The Nation Newspaper

Tag: National Assembly matters

  • Senate screens CBN, MPC nominees

    The Senate Monday screened President Muhammadu Buhari’s two nominees for the position of Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

    The nominees are Mrs. Aisha Ahmad and Mr. Edward Adamu.

    Similarly, four other nominees were also screened as members of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC). They are Prof Festus Adeola Adenikinju, Dr. Aliyu Rafindadi Sanusi, Dr. Robert Chikwendu Asogwa and Dr. Asheikh Maidugu.

    The nominees took turns to face the Senate committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions, as members of the committee threw a barrage of questions at them.

    Mrs. Ahmad who was accompanied to the venue of the screening by her husband and her father, was the first to be screened. In response to questions, the nominee stressed the need for the country to have a stable foreign exchange policy in order to stabilise the economy.

    On his part, Edward Adamu, who is widely acknowledged to have been appointed on merit, based on his track record at the apex bank, was not subjected to the grill. Members of the Senate committee were unanimous in giving him a smooth passage.

    Earlier moves, allegedly by some Presidency cabal to replace Adamu with a preferred candidate were vehemently resisted by his colleagues at the CBN who vowed to frustrate such manipulation.

    The Senate had put on hold the screening of the nominees and others appointed by President Muhammadu Buahri for several weeks, owing to disagreement between the two arms of government.

    At the commencement of the exercise, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly matters (Senate), Ita Enang, pleaded with the lawmakers to also screen other nominees of the President whose nomination are still pending.

    Chairman of the Senate committee, Senator Rafiu Ibrahim, however said the leadership of the Senate decided to yield ground owing to the strategic and sensitive nature of the nominees’ appointments.

    Read Also: http://staging.thenationonlineng.net/senate-makes-u-turn-buharis-nominees/

  • Ekwueme, a strong pillar in National Development – Yakasai

    Ekwueme, a strong pillar in National Development – Yakasai

    An elder statesman in Kano, Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, has described the late former Vice-President, Dr Alex Ekwueme, as a very meticulous and hard working person who contributed a lot toward the development of the country.

    Yakasai made the remark in an interview in Kano on Tuesday.

    Ekwueme died on November 19, 2017, at a London Hospital after a brief illess and he will be buried on Friday.

    Yakasai, who was a Special Adviser to President Shehu Shagari on National Assembly Matters, said the late Ekwueme was also a committed politician who believed in the unity of Nigeria.

    “The late elder statesman was a principled and very intelligent person, who bagged five degrees in different fields.”

    Read also: Senate, Jonathan, ACF, Ita-Giwa mourn ex-VP Ekwueme

    According to him, Ekwueme spearheaded the campaign for a number of issues, including zoning and rotation during the National Constitutional Conference held between 1994 and 1995.

    “So, zoning and rotation was originally part of the defunct National Party of Nigeria ( NPN ) Programme as it was the party that introduced the idea of zoning and rotation.

    “During the conference, Ekwueme articulated a number of issues which the conference eventually adopted.”

    He said that Ekwueme’s connection with the NPN, gave him the opportunity to be adopted as the Chairman of G34, a group of Nigerians who eventually formed Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ).

    He said he was very close to late Ekwueme even when they were in Kirikiri Prison together after the military coup of 1983.

    “I and the late former governor of old Kaduna State, Alhaji Lawal Kaita, kept Ekwueme company in the prison. He even requested me to teach him Hausa language.”

    He said there was good understanding between them when they were in government as they used to visit each other’s families.

    “We used to disagree on certain issues but we lived peacefully when we were in government,” Yakasai said.

    On the state of political parties, he said disloyalty was the bane of Nigeria’s democracy, noting further that governors had hijacked their political parties in their respective states.

    He, therefore, urged politicians to change the trend by being loyal to their parties in order to strengthen democracy in the country.

    “Disloyalty to political parties is the bane of Nigeria’s democracy and this is a major challenge threatening the system, Yakasai said.

    NAN

  • Breaking: Osinbajo receives 2017 Budget

    Breaking: Osinbajo receives 2017 Budget

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Friday received the 2017 Appropriation bill.

    The budget was passed by the National Assembly last week.

    The document was submitted to Osinbajo by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly matters (Senate),  Ita Enang,.

    According to him, it would be assented to by the Acting President after the laid down procedure.

    Details Later…

  • Buhari writes Reps on resumption of work

    Buhari writes Reps on resumption of work

    President Muhammadu Buhari has informed the House of Representatives of his resumption to work from his annual/medical leave.

    The letter was delivered to Speaker Yakubu Dogara Monday by the President’s Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly matters (House of Reps) Hon. Abdurhaman Kawu Sumaila

    A statement by Dogara’s Special Adviser (Media and Public Affairs) Turaki Hassan reads, “Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, on Monday received communication from President Muhammadu Buhari on his resumption to duty.

    “Speaking shortly after the letter was handed over to him by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly matters (House of  Reps) Hon. Suleiman Abdurhaman Kawu Sumaila, Dogara said he will read the letter to his colleague in plenary on Tuesday since the communication was meant for them.

    “Tomorrow (Tuesday) I will read this to my colleagues on the floor of the House and thereafter make comments from there,” he said.

    “However, permit me to thank you for working hard to ensure that there is harmonious working relationship between the Executive and the National Assembly.”

    “In your own case I can say it was an appointment that we can truly say amounted to putting a round peg in a round hole or a square peg in a square hole.”

    “So no wonder we have seen to some extent some form of understanding between the National Assembly   and the presidency.”

    “We promise that we will cooperate more than we fight like 1 said before we will always fight and that has been the practice in all climes and ours cannot an exception  but we will cooperate more in the interest of our people rather than fight.”

    “While presenting the letter to the Speaker, Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly matters (House of Reps) Hon. Suleiman Abdurhaman Kawu Sumaila commended him for supporting the president and the Executive arm of government”.