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Tag: national assembly

  • Senate suspends confirmation of 27 RECs

    Senate suspends confirmation of 27 RECs

    …vow to defend selves against attacks

    A showdown between the Presidency and the Senate appears to be in the offing.

    The Senate Tuesday declared its readiness to defend its integrity against attacks by unnamed persons.

    The declaration is coming as the upper chamber unanimously resolved to suspend the consideration and confirmation of 27 Resident Electoral Commissioners sent to it by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki who announced the resolve of the Senate to defend its integrity after about two hours behind the door meeting said that the upper would not succumb to blackmail and intimidation in carrying out its constitutional duty.

    Saraki did not give details nor revealed the identity of the external forces he said were attacking the institution of the Senate.

    He said: “The Senate in a closed session discussed the various attacks on the National Assembly, especially on the Senate, for performing its constitutional duties.

    “The Senate resolved to defend the integrity of the Senate against such attacks and will not be intimidated from carrying out our constitutional duties at all times.”

    Sources said that Saraki’s position may not be unconnected to its recent face-off with some members of the executive, including the Comptroller-General of Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Col. Hameed Ali (retd) and the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. David Babachir Lawal and the rejection of the nomination of Mr. Ibrahim Magu for appointment as Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    One of the sources noted that “the Senate is not happy that despite its rejection of Magu, the President still left him on acting capacity.

    The resolution to suspend the consideration of the nomination of the Resident Electoral Commissioners followed a motion by Senator Peter Nwaoboshi.

    The names of the RECs should have been read the second time and referred to the Senate Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) but for the motion.

    Nwaoboshi prayed the Senate to suspend action of the nominees for two weeks to allow Saraki to convey the feelings of the Senate to President Buhari over alleged disregard of Senate resolutions.

    Nwaoboshi said, “Mr. President, taking a leave from America which started this presidential election. Recently the National Security Adviser was sent to the Senate of America and because of his believe in Russia he was disqualified. What am I saying, issues like this have to transcend the issue of political parties or where you have lived for the interest of Nigerians and also to protect our constitution and protect our democracy.

    “Recently in this Senate, we have dealt with the issue of confirmation and where we are today, the chairman of the Presidential Committee on anti-corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay went to the press and said that the Senate merely confirms. This is not expected of somebody who had lectured constitutional law in the university, a professor of law, a senior advocate of Nigeria and of course a chairman of such a big body to say that the legislature merely confirms, that is the legislature has no power.

    “Here are we again today, now been given a list to confirm and we merely confirms. Look at the list here, we have eight of them here out of 27, eight of them are for reappointment which means they are acting already, they are already working and they are still in position.

    “Prof. Sagay will start again section 171 subsection (d) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria even if we don’t confirm them he will say continue to work.

    “You can imagine this kind of advice that these kinds of persons are giving to Mr. President. They are telling Mr. President to disregard and disrespect the institution the legislature.

    “Mr. President, lets us not take such a precedence, we cannot destroy our democracy because certain persons, certain individuals feel that it is only their believe or what they want is what will happen in this country. This country does not belong to them; this country belongs to the Nigerian people. The Nigerian people have elected us; they have given us the power to look into those names sent to us for confirmation to look into their credentials.

    “But when you denigrate such an institution that have the power to confirm and used the word merely, we could not ignore it coming from somebody of that status. My position on this matter is that since our confirmation is merely; let us suspend it until we know whether we have the power as given to us by the constitution to look into confirmation matters or any other status.”

    Matthew Urhoghide (Edo South) in his contribution said, “In addition to what Nwaoboshi said which is the constitutional requirement that this Senate has to confirm nominations sent by the executive arm of government, the act establishing this agencies of government have specified clearly that this officers of these agencies whose appointments will be made by Mr. President have to be confirmed by the Senate.

    “We are only performing our statutory role and if by chance, Mr. President sends a name to the Senate for confirmation and they are not confirmed. What happens is that the President is at liberty to send another name but it must be that the senate too must be properly informed of what has happened to the confirmation either the one that has been upheld or the one that has been turned down by the senate. We deserve the right to know.

    “We cannot keep confirming names or turning down names of nominees of Mr. President only for them to be put in basket particularly the one that happened recently we don’t know what has happened. These persons cannot keep acting even when we have turned them down because as it is now they are acting and their names have been sent in for confirmation and we don’t know what has happened in the case of the EFCC.

    “Specifically speaking, is he acting today? If the President knew that he was not going to honour our refusal or rejection of his nominee they shouldn’t have sent him in the first place which would have meant an outright violation of the law establishing EFCC and of course the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended.”

