The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Pally Iriase

  • Reps reject report on INTELS

    There was drama on Tuesday as members of the House of Representatives rejected a report by the Ad-hoc Committee on the Process that led to the termination of the contract between Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and INTELS Nigeria Limited:

    The House, which was initially ready to consider the report by the Hon. Pally Iriase-headed committee, rejected it based on inconsistencies and happenstances during the actual probe.

    The consideration of the report which was first laid on the 12th of December, 2018 was headed by the Deputy Speaker, Yussuff Lasun.

    The committee had made the following recommendations in the report:

    (i) that the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and INTELS Nigeria Limited should sign the new Standard Operating Procedure in the Supplemental Agreement, which should be in the best interest of Nigeria;

    (ii) that the Notice of Termination of Contract Agreement should be formally withdrawn since INTELS Nigeria Limited have complied with the Federal Government Policy on Treasury Single Account (TSA);

    (iii) that a schedule for the repayment plan for the amortization policy should be proposed and signed by both parties within one month upon the adoption of this recommendation;

    (iv)that NPA should henceforth adhere strictly to the provisions of the Nigerian Ports Authority Act in the administration and management of its operations; and

    (v) that the Ad-hoc Committee and the Committee on Legislative Compliance should ensure strict implementation of the above recommendations.

    While presenting the synopsis of the report, Iriase, who is also the Deputy Majority Whip of the House, stated the Ad-Hoc Committee held their Investigation through correspondence with the concerned bodies and also a Public Hearing.

    The Ad-Hoc Committee ascertained the notice of termination served to INTELS was done without abiding to due process and suggested that a status quo be maintained and the notice of termination be rescinded.

    But members quarreled with the recommendations saying that it appeared to cast INTELS as the victim.

    The Managing Director of the Nigerian Port Authority, Hadiza Balance Usman had told the lawmakers that the termination of INTELS’ contract was self-inflicted.

    “INTEL refused to comply with TSA and failed to remit revenue as agreed in the newly developed Structured Operational Procedure (SOP) on 28/72percent ratio,” Usman had said.

    Iriase at the time had said: “Even though, the motion necessitating the hearing was sponsored to obtain justice for INTEL, it appears it was INTEL who had shortchanged the government of Nigeria, going by facts and figures presented by the NPA”.

    Speaking at the botched consideration on Tuesday, Sergious Ogun (Edo PDP) noted there were lapses in the investigation and suggested that it should be properly done.

    Speaking further in a chat with reporters, the lawmaker said the House rejected the report because there was “not much detail which made members to feel that the investigation wasn’t thorough.

    “And from what we heard, INTELS people didn’t even attend the investigative hearing.

    “So the House ruled that the committee should go back and do a thorough job.”

    Ogun wondered why the government was receiving 28 percent revenue recovery when FEC allegedly approved 50 percent.

  • Tales of woes as Reps move to criminalize electricity estimated billing system

    …bill scales second reading

    The House of Representatives has began the process of proscribing the issuance of estimated bills to consumers by electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos).

    A bill seeking to amend the Electicity Power Reform Act by the Majority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila and others succesfully scaked second reading on the floor on Tuesday.

    If passed, every Nigerian electricity consumer must be provided with a prepaid meter, thereby would no longer have to pay for electricity not consumed.

    The lawmakers also proposed to criminalize, non provision of prepaid meter after application and illegal disconnection of consumer’s light among others with a fine of N500, 000 or six month jail term.

    Failure to carry out the provision of the proposed law was to carry a six month jail term or a fine of N1m or both.

    This followed the second reading of a bill where Section 67 sub section 1 of the Principal Act among others was amended.

    Gbajabiamila, while leading the debate on the general principles of the bill said feedback from across the country indicated deliberate extortion of consumers by the DisCos.

    On the need to back the prohibition of estimated bills by law, Gbajabiamila said there is a difference between regulation and law.

    “The Electricity Regulatory body  can direct that all consumers be provided with prepaid meters immediately and by the stroke of a pen, can also direct  that the prepaid meter no longer be provided for one reason or another.

    “So if this is backed by law, such can no longer happen,” he said.

    Lawmakers took turn to relive their experiences in the hands of Discos officials on estimated bills.

