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Tag: James Manager

  • Senate probes Kachikwu over alleged oil/ gas sector deals

    The Senate on Wednesday asked its Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream) to investigate alleged irregularities in the oil and gas sector lease renewal.

    The upper chamber said that the oil and gas lease renewal being undertaken by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu and the Department of Petroleum Resources, has led to massive loss of government revenue.

    It said that the Committee should particularly submit its findings within four weeks as well as and identify appropriate measures to correct the alleged anomalies.

    The resolution followed the consideration of a motion entitled, “Irregularities in the ongoing Oil and Gas lease renewal and massive loss of government revenue,” sponsored by Senator Omotayo Alasoadura ( Ondo Central) and co-sponsored by senators Baba Kaka Bashir Garbai (Borno Central), James Manager (Delta South) and Gershom Bassey (Cross River South).

    Senator Alasoadura in his lead debate noted that the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources Upstream had since December 2017 been inundated with a plethora of petitions and complaints and had observed that there were multiplicity of irregularities surrounding the ongoing renewal of oil and gas leases being undertaken by the Minister of State for Petroleum and Department of Petroleum Resources.

    The Ondo central lawmaker alleged that the Minister of State for Petroleum was “granting all manner of illegal discounts and rebates in the process of the ongoing renewal of the leases.”

    Read Also: How OPEC lifted oil sector, by Kachikwu

    He expressed worry that the action of Kachikwu was capable of short-changing the country and denying the Federation the appropriate revenue accruable from the renewal of the said leases.

    Alasoadura further said that the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and the Department of Petroleum Resources were proceeding to renew leases of companies that had “brazenly and illegally refused to pay royalties due to government from oil and gas lifted by the said companies in contravention of extant laws.”

    He observed that “under the provision of extant laws, failure to pay royalties is a ground for revocation of leases and a legal barrier to renewal of applicable leases.”

    He noted that there was a subsisting legal framework and due process mandated by extant law for the renewal of leases that were due for renewal.

    The All Progressives Congress lawmaker accused the minister and the Department of Petroleum Resources of having “deliberately, willfully and brazenly decided to depart from the subsisting legal framework and due process mandated by extant law for the renewal of all leases.”

    The alleged irregularities being perpetrated by the minister and the Department of Petroleum Resources in the lease renewal process, he said, was capable of denying government revenue in excess of $10 billion as a result of illegal discounts and rebates in the process of lease renewal

    He also alleged that the Department of Petroleum Resources “willfully and deliberately refused to provide the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources Upstream with relevant information and data related to the ongoing lease renewal.”

    He insisted that “there was need to thoroughly investigate the ongoing lease renewal being undertaken by the Minister of State for Petroleum and the Department of Petroleum Resources, in view of the potential alarming impact this would have on government in terms of loss of revenue accruable to the federation.”

    Other senators who contributed to the motion supported the prayer that the Senate should empower the committee to investigation the allegations with a view to finding out the truth about them.

     

  • Senate inaugurates reconciliation committee

    The Senate on Thursday inaugurated a 12-member reconciliation committee to address issues affecting the smooth running of the upper chamber.

    The committee which has two Senators from each geopolitical zone was inaugurated by Senate Leader, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume.

    Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, had on Wednesday named “12 wise men” charged with the responsibility to reconcile Senators in order to move the Red Chamber forward.

    Senator Godswill Akpabio and Senator James Manager were named to represent South –south, Senators Sani Yerima and Senator Suleiman Hunkunyi were chosen for the North West and Senator Bukar Abba Ibrahim and Senator Joshua Lidani were picked from the North East.

    The South East has Senator Sam Egwu and Senator Hope Uzodinma, Senator Barnabas Gemade and Senator Abdullahi Adamu were named for the North Central and for South West, Senator Monsurat Sunmonu and Senator Gbenga Ashafa were picked.

    While inaugurating the committee, Ndume said that they resolved to pick two Senators each from the six geo-political zones to address issues confronting the Senate.

    The Senate leader said he was charged with the responsibility of inaugurating the committee.