    Senator Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central) opposed.

    Aliero said, ‘I rise to oppose what my two colleagues have just said for the reason that there is already an impression that is created particularly by the media that the INEC is not ready for the conduct of 2019 election. The 2019 election is very crucial to us and the preparation and the conduct of the 2019 election is the submission of resident electoral commissioners to the senate for screening and approval. Without that INEC will never be ready for the 2019 elections even though what they said is true. I want to ask that we consider the screening of this list and if there is any observation on any nominee it should be done at the screening stage. I will want to respectfully say that some of the nominees that are set to be on reappointment they have already left the office and they have served their term for four years.”

    The Senate Deputy Whip, Senator Francis Alimekhana (Edo North) was more vocal in his support that the confirmation of the RECs should be kept in view.

    He said, “I beg to differ from the suggestion of my colleague, Senator Aliero. It is better to do something and do it well. All these nominees reappointed, new appointment what if we refuse one of them what will happen? That is the question that the distinguished senators are asking the executive. There is no need to disapprove one and he (President) goes back to say you can continue to act. The EFCC chairman that we disqualified in this hall is he acting? Among the report that are agog in the papers he is behind it. Magu is terrorising us because we disqualified him and we cannot hide it. We disqualified Magu and he is terrorising our people because we disqualified him and he is still acting and they are still bringing in nominees for us to confirm. If they know they can do it alone let them do it.”

    Deputy Senate Leader, Bala Ibn Na’Allah asked for caution.

    He said, “This is a defining moment in our journey to nationhood. Having had the privilege of being a leader in this senate I have always prided myself with the fact that this senate is imbued with men of intelligence, courage and character with determination to play a fundamental role in our journey towards nationhood. I have always said that it consists of former governors, former ministers, former captains of industries what that means is that at each point that we are being called upon to decide on an issue that affects this nation. We must show that we have superiority of thinking and we have more commitment than those anti-democratic forces that survive outside the chambers of the national assembly. I think this is one situation where that call is relevant and important.

    “I share the sentiments of my colleagues on this issue. I am in great difficulty to disagree with more convincing reasons as to why I think the senate will thread cautiously on the request by my colleagues for us to stand down this. I think this matter is going to be referred to the committee, we still have enough time.”

    Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu noted that some of the positions of the RECs have been vacant for more than one year.

    He said any delayed should not be laid on the Senate but on the Executive that failed to submit the nominees on time.

    Ekweremadu said that Saraki should be allowed to convey the sentiment and feelings of senators to President Buhari on his appointments.

    He noted that it was necessary to allow Saraki to convey the feelings of the Senate to President Buhari.

    He proposed that the consideration of the nominees should be stood down for one week.

    Before a vote could be taken on Ekweremadu’s motion, Nwaoboshi moved that the matter should be suspended for two weeks.

    Senator Clifford Odia (Edo Central) seconded.

    When Saraki put the question, it was unanimously carried.

     

  • Lawyer to FG: Monitor use of Paris Club refunds

    A legal practitioner, Mr Omar Musa, has urged the Federal Government to constitute a high-powered committee to checkmate diversion of the Paris club loan refunds given to states.

    President Muhammadu, who ordered the money to be released to the state governors, stressed the need for them to use part of the money to pay arrears of workers and benefits of retirees.

    Musa gave the advice while speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) in Suleja on Tuesday.

    According to him, the said committee should be mandated to verify each state’s proposals on capital projects to be executed with such funds aside from paying workers’ salaries.

    He said it had become necessary to put such a mechanism in place to ensure proper use of fund for projects that would make direct bearing on the lives of the ordinary people.

    Musa said that the committee should also collaborate with the state houses of Assembly in keeping track of the way and manner people-oriented projects were being executed to ensure judicious utilisation of the funds.

    He further advised that only projects that had direct bearing on the lives of the people should be given the go ahead for execution by the committee.

    Muas also called on the National Assembly to enact a law to support the government’s whistle blower policy and for Nigerians to support it to check corruption.

    Musa expressed confidence that the policy would help fight corruption in all its ramifications when all stakeholders give maximum support to its worthy cause.

     

  • Magu: Civil Society to occupy National Assembly

    Some Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have threatened to occupy the National Assembly next week, accusing the lawmakers of frustrating the anti-corruption efforts of the present administration.

    Addressing a rally in Abuja attended by the organisations and the President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANTS), Retson Thedeke who spoke on behalf of others accused the National Assembly of reversing the gains of the Change Agenda of President Buhari.

    Thedeke demanded that the appointment of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, (EFCC), chairman, Ibrahim Magu, three nominees for the National Communication Commission, and all those whose appointments were rejected on: “frivolous unsubstantiated allegations be confirmed by the Senate.”