    Speaker Yakubu Dogara said he had to disconnect his house in Bauchi that was not occupied but receiving N80, 000 monthly on estimated bill.

    Deputy Majority Chief Whip, Pally Iriase described estimated bill as a serious financial oppression, adding that the sale of the National asset was faulty from the beginning.

    Saying that the arbitrariness of the billing is real, Iriase regretted that  “The people who were handed our commonwealth for nothing and making millions out of it could not add any value to it.

    “These are the same people who don’t want to install the meters even after the consumers have paid for the meter, they kept on giving excuses”.

    Muhammad Monguno (APC, Borno) could not reconcile why estimated bill was alien to  Nigeria’s  less developed neighbours  such as Chad and Sudan and others that Nigeria supplies power to.

    Nkeiruka Onyejeocha (PDP, Abia) regretted  that corruption has eaten deep into the system, she revealed that entire community in parts of Southeast were given one prepaid meter while the bill, running into hundreds of thousands are shared by individuals in the community

    “Billing on one prepaid meter by the entire community is always causing problems every time,” she added.

    Sergius Ogun (PDP, Edo) said the N215b intervention fund to the sector and by extention to the DisCos has yielded no result.

    The Principal Act was amended  by creating new Sections 68 to 72 as Section 68 (1) Estimated billing  Section 68 (2) Every electricity consumer in Nigeria shall apply to the Electricity Distribution Company carrying out business within his jurisdiction for a pre-paid meter and such consumer shall pay the regulated fee for pre-paid meter to be installed in his premises and the Electricity Distribution Company shall within 30 days of receiving the application and payment install the pre-paid meter applied for in  the premises of the consumer.

    Section 68(3) Customers who elect to buy their pre-paid meters through Credit Advancement Metering Implementation must state it in their applications and such customers  must be metered within 30 days of the receipt of their applications.

    Section 68(4) All electricity charges or billings to the premises of every consumer shall be based strictly on pre-paid metering and no consumer shall be made to pay any bill without  a pre-paid meter first being installed at the premises of the consumer.

    Section 68(5) If a Customer is not metered within 30 days after application has been duly  made, the relevant electricity distribution company is prohibited from refusing to connect the customer or disconnect the customer in the event that the customer has been connected or estimate his bills

    Section 69 proposes that “Upon connection, the Electricity Distribution Company serving the Consumer must inform the customer in writing on the nature of the meter installed, tariff methodology and all other services available to the customer.

    Section 70 states that “In giving effect to the provisions of this Act, the National Electricity Regulatory Commission as the Regulatory body must ensure that all licensed Distribution Companies comply with the provisions of this Act.

    Section 71 states that “All cases of illegal disconnection, refusal of the relevant Distribution Company to connect a customer after application, un-metering within 30 (thirty) days of a customer applying for a pre-paid meter and estimated billing shall attract both civil and criminal liability.

    Any officer found guilty shall be liable to a fine of N500,000 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira) or imprisonment for a term of 6 months or to both such fine and imprisonment as the Court may deem fit.

    Section 94 sub Section (2)of the Principal Act is amended by creating a new sub-section (4)  as follows: “Any person who performs any act or does anything or refuses, fails and/or neglected to carry out his lawful duties with intention to contravene or frustrate the Implementation of Dections 68 and71 of this Act is said to have committed an offence; and upon conviction shall be liable to 6 (six) months imprisonment or a fine of N1,000,000, (One Million Naira) or to both such fine and imprisonment without prejudice to the right of the Commission to cancel or suspend any license  under this Act”.

    The bill scaled second reading after it was unanimously passed in a voice vote.

  • Reps to investigate killings in Benue, Rivers, others

    Reps to investigate killings in Benue, Rivers, others

    Worried by the killings in Benue, Rivers, Zamfara and other states across the country, Nigerian military service and intelligence chiefs are to face the House of Representatives over killings across the country.

    The service chiefs are to avail the lawmakers’ details of their intervention and strategies aimed at preventing future occurrence, it emerged Tuesday.

    The lawmakers however expressed concerns over a stereotypical attribution of every killing to a particular group irrespective of where they took place.

    They said such conclusions hinder paths to enduring solutions to the challenge.

