The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Lawmaker

  • Edo Speaker, lawmaker worried

    Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly Uyi Igbe has criticised the areas listed for amendment in the constitution.

    Igbe said he was sad that areas such as devolution of powers and true federalism were left out.

    He spoke to reporters after attending the Public Session on the Review of the 1999 Constitution at Oredo Federal Constituency.

    Majority Leader Phillip Shuaibu said the review of the constitution should have included decentralisation of powers .

    Shuaibu said items left with the Federal Government were too much for it to handle

     

  • Oyo lawmaker, Nigerian Compass MD, policeman shot by robbers

    Oyo lawmaker, Nigerian Compass MD, policeman shot by robbers

    A  member of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Mr. Bamidele Ojo; the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of the Nigerian Compass, Mr. Adesina Kawonise and a policeman have been shot by gunmen.

    Ojo, who represents Ibadan South East II on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was attacked by suspected armed robbers in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Sunday morning.

    His Toyota Avensis car was snatched by the gunmen.

    Ojo is recuperating at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.

    Yesterday, a source at the hospital said some bullets were extracted from the lawmaker during surgery.

    The source said Ojo would undergo another surgery soon.

    Commissioner of Police Joseph Mbu assured Governor Abiola Ajimobi on Monday that the joint security outfit code-named “Operation Burst” would tighten security.

    Kawonise and the policeman were attacked by gunmen on Monday night on the Akure-Ilesha highway.

    In a statement, a Director at the Nigerian Compass, Mr. Biodun Oduwole, said Kawonise was returning from Awka, Anambra State, where he delivered the Keynote Address at the 17th Annual Conference of the Nigerian Anthropological and Sociological Association and received the association’s Distinguished Sociologist Award.

    The statement reads: “Kawonise was in a convoy of two vehicles, when the vehicle he was travelling in was ambushed at the Ikeji-Arakeji Junction, shortly after Akure, at about 8:30pm.

    “The gunmen shot at the two vehicles. Kawonise and the policeman, who was seated in front beside the driver, were hit. They were rushed to a private hospital and the policeman was transferred to the Wesley Guild Hospital in Ilesha for surgery.

    “Kawonise was transferred to the University College Hospital, Ibadan, this morning. He has undergone surgery and he is stable.

    “We do not know the motive of the attackers, but Kawonise recently received threats from unknown persons on the Internet.”

     

  • Lawmaker helps constituency

    Lawmaker helps constituency

    The people of Idemili North and South Federal Coonstituency in Anambra State have received a boost as their representative in the House of Representatives, Hon. Chiwendu Odedo, gave them vehicles, motorcycles and other items.

    With songs of praise and thanksgiving, the beneficiaries of the scheme in their hundreds prayed for the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) lawmaker who they described as a God sent to liberate them from poverty.

    They acknowledged that Odedo has since 2007 that he joined the lower chamber of the National Assembly, embarked on poverty alleviation schemes, although none has been as massive as the current one as no fewer than 100 vehicles including L300 buses and Toyota Camry, as well as Daylong motorcycles, sewing and grinding machines among other gift items were given to the people for their financial independence.

    Odedo who said he dumped the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) because of the poor leadership style, commended his people for entrusting confidence in him.

    He said: “I was motivated to embark on this poverty alleviation programme because of the role my people played during my election and re-election to the National Assembly. I promised to adequately represent your interest if elected into the Assembly and I will not relent in doing so.

    “I believe in human empowerment because it is more important than any

    other thing. If we as leaders give the people reasons to believe in this country by ensuring their financial independence, then a bulk of their security challenges we witness will drastically reduce.

    “Nigeria is decaying, the roads are bad, and the hospitals are not working fine. The most terrible thing to lose is the mind. So I believe that people should be empowered alongside with the development of the infrastructure, in terms of education, in terms of training them, helping them with jobs, assisting them with cash to expand their businesses and other means that would alleviate poverty in their lives.

    “I was assisting my people even before I joined politics and I always feel relief each time I notice that my small contribution has added life to the family that got it because by empowering that person, if he or she is diligent, then the multiplier effect will rob off on his or her relations.

    “So the benefit of human empowerment is what I have seen even before I joined politics and decided to stick with it. That is why I do empowerment programmes on yearly basis. I am happy that most of the people who have benefitted from the programme are feeding their families and even their extended families.”

