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Tag: national assembly

Senator hails INEC over 2019 election timetable

Chairman, Senate Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, Wednesday commended the electoral umpire for starting ahead of time to prepare for the 2019 general elections in the country.

Ndume told reporters in Abuja that he was fully in support of the election time table as released by INEC.

The time table showed that National Assembly and Presidential elections would hold on February 16, 2019.

Ndume said, “By the normal time table, elections are held in the first quarter, so I think that INEC is doing the right thing by setting out a target for elections so that they can be well prepared ahead. I don’t know what the anxiety is about but I know that is the Nigerian attitude. If you do something early, they say it is too early; if you do it late, they say it is late. I don’t know, but saying that elections are going to hold in the first quarter is not a big deal.

“I want to actually commend INEC for starting ahead of time and I will support it fully. We had election that was widely acceptable in the country and we are hoping that we are going to have a credible election in 2019 and I am glad to be part of it. If nothing is done about the 2019 election, definitely the election will be haphazard.”

The Borno South lawmaker noted that when he took over as the chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, he encouraged INEC to start preparing for the 2019.

‘When I looked at the budget of the INEC, I discovered that there was no provision for the 2019 election. I advised them to make provision for the 2019 election so that such items that are not sensitive and not perishable can be procured in time. It is not good for us to wait until a day or two to the election then we start running helter-skelter for the materials such as the data capture machine or other thing that should be in place,” he said.

He noted that whether there were resident electoral commissioners in the states or not is not the work of INEC.

According to him, resident electoral commissioners are not the people that conduct election “but “it is INEC that conducts election.”

He added, “Let me say this’ you journalists are contributing majorly to the problems that Nigeria has because you try to create problem or anxiety where there is none. Nigerians are not questioning why INEC released the time table but you people for whatever reason are questioning it. I don’t think that what INEC did is wrong; it is right, it is a welcome development, it should be encouraged and people should commend them for doing that.”

He said that INEC was already preparing a budget estimate of what it will cost to procure materials for the 2019 elections.

“In fact, that is what delayed our budget presentation to the Appropriations Committee. The Committee agreed that INEC should bring estimate of their expenditure for 2019 election so that it will be provided.

“For instance, if it is provided in 2017, it will be set aside to procure non-sensitive and non-perishable items that they will use. Then in 2018, the balance provision for 2019 will be made available.

“Once this money is made available, INEC will access it through the CBN because by the time 2019 election will be conducted, budget may be before the National Assembly for consideration. So, where do you get the money to do it if you don’t make the provision and preparation right now?” he asked.

Ndume said that he believed that INEC wanted to improve on what had been done before “and all encouragement and support should be given to them. So, let’s give them a chance.”

He noted that if the Electoral Act is passed, it will also help to improve the conduct of the elections of 2019.

He said, “Most importantly, I know that the President and this government is determined to conduct a credible election because it is the government that has been shouting that the election was not credible and truly elections were not credible except the last one that met minimum acceptability. And since this government is determined to conduct election and not selection or allocation as has been previously done, then we hope that we will have a credible election.

“For the Senate, we only have two clauses left to conclude the amendment of the Electoral Act. We have gone very far. In fact, I can say that I am the one that slowed the committee down because we have to do it together with the House and the executive has formed a Committee under the chairmanship of Nnamani, so let us work together in order to come up with generally acceptable reform that take care of some of the loopholes.

“This government cannot afford to put in place anything that is less than what we had. We have a standard election that was conducted; we only need to improve on it.

March 14, 2017
Saraki, Dogara update Buhari on NASS activities

The leadership of the National Assembly, led by Senate President Bukola Saraki, on Tuesday briefed President Muhammadu Buhari on the activities of the National Assembly while he was away in London.

Speaking after the closed door meeting with the president, Saraki, who was accompanied by the Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara, said they were delighted that the president was back in his office.

According to Saraki, “The president met with us. We were there for over 40 minutes. I was not talking to myself. So, you know he was responding.

“We were engaging. He engaged us very well. We discussed issues of national interest, we are well happy to see him back, he is back at the office, and he is doing his work.

“Budget is ongoing. The economy, things that we passed in his absence including the (Chief Justice of the Nigeria) CJN issue; issue to do with the Eurobond.

“Just general issues that are pending and some other issues like the ambassadorial nominees, stability in the Niger Delta – a lot range of issues we covered in the short period of time,’’ he said.

On the 2017 budget proposal, Saraki said that it would be passed before the end of March.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that on Dec. 14, 2016, Buhari presented a budget of N7.30 trillion for 2017 before a joint session of the National Assembly.

