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  • Recess: NASS postpones resumption to Oct. 9

    The National Assembly has rescheduled resumption from its annual recess from Sept. 25 to Oct. 9.

    This is contained in a statement by the Clerk to the National Assembly, Mr Mohammed Omolori on Sunday.

    Omolori explained that the postponement was due to activities of primary elections by political parties.

    He said, “this is to inform all Distinguished senators and Honourable members that resumption of plenary session earlier scheduled for Tuesday, 25th September, has been postponed to Tuesday 9th October due to activities of primaries of political parties.

    Read Also: Buhari arrives New York ahead of UNGA73

    “All distinguished senators and honourable members are expected to resume plenary session by 10 a.m. on the 9th of October, please.”

    The national assembly proceeded on its annual vacation on July 24 and was expected to resume on Sept. 25.

  • National Assembly: Ndume attacks Saraki, Dogara

    FORMER Senate Leader Mohammed Ali Ndume yesterday scored Senate President Bukola Saraki’s leadership of the upper chamber below average.

    Ndume, who represents Borno South Senatorial District, said it was stating the obvious that the Senate under Dr. Saraki, has failed Nigerians.

    Speaking at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja, the Borno senator noted that Saraki and House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara, had privatised and personalised the legislative arm of government.

    Ndume said Saraki has no justification to retain his seat as Senate President after defecting to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    He also lauded the military for the concerted effort at eliminating insurgency in some parts of the country.

    On the Senate leadership, Ndume said: “I really want to admit that we have failed in our responsibility to the people somehow but we the members are not responsible for that.

    ”It is more of the responsibility of the leadership that shut down the Senate abruptly because of personal issues.

    ”It is very unfortunate. The Senate is the Nigerian Senate, it is not the senator’s Senate; it is not Saraki’s Senate.

    “It is very unfortunate that the National Assembly has been reduced to Saraki and Dogara.”

    According to him, Saraki and Dogara have privatised and personalised the legislative arm of government, a development he called an aberration.

    Ndume said: “They (Saraki and Dogara) have privatised and personalised the institution, and the reason we were elected to be there has been relegated to the background.

    “This is very unfortunate, but I want Nigerians to know that the Senate has not been shut down by the Senators or members of House of Representatives.

    ”The Senate was shut down by Saraki and Dogara and they should be held responsible for that.”

    He noted that the Senate, which is yet to reconvene, must move on without Saraki.

    The former Senate Leader added that he had made concerted efforts to see how the Senate could reconvene, especially to consider about five matters of national importance.

    His efforts, he said, have been without success, adding that the the matters he wanted considered were abandoned by the National Assembly before it proceeded on the long recess.

    His words: “We tried everything to get the Senate President or the leadership to reconvene the Senate, but that have not been successful.”

    On why the Senate President should quit, Ndume noted that  Saraki should know that he was not supposed to retain the position of President of the Senate, because he could not “eat his cake and have it”.

    Saraki, he said, lost all rights to retain the seat when he defected to the PDP.

    Ndume posited that the only thing that could save Saraki from being impeached remained a vote of confidence from his colleagues.

    ”I think that is the only thing he can do; may be he did that before, let him try it; let him call for vote of confidence from us, his colleagues.

    ”I assure you that he will not get the majority.”

    Ndume described the statement credited to some politicians that Saraki could only be impeached by two-third of members of the house as not only wrong, but also a total misconception.

    To him, since Saraki decided to leave the APC for PDP, he should have left the position as he could not be in a minority party and be President of the Senate.

    He recalled that as minority leader in the House of Representatives, he defected to PDP from the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and resigned from the position without being asked to do so.

    The senator said it was natural that he left the position because he could not move from the minority to the majority and still be a minority leader.

    Ndume noted that there should only be one Senate President who is supposed to come from the majority political party.

    “I am still thinking and hoping that Saraki will do the right thing and the right thing is for him to relinquish that position for the majority to preside,” Ndume said.

