The Nation Newspaper

Tag: N’Assembly

  • Atiku meets with PDP Reps Caucus in N’Assembly

    Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is to meet with members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Caucus, in the House of Representatives The Nation has learnt.

    According to a source, Atiku is set to meet tonight in the National Assembly with lawmakers elected under the PDP platform.

    He is meant to convince the lawmakers on the benefits of his candidacy to them and  the nation in general.

    Many members of the PDP Caucus were seen in their offices waiting for the arrival of  the former Vice President on Wednesday evening.

    A ranking PDP lawmaker who spoke with our reporters on the condition of anonymity said they would listen to what Atiku and other candidates have to say.

    “All presidential aspirants in the party would be given an opportunity to sell their candidature to us. We will then meet and decide on the person whose candidacy would do the country the greater good.

    “Many of us are still in the office because Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is meeting with us this evening.

    “There is no gainsaying that the (PDP) National Assembly Caucus is an influential block that all of the serious  aspirants should meet with”, he said.

    The source further stated that the former Vice-Preisdent’s visit will be followed by that of other candidates vying for the party’s presidential ticket.

    According to him, the House Caucus has not made up its mind on any candidate,” but we will back any candidate that emerges in a free and fair primary to succeed in the major election.

    “I can say, I and many of my colleagues don’t want to get emotional about any aspirant. The feeling is that we must produce a northern candidate in a transparent manner and we all back him fully during the elections”, he added.

    In a related development Former Minister of Works and Lagos State Peoples Democratic Party politician, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, has thrown his weight behind the former Vice President .

    According to him, Nigeria is at crossroads and needs the kind of experience Atiku possesses.

    While speaking at the inauguration of Women and Youth Support Group (WAYS) for Atiku 2019, Ogunlewe said that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has the experience of a president that Nigeria needs to rework the national economy and bring the country.

    Atiku’s political career, he noted began in 1989 in the days of the Peoples Democratic Movement.

    “In those years, Atiku has remained steadfast to the course of strengthening democratic institutions and bringing people together to pursue common good for the country.”

    The meeting was yet to commence as at the time of filing this report.

  • N/Assembly and Buhari’s emergency powers

    N/Assembly and Buhari’s emergency powers

    THERE is economic emergency in the land. It is weighing down the public and private productive sectors like an incubus. Drastic recovery measures are inevitable at this point. Therefore, the quest for emergency powers by President Muhammadu Buhari to tackle the frightening economic recession is on point. The government’s Economic Team, chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, is already working on the proposal for the approval of the National Assembly. There have been arguments for and against the quest for sweeping powers for the President by informed commentators and analysts across the strata. Information released so far by the Economic Team indicates that the said emergency powers will allow the President the “liberty” to bypass extant laws in taking critical economic decisions. The emergency powers, with a 12-calendar-month span, will among others, fast tract development in critical sectors of the national economy. The Bill is expected to be forwarded to the National Assembly in the days ahead. But there are very fundamental issues that must be fixed for components of the envisaged emergency powers to achieve the desired results. Such emergency remedial initiatives will achieve very little in a situation of insecurity in the land. Components of the emergency measures relating to the oil and gas sector can hardly compete with the bombings of oil and gas installations and facilities by groups of Niger Delta militants. Successful implementation of other components in the various sectors will surely depend on relative stability in the oil and gas industry. So the earlier the restiveness in the Niger Delta is resolved through dialogue or whatever means, the better. Also, the incessant attacks on farmers and farmlands and in the various agrarian communities by the ubiquitous Fulani herdsmen must be checked. Whether we are ready to accept it or not, contributions by these agrarian communities to the nation’s food basket cannot be ignored. Sadly, the plants and crops are being eaten up in the farms by herds of cattle while the farmers are being chased away from the farms. In many instances, the unrestrained gun and machete wielding herdsmen even chase the farmers down to their villages. They gleefully kill and maim their human targets in cold blood, leaving tears and blood in their trail. In most cases, the police and other security agents only do as much as “chase” the killer herdsmen away after the damage had been done. We are told that the envisaged emergency package is also targeted at foreign investors and tourists. So adequate security coverage for the urban areas where major economic activities take place and the entire homeland must go hand in hand with whatever emergency package the government intends to put in place.

    The Nigerian state owes it a duty to convince those western countries that have placed travel restriction on their citizens in certain parts of Nigeria, that it’s not all gloomy here. On policy side, the government should also make some adjustments. The plan to tinker with the Procurement Act to ease official bottlenecks is a welcome development. There is also an urgent need to relax the Treasury Single Account (TSA) in respect of some critical agencies and departments of government. The TSA regime has slowed down operations in certain development initiatives. The present foreign exchange policy appears to be hurting the Naira as the value of the local currency has continued to slide against the Dollar and other foreign currencies.