Also, Dogara pledged that the National Assembly would continue to collaborate with the presidency to achieve the desired goal of uplifting the quality of life of all Nigerians.

Dogara added, “We expect to cooperate more than we fight in the interest of our people to ensure that there is progress. It is one government, there is no division.

“If he (President Buhari) fails we all failed.

“So, it is in realisation of this that we always extend the needed support to ensure that he succeeds so that our government will be rated as a successful one,” he said.

March 14, 2017
Buhari to inform NASS of his return on Monday

President Muhammadu Buhari will on Monday transmit a letter to the National Assembly informing the legislature of his return to the country.

Buhari, who left the country on the 19th of January, returned to the country on Friday.

When seeking extension of his vacation in February, Buhari in his letter to the National Assembly had not disclosed when he will return to the country.

A posting on the Twitter handle of the Special Adviser on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, on Friday said that the President will transmit a letter to the National Assembly on Monday to inform them of his return to the country.

It reads: “PMB will Monday transmit letter to N’ Assembly on his return to the country. That makes his return to work formal, and constitutional.”

March 10, 2017
‘National Assembly not fair to Lagos’

The Chief Whip of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon Rotimi Abiru, urged leaders not to play politics with the future of the country.

Abiru, who spoke on a television programme monitored in Lagos. “The National Assembly is playing politics on the issue of Local Government creation done by Lagos state government during the administration of former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.”

He saidthe Lagos state Government at the time did what the constitution prescribed before new local governments can be created.

Abiru, who represents Shomolu Constituency II, said: “The Governor of Lagos state then, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has respect for rule of law and craved development for Lagosians, hence the creation of additional 37 local governments to the existing 20.”

The legislator said that, having done what the 1999 Constitution prescribed through a referendum across the state, it was left for the National Assembly to do its part by listing the new local councils in the constitution.

“The politics being played by the National Assembly on the matter is condemnable”.

Abiru stressed that in view of the large population of Lagos State, it is impossible to think that the state would bring optimal development with twenty local governments.

“I think it’s time we all believed in the project called Nigeria for development and save our citizens from been killed in another country in the process of seeeking greener pasture when we fail to work for the collective greatness of our nation.

The lawmaker also noted that, the Lagos Assembly has ensured over the years that the state Budget performed above eighty percent, which he said accounted for the development being witnessed today.

March 10, 2017
We need to amend laws to solve energy crisis, says Saraki

Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has said the National Assembly will amend necessary laws on power generation, transmission and distribution in other to replicate the feat recorded by the German Village, Feldheim, where residents combined local resources to produce clean and renewable energy.

A statement by his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), Yusuph Olaniyonu, said that Saraki spoke after inspecting the project in the energy self-sufficient village located 70 kilometres outside Berlin.

It said that Saraki noted that the achievement of the Germans was possible in Nigeria if only the leadership and the operators could be serious and demonstrate the will power.

It added that Saraki said that the issue of power supply remained top in the agenda of the Senate as it is a key instrument for eradicating poverty and unleashing the potentials of the people.

Saraki said; “That is why we had a workshop on the sector last month. It is also why we are here to see the experiment and success of the people of Feldheim and see what our people can learn from it.

“We have to amend the laws to allow communities to generate energy that is more than 10 megawatts and even the laws about power transmission and distribution have to be amended to allow more creativity and involvement from the private sector.”

The Project Leader, Mr. Werner Frohwitter, was quoted to have told the Senator that the project was one in which “citizens take their energy supply into their own hands” as they contributed money to build bio-gas plants which use slurry and manure from their pigs and cows and wind farms.

It said that the project leader added that though the village has a population of 140 people, it hosts about 4,000 visitors yearly comprising students, politicians, researchers, scholars and journalists who want to learn about how the people’s efforts led to the generation of 10mw of electricity, from which they sell the excess to the national power grid.

It said that Frohwitter said Feldheim is now a community which produces “safe, local, economic and ecological supply of heat and electricity organised by and under the responsibility of the citizens independent from the grids of conventional power utility companies”.

It said that the Senate delegation, on return to Berlin on Wednesday night, also had a discussion with Mr. Thomas Silberhorn, the Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Economic Co-operation and Development on how to foster economic exchange between the European giant and Nigeria.

March 9, 2017
Budget: Dogara issues deadline for Eurobond, Committee reports

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara Wednesday issued an ultimatum for the submission of reports on the request of the Federal Government for a resolution of the National Assembly for the issuance of USD 500 million Eurobond in the International Capital Market for the funding of the 2016 budget deficit.

Speaking Wednesday’s plenary, Dogara said the House Committee on Aids, Loans & Debt Management should submit the report on the USD 500 million Eurobond request by Tuesday, 7th, March to enable members’ debate and if necessary adopt its recommendations.