    Odedo who attributed the lack of efficient power supply as the major cause of unemployment in the country said many people would have established small enterprises but for the lack of electricity.

    “That is why when I empower hair dressers, tailors, and even woman who grind food stuffs in the market, I usually include small generators for them. I support the view of most Nigerians that stable electricity was necessary for entrepreneurship to strive in the country.”

    While acknowledging that government alone cannot take Nigeria to the Promised Land, Odedo said the private sector has an enormous role to play to ensure that more Nigerians are engaged.

    “I think the government should concentrate effort in providing enabling environment for business to progress by so doing, the private sector will expand and more job opportunities will be created,” the Lawmaker said.

    A beneficiary, Mr. Okechukwu Nwoye, who got an L300 bus told The Nation that Odedo has been assisted the people since his return from the United States adding that the people insisted he must represent them when he indicated interest in politics.

    “He has been helping us, he gave our children scholarship, empowers the widows and the less privileged persons. Then, since 2008, Odedo every Christmas and New Year celebration distributes over 200 bags of rice, cartons of tomatoes and cash gifts.

    “Odedo promised to attract projects in all the 17 communities in Idemili North and South Federal

    Constituency before his election and today it has become a reality. He constructed classrooms with modern toilet at Akwa Ukwu and Awka Etiti. He also gave us 500KVA transformer and a skill acquisition centre at Nnobi, among other things.

    “What we are enjoying today is the reward of a good work. We stood for Odedo during his elections. We voted for him and ensured that our votes were not rigged because we knew he has our interest at heart. Odedo will continue to represent us.”

     

  • ACN youths protest attacks on Oyo lawmaker

    Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) youths from eight communities in the Afijio Local Government Area of Oyo State yesterday protested the assassination attempt on the lawmaker representing the area in the House of Assembly, Mr. Femi Adelakun.

    The youths marched peacefully on the streets of Awe, Jobele, Akinmoorin, Ilora, Fiditi, Iware, Imini, and IJaye-Ojutaye.

    Commercial activities were not disrupted and no violence was reported.

    The youths carried placards with inscriptions, such as: “No harm should befall our lawmaker”; “Stop politics of elimination and calumny”; “Allow peace to reign or regret your action” and “All we need is politics based on issues and not character assassination”, among others.

    Addressing party supporters at Awe, the ACN youth leader in the council, Mr. Sunkanmi Sangokunle, recalled how Adelakun escaped being killed by gunmen in Akinmoorin shortly after his election.

    Sangokunle said: “If not for divine intervention, the lawmaker would have fallen to assassins’ bullets. Since Adelakun was sworn in, there had been several attempts by enemies of development to either eliminate him or assassinate his character. When all these efforts failed, they resorted to media attacks with the ulterior aim of discrediting his good works in the last one year.”

    The ACN youth leader urged those behind the attacks to give peace a chance.

     

  • Lawmaker tackles FG on insecurity

    The unabated crimes and criminal activities being perpetrated across the country is a clear indication that the present administration lacks any sense of accountability.

    This view was expressed by a member of the House of Representatives representing Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Kajola/Iwajowa Federal Constituency, Prince Oyekola Olabiyi.

    In a press statement made available to The Nation, the lawmaker commiserated with the people of Iseyin Town and relations of victims, who were attacked and killed in a recent robbery attack, which claimed about three lives.

    The federal legislator commended the local government caretaker chairman and the Divisional Police Officer in the area for their sense of commitment and diligence in ensuring that some members of the robbery gang were apprehended.

    While urging the police not to rest on its oars in ensuring that other fleeing members of the gang are arrested and brought to justice, Olabiyi also called for more concerted efforts on the part of security agencies to forestall a future occurrence.

    Hon. Olabiyi, who attributed unemployment, injustice, bribery and corruption, executive arrogance, lack of sincerity of purpose and absence of a cohesive national security policy as responsible for the insecurity situation in the country, added, “it is unfortunate that in spite of colossal allocation by the National Assembly to national security, the people have continued to live in trepidation, fear and restlessness as a result of insecurity to lives and property by criminals, who unleash terror with sophisticated weapons, even more powerful than the ones being used by our security agencies.”