    Speaking at a press briefing Tuesday, Chairman of the ad hoc committee mandated to carry out the investigation, Pally Iriase said the House was not unaware of a number of efforts and approaches by other organs and agencies of government to tackle the problem.

    Iriase who is also the Deputy Chief Whip of the House however regretted that the efforts, while still ongoing, are being impacted by strait – laced narratives, political innuendos and ethno-religious distrust.

    He said: “In fact some of these strait – laced narratives have tended to ascribe all killibgs to a single cause, thus jettisoning the need to rigorously interrogate the happenings with an open, unbiased and nonpartisan mind.

    “The seven-man Committee is bipartisan, multi-ethnic and multi-religious in composition and we are enjoined to approach this important national assignment with an open mind and adopt an Intelligence gathering focus.

    “To achieve our goal in this onerous task, we have adopted a proactive approach that will see us embark on visitation and interaction with victims by visiting a number of carefully selected areas that have been attacked severally, interact with the victims, survivors and other critical stakeholders.

    “We will also interact with the security chiefs, in addition to our foreign partners.

    “To assure Nigerians that it is going to be an all – inclusive engagement, a public hearing that will afford Nigerians the opportunity to air their grievances and proffer solutions will also be conducted.

    “It must however be emphasized that intelligence gathering is going to be our major focus because the aim is to identify the remote and immediate causes of these killings enable us proffer solutions from informed position”.

    Saying that the approaching 2019 electioneering activities would not affect the commitment of the Committee members, Iriase noted that the issue is more important to the country.

    “2019 election and activities towards its prosecution will not affect us because it is only in an atmosphere of peace that election can hold.

    “To us this assignment is more important than the election and this is the reason why the House will make the report available to Mr President when we are done,” he added.

  • EFCC: Stakeholders defer on seven percent IGR retention, autonomous FIU

    EFCC: Stakeholders defer on seven percent IGR retention, autonomous FIU

    The Nigerian Law Reform Commission (NLRC) has kicked against the retention of seven percent of recovered assets or internally generated revenue (IGR) by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    The NLRC also disapproved of a Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) responsible to the EFCC, stating that an independent FIU devoid of the anti-graft agency’s supervision would serve the country better.

    The agency as well as the Governors’ Forum wanted the FIU domiciled within the EFCC despite the suspension of the country from the Egmont group due to interference from the anti-graft agency.

    Speaking at a public hearing on three bills on the amendment of EFCC Act Wednesday, a Commissioner at the NLRC, Prof. Jumai Audi said the retention of seven percent from recovered property or income generated by the EFCC is unethical and capable of encouraging corruption within the agency.

    She said the anti-graft agency does not need additional fund to carry out its activities and should not be indulge with finds it does not need by government.

    She said: “EFCC does not need additional funding and does not need to retain any money or property they recovered. Their statutory allocating is enough.

    “Asking it to retain seven percent of its IGR or recovered property is morally wrong and illegal. EFCC can ask for supplementary budget if there is a need for it.

    “EFCC is not an income generating agency because and it’s workers are duty bound to carry out their duties. If they are indulged with funds they don’t need, there is every likelihood that the workers will go in strike one day if they feel aggrieved due to issue of funding”.

    On the independence of FIU, Audi said it was the undue interference from EFCC that led to the country’s suspension from the Egmont group.

    As a result, the NLRC opined that the unit should be separated from the EFCC and given the necessary support required to be effective.

    “We recommend the establishment of NFIU as an independent and autonomous body separate from EFCC rather than as a unit domiciled in EFCC as proposed in the bills.

    “Nigeria was suspended from the Egmont group for lack of autonomy in the real sense of the NFIU and this position has not been addressed.

    “The Egmont group requires that the FIU be independent and autonomous to guarantee its effectiveness in countering terrorist financing, money laundering and fighting corruption,” she added.

    However, the EFCC insisted that an autonomous FIU will not serve the purpose it was meant for.

    EFCC Secretary, Adegboyega Aremo said the FIU must be protected from politicians and the EFCC offers the most effective window to achieve that.

    “If you leave it to survive alone it will be endangered and exposed to danger.

    “In the entire universe only three tiny countries have autonomous FIUs and what Egmont group wants is for it to have autonomy within the EFCC,” he said.

    The Director General of Nigeria Governors​Forum (NGF), Ashishana Okauru aligned with the position of the House and the agency.