    “Corruption is at the root of the many Nigeria Problems. And while the President is dedicated to fighting for Nigeria, political insanity exemplified by the selfishness and greed of the leadership of the National Assembly has become major clog in the wheel of progress not just of the government but also for Nigerians.

    “Instead of keying into the anti-corruption war of the President, the leadership of National Assembly is bent on scuttling it. This is not surprising to Nigerians as there are high profile corruption cases against members especially the Senators presently in various courts across the country,” Tedheke said.

    He also urged Nigerians to mobilise themselves and demand real change from those he said should ordinarily be the closest to the people.

    He lamented that anti-corruption bills sent to the lawmakers to facilitate prosecution of corruption and bring corrupt person to justice have been abandoned by the National Assembly.

    He said all known persons that spoke against the leadership of National Assembly’s alleged corruption and appointed by the President for national assignments requiring their approvals were always rejected.

    He therefore urged lawmakers with high profile corruption cases in courts to relinquish their positions in the National Assembly due to integrity challenges and to also pass all anti-corruption bills sent to them by Mr. President.

  • ECOWAS parliament advocate legislative training for lawmakers

    The ECOWAS Parliament Monday called for the inclusion of legislative practices and procedure in African universities’ curricula.

    This, it said, would help improve the quality of law making and democratic process in the sub-region.

    Its Secretary General, Dr Nelson Magbagbeola, said the legislative processes of the West African states need to be harmonised as the region works towards economic integration.

    He spoke in Lagos during a workshop on comparative parliamentary practice and procedure for parliamentary staff of ECOWAS member states, drawn from three linguistic groups, namely Anglophone, Francophone and Lusophone.

    It was organised by the National Institute for Legislative Studies (NLS), an organ of the National Assembly, in collaboration with ECOWAS Parliament and the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF). 

    Magbagbeola said the quality of legislative staff and law making need to be improved on through specialised training so as to equip African parliaments to better discharge their oversight functions. 

    “We want to encourage the universities to have curriculum on legislative practices and procedure. West African is on a democratic process. It’s important that we are ready to sustain the democratic process.

    “Most of the officials in the executive arm of government are well trained. But there is asymmetric knowledge between officials of the legislature and the executive. It’s not easy to carry out oversight functions on people who know more than you do.

    “That is why we need to enhance the capacity of the parliamentary staff and the members of parliament. If a parliamentarian is not versed in financial reporting, how will he ask questions when on oversight duties at ministries, departments and agencies? So we want to bridge that gap with this sort of training,” he said.

    Former Speaker, National Assembly of Burkina Faso, Prof Melegue Traore, who was one of the resource persons, said the quality of legislation needs to improve if African parliaments must better control public policies. 

    “We also need parliamentary diplomacy because West Africa is a field of crisis now. African parliaments have a big role to play in the process of settling the various crises bedeviling the sub-region.

    “We need strong governments, but we also need strong parliaments,” he said.

    Director of Research at the National Institute for Legislative Studies, Drt Adeyemi Fajingbesi, said African parliaments have not development as much as the executive due to military interventions.

    He said legislative staff are key to the legislative process, hence the need to improve their skills.

    “I’ve had the opportunity of interacting with quite a lot of legislative staff in West Africa and my observation is that we don’t have the kind of legislative staff that we desire for qualify legislative functions. 

    “As such, there’s need for them to be trained and retrained. Governance is dynamic. So, to keep up with the changes, the legislature needs to continue adapting through continuous capacity building,” he said.

  • APC to heads of govt agencies: don’t disrespect National Assembly

    APC to heads of govt agencies: don’t disrespect National Assembly

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has warned its members, who are appointees of government, not to disrespect the National Assembly.

    The party said the National Assembly is the institution at the heart of the nation’s democracy, noting that any form of denigration of that institution was “like flirting with suicide”.

    The National Assembly has had running battles with government appointees following their refusal to honour invitations to answer questions on certain issues affecting Nigerians and the day-to-day running of government – the latest being the refusal of the Comptroller General of Customs, Hameed Ali, to honour an invitation from the Senate.

    Speaking with reporters at the weekend after a meeting of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) with the APC caucus in the House of Representatives, the APC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the party did not intervene early enough on the face-off between the Senate and the Comptroller General of Customs because the matter was not strictly a party affair.

    He added that the party believed both parties will  see reasons to amicably resolve the matter.

    He explained that taking the matter to court had further complicated the issue at stake.

    But he assured the citizenry that the party will ensure the matter is resolved within the shortest possible time.