     A former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and reigning Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi, has given an insight into some of the reasons for the sorry state of the local currency. According to him, the present administration may have re-introduced the obnoxious fuel subsidy that bled the nation to the bones in previous administration, particularly the immediate past one.

    Today, it has become obvious that the revelation by the Emir was only a tip of the iceberg. And the frantic search for the missing billions continues. Similarly, the government may also consider freeing the pool of recovered loots for some of its targeted projects under the emergency powers. Keeping the funds locked up in the vaults cannot be said to be any wise investment by any government. Granting the President emergency powers should also go with having competent aides in the implementation chain. Some of the President’s ministers have allegedly demonstrated crass incompetence in the running of their ministries.

    The National Assembly on its part should take a dispassionate look at the Bill whenever it arrives. Apart from specifying the areas where the President is seeking such sweeping powers, the Bill should contain details of proposed spendings in the targeted areas. Also, costs relating to the various sectors and terms of disbursement must also be specified in the Bill. The legislators should also ensure that projects in the package have direct impact on the lives of the people and that they capture geographical spread.

    The unhealthy practice in which legislators scrabble to insert frivolous projects into Appropriation Bills for their various constituencies must not apply in this case. There is nowhere in the world where economic recession is tackled through parochial considerations in policy implementation. The federal lawmakers must be able to rise above this tendency for once. In granting the emergency powers, the principle of checks and balances must strictly apply, to ensure that the executive arm does not act ultra vires in the course of implementation. The lawmakers should also be bold enough to raise relevant questions on the various components of the Bill in the course of consideration. The initiators of the Bill must also be on hand to provide answers at the snap of the finger. Most countries in the world, including the advanced nations, have had to undergo economic recession at one time or the other. They were able to recover through coordinated efforts and sound policies with total commitments by the various institutional stakeholders. Similarly, Nigeria’s economic recession should not be a permanent plague if the institutional stakeholders approach the problem with the required high sense of commitment and responsibility that the situation required.

    The government would have to listen to Emir Sanusi in this regard. His words, “We are not being sincere when we say we are in a recession because of the fall in oil prices. What happened to other sectors? “To get out of this recession, the Federal Government must set the forex rate to incentivize capital inflows, capitalize Foreign Direct Investment and Foreign Direct Investment funding. “The Federal Government must set interest rates at levels that deter capital flight dollarization. Federal Government must eliminate wasteful and abuse prone subsidies”. And the problem is half solved.

  • Constitution amendments: President may veto bill from N’Assembly

    There were strong indications that the presidency may veto the bill on amendments to 1999 Constitution, which was sent to President Goodluck Jonathan by the National Assembly.

    The presidency was said to have spotted “awkward recommendations” in some of the amendments passed by the two chambers of the National Assembly.

    According to a top source in the presidency, the government discovered that the amendments did not satisfy the conditions for the alteration of the 1999 Constitution.

    Also, the Presidency picked holes in certain amendments, especially on life pension for the Senate President, Deputy Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and his deputy; and the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the each of the 36 State Houses of Assembly.

    A top presidency source said: “Based on some contradictions in the amendments and awkward recommendations, the President may veto amendments to the 1999 Constitution.

    “For instance, the National Assembly ought not to pass the amendments through voice vote, but they defied the required constitutional procedures. The presidency cannot be part of illegality. The amendments must substantially comply with the law.

    “The amendments will be returned to the National Assembly. If the lawmakers can effect corrections before the 7th Assembly ends, the president may assent to the alteration. Otherwise, the 8th National Assembly may complete the process.

    “The details of the observations of the presidency will be made available to the President of the Senate, David Mark, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal.”

    Another source in the presidency said: “Some of the amendments are landlines for the president-elect and we do not want him to start with any constitutional crisis.

    “These lawmakers virtually stripped the president of some Executive functions. For instance, they recommended that the National Judicial Council should now appoint the Attorney-General of the Federation.

    “The NJC is only mandated to appoint judicial officers and the AGF is not a judicial officer.

    “Also, public opinion is against pension-for-life for some principal officers of the legislature as captured in some of these amendments. There is no way a reasonable president will run against public opinion. The economy cannot sustain such a huge out of office perks.”

  • N/Assembly accused of delaying investment in oil, gas sector

    There has not been any major investment in the Nigerian oil and gas sector at least in the last four years and there has not been additional increase in the nation’s oil and gas reserves in the last ten years due to non- passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), which has been before the National Assembly for many years, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Frontier Oil Limited, Dada Thomas has said.