The committee is headed by Olayinka Ajayi (APC Osun).

Recall that the Federal Government recently requested for a resolution of the National Assembly for the issuance of USD 500 million Eurobond in the International Capital Market for the funding of the 2016 budget deficit.

The request was contained in a letter signed by the Acting President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and addressed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara.

According to the FG’s letter, in line with the requirement of securities issuances in the ICM, a specific Resolution of the National Assembly is required as a firm confirmation of the approval of the Legislature for the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) to borrow the USD 500 million through the issuance of a Eurobond Debt Instrument in the ICM.

Also, the Speaker at plenary yesterday announced a 3rd March (tomorrow) deadline for the reports from standing committees of the House on the 2017 budget Defence sessions held with Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

The Green Chamber had earlier announced a 24th February deadline for the submission of the reports on budgets from the various standing committees. However, many of the committees could not meet the deadline.

The House had twice suspended plenary to allow committees have robust budget Defence sessions with the MDAs under their supervision, with the hope that they would also have adequate time to prepare and submit their reports.

The budget session reports which were meant to be submitted to the House Committee on Appropriations, According to the Speaker, Is holding up further deliberations and forward movement in the consideration of the 2017 budget

March 1, 2017
National Assembly may seek auction of 2,500 containers, 6,000 vehicles

The National Assembly is working with some agencies to facilitate the auction of some abandoned and overtime goods at the ports.

The lawmakers, it was gathered, want the Federal Government to reconstitute the Committee for Disposal of Overtime/Abandoned Goods to sell such items at Customs commands across the country.

A scramble, it was learnt, has begun for the acquisition of the goods. Politicians, civil servants and those close to the top Customs Werarchy are said to have shown interest in the goods.

The goods are at Apapa, Tin-Can, Onne, Port-Harcourt, Calabar, Warri, Lilypond, Kirikiri and Murtala Muhammed International Airport, among others.

Customs sources told The Nation that over 2, 500 containers and 6,000 vehicles may be auctioned.

At Apapa and Ikorodu terminals, sources said, over 300 and 500 containers have been marked as overtime/abandoned goods.

Onne Port, a source said, has many abandoned/overtime cargoes which the National Assembly may push the government to sell anytime from now.

“Apapa, Tin Can, Ikorodu and Onne ports have many abandoned/overtime containers that may be sold by the government if the owners fail to come forward to clear them before the current move by the Assembly starts to yield positive result.

“Most of those that are likely to show interest in buying the abandoned goods are top politicians, government appointees and senior civil servants,’’ the Source said

When The Nation visited the Lagos ports at the weekend, civil servants were seen making enquiries from top Customs officers.

A senior Customs officer said since the government is yet to order the sale, some people have approached them to clarify the unapproved advertisement they are seeing on the social media.

“Most of these people coming to us to buy these items don’t even consider those who imported them into the country before the goods were trapped inside the ports,” the source added.

Some of the goods, he said, were imported with tax payers’ money and abandoned at the ports because they are sub-standard or prohibited items, which could not be cleared from the port under normal circumstances.

Some of the items in the containers, the source said, included lace, used clothes, second-hand shoes, bags, truck head, iron rod, angle bar, pipes, gas trucks, rice, furniture, light and other household items.

Most of the goods, the source said, were abandoned at the ports because they were seized by Customs officials for false declaration, undeclaration, attempt to evade duty, contrabands and demurrage charges by terminal operators.

Some of the containers, the source said, were caught in the web because the owners were using the port for storage facility.

February 28, 2017
Senators, Reps raise alarm over 14.8m Boko Haram victims

National Assembly members from Borno State Friday raised the alarm over the fate of over 14.8 million people affected by the Boko Haram induced humanitarian crisis in the state.

The lawmakers said that unless immediate steps were taken to address continuous poor budgetary provisions meant to ameliorate mounting humanitarian crisis in the North East, disastrous consequences may not be averted.

Former Senate Leader, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume who spoke on behalf of other National Assembly members from the state said that they resolved to ask the Federal Government to work in synergy in coordinating the Humanitarian Response Action in the North East and other crisis affected areas in the country to ensure efficiency, transparency and accountability.

Ndume also said that they resolved to appeal to the government to increase the allocation to PCNI from N45 billion to at least N100 billion while other State Governments, individuals, religious organisations, NGO should help the affected states.

The media, he said, should also continue to galvanize support to the affected region.

Ndume spoke on the theme “Relief efforts in the North East especially Borno: The world is worried and doing something” at a press conference in Abuja.