    On the fight against Boko Haram, he said the move by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, in ensuring collaboration with the Nigerian Air Force and other agencies had helped a great deal.

    He said that the relocation of the operational headquarters of the military was a major factor in the defeat of Boko Haram.

    However, he called on them to concentrate on three black spots of “the deep Sambisa Forest, the Lake Chad fringes and the Mandara Mountains.

    He said the sect, which was still active in those areas for obvious reasons, must be brought to its knees.

    Ndume said: “The resurfacing of the sect is more in Northern Borno. These are the fringes of Lake Chad. I am suspecting that because of the money they got from the ransome allegedly paid, their proximity to international terrorist organisation, Nigeria bordering Mali and Niger and the open, vast and porous borders, they are buying and transporting light arms.

    ”Also, they are getting money from the businesses around Lake Chad that they have taken over. They are now the ones involved in the cattle business and all that.

    “Those are the areas they get money from. With this money they are able to fund their operations.”

    On concerns that the sect had not been completely eliminated, the lawmaker said fighting insurgency was different from fighting conventional war.

    He said: “We have been fighting insurgency in the North East which is different from the conventional war where you know you have soldiers belonging to a particular group that you can identify.

    “Besides, insurgency is not happening only in Nigeria. It is happening in Afghanistan, Syria and all that. Like the case of Afghanistan, the case has been going on for some years now.”

  • ‘National Assembly leadership exploiting our weak institutions’

    EX-Akwa Ibom Deputy Governor Patrick Ekpotu has decried the National Assembly’s continued showdown with the Presidency.

    Ekpotu, former member of the National Assembly Service Commission in ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo’s government, spoke in a statement in Abuja

    He said the leadership of the Senate, “… is not only taking Nigerians for granted, but also working against our democracy… by exploiting the weaknesses in our institutions for personal political gains.”

    According to him, “while rational disagreement could be seen as healthy in politics, differing political and ideological postures between the national Assembly leadership and the Presidency is absolutely unhealthy.

    ‘’And I certainly fault the National Assembly leadership and hold them responsible for whatever tension this has generated in the country. The Senate leadership is exploiting the situation  for its political end. And it is not likely that a PDP government would have tolerated it this long.

    “There is a sense in which truth is the end of freedom, and freedom must get defined, and confined to truth. The unnecessary disagreements that make working harmony impossible must be confined to truth. We are talking about an APC government with a surreptitious PDP National Assembly leadership first clothed in APC attire before unveiling as full PDP, which has established a minority rule in the National Assembly under a majority rule governance system. It throws to the dogs, the democratic syndrome of number and voice in the Senate and by the awkward and crude arrangement, introduces parallel and crippling ideologies to distort the dictate and character of a majority rule democracy.”

    Ekpotu argued that “ordinarily, it is not even smart to hold out oneself as being capable of exploiting institutional weaknesses to hold on to office against all known norms but this means nothing to them except electoral victory by any means, which should be discouraged.”

    The ex-deputy governor noted that ‘’no sane society accepts one who claims to be a democrat without upholding democratic tenet. Since not only politics but also the nation’s future political development that is at risk, in our age of conformity, he must be prevailed upon to quit the leadership and not wait to force him out. “

    For whatever reason, the former deputy governor said “the important national democratic institution of the National Assembly should not be reduced to a mere committee that protects the interest of a few rather than a constitutionally-backed institution that ought to put the interest of Nigeria above any other considerations.”

    The statement suggest ways to protect and nurture Nigerian’s democracy and check the conduct of politicians:  Establish an institutional framework outside of INEC but next to it that will compel strict compliance with all aspects of our electoral laws and political parties’ constitution. It could be identified as Electoral Practices & Values Commission with responsibility of ensuring that politicians, political parties and members play by the rules.”

