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Tag: Ndoma -Egba

  • Ndoma-Egba lists dangers of high turnover in parliament

    Ndoma-Egba lists dangers of high turnover in parliament

    Ahead of next year’s elections, Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba has said the country should be mindful of the massive disservice inherent in high turnover of members of the legislature.

    The senator, who addressed reporters yesterday in Abuja, denied complicity in the alleged attack on a House of Representatives member John Eno.

    The Cross River Central senator said it was regrettable that only two senators survived from 1999 till date while the Senate lost 107 senators without anybody thinking of the implications to parliamentary institution.

    The country, he said, should be wary of the massive haemorrhage and erosion of institutionalisation caused by continuous high turnover in parliament.

    Ndoma-Egba noted that unlike the legislature, elaborate bureaucracy services the Executive and the Judiciary.

    The senator said what constitutes the institutional memory of a parliament is the aggregate memory of its members.

    According to him, in the United States, if about four or seven senators lose their positions during an election year, it is considered an upheaval.

    He said in Nigeria, 30 senators hardly return to their positions in an election year.

    Asked why he wanted to return to the Senate in 2015, Ndoma-Egba said: “First of all, the Nigerian constitution provides for tenure and age limit for the Executive to qualify for certain offices. In the Judiciary, you must practise for a certain number of years before you can be eligible for appointment. And there is a retirement age there.

    “In the legislature, the provision is for an entry age; it has no tenure limit. It has no retirement age too.

  • Ndoma-Egba to PDP: be impartial

    Ndoma-Egba to PDP: be impartial

    Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba has urged the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River State to remain impartial.

    Ndoma-Egba spoke yesterday at a consultation with the party executives on his re-election bid.

    The Senate leader, who represents the Central Senatorial District, is seeking a fourth term next year.

    Speaking against the background that the establishment in the state was against him, he said: “As we embark on this journey, I appeal for neutrality in this matter. When party functionaries begin to take sides it is unacceptable.

    Also commenting on the party’s decision to discountenance zoning, he said: “I want to thank God that you recognise the potential unconstitutionality of what they were going to do and you called them to order.

     “I am running for my seat. I have informed the governor, who is the party leader in the state. From 2007 till now, we have seen stability in the Senate. I have been part of that stability.

    “I would like to be judged by my records as a legislator. As a lawmaker, your primary assignment is to make laws. As at today, I have 39 bills to my credit.”

  • Ndoma-Egba…On the march for fourth term

    It must be made clear from the onset that Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba is breaking no law by seeking a fourth term in the National Assembly. Unlike the executive arm of government, the legislature has no fixed term. A representative can go back for as many times as his people want him. Now, Ndoma-Egba is on the march again to see whether his people who trusted him enough to elect him thrice will do so again.

    A group of professionals and residents of the central senatorial district in Cross River State have thrown their weight behind his fourth term bid.

    The professionals said they arrived at their decision after a careful analysis of the performance of the senator who represents the district.

    After their meeting in Ugep, Yakurr Local Government Area, the group agreed that hardwork and good performances should be encouraged.

    According to them, the senate leader is a very important figure at the federal level and Cross River should not throw that away.

    Outlining some his achievements, Dr Benitrus Okim, who spoke on behalf of the group, said he has sponsored the highest number of bills in the seventh senate of the federal republic of Nigeria and led the senate and contributed immensely to the stability of the senate.

    Okim continued: “He has executed more than 70 viable projects in his constituency. He has awarded more than 500 scholarships to indigenes of the district. He has fought for the territorial integrity of the state.

    “He has sponsored over 200 pilgrims to Jerusalem and Saudi Arabia. He has in line with the federal government on agriculture and food supply and sustainability provided large volumes of agricultural inputs to farmers in the district.

    “He has trained and empowered about 500 indigenes of the district on Small and medium scale enterprises and provided them with start-up capital.

    “He has vigorously fought for the interest of the state. He has shown total and unalloyed support to the party in the state and at the national. He has facilitated the employment of more than 500 people from the state.  He earned the accolade of the governor of the state as the stabiliser of the PDP in the state.”