He said, “Norway, together with Nigeria, Germany and UNOCHA is hosting an international donor conference in Oslo today 24th February 2017.

“The Nigerian delegation includes the Governor of Borno State, Hon Kashim Shettima; The Minister of Foreign Affairs and The Minister of State for Budget and Planning who is also a member of the Presidential Committee for North East Initiative (PCNI).”

The Borno South Senator lamented that although the Federal Government is concerned about the worsening humanitarian situation in the region, it is not doing enough.

On the budgetary provision he said, “In the 2016 Appropriation Act only N12 Billion was allocated to PINE to address the humanitarian crisis in the North East out of which only 75% was released. This is less than 10% of the $449 contributed by International Donor countries and Agencies.

“In the Budget proposal under consideration by NASS only N45 Billion is allocated to PCNI. This is grossly inadequate to address the emergency humanitarian crisis we are faced with compared to the $1.0 Billion which is equivalent to over N305 that the International Donor Countries and Agencies are trying to raise.

“PCNI; NEMA; BOSG SEMA; VSF; DANGOTE FOUNDATION are the visible government Agencies on ground but International NGOs are more visible and active.

“Except few individuals particularly Gen T. Y Danjuma and Aliko Dangote, some organizations and NGOs, Nigerians are just watching us going through this horrific experience in our life time.”

Ndume said that it is obvious that the state government is overwhelmed:

According to him, “With the meagre resources coming to the state, there is little the State Government can do.

“However, the state and local governments are using almost all they get to do the basics of feeding the IDPs, payin’g salaries and Reconstructing, Resettling and Rehabilitating the recaptured and accessible areas.”

On impact of the crisis he said, “The conflict between Boko Haram and military counter operations in North East Nigeria resulted in widespread forced displacement, a major food and nutrition crisis, violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, severe protection concerns and a growing humanitarian crisis of global proportion. Now in its eighth year, insecurity continues and is adding to the long history of marginalization and chronic under-development as well as a higher rate of poverty, illiteracy and unemployment. Long-standing environmental degradation, Closure of markets and disruption of regional trade also contributes to eroding livelihoods, while conflict has caused forced displacement and human suffering on a massive scale.” UNOCHA.

On key figures engendered by the crisis, he said that14.8 million people are affected by the crisis while estimated cost of destruction is put at over $9 billion.

Ndume said that up to 7.0 million people in the North East are in need of humanitarian assistance while 1.8 million people are IDPs out of which more than 80% are living in host communities and the rest in camps.

He said that 2.5 million children are said to be malnourished, majority of them are in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe while 1.3 million children are without access to education.

Ndume said that over 65,000 children are orphaned due to the crisis while over 500 schools have been destroyed in Borno alone.

He said that over 100 churches and mosques were destroyed while about 1.0 returning lDPs without anything to start life with.

Ndume said that over 100,000 people lost their lives as a result of the crisis while about 250 health centers are destroyed

Other figure he gave included about 800 Municipal Buildings comprising of Police Stations, Secretariat , Prisons and other public buildings amongst others are destroyed 800,000 houses were destroyed; about 500,000 livestock lost, about 726 energy distribution lines were destroyed, high damage to the ecosystem.

He listed nine steps needed to save more lives and assist people in North East as adopted NGOS operating in the affected areas include the following: “Step 1: Prioritize the Protection of Civilians. Step 2: An urgent scale up of the food and nutrition response is needed, Step 3: Increase Access to More, Better and Safe Quality Education, Step 4: Safe access to people must be guaranteed.

Step 5: Ensure greater investment in further strengthening UN, government and NGO leadership, decision making, coordination and the accountability of the humanitarian response. Step 6: Ensure All Returnees are Safe, Voluntary and Dignified Step 7: Build Resilience and Increase Local Capacity to defend and fend for themselves, Step 8: Increase security and protection around the Lake Chad Region to encourage safe return of Fishermen and Farmers and Step 9: Kick start the process to recharge the Lake Chad.

February 24, 2017
Ekweremadu seeks chambers of commerce support to end recession

Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Thursday asked the Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture in the country to look inwards and come out with innovations that will help move the country out of economic recession.

Ekweremadu expressed the readiness of the National Assembly to provide adequate legislative structure to move the economy out of recession and help to ease the sufferings of Nigerians.

A statement by the Special Adviser (media) to the Deputy Senate President, Uche Anichukwu, said that Ekweremadu spoke when he received a delegation from the Enugu Chamber of Commerce, which was on a working visit to his Office at the National Assembly ahead of the forthcoming 28^th Enugu International Trade Fair.