    He emphasised that “just as the National Judicial Council regulates activities of and punishes erring judicial officers, so should this body deal with all manner of electoral conspiracies within and outside the electoral framework that contravenes the law by prescribing punishment on defaulters to infuse sanity, check abuses, impunity of party officials and members, etc. This, in addition to efforts by INEC and the judiciary, will be a milestone in the protection of the sanctity of our electoral system”

  • National Assembly shifts resumption

    The National Assembly will no longer resume tomorrow, National Assembly Clerk Mohammed Sani-Omolori said in a statement.

    According to the statement, the parliament will resume on October 9. The postponement was addressed to the lawmakers by the clerk.

    The statement reads: “This is to inform all Distinguished Senators and Honourable Members that resumption of plenary session earlier scheduled for Tuesday, 25th September has been postponed to Tuesday 9th October due to the activities of the primaries of the political parties.

    “All Distinguished Senators and Honourable members are expected to resume plenary session by 10 am on the 9th of October, please.”

  • Electoral Act: National Assembly restores use of card readers

    The controversy trailing the amendment of the Electoral Act by the National Assembly appears to have been laid to rest.

    The National Assembly joint committee on Electoral Matters yesterday adopted a comprehensive Electoral Act amendment Bill which restored the omitted Electronic Card Readers.

    Apart from the reintroduction of the use of Card Readers in the conduct of elections, the committee harmonised the three bills rejected by President Muhammadu Buhari to form one holistic bill.

    The committee also amended sections of the Bill as requested by the electoral umpire.

    The Bill seeks to amend the Electoral Act No.6, 2010 to make for the restriction of the qualification for elective office to relevant provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended); the use of Card Readers and other technological devices in elections and Political Party Primaries; to provide a time for submission of list of candidates; criteria for substitution of candidates; limit of campaign expenses; and address the omission of names of candidates or logo of political parties.

    Chairman of the joint committee, Senator Suleiman Nazif, who spoke on the controversial Bill in Abuja, did not however avail reporters with the contents of the new amendments inserted into the Bill.

    Nazif merely explained that the introduction of the new amendments became necessary in order to address the request of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    The committee chairman said that the issue with the use of Card Reader was the error of transmitting the third Bill which did not contain the use of card readers as an addendum to the second Bill which contained the use of Card Readers.

    He said that the joint committee has now harmonised the three Bills to come up with a holistic, all-inclusive Bill that would be transmitted to the President for assent.

    Nazif insisted that the insinuation of disagreement between the National Assembly and the Presidency over the amendment of the Electoral Act did not exist.

    The two arms of government, he said, are on the same page on the amendment of the Electoral Act – to strengthen INEC for a free, fair and credible election in 2019 and beyond.

    The committee chairman said that the use of Card Readers for elections was never deleted. The third Bill, which did not contain it, was sent to the President as addition to the second Bill already transmitted to the President.

    Nazif, who spoke after a closed session, said: “I want to assure Nigerians that this committee and the National Assembly is committed to ensuring that we keep true democracy in Nigeria.

    “We also want to use this opportunity to assure Nigerians and indeed everyone here that the National Assembly, and indeed the executive, are on the same page on this amendment bill. I’m sure you must have heard different versions, but I will put everything in a clear picture so that Nigerians will know that all of us are working towards strengthening INEC and ensuring that 2019 is done in a free and fair electoral process and beyond.

    “First and foremost, we had gone through three electoral bills. The first one addressed and had the sequence of elections. It was sent to the executive on the 14th of February 2018, and this also had the card reader in it by the way.

    “It addressed Section 25, which is election sequence, also down to section 138, which is how election may be challenged, c and d and the third one, Section 152 on the competence of National Assembly to legislate for local governments.

    “This was the bill that we passed and the executive withheld the assent based on these three grounds.

    “Having said that, it brings us back to the second electoral amendment bill.

    “This is the second electoral amendment bill. This second one was concluded on the 26th of June, 2018. It addressed all the issues raised by the executive.