    Also another socio-political group, the Grassroot Movement has called for Ndoma-Egba to continue.

    Coordinator of the group, Comrade Efobe Ogar Ojong, said it has become imperative for the senate leader to continue if the people are to further benefit the essence of pragmatic leadership.

    He said the country has sentimentally departed from the system where a “performing, altruistic and experienced senator” is given the opportunity to continue to serve as many times as possible for the good of the country.

    He said the track records of the senator in both giving infrastructal development in his constituency and effective leadership in the senate are so rewarding and outstanding that his group decided to drum support for his continuity.

    He urged the people to be informed that what is most important to them is the strategic position their person occupies in government.

    He said if he is replaced it would take “impossible” years to attain his height.

    Change is the only reason those against his re-election are banking on. They say he has had enough and should leave the stage for another person. The  chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Hon John Enoh, is one of those who want Ndoma-Egba out. He is interested in the seat.

    At the National Assembly, ranking is a determinant of who gets what,  this may not be good for Cross River.  The senator believes the state will suffer at the National Assembly if he does not return.

    The important thing here is: let the people decide his fate and live with the consequence.

     

     

  • Ndoma-Egba mourns Ofodile, Ajayi

    Ndoma-Egba mourns Ofodile, Ajayi

    Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN) has expressed sadness on the death of former Justice Minister Chike Ofodile (SAN) and former University of Lagos (UNILAG) Vice Chancellor Prof. Adeniyi Ajayi.

    In a statement yesterday, Ndoma-Egba said: “The late Ofodile was a remarkable gentleman, whose greatness was justified by his humility. I appeared with him as a junior on a number of cases and he had outstanding legal insight. The legal profession in Nigeria will surely miss him.”

    On Ajayi, he said: “He was my VC at UNILAG and I remember him as an outstanding academic and astute administrator. He formed the minds and character of several generations, who, today, are holding their ground across the world in every sphere of human endeavour.”

  • Ndoma-Egba raises alarm over loss of tourist sites to Cameroon

    Ndoma-Egba raises alarm over loss of tourist sites to Cameroon

    Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba has raised the alarm that Nigeria would lose most of its tourist sites to Cameroon.

    His statement followed the boundary adjustment between Nigeria and Cameroon by the United Nations (UN) as a result of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling that ceded Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon.

    Last week, there was tension in Cross River State over the presence of the UN Boundary Adjustment Team, led by Isaac Baya of Zimbabwe, and some soldiers at Danari in Boki Local Government Area.

    He said: “There is a boundary delineation exercise going on as a result of the Green Tree Agreement.

    “The Agreement necessitated some boundary adjustments and that exercise started somewhere from Lake Chad and it is supposed to go right down to the Atlantic Ocean in the South.

     “But in Danari in Boki Local Government, the Anglo/German boundary of 1913 has been there and a particular beacon stone, Beacon 113, we heard cannot been found.

    “The rest have been found and that is the one they are trying to locate. The UN Team is insisting on taking a straight line, but the communities believe that beacon is somewhere in Cameroon.

    “If they do a straight line as they want to do, then we will be losing some communities to Cameroon, including the famous Agbokim Water Falls.

    “So, I am in touch with the Cross River State Government and the community, we are looking at it so that I will bring a formal motion to the floor, you know I came under Order 42 the last time just to give notice about my intention to bring a motion.

    “We are going to lose some substantial territory that is what I can say.

    “I am still getting briefs on it. Now the good thing is, the boundary communities, we have Danari in Nigeria and we have Danari in Cameroon. That is Danari 1 and Danari 2.

    “They know their traditional boundaries and they have had no problems with that.

    “So we want to make a case for the UN Team to just accept the traditional boundaries that the two communities agreed on and let sleeping dogs lie.

    “What is even more worrisome is that few days ago, the team was there  with soldiers and we have been wondering where did these soldiers come from, without the knowledge of the government. What is actually going on?”

    On the recent recommendation by the National Conference that Nigeria should adopt a part-time legislature, the Senate Leader said it was not feasible in a presidential system of government.