    Okauru, who was the first head of the unit at inception said, “As a foundation member of EFCC, I know what the Egmont group wants and it is autonomy within the EFCC.

    “It’s baffling that 10 years after we were registered by Egmont group we’ve been suspended and we stand to lose more if we are finally expelled from the group.

    “From Nigeria we may not be able to make scholarship payments and card monies may not be honored if we are finally expelled.

    “This is a subject we should dispense quickly because I remember that almost every agency opposed it when it first began.

    “I align with the position of the Committee; the FIU should be domiciled within the EFCC”.

    The Kayode Oladele – led Committee on Financial Crimes however noted that the retention of certain percentage of IGR is not new to government agencies.

    Saying that the case of EFCC should not be an exception, Oladele said the seven percent fund would not encourage corruption but enhance the execution of the primary duties of the anti-graft agency.

    He said: “There is nothing strange for agencies to retain part of their IGR to execute their mandates and we don’t think EFCC should be an exception.

    “Funding for anti-graft agencies is not an issue for now because we have a government that has the political will to fight corruption and that is why it is empowering them but what happens if a government that is not too keen on fighting corruption is in power?

    “This extra funding will not encourage corruption but encourage them to do more, just like this whistle blower policy that is now giving Nigerians the impetus to come forward.

    “Meanwhile, if it is agreed that the extra funding is not necessary then the House has no option than to remove it based on stakeholders decision”.

    On the need to amend the EFCC Act, Oladele said most transactions now takes place on electronic platforms and place additional pressure on our anti-corruption agencies in understanding and smashing the sophisticated networks of unscrupulous elements in the society.

    “The House is conscious of the growing need of anti-graft agencies in a rapidly evolving information age.

    “It entails continuous updating of their equipment and tools, regular re-training, as well as cross-border collaboration with other countries and bon-state entities.

    “It also entails that the operations of our anti-corruption agencies are in line with the rule of law and international best practices,” he added.

    Earlier while declaring the public hearing open, the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara explained why the exercise became imperative.

    Represented by the Deputy Whip, Pally Iriase, the Speaker said, “No country can develop with the high level of corruption in Nigeria.

    “Despite various government efforts to enact laws to curb corruption it is fast threatening our culture in Nigeria but once these laws are passed it will clear some of these internal and external challenges”

     