    “It addressed the issue of Section 25 on sequence of election which was deleted in the second amendment.

    “Section 138 was also carried because C and D was not in the first one, we put the C and D in the second one.

    “Again, Section 152, the competence of the National Assembly to legislate for Local Government was deleted in the second one, so that Nigerians are very clear about what transpired.

    “The card reader was in this one (second bill). Now having said this, the assent on this one was withheld in the 26th of July and on the 26th of July the Senate went on recess on the 24th while the House of Representatives went on recess on the 26th.

    “This second bill had addressed the first bill, but there were issues in respect to INEC on dates but the second bill did not carry it.

    “During our presentation of the Second bill, however, there were observations by the Independent National Electoral Commission which are germaine in deepening the electoral process in Nigeria that came late to the committee and that such observations should be corrected in subsequent bills. INEC was worried that all the observations may impair their operations.

    “Now, the recommendations …this is the Senate version and I believe the same was done in the House.

    “That the Senate grants approval to expeditiously consider the amendment to the Electoral Act as requested by INEC by way of another fresh bill.”

    “So, we wanted to strengthen INEC. We wanted to make INEC more effective and make its work easier. We now came up with the third bill. And the third bill was supposed to an addendum to the second one. The second bill had 41 clauses. Now we go to the third bill:

    “This third bill had 14 clauses, 15 with the citations and addendum to strengthen the second Electoral Act. So we now worked on the third one, while the House of Representatives worked on theirs on the 26th and then forwarded to the executive on the 2nd of August. Now the third withheld assent came on the 3rd of September, 2018. We were on recess when this third rejection came.

    “Therefore gentlemen, what we wanted to achieve in the third bill was to strengthen the second one. That is all. We wanted to strengthen the second one, so that it would address all these issues, so that we can make INEC’s work easier.

    “The third bill, because it was an addition, which had 15 clauses with the citations did not carry the card reader because it was just an addition to the second bill.”

    Nazif continued: “What we exactly wanted was a merger between the second one and the third one. So, the executive and the legislative arm are on the same page concerning INEC.

    “We want to strengthen INEC. We want to make sure that the 2019 election is free and fair, and credible at the same time.

    “So, we have come up with the fourth version after the president had withheld ascent to the third one. This is the fourth bill, which supposes to put together the second one and the third one.

    “And what this committee did was to at the end of the day give opportunity to every member of the committee to look at it once again and that was why yesterday (Monday) we took the whole day to allow them to go through it and this morning when we resumed we went through it again to have one solid document.

    “This one (fourth bill) has addressed all the issues raised by the executive. This one has also addressed all the issues that will make INEC more comfortable and efficient.

    “Therefore, this is what Nigerians are expecting and I want you to know that all of us have worked on this document.

    “As a committee, we have gone through section by section, clause by clause and we have come up with additional amendments based on this draft.

    “There was an issue in Section 9 (1)(8) and it was amended. Section 9 (b)(5) was amended. Section (18)(1)(4) was amended. Section 19 (4) amended. Section 30(1) amended, Section 31(1) amended 31(1) amended, 31(7) amended, Section 31(2 to 4) deleted, Section 36(3) amended, 44(3 and 4) amended, Section 67(a, b, c, d), 69 amended, Section 87(2) amended, Section 87(14) amended, Section 112(4) amended.

    The National Assembly on Monday took steps to repackage the Electoral Act amendment Bill rejected by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Members of Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Electoral Matters held a closed session to reconsider contentious clauses of the rejected Bill.

    President Buhari vetoed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2018, citing drafting issues, which he said were likely to affect the interpretation and application of the Principal Act.

    The President in separate memos to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and the Speaker of House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, said that some of the provisions of the Bill would adversely affect the operations of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) if allowed to pass.