     “Not in a presidential system of government, so how do you oversight the executive arm?

    “The oversight will be part-time oversight. Now I am told that their reason for that recommendation is to save cost.

     “The budget of the National Assembly has remained at N150 billion in the last three years.

    “The current budget is N4.6 trillion, by the time the SURE-P component is added, it is N4.96 trillion.

    “What percentage of that is the budget of the National Assembly? It is under three per cent.

    “So even if you are to scrap the National Assembly, you will only be saving three per cent of the budget or less. Is that the savings that you want to make?”

  • Bill on financial Intelligence centre divides Senate

    The Senate was on Tuesday sharply divided over a Bill that seeks to establish the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Centre (NFIC) as an independent body from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

    The Bill entitled: “A Bill to establish the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Centre” seeks to set up a central body in Nigeria for receiving, requesting, analysing and disseminating financial intelligence reports.

    The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Drugs, Narcotics, Financial Crimes and Anti – Corruption, Senator Victor Lar, said the Bill seeks to create a “financial intelligence centre that is vested with full independence and autonomy.”

    He said the development was meant to insulate the centre from undue interference and manipulation by other authorities and strengthen its capacity to effectively deliver on its mandate.

    Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, said it has become necessary to establish the NFIC as part of efforts by the Federal government to fight financial crimes and terrorism financing in the country.

    He said the passage of the bill would enable Nigeria to meet the mandatory requirement for the removal of Nigeria from the Financial Action Task Force list of non-cooperative countries and territories.

    He said even though Nigeria has a Financial Intelligence Unit as an autonomous department in the EFCC, the shortcomings of the unit as presently constituted and operated is predicated on its limited capacity to effectively carry out its functions.

     

     

  • Senate to Boko Haram: Free abducted schoolgirls

    The Senate on Tuesday pleaded with the Boko Haram sect to release the over 200 school girls kidnapped from Chibok, Borno State, about 40 days ago.

    Also on Tuesday, Senator Uche Chukwumerije, wondered why the Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh, would say the military has discovered the camps where the abducted girls were being held only to describe it as a military secret.

    Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, who spoke at plenary in Abuja, urged the abductors to release the girls in the spirit of the Children’s Day celebration.

    Ndoma-Egba also drew the Senate’s attention to the challenges confronting the Nigerian child of today.

    He said children can only become true resources and wealth if they are well educated.

    He said: “Let me on behalf of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, congratulate the children of Nigeria and the children of the world on this day which is their day.

    “Children all over the world represent the wealth and the resource of every nation. They can be resource only if they are educated. Without education, the children rather than being a resource will become a burden on the society.

    “It is for this reason that I also use this opportunity to draw the attention of the Senate and the nation to the challenges being faced by our children in the northeast zone of the country.

    “Let me use this opportunity to appeal to Boko Haram to make this day whole for us as a nation. To make this day whole for as humanity by releasing our children in their captivity.”

  • Kudos, knocks as Senate begins budget debate

    Kudos, knocks as Senate begins budget debate

    •Northeast rejects N2billion development fund

    The Senate yesterday began the clause-by-clause consideration of the 2014 budget.

    Though some lawmakers hailed the fiscal estimates, others saw it as the nation’s worst.

    Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba described the budget proposal as well structured to improve and address critical areas of the economy.

    But Ahmad Lawan (Yobe North) described it as the “worst deal for Nigerians”.

    Ndoma-Egba said the Appropriation Bill sought to authorise the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the federation with N4.642 trillion as against last year’s N4.9 trillion.

    The Senate Leader outlined the budget breakdown as follows: Statuary transfers = N399,687,801,891; Debt Service = N712,000,000,000; Recurrent (Non-Debt) Expenditure = N2,430,665,361,597 and Contribution to the Development Fund for Capital Expenditure = N1,100,606,836,512.

    Ndoma-Egba noted that the capital expenditure outlay of the budget was deliberately structured to address critical areas of the economy.