Ekweremadu was quoted to have said that “the situation we have found ourselves now as a country is such that we are the only people who can save ourselves”.

He emphasised the need for government agencies and the private sector to work together to diversify the nation’s economy to provide alternative sources of income other than oil.

He said: “The 28^th Enugu Trade Fair could not have come at a better time in the history of our country than now that we are in recession and most of our friends are turning their backs on us. Some are moving their industries and businesses out of Nigeria; and investors are no longer confident in our system.

“So, this is time for all of us, particularly the various Chambers of Commerce to look inwards to be able to provide for ourselves those things, which we had expected others to provide or do for us”.

Senator Ekweremadu said only economic diversification, propelled by fiscal federalism and initiatives by the various Chambers of Commerce could take the country out of the woods, permanently.

Ekweremadu added: “Economic diversification is primarily about the areas the Chambers of Commerce focus on, namely, commerce, industry as well as mines and agriculture.

“Every part of Nigeria has abundant mineral resources that can sustain each state and the development of the mines sector must be encouraged to boast non-oil revenues. That is also where fiscal federalism comes in so that we can stop bottle-feeding the states.

“The agricultural sector and commerce also hold much potential for this country. Commerce is essentially what has given Nigeria an edge over others because while others focus on big businesses, we have small businesses all over Nigeria that are easily set up and employ small numbers but cumulatively massive numbers”.

The Deputy President of the Senate also emphasised the need for government-private sector initiative to reboot the industrial sector to boost productivity, grow the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and generate employment “instead of spending scarce resources to import what could be manufactured in our country”.

He assured that the National Assembly would look into the completion of the Enugu Trade Fair Complex as obtains in Lagos and Kaduna.

Leader of the delegation and President, Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Ugochukwu Chime, said the successful hosting of the Enugu trade fair would go a long way to provide the needed buffer for the nation’s recessed economy, and engender growth and prosperity across board for Nigeria.

Chime also commended the National Assembly, especially the Senate for its emphasis on made-in-Nigeria goods and urged the National Assembly to appropriate funds for the completion of the Enugu Trade Fair Complex.

February 23, 2017
20 per cent of the elderly are abused daily in Nigeria

Dr Charles Afolabi, the Executive Director and founder, the University of the Third Age Nigeria (U3A), Ibadan, says over 20 per cent of the nation’s elderly are abused daily.

Apart from being abused, the vulnerable group also undergoes deprivations and denial of their fundamental human rights, he said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday.

The virtual University of the Third Age is an international movement with the education and stimulation of mainly retired members (those in their third ‘age’ of life) as its aim.

It started in France as an extramural university activity and significantly modified in the United Kingdom where it was recognized that most people of retirement age have something to contribute and the emphasis has been on sharing without formal links to traditional universities.

In Nigeria, it was inaugurated in Ibadan on July 1, 2007 with 35 members and has grown to 840 members.

U3A Nigeria is multi-generational, promoting inter-generational programmes for the re-engagement of older persons who are transferring their dying vocations to younger generations.

Afolabi noted that the abuses suffered by the elderly were not reported or documented.

He said denial of welfare packages for the elderly was a form of abuse.

“About 20 per cent of the nation’s elderly are abused daily by Nigerians.

“Denial of rights of the elderly comes in different forms which include non-payment of their pensions by state and federal governments.

“Forcing women to engage in hard labour under the guise of assisting in raising grandchildren is a form of abuse.

“Lack of care from their biological children is another form of abuse and in most cases, there is no authority to report to; so these parents are made to suffer in silence,’’ said the University of Third Age boss.

He pointed out: “Many parents have turned to street beggars because lack of care and financial sustainability by their children and wards.’’

Afolabi advised children and the youth against what he called elder abuse — depriving the elderly or senior citizens of their rights physically, financially, emotionally and psychologically.

He stressed that U3A was created to make life more meaningful to retirees.

“U3A is a self-help organisation which provides unique and exciting activities for retirees that are life-enhancing and life-changing opportunities.

“Retired members of the community and semi-retired people come together to learn, not for qualifications but for self rewards.”

According to him, mortality rate in the group has reduced considerably as they are given opportunities to add more value to the development of their communities after retirement.

Afolabi disclosed that Nigeria was the first in West Africa to establish the organisation which has its headquarters in Oke Ado, Ibadan.

He urged state and federal governments to give more recognition and attention to these groups of people in terms of their health, social and welfare packages.

He added: “Some of our members go back to school to study courses like law, philosophy and other professional courses in conventional universities thereby actualising their life-time goals and ambitions.”

He called on the National Assembly to legislate on elder abuse and health insurance scheme for the elderly in the country.

February 23, 2017