    Although the issue of the use of electronic card readers was not raised by the President in his veto of the Bill, some stakeholders believed that the rejection of the Bill by President Buhari also meant that the card reader will not be used for the conduct of the 2019 general elections.

    The Presidency said the card reader was not part of what the National Assembly sent to the President for assent.

    Buhari in March this year turned down the amendment to the Electoral Law, which altered the sequence of elections.

    The amendment placed the National Assembly election first, followed by presidential election while governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections would hold last in the order of elections.

    Buhari noted that “Section 25 of the principal Act may infringe upon the constitutionally guaranteed discretion of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to organise, undertake and supervise elections provided in Section 15(A) of the third statue to the Constitution.”

     

  • National Assembly set to rework Electoral Act Bill

    •Rejected bill back fourth time for consideration

    Lawmakers yesterday took steps to repackage the controversial Electoral Act amendment Bill President Muhammadu Buhari rejected.

    Members of Senate and House of Representatives committees on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) held a closed session to reconsider contentious clauses of the rejected Bill.

    If the Bill is passed by the two chambers, it will be the fourth time the National Assembly has considered and passed the Electoral Act amendment Bill.

    President Buhari vetoed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2018 earlier this month, citing drafting issues, which he said were likely to affect the interpretation and application of the Principal Act.

    In separate memos to Senate President Bukola Saraki and House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara, the President said that some of the provisions of the Bill would adversely affect the operations of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) if allowed to pass.

    The rejection of the Bill was communicated to the presiding officers of the National Assembly in a September 3, 2018 letter.

    Although the use of electronic card readers was not raised by the President in his veto of the Bill, some stakeholders believed that his rejection of the Bill also meant that the card reader will not be used for next year’s general elections.

    The Presidency has come up strongly to say that the card reader was not part of what the National Assembly sent to the President for assent.

    President Buhari had in March turned down the amendment to the Electoral Law, which altered the sequence of elections.

    The amendment placed the National Assembly election first, followed by the presidential election. Governorship and Houses of Assembly elections are to hold last in the order of elections.

    Buhari noted that “Section 25 of the principal Act may infringe upon the constitutionally guaranteed discretion of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to organise, undertake and supervise elections provided in Section 15(A) of the third statue to the Constitution”.

    The Chairman, Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Suleiman Nazif, who spoke briefly yesterday before the meeting went into a closed door session said: “I know that this committee is in the eye of the storm and Nigerians are desirous and expecting to hear from us.

    “Here we are, again, trying to address the Electoral Act for the fourth time. Nigerians will recall that there was a first Electoral Act (amendment bill), the second and the third one.

    “And if we pass this one it will be the fourth one. I believe that what we are doing is in the best interest of this country.

    “It will address all the fears and we will ensure that we equip INEC with what is necessary and what will ensure free and fair elections in 2019.

    “I will not be in a position right now to address the press and I don’t think any member of this committee is in a position to address the press.

    “We will have to look at what transpired (concerning the bill) in an executive session and tomorrow by 11am, we will call all press men and we will tell you in detail what transpired and the position this committee has taken.”

     

  • National Assembly moves to rework rejected Electoral Act

    The National Assembly Monday took steps to repackage the controversial Electoral Act amendment Bill rejected by President Muhammadu Buhari earlier this month.

    Members of Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) held a closed session Monday to articulate ways and means to reconsider contentious clauses of the rejected Bill.

    Read Also:Presidency faults National Assembly on INEC’s budget

    If the Bill is passed by the two chambers, that will be the fourth time the National Assembly will consider and pass the Electoral Act amendment Bill.

    President Buhari vetoed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2018, citing drafting issues, which he said were likely to affect the interpretation and application of the Principal Act.

    President Buhari in separate memos to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and the Speaker of House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, said that some of the provisions of the Bill would adversely affect the operations of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) if allowed to pass.