    He said: “Some of the sectoral allocations that are meant to galvanise and reduce the infrastructure deficit as well as enhance inclusive condo mic growth are: SURE-P = N268.37 billion; Power = N99.05 billion; Works = N128.65 billion; Defence = N34.33 billion; Police = N6.7 billion; Education = N725.94 billion; Agriculture/Rural Development = N66.64 billion; Health = N262.74 billion and INEC = N45 billion.”

    The Senate Leader insisted that the drop in the 2014 budget estimates, notwithstanding, “the proposal is a framework that will certainly consolidate and add impetus to the transformation agenda of this administration and promote economic growth, wealth creation, poverty reduction and service delivery to Nigerians”.

    Ndoma-Egba called for equity in the distribution of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) funds since it is a “contribution being made by all Nigerians.”

    He decried the dwindling allocation to the Judiciary since 2011, saying inadequate funding would stifle its statutory duties.

    Senate President David Mark urged the senators to examine the proposal from the national perspective.

    He said: “We should see the budget with national and not party periscope. We should not reduce it to party issue.”

    Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu said the budget was the most important bill before the Senate.

    He urged the Executive to ensure that it is sincerely implemented after its passage by the National Assembly.

    He said: “As a parliament, we will not want any project to be abandoned.”

    Senate Minority Leader George Akume (APC, Benue) regretted that though the budget represents the engine room of growth and development in any economy, the Minister of Finance had not presented relevant documents to the Senate to enable the legislators make meaningful contributions.

    The senator faulted the use of SURE-P funds for too many things, instead of concentrating them on specific sectors of the economy.

    He wondered why the Federal Government was making allocation for the Joint Venture Cash Call when other Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) member-states had stopped the practice.

    Akume noted that though N268 billion was voted for SURE-P, Nigerians were still running abroad for medical treatment.

    He said the SURE-P funds were being expended on areas where the rich and the privileged in the country lived.

    According to him, though there are several guest houses in the Presidency, N700 million has been voted for another VIP lodge in the Villa while a teaching hospital is allocated a paltry N300 million.

    Senator Ahmed Lawan (Yobe North) said: “I will describe this budget as the worst deal for Nigerians.”

    Majority of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators shouted him down for the comment. The intervention of the Senate President saved the situation from degenerating into a shouting match.

    Mark warned that lawmakers should be allowed to make their contributions, whether positive or negative, without interference.

    Lawan said while budgets in other countries help the poor and vulnerable in any society, Nigeria’s budgets are used to feather the nests of the rich and powerful.

    The senator regretted that though the 2013 recurrent expenditure was fully implemented with other extra-budgetary spending, the capital budget only had about 50 per cent performance.

    According to him, while five million Nigerians get 74 per cent of the budget – which represents the recurrent expenditure – the remaining 165 million people are left with 26 per cent – which is for capital expenditure.

    Lawan said of the 26 per cent capital expenditure, the government might end up implementing only half of it.

    This, the senator said, would translate to 13 per cent for Nigerians.

    He insisted that the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, had failed in her job because the recurrent expenditure had increased to the detriment of the capital expenditure.

    Lawan said: When Dr Okonjo-Iweala took office in 2011, the recurrent and capital expenditure were 74 and 26 per cent; 71.5 and 29.5 per cent recurrent and capital expenditure for 2012; while the recurrent and capital expenditure in 2013 were 68 per cent and 31 per cent. The 2014 budget has reverted to 74 and 26 per cent recurrent and capital expenditure.

    “I want to call on the Minister of Finance to throw in the towel because she has not been able to achieve what the administration wanted her to achieve. This is because there are no safety nets for the citizens.”

    He regretted that while the amnesty programme and money voted for the reintegration of former militants gulped N59 billion, the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defence got N34 billion.

    He rejected the government’s N2 billion proposed for the Northeast Development Initiative when the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) got N61 billion; the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs got N41 billion and N22 billion for the East-West Road.

    Lawan said: “We must fund the development of the Northeast. We cannot be pushed out of Nigeria. While we are losing revenue as a result of oil theft and we are supposed to turn to other sources of revenue for the country, it is lamentable that N1.4 trillion is provided for waivers and concessions this year.