    Abdullahi said: “Yes, you are right. The issue came up. The House of Representatives expressed these concerns.

    “They believe that the party has being shielding some people from the Executive arm of government, who are also members of the party and that is why they are able to, in their own words, disrespect the National Assembly.

    “Don’t forget that the meeting we had was with the House of Representatives and not the Senate. But I think they felt equally affected by what is going on with the individuals you have mentioned. But the assurance that we gave them is that the party will not do that.

    “The party will not support any member, who is an appointed official of government to disrespect the National Assembly because we recognise that the National Assembly is the very meaning of our democracy.

    “The difference between dictatorship and democracy is that you have a National Assembly. In military rule, you have the executive and the judiciary. The only institution you don’t have under military rule is the National Assembly or the House of Assembly in the state.

    “So, that is the very foundation of our democracy and we believe as a party that every single citizen, regardless of what we feel about some actions or inactions of that institution or some individuals in that institution or the perception we have about some people in that institution, the most important thing is that it is the very institution at the heart of our democracy and any form of denigration of that institution is like flirting with suicide.

    “So, as a political party, we are not going to do that. We are not going to support anybody to disrespect our National Assembly and I believe that some of these issues that are coming up will very soon be resolved.

    “As you have learnt, the party said we are going to intervene on some of these issues and try to resolve them. I don’t think trying to intervene to resolve the issues should be interpreted to mean that we are protecting some of the individuals that are involved.

    “We are not protecting anyone to disrespect the National Assembly. Our desire will be to see that there is stability in the system and the polity is not unnecessarily overheated by issues that can be resolved amicably.”

    Abdullahi said the party did not intervene early in the matter because it was not strictly a party affair.

  • Senators seek increased security at National Assembly

    The Senate yesterday raised the alarm over the porous security in National Assembly, following terror attack on the United Kingdom Parliament.

    Senators said urgent steps should be taken to prevent undesirable elements from infiltrating the National Assembly complex.

    The upper chamber condemned Wednesday’s terrorist attack on the United Kingdom Parliament.

    It called for immediate security beef up within and around the National Assembly to secure lives and property.

    Senator Samuel Anyanwu drew the attention of his colleagues to the way and manner people troop to the National Assembly, especially at unholy hours of the day.

    The Imo East lawmaker, who relied on Order 43 of the Senate Standing Rules, urged security agencies in the National Assembly to step up their game.

    “One day, we may just be here and a bomb will go off. We need to call the people in charge of security here to take this issue very seriously. If what happened in the UK is allowed to happen here, there will be trouble. I have said my own.”

    Senate Leader Ahmad Lawan condemned the terrorist attack in the UK.

    The Senate resolved to write the UK Parliament to commiserate the members over the terror attack.

  • Buhari, Magu observe Jumaat in Aso Rock

    Buhari, Magu observe Jumaat in Aso Rock

    The embattled acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu was among Muslim faithfuls that observed their jumaat prayer at the State House mosque in the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    President Muhammadu Buhari was also at the jumaat prayer service.

    Magu’s nomination was rejected for the second time by the Senate on Wednesday.

    The Presidency is yet to decide whether it will represent Magu’s name to the Senate or present a new nominee.

    It is still awaiting communication from the National Assembly before it will react to the latest development.

    The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina had said on his Twitter account that the Presidency was yet to receive any communication from the Senate.

    “The Presidency will respond to the non-clearance of Magu as EFCC boss, after it receives official communication in writing from the Senate,” it stated.

     

  • Benue killings: Indigenes protest at National Assembly

    Benue killings: Indigenes protest at National Assembly

    Protesters under the aegis of Vanguard Against Tiv Massacre (VATIM) on Thursday thronged the National Assembly main entrance demanding immediate vacation of Benue by herdsmen.

    The protesters, who arrived at the National Assembly gate at about 9 a.m., barricaded the area and disrupted vehicular traffic in and out of the complex.

    The protesters, numbering more than 100, chanted songs calling on the legislature to intervene in the matter.

    They carried placards which bore “our ancestral homes are not cattle grazing routes, stop the killing in Benue State’’ and “Nigeria risks famine if farmlands are not made safe for our people’’, among others.

    Spokesman of the group, Mr Frank Utoo, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that incessant killing of farmers had adversely affected farming activities in the state.

    Utoo said that in spite of the fact that it was farming season, farmers were not ready to return to the farms for fear of being attacked.

    He called on the National Assembly to pass a bill that would make it mandatory for herdsmen to own ranches across the country.

    According to him, cattle should not to be reared on arable farmland but restricted to ranches so as to avoid grazing on farmlands.