    The rejection of the Bill by President Buhari was communicated to the presiding officers of the National Assembly in a letter dated September 3, 2018

    Although the issue of the use of electronic card readers was not raised by the President in his veto of the Bill, some stakeholders believed that the rejection of the Bill by President Buhari also meant that the card reader will not be used for the conduct of the 2019 general elections.

    The Presidency on its part has come up strongly to say that the card reader was not part of what the National Assembly sent to the President for assent.

    President Buhari had in March this year turned down the amendment to the Electoral Law, which altered the sequence of elections.

    The amendment placed the National Assembly election first, followed by presidential election while governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections would hold last in the order of elections.

    Buhari noted that “Section 25 of the principal Act may infringe upon the constitutionally guaranteed discretion of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to organise, undertake and supervise elections provided in Section 15(A) of the third statue to the Constitution.”

    Chairman, Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Suleiman Nazif who spoke briefly yesterday before the meeting went into closed door said, “I know that this committee is in the eye of the storm and Nigerians are desirous and expecting to hear from us.

    “Here we are, again, trying to address the Electoral Act for the fourth time. Nigerians will recall that there was a first Electoral Act (amendment bill), the second and the third one.

    “And if we pass this one it will be the fourth one. I believe that what we are doing is in the best interest of this country.

    “It will address all the fears and we will ensure that we equip INEC with what is necessary and what will ensure free and fair elections in 2019.

    “I will not be in a position right now to address the press and I don’t think any member of this committee is in a position to address the press.

    “We will have to look at what transpired (concerning the bill) in an executive session and tomorrow by 11am, we will call all press men and we will tell you in detail what transpired and the position this committee has taken.”

     

  • ‘Okowa has done well in Itsekiri land, Delta’

    Mr. Omamofe Joseph Pirah was Delta State Commissioner for Oil and Gas for seven years. Now his sight is set on representing Warri Federal Constituency in the National Assembly. In this interview with reporters, the Itsekiri politician speaks on some state and national issues. SHOLA O’NEILL was there. Excerpts.

    Assessment of democracy

    We have not fared well several years after our independence, for one reason or the other. Our leaders have failed us as a nation. Let us look beyond regret and think of a way forward.  It is true that the nation has witnessed bloody civil war, military coups and counter coups. Quite often we have bad leadership, dislocation of most part of the economy despite the huge oil revenue, falling education standard, cultism, violent crime, erosion of moral value and several other vices.

    The problems of the country, though remotely attributable to the first republic leaders, began to assume their current gigantic proportion from the era of military rule. In the economic sector and given the vast human and natural resources, our country has clearly lagged behind in the past years. From the modest gains of the First Republic era, the economy is today at the verge of total collapse.

    The energy sector is in no shape. With huge hydroelectric schemes and several thermal stations, Nigerians today are without electricity. Power blackouts have become part of the social and economic lives and nearly emasculating the entire economy.

    In transportation, it has been a chequered experience. The railway system, which was so popular in those days, is no more. In its place is a moribund Nigeria Railways Corporation, which trains are scarcely on the move. The Nigeria Airways is today non-existent, in inland water and most highways have all degenerated and required rehabilitation. The health sector has equally declined within the past years. Virtually all tiers of the healthcare delivery system are in disarray and unable to provide affordable services to the citizenry. Today, Nigerians are taking solace in herbal medicines.

    In education, though there are more institutions of learning, the standard has been declining consistently. This is easily attributable to death of facilities for effective teaching and learning. More half-baked products are being churned out of schools.

    The way out

    Politicians should borrow a leaf from developed countries. It is good for politicians in Nigeria to put away individual interest and embrace the interest of Nigerians for the country to move forward especially in the right direction. Nigerians continue to witness destructive crises and conflicts leading to state of insecurity, tremendous loss of lives, massive corruption, and destruction, looting of properties all over the country. Nigerians are still living in abject poverty and witnessing hyperinflation, increasing plutocracy, economic doctrine, and mass unemployment.