    Thomas said that Nigerians should hold the National Assembly accountable for lack of passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill. He noted that the bill has been in the making for more than four years until now we have only May 29, 2015 for this current regime to be over. “I don’t believe that the bill would be passed into law before then, I think the PIB will have to be addressed by the incoming National Assembly,” he stated adding that the country has lost so much for the non-passage of the bill.

    The Federal Government has over the years set a target to achieve oil reserves of 40 billion barrels 4 million barrels per day production but how this vision could be realised remains doubtful as the government lacks the political will to pass the important bill into law, industry stakeholders said.

    Speaking with The Nation at an oil and gas event in Lagos, Thomas stated that as long as there is a cloud of uncertainty as to whether or not to pass the bill, the exploration and production companies may not want to invest as they ought.

    “The damage is that there has not been any exploration in Nigeria to find new oil or gas reserves. We need to make sure that the cloud of uncertainty which is the lack of passage of the PIB is removed so that people know the rule of the game. With the uncertainty removed, the regulators will be able to know what their roles and responsibilities are, and every stakeholder including the communities will know the rules of the game in the operation of the industry,” he said.

    Thomas urged those at the corridors of power to put politics aside and think of the economic wellbeing of the people and the nation first and foremost. He said: “They should put politics aside and do what is good for Nigerians and investors so that we have a bill that would address all the concerns and needs of the various stakeholders including the investors. We need to show commitment to the growth of the industry.”

    The Managing Director, Treasure Energy Resources Limited, Rivers State owned Oil and Gas Company, Eddie Wikina, in a telephone interview also agreed that the government is prolonging investments in the country due to non-passage of the bill, which he described as prolonging the evil day.

    He also mentioned corruption and insecurity as other major factors that push investment out of the country. According to him, if the bill is passed into law it would help to check the level of corruption in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). He said that the government has severally mismanaged the funds appropriated to the corporation by having wrong priorities.

    Since the NNPC is not autonomous of the federal government, it acts on instructions. Wikina said that the government is aware of this and continues to play down on the passage of the bill so that corruption would continue to thrive in the system

    “Such a bill as the PIB has been shrouded in so much secrecy that certain unscrupulous elements begin to profit from the quagmire. Such a bill should be openly debated in the Senate and passed immediately in the interest of the nation,” he stated urging the government to pass the bill within the remaining three months.

  • Police justify N/Assembly invasion, blame lawmakers

    Police justify N/Assembly invasion, blame lawmakers

    The police authorities on Friday, justified the invasion of the National Assembly complex by armed policemen and other security personnel. The Force added that it was satisfied with the actions of its men.

    Force Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ojukwu, who briefed journalists in Abuja yesterday, said the policemen acted “according to their discretion”.

    Ojukwu stated: “The purpose of this conference is to acquaint the press and Nigerians of the incident that took place yesterday.

    “We are all aware that following the INEC timetable, electioneering campaigns and other things have kicked off in earnest, so we expect political gladiators to conduct their businesses in line with the rules.

    “On Wednesday, there was a mini-conference by the APC at the Eagle Square and police were not informed about it but as soon as we heard, the police mobilised it’s men appropriately to provide safety and security to all the participants and members of the public.

    “A fallout from that convention, APC top officers, led by their chairman, Oyegun and His Excellency, Rotimi Amaechi led a number of APC followers, supporters and so many others to the premises of the Nigerians Police quarters. They blocked our gate, they came with ambulances expecting a showdown with the police so that they carry their death but we avoided them and after about two hours, they left our premises.

    “We continued monitoring their actions and utterances and in the course of it, we heard Governor Amaechi say that if they don’t win the 2015 elections, they will form a parallel government, we also heard that their storming the Force Headquarters was just the first step that subsequently they will evade INEC, National Assembly and lastly the Presidential Villa.

    “Following that intelligence information, the Police began to monitor the activities of these political actors.

    “So, yesterday 20th November, we heard intelligence that there will be mayhem at the premises of the National Assembly and it is our duty to protect lives and property ans so, the Police mobilized to check entrance and exit at the National Assembly.

    “Both members were cordoned and police and logistics were deployed to protect lives and properties. We all know the National Assembly is our National Heritage and we won’t allow hoodlums that tried to attack the Force Headquarters the day before to have access to such priceless edifice and so the Police were fully on ground.

    “Our intention and mission was to screen everybody that entered the premises. From the Senate angle, all the Senators were checked and they entered, including the Senate President.