    Utoo said that no fewer than 30 lives had been lost in the most recent herdsmen attack in Buruku Local Government Area of the state.

    “The aged, women and children were mostly the victims of the massacre unleashed by the herdsmen in the area.

    “It was unfortunate that the defenceless are the major targets of the hoodlums,’’ he said.

    A leader of the protesters, Mr Tersoo Akula, said the killings had been going on for the past 12 years and accused the government of “paying lip service’’ to the problem.

    “Every year, we come here and we hear empty promises.

    “We want to say that we are completely not satisfied with the response of the government as far as herdsmen and farmers’ crisis in Benue is concerned.

    “There seems to be a classical agenda to wipe out the Benue race but our message is that `it is not possible’.

    “The fact that we have not taken arms or formed a militia front to address these herdsmen is not an act of weakness,’’ Akula said.

    Sen. George Sekibo (PDP-Rivers), who addressed the protesters on behalf of President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, said the red chamber was aware of the harassment of locals by herdsmen.

    Sekibo told them that the National Assembly was working toward a lasting solution to the problem.

    He said that about three motions had been raised in relation to the activities of herdsmen in the state and other parts of the country, adding that the upper chamber was not resting on its oars.

    “The Senate is standing by you. We shall do everything within the limits of the law to ensure these herdsmen are taken to particular area where they can feed their cattle,” the lawmaker said. (NAN)

  • Saraki, Dogara brief Buhari on National Assembly’s activities

    Saraki, Dogara brief Buhari on National Assembly’s activities

    •’We’ll pass budget this month’ 

    President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday met behind closed doors with Senate President Bukola Saraki and House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara on many issues that transpired in the country while he was on medical vacation.
    Issues discussed at the about 40 minutes meeting included budget, ambassadorial nominees, Niger Delta, Eurobond and the issue of Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Walter Onnoghen, who was confirmed in the President’s absence.
    Speaking with State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, Saraki said: “After being away for a while, it’s good for us to meet and generally review things that were done in his absence. So, it’s normal consultation.”
    Asked to assess the President’s health, being a medical doctor, Saraki said: “I came here to discuss the issues regarding the activities in the National Assembly in his absence. The president met with us and I think we were there for over 40 minutes. I was not talking to myself. So, you know he was responding and we were engaging and he engaged us very well.
    “We discussed issues of national interests so we are happy to see him back and he is back at the office and he is doing his work.”
    On what Nigerians should expect since the President has sent letter of his resumption, he said: “Well, the budget is ongoing, things that we passed in his absence, the issue of the CJN, the Eurobond, just general issues that are pending, the issue of the ambassadorial nominees that is due and the stability in the Niger Delta; a whole range of issues were covered in the short period of time.”
    Saraki said the National Assembly is still working hard to pass the 2017 Budget this month.
    “We are working on it and our target is still this month and we are working very hard to ensure we meet that deadline,” he said.
    Dogara, on his part, said he was not in the Villa to assess the President.
    On what should be expected now with the relationship between the executive and the legislature, he said: “I have always said this even before Mr. President that in the other climes, it is us always the province of the legislature to fight the executive. We fight on issues bothering on national interests but we expect to cooperate more than we fight in the interest of our people to ensure that there is progress, one government no division.
    “So, it is in the realisation of this that we will always extend the needed support to ensure that he succeeds so that our government will be rated as a successful one.”

  • Customs boss visits Saraki as Senate expects him Wednesday

    Customs boss visits Saraki as Senate expects him Wednesday

    The Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service, retired Col. Hameed Ali, on Tuesday paid a visit to the President of the Senate, Dr  Bukola Saraki.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the comptroller-General, who arrived the National Assembly complex at about 5.30 p.m., was first received by the Leader of the Senate, Sen.  Ahmed Lawan.

    He then went into a close door session with Saraki.

    The Customs boss later left the complex in company of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Sen. Ita Enang, at about 6.49 p.m.

    NAN recalls that the Senate on Tuesday at plenary session insisted that Ali must appear before it in uniform on Wednesday.

    This followed the receipt of a letter from Ali seeking permission not to appear on Wednesday.

    An Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr Azarema Abdulkadir, had written to the Clerk of the Senate requesting that the upper chamber gives the Comptroller-General a new date to appear before it.

    NAN recalls the Senate had on March 9, asked Ali to appear in plenary session in uniform on Wednesday to address the issues of retrospective payment of duty on vehicles.

    The letter was read by the Clerk, Mr Nelson Ayewoh, to the senators at plenary session.

    It stated that Wednesday coincided with the fortnightly meeting of the NCS management.