiamila is not made House Leader.

    “Consequently, we, the Consolidation Group, have adopted Alhassan Ado Doguwa from Northwest as House Leader, Buba Jibrin from Northcentral as Deputy House Leader, Pally Iriase from Southsouth as Chief Whip and Chika Okafor from Southeast as Deputy Chief Whip.

    “ We, therefore, call on our supporters to intensify lobbying at the zonal caucuses to ensure that these members emerge to assume the positions. Kindly note that Alhassan Doguwa is head of the Gbajabiamila’s Group while Pally Iriase was in the race for Speaker but stepped down for Gbajabiamila and assumed an prominent role in the Gbajabiamila’s Group.

    The group called on the party to disregard the letter purportedly written by the Gbajabiamila Group, “which we know contemptuously emanated from the duo of Gbajabiamila and ]Falake without consultation with the APC caucus in the House, many of whom are support Dogara, his peace efforts and proposal for distribution of principal officers.”

     

  • Rivers House Leader in court

    Rivers House Leader in court

    Detained Rivers State House of Assembly Majority Leader Chidi Lloyd was in court yesterday, but his plea was not taken. A six- count charge is preferred against Lloyds by the Commissioner of Police (CP), Mbu Joseph Mbu, for his alleged role in last month’s fracas at the Assembly.

    Lloyd, a three-time lawmaker representing Emuoha Local Government Area, is being held by the police for allegedly using a fake mace smuggled into the chambers by five-anti-Amaechi lawmakers to hit Micheal Chinda.

    His lawyer, Beluolisa Nwofor (SAN), earlier yesterday, queried the right of Donald DENwigwe, a private lawyer, to appear in a criminal charge by the police without a fiat from the Attorney-General of the state (A-GS). He urged the court to erase him from the list of counsel to prosecute the matter, unless he produces the document before the court.

    DENwigwe said the matter was not initiated by the A-GS but the CP and does not require his production of an authority from the A-GS to appear. He insisted that the court should rule on the application on the jurisdiction of the prosecution before the plea could be taken.

    The A-Gs, Nworgu Boms, at a point invoked the powers conferred on him by Section 211(1)(b) of the Constitution to take over the prosecution, saying that he was acting with the sense of public duty and law.

    DENwigwe said his announcement to take over the prosecution was premature. He insisted that until the accused person was duly arraigned before the court, there was yet nothing for the A-GS to take over.

    “The issue is that whether or not there is a criminal proceeding before the court. Until plea is taken, there is still nothing for the A-GS to take over,” he stressed.

    Justice L.L.Nyordee will rule on August 6 on the two issues.

    Justice Nyordee said: “Going by the foregoing, plea cannot be taken, and the court cannot make any order on the custody of the accused person. The case is adjourned till August 6 for ruling.”

    A six-count charge of conspiracy, attempted murder, assault and malicious damage was filed against Lloyd before Justice L.L.Nyordee of the State High Court 5, sitting in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

    The matter was earlier scheduled for Tuesday, but the police failed to produce the lawmaker in court. They were not also in court to prosecute the matter.

    Justice Nyordee adjourned the matter till yesterday, for plea. He ordered that fresh hearing notices be served on the police to produce Lloyd in court and also to prosecute the matter.

    DENwigwe led seven other lawyers, including Commissioner of Police (CP) Ekechukwu Nwodibo and J.C.A Ideachaba, a Superintendent of Police (SP) from the Force Headquarters, Abuja, for the prosecution.

    Shortly after appearances had been taken, Nwofor raised a preliminary objection against DENwigwe’s appearance to prosecute a criminal charge for the police without a fiat, being a private legal practitioner.

    Nwofor urged the court to expunge his name and several other lawyers’ who are not police officers but announced their appearance in the case, insisting that their appearance negates the provision of law.

    “I object to DENwigwe’s appearance for prosecution. He is not a police officer, but a private practitioner. The law requires that for a private practitioner to appear in a criminal charge by the Commissioner of Police, he should tender a fiat, from the Attorney-General of the state.

    “I urge the court to expunge the appearance of all the lawyers announced by the SAN, except J.C.A. Ideachaba, a Superintendent of Police (SP), who filed the information; all other appearances are incompetent.

    “This is a criminal matter and not a civil case and not also a private prosecution initiated.”

    DENwigwe said the charge was not initiated by the Attorney-General of the state (A-GS), but the Commissioner of Police (CP), Appearance does not require an approval/ authority from the state Attorney-General, he said, urging the court to over-rule Nwofor’s objection.

  • House leader charges women on cooperation

    Majority leader of the House of Representatives, Hon Mulikat Akande-Adeola has urged Nigerian women to unite and act as one to enable them take their rightful position in the scheme of things in the country.

    According to her, having proved their mettle worldwide, Nigerian women stand to gain a lot if they stick together and help themselves in getting to the top.

    Akande-Adeola while speaking to a delegation of 2012 Gazelles/Total Women Initiative for Communication and Exchange who came on a courtesy visit to her office at the weekend, she debunked the notion that women naturally bicker amongst themselves, adding that from experience, women need to hoist other women along for them to be comfortable and operate optimally as they climb their career ladder.

    She said: “I make bold to say that women and indeed Nigeria stand to gain a lot if women in this country take their destinies in their hands, rally round each other and offer a hand of fellowship to themselves especially in individual and collective advancement.”

    She lauded the Gazelles as good ambassadors of the country at an endurance competition recently held in Morocco, adding that their participation in the  event showed exemplary bravery on their part.