  • Court refuses to restrain Saraki on choice of Minority Leader

    Court refuses to restrain Saraki on choice of Minority Leader

    Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday refused to restrain the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki and 17 others from departing from the Senate’s standing rules in the appointment of Minority Leader for the 8th National Assembly.

    Two members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – Alaye Don Pedro (Ward 8 Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State) and Okechukwu Ibeh of Umukegwu/Umuopia in Ide Ato Local Government Area of Imo State – had, in an ex-parte motion sought to restrain Saraki and 17 members of the PDP South -South Senate Caucus from choosing the Minority Leader outside the provision of Order 3(2) of the Senate Standing Order 2015 (as amended).

    The plaintiffs are contending that the alleged plot by some individuals to make former Akwa Ibom State governor, Godwill Akpabio (a first term Senator) the Senate’s Minority leader, was in violation of Order 3(2) of the Senate Standing Order 2015 (as amended).

    Named with Saraki as respondents, in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/602/2005 are – Akpabio, Nelson Effiong, Bassey Albert, Emmanuel Paulker, Ogola Foster, Ben Murray Bruce, John Owan Enoh, Gershom Bassey, Rose Oko, James Manager, Peter Nwaoboshi, Ighoyota Amori, Clifford Ordia, Mathew Urhoghide, George Thomson Sekibo, Olaka Nwogu and Osinachukwu Ideozu.

    Justice Kolawole in his ruling refused the plaintiffs’ prayer for “an order restraining the 2nd to 18 respondents from selecting or appointing the Minority Leader of the Senate by a procedure in breach of Order 3(2) of the Senate Standing Order 2015 (as amended) pending the determination of the substantive suit.”

    The judge also refused their request for an “order prohibiting the 1st respondent from accepting, recognising, announcing or giving effect to the appointment of a Minority Leader of the Senate, whose appointment is in breach of Order 3(2) of the Senate Standing Orders 2015 (as amended) pending the determination of the substantive suit.”

    Justice Kolawole, who noted that the plaintiffs were neither members of the Senate nor contestants for the position of Minority Leader, said he could not grant their prayers because they failed to establish the interest they sought to protect.

  • Abducted students: Senate raises committee to meet Jonathan

    Abducted students: Senate raises committee to meet Jonathan

    The Senate has constituted a 22-man committee to meet President Goodluck Jonathan over the abducted 234 female students in Borno State.
    Senate President, David Mark, would lead 21 other Senators to the meeting with the President.
    The Senate had on Tuesday unanimously resolved to send a delegation to the President over the lingering Boko Haram insurgency in the country, especially the abduction of 234 Senior Secondary School students of the Federal Government Girls College, Chibok in Borno State.
    Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi, representing Ekiti North had during a debate on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday suggested that a delegation of the upper chamber meet with the President over the worrisome situation.
    Mark, on Wednesday announced the names of 21 Senators who will accompany him on the mission to the President.
    The meeting is expected to take place at the Aso Rock Villa on WWednesday night.
    The listed lawmakers include those from the troubled states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe and they are Senators Boluwaji Kunlere, Babafemi Ojudu, Zainab Kure, Alkali Jajere, James Manager, Helen Esuene, Chris Anyanwu, Ali Ndume, Ahmed Zannah, Mai’na Ma’aji Lawan, Nenadi Usman, Mohammed Magoro, and Emmanuel Bwacha.
    Others are – Ahmed Lawan, , Barnabas Gemade, Sola Adeyeye, Bindowo Jibrilla, Ehigie Uzamere, Bello Tukur, Bukar Abba Ibrahim, and Eyinnaya Abaribe.
    Mark while announcing the list said: “You will all recalled that we agreed to a suggestion by one of the distinguished Senators during our debate on the motion on the abducted girls on Tuesday that a delegation of the Senate should meet with Mr. President on the issue.
    “I have called the President (Goodluck Jonathan), on phone and he said we should come by 10pm on Wednesday night. I will suggest that those concerned should come to my residence so that we can go to the villa in a bus or two.”
    It was gathered that the parley would enable the executive and the legislature, exchange ideas on how best to rescue the abducted school girls out of the hands of their abductors and reunite them with their parents.