    Okowa and campaign promises…

    I was shocked when a man I have high regard for went to the media recently to accuse our governor of non-performance partly in entire Itsekiri land. This claim is not only misleading but a calculated attempt to discredit Governor Okowa.

    There is no part of Itsekiri land the governor has not touched, I am not aware of any.  The governor has done very well in all the sectors. Firstly, he is very passionate about well being of our people. The governor has pursued his policies and programmes with vigor, deep sense of responsibility and he has delivered proactively to every nook and cranny of the state. A bottom –up approach that guarantees responsiveness to the yearnings of the populace has also been adopted which is the hallmark of good governance and leadership.

    This government has established good and qualitative leadership that is characterized by friendly policies, people oriented projects, accelerated commerce through Micro finance loans, rural development, job creation, opening of new roads both urban and rural areas.

    Governor Okowa has rehabilitated schools to enhance educational development. If Governor Okowa strides in physical infrastructure are astounding, his foray into agriculture is worth emulating.

    The State Ministry of Agriculture has been strategically positioned to meet the governor’s policy on food production and food security. It is also applicable to education, which the governor has given top priority in realization of the benefits, which it brings to the society.

    Chance in the midst of the plethora of candidate

    We all have our individual strategies I have also done a lot of consultations among my people. I am grass-rooted. The Itsekiris are a united people, very disciplined and appreciative. I am an Itsekiri man loved by his people. I am confident that my people will not disappoint me come 2019 general election.

    I have consulted widely across my constituency in the last few months. I have also received prayers, thousands of telephone calls and text messages, including personal visitations from all segments of my constituency.

    I can assure that after my consultations, it’s very clear that my people want me to partner with them to move our federal constituency and the entire state forward. I do not envisage that the journey towards achieving these objectives will be easy, but with the foundation already laid coupled with your support.

  • Shocking defeat awaits you if you contest, APC tells Dogara

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has asked Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara not to re-contest the House of Representative seat on the platform of the opposition party as “a humiliating defeat” awaits him.

    Reacting to the purported defection of the Speaker to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Acting National Organising Secretary, Yekini Nabena said it was not a surprise if the Speaker decide to join the opposition in view of his anti-party activities in the National Assembly.

    Read Also:Soldiers kill 10 kidnappers, bandits in Kaduna

    He said the anti-party activities became more glaring when the PDP won his local government of Bogoro during the recently concluded Senatorial election in Bauchi state.

    Nabena said “We have received several media requests for a reaction to the purported defection of the Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to one of the opposition political parties, as reported in the media.

    “In reacting, a recent comment by President Muhammadu Buhari aptly sums Dogara’s reported defection: “The weakest people whose senses of expectation do not align with our vision have exited our Party”.

    “Dogara’s reported defection has not come to us as a surprise. It was only a matter of time judging by Dogara’s anti-party antics in the National Assembly where in connivance with the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, he exploited all available avenues to sabotage and undermine the APC-led executive.

    “Dogara’s anti-party activities which enabled one of the opposition Party’s sole victory in Bogoro Local Government Area (Dogara’s council) during the recent Bauchi South Senatorial bye-election won by the APC is another pointer, among several others.

    “Indeed, all politics is local. As a Party, we empathise with Dogara on his confusion and despair over his bleak political future given the fact that he is not on ground and a political paperweight in his home Bauchi state.

    “In his emergence as Speaker, Dogara was merely used by his political master to achieve their selfish political ends at the time. They have since moved on to pursue their individual political aspirations and left Dogara in the cold.

    “We would advise Dogara against his ill-advised decision to recontest his House of Representatives seat under the opposition Party he is linked with because a crushing and humiliating defeat surely awaits him.

    “As a Party, we remain united and committed to our Progressives ideologies. We urge Party faithful to consolidate on our strengths and collectively go into the 2019 general elections as a united and strong political fighting force to sustain the Change Agenda we are implementing for the benefit of Nigerians.”