    “I want to clarify that I have nothing against the Southsouth or the Niger Delta. In fact, I have been a supporter of the Niger Delta from my House of Representatives days to this day. But what I said is that the funds proposed for the Defence, that is for the Army, the Air Force, the Navy and the Ministry of Defence headquarters is far low, compared to what is earmarked for 30,000 militants and the amnesty programme.

    “The amnesty programme and the 30,000 militants will have N52 billion while Defence will have just about N34 billion. What we are saying is that we have a state of emergency in the Northeast and that security agents should be well funded.

    “Our state carries the burden of funding security agencies in our place. Why don’t we fund these security agencies better when you are taking so much money for what, in my opinion, is not more important than the security of our people…”

     

  • Service Chiefs’ confirmation scale first hurdle amid protest

    The confirmation of four Service Chiefs nominated by President Goodluck Jonathan almost ran into a hitch on Thursday following observation of alleged procedural error in the nomination.

    Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, had prayed the Senate to consider the request of Mr. President for the confirmation of nominees for appointment as Chief of Defence Staff and Service Chiefs for the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in accordance with Section 18(1) of the Armed Forces Act, cap. A.20 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

    Ndoma-Egba ,who read from the Senate Order Paper listed Air Marshall Alex Badeh (Chief of Defence Staff), Major General Kenneth Minimah (Chief of Army Staff), Rear Admiral Usman Jibrin (Chief of Naval Staff) and Air Vice Marshall Adesola Amosu (Chief of Air Staff) as those Jonathan requested the Senate to confirm for their various positions.

    The Senate Leader had hardly sat down when Senator Kabiru Gaya (Kano South) raised a point of Order.

    Gaya said that President Jonathan did not follow due process in the nomination of the Service Chiefs.

    He noted that there was a subsisting judicial pronouncement which mandated Mr. President to consult the Senate before Service Chiefs could be nominated.

    He said that it was obvious that “Mr. President did not consult the Senate before the new crops of Service Chiefs were nominated.”

    The lawmaker added that he was aware that the new Service Chiefs have already assumed duty without any input by the Senate.

    Gaya wondered what would happen if any of the nominated Service Chiefs fail Senate screening.

    The Kano State lawmaker insisted that “this matter is in court and there is a judgment on this matter.”

    Before other Senators could contribute, Senate President, David Mark, said that President Jonathan had merely announced the names of nominated Service Chiefs.

    Mark said that the nominees have neither been inaugurated nor decorated by Mr. President.

    He added that the nominee Service Chiefs could only be decorated when they were screened and confirmed by the National Assembly.

     

  • Ndoma-Egba: bicameral legislature best for Nigeria

    Ndoma-Egba: bicameral legislature best for Nigeria

    Despite arguments against the bicameral system of legislation, Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba has said it is the best for the country.

    The senator representing Cross River Central said the system is not as expensive as it was being speculated.

    Addressing reporters in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, Ndoma-Egba said the bicameral system was best for Nigeria, given its pluralistic nature.

    He said: “We have bicameral legislature where you have a pluralistic society, where there is a divergence in tribes, cultures, religions and other things. If you research, the only society that is near homogeneous is Korea.

    “Where a society is diverse, multiethnic, multi-cultural; where you have majorities and minorities, the strategy of bicameral legislature is to accommodate the fears and anxiety of everybody.

    “If you look at most plural societies, they are operating bicameral legislatures. This is because where you have two houses (of legislature), elections to the lower house is usually based on population. An election to the upper house is usually based on the equality of federating units; in our own case, equality of states.

    “If we had a unicameral legislature, a minority man like me – from Akparabong – would never be in the Senate not talk of being a Senate Leader, because an election to that unicameral legislature would be on the basis of population. On that basis, you don’t stand a chance: the bigger tribes, the bigger components of a constituency would always swallow us up.

    “It is only when you use the equality of the states that people like me can emerge not only as a senator but also a Senate Leader. So, bicameralism is meant to address the fears of the weakest, who are also entitled to state protection.

    “And is there any price too high to pay to protect the weak in any country?”