    “On the House of Reps, a good number of them came and were screened and they entered but as the Speaker was coming, he came with so many thugs, those that confirmed our intelligence that there may be trouble in the National Assembly. They refused to be checked and screened.

    “They were even shaking the gate and destroying government property, destroying the gate will amount to vandalism. And as if that was not enough, we saw many of them climbing the gate and I don’t know what that means.

    “In the course of it also, six of them attacked a police man in uniform and that led to the tear gas that dropped and sprayed some of them.

    “They still forced their way into the National Assembly and we are witnesses to the riotous conduct in which the Senate President was attacked.

    As I speak now, his ADC is hospitalised because they broke his leg in the process but I want to say that Police is determined and resolute to make sure that in the build up to the election in 2015, every political actor is made to play the game according to the rules.

    “That matter is currently under investigations and anybody who is found to have played a role in that misconduct and inappropriate conduct will be brought to book.

    “All that we did on Thursday was to forestall an occurrence. Even if we put the check at the door of the Chamber, what happened would have still happened because decency requires that you submit yourself to be checked by appropriate authority.

    “They attacked the police and that is an attack on the nation, it’s an attack on law and order and that should not be allowed.

    They ought to have obeyed just as the Senators did. The way the Speaker came did not give room for proper screening, because they were riotous right from the onset.

    Intelligence is built from information. You analyse the information and if it becomes intelligence, you act on it. “When asked if he notified the N/Assembly management before deploying the men, he said: “It depends on the kind of intelligence we have. We share intelligence with those who need to know. If they needed to know, we would have told them. We acted in line with the best interest of this nation”

    He continued: “I will not tell you all that we are doing but the matter is still under investigation and those found guilty will face the music no matter how highly placed. When the House reconvenes on Tuesday, we will do what is needful”.

    The spokesman announced that seven persons were being held in connection with the incident and that they were undergoing investigation. “You will find them in court when the time comes”, Ojukwu added.

    Condemning the legislators actions of the lawmakers, Ojukwu:

    “Honourable men don’t climb gates, they don’t fight. Do lawmakers climb fences?

    Tear gas is an instrument given to the police to disperse riotous situation, it’s a legal weapon by law.

    “The tear gas is used as a means of control. In this instance, the lawmakers, the hoodlums as the case may be and that was why there was that tear gas and if you watch the scene, you will discover that it was not fired at anybody.

    “I am satisfied with their actions except you tell me anywhere that we are faulty.

    The Policemen on ground acted according to their discretion and to the best of their ability.

    “I am satisfied with what the Policemen did yesterday, they needed to maintain law and order at all cost, otherwise,, this nation will be in turmoil. Let everybody obey the law of the land and do things in line with the law. You cannot make a law and break it, it is impossible in a normal situation and circumstances.

    “Decency requires that you submit yourself to a search, we did not get the uniform on our own, it was given to us by the law and we are duty bound to enforce and maintain law and order in this country. The police must be respected”

  • Governors, N’Assembly, ministry to meet on borrowing plans

    Governors, N’Assembly, ministry to meet on borrowing plans

    The Nigeria Governors` Forum will meet with Finance Ministry and National Assembly over the revised proposed pipeline projects under the Medium Term External Borrowing Plans of 2012 to 2014.

    This is contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the forum’s meeting in Abuja on Tuesday.

    The communiqué, read by Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers, said the decision was to enable the forum deliberate further with the ministry and the legislature.

    The forum, which comprised the 36 elected governors, also carried out an end of year review of its polio eradication initiative across the states of the federation.

    It noted changes in the demography of incidences and resolved that states should put necessary incentives to motivate vaccinators for better performance and better information sharing mechanism of good practices across states.

    The forum emphasised the centrality of routine immunisation as a sustainable means of eradicating polio in the country.

    It also stressed the need to engage stakeholders from local communities in the campaign against the dreaded virus.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Yerima Ngama, and some state Commissioners for Finance had defended their request for external loan of 7.9 billion dollars before the senate.

    The loan, named Medium-Term External Borrowing Plan (Revised), which spans from 2012 to 2014, is expected to be used for the execution of specific developmental projects.

    President Goodluck Jonathan had recently sent a letter to the senate, seeking its approval to borrow 7.9 billion dollars for the 2012-2014 pipeline projects.

    Most of the governors, who attended Tuesday’s meeting, described it as “fruitful” and a way to clear some issues associated with the Medium-Term External Borrowing Plan.

    Governor Peter Obi of Anambra, who spoke with journalists at the end of the meeting, said that borrowing for development purposes was right.

    He added that it is wrong when borrowing was undertaken for consumption.