  • Buhari urges National Assembly to pass Proceeds of Crimes Bill

    President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday urged the National Assembly to speedily consider and pass the Proceeds of Crimes Bill.

    According to him, the provisions of the bill are crucial to effective recovery and managing of stolen assets.

    The President spoke at the State House in Abuja after receiving the report of the three-man Presidential Committee raised to audit recovered funds.

    The panel was raised to carry out a comprehensive audit of assets and funds recovered by federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies from May 29, 2015 to November 22, 2017.

    Buhari said: “However, a key tool that will revolutionize our asset recovery and management architecture is the Proceeds of Crimes Bill which is currently awaiting passage by the National Assembly.

    “Once the Bill is passed and assented, many of the challenges facing our asset recovery and management practice will be adequately taken care of as the Bill addresses most of the challenges facing effective asset recovery and management in Nigeria. I therefore encourage the National Assembly to take necessary steps to pass the Bill.”

    On the committee, Buhari said: “As a result of gaps identified in the asset recovery process and in order to foster greater accountability and transparency; when I inaugurated the Committee in November 2017, I emphasized the resolve of this administration to pursue a strong anti-corruption policy and to trace and recover stolen assets using all legal and diplomatic resources at our disposal.

    “I also directed the agencies involved to submit detailed reports of all their recovered assets by March 2017. I must say that today’s event which symbolizes the successful completion of the onerous task given to this committee is another milestone in the fight against corruption; a project that is very crucial to our developing democratic governance.”

    Corruption, he said, constitutes a threat to the well-being, national security and the economy.

    “I have made it clear that this government will not allow the wanton diversion and embezzlement of public funds into private pockets.  Thus, we intend to continue taking all necessary measures to deprive looters of public assets of the fruits of their crimes.

    “It is in keeping with the anti-corruption policy of this government, and in line with global best practices that this committee was set-up to review our asset recovery and management practices in order to evolve a proper management, transparency and accountability culture in the management of recovered assets.

    “Given our history of impunity, much of Nigeria’s wealth has historically been squandered or stolen; leaving us with inadequate infrastructure for our growing population and economy. Asset Recovery is thus one of the essential tools for fighting corruption and we must therefore take issues of managing such recovered assets very seriously.”

    The President said that the proceeds of the recovered assets would be utilised optimally to address the economic and social problems in the country.

    According to him, loopholes for stealing public funds must be blocked.

    He assured that the report and recommendations of the committee would be carefully examined and given due consideration.

    “Our asset recovery and management system will in future be transparently, effectively and efficiently managed, and we will set-out a fresh template of public accountability in the country,” he added.

    He also assured that his administration will remain committed to its promises.

    “Until Nigeria triumphs over the evil of corruption, attain a prosperous economic status and surmounts all her security challenges,” he said.

    He thanked the committee members for their service and dedication in preparing the report.

    Justice Minister & Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami gave the breakdown and total amount of assets recovered within the period under consideration.

    He said “N3.8 million, $378 million and 27,800 pounds have been recovered from public officials.

    “In summary the recovered funds by the three man committee is N769 billion cash was recovered within the period under review,” he said

    Malami also disclosed that the Federal Government recovered N13.8 billion from tax evaders in May 2018.

    In May 2018, he said, government paid N439.2 million to about 14 whistle blowers who gave specific information on tax evasion.

    While thanking the President for the opportunity to serve, panel chair Olufemi Lijadu hoped that the report will assist the government’s efforts to ensure that recovered assets are accounted for and managed in an accurate, transparent and logical manner.

    According to him, the report is prepared in four volumes.

    He said: “Volume I is the main report which contains the committee’s findings and recommendations; Volume II contains the detailed schedule of cash recoveries; Volume III contains the detailed schedule of non-cash recoveries; Volume IV contains correspondence with auditees and Volume V contains presentations and memoranda from auditees and professional organizations.”