  • EFCC: Stakeholders defer on seven percent IGR retention, autonomous FIU

    EFCC: Stakeholders defer on seven percent IGR retention, autonomous FIU

    The Nigerian Law Reform Commission (NLRC) has kicked against the retention of seven percent of recovered assets or internally generated revenue (IGR) by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
    The NLRC also disapproved of a Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) responsible to the EFCC, stating that an independent FIU devoid of the anti-graft agency’s supervision would serve the country better.
    The agency, as well as the Governors’ Forum, wanted the FIU domiciled within the EFCC despite the suspension of the country from the Egmont group due to interference from the anti-graft agency.
    Speaking at a public hearing on three bills on the amendment of EFCC Act on Tuesday, a Commissioner at the NLRC, Prof. Jumai Audi said the retention of seven percent from recovered property or income generated by the EFCC is unethical and capable of encouraging corruption within the agency.
    She said the anti-graft agency does not need additional fund to carry out its activities and should not be indulge with finds it does not need by government.
    She said: “EFCC does not need additional funding and does not need to retain any money or property they recovered. Their statutory allocating is enough.
    “Asking it to retain seven percent of its IGR or recovered property is morally wrong and illegal. EFCC can ask for supplementary budget if there is a need for it.
    “EFCC is not an income generating agency and it’s workers are duty bound to carry out their duties. If they are indulged with funds they don’t need, there is every likelihood that the workers will go in strike one day if they feel agerieved due to issue of funding”.
    On the independence of FIU, Audi said it was the undue interference from EFCC that led to the country’s suspension from the Egmont group.
    As a result, the NLRC opined that the unit should be separated from the EFCC and given the necessary support required to be effective.
    “We recommend the establishment of NFIU as an independent and autonomous body separate from EFCC rather than as a unit domiciled in EFCC as proposed in the bills.
    “Nigeria was suspended from the Egmont group for lack of autonomy in the real sense of the NFIU and this position has not been addressed.
    “The Egmont group requires that the FIU be independent and autonomous to guarantee its effectiveness in countering terrorist financing, money laundering and fighting corruption,” she added.
    However, the EFCC insisted that an autonomous FIU will not serve the purpose it was meant for.
    EFCC Secretary, Adegboyega Aremo said the FIU must be protected from politicians and the EFCC offers the most effective window to achieve that.
    “If you leave it to survive alone it will be endangered and exposed to danger.
    “In the entire universe only three tiny countries have autonomous FIUs and what Egmont group wants is for it to have autonomy within the EFCC,” he said.
    The Director General of Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Ashishana Okauru aligned with the position of the House and the agency.
    Okauru, who was the first head of the unit at inception said, “As a foundation member of EFCC, I know what the Egmont group wants and it is autonomy within the EFCC.
    “It’s baffling that 10 years after we were registered by Egmont group we’ve been suspended and we stand to lose more if we are finally expelled from the group.
    “From Nigeria we may not be able to make scholarship payments and card monies may not be honored if we are finally expelled.
    “This is a subject we should dispense quickly because I remember that almost every agency opposed it when it first began.
    “I align with the position of the Committee, the FIU should be domiciled within the EFCC”.
    The Kayode Oladele – led Committee on Financial Crimes however noted that the retention of certain percentage of IGR is not new to government agencies.
    Saying that the case of EFCC should not be an exception, Oladele said the seven percent fund would not encourage corruption but enhance the execution of the primary duties of the anti-graft agency.
    He sais: “There is nothing strange for agencies to retain part of their igr to execute their mandates and we don’t think EFCC should be an exception.
    “Funding for anti-graft agencies is not an issue for now because we have a government that has the political will to fight corruption and that is why it is empowering them but what happens if a government that is not too keen on fighting corruption is in power?
    “This extra funding will not encourage corruption but encourage them to do more, just like this whistle blower policy that is now giving Nigerians the impetus to come forward.
    “Meanwhile, if it is agreed that the extra funding is not necessary then the House has no option than to remove it based on stakeholders decision”.
    On the need to amemd the EFCC Act, Oladele said most transactions now takes place on electronic platforms and place additional pressure on our anti-corruption agencies in understanding and smashing the sophisticated networks of unscrupulous elements in the society.
    “The House is conscious of the growing need of anti-graft agencies in a rapidly evolving information age.
    “It entails continous updating of their equipment and tools, regular re-training, as well as cross-border collaboration with other countries and bon-state entities.
    “It also entails that the operations of our anti-corruption agencies are in line with the rule of law and international best practices,” he added.
    Earlier while declaring the public hearing open, the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara explained why the exercise became imperative.
    Represented by the Deputy Whip, Pally Iriase, the Speaker  said, “No country can develop with the high level of corruption in Nigeria.
    “Despite various government efforts to enact laws to curb corruption it is fast threatening our culture in Nigeria but once these laws are passed it will clear some of these internal and external challenges”
  • Reps, stakeholders differ on constituency development fund

    Reps, stakeholders differ on constituency development fund

    The House of Representatives Committee on Constituency Outreach and some civil society groups on Wednesday differed on necessity of establishing constituency development fund to finance constituency projects undertaken by lawmakers.

    While the lawmakers held that the fund would enhance even distribution and execution of constituency projects across the country, the civil society believed that the house was trying to usurp the constitutional responsibility of local governments.

    Both positions were canvassed at a public hearing in Abuja on a bill for an Act to establish the Constituencies’ Development Fund organized by the House Committee on Constituency Projects.

    Declaring the event open, the Speaker, Mr Yakubu Dogara, said the intendment of the bill was to streamline the management and implementation of constituencies’ development fund.

    This, he said, would be by entrusting the execution of such projects in the hands of the rural development department.

    Dogara explained that the decisions on the projects to be implemented remained with the various constituencies through the constituency development project advisory committee set up for each Federal constituency and senatorial district.

    He said that the essence of the bill was to put in place a mechanism that would enhance the participation of citizens in the judicious utilization of funds that would bring about accountability and socio-economic development.

    Dogara, who was represented by the Chief Whip, Rep. Pally Iriase, said “of critical importance is that the bill will also encourage grassroots participation in governance”.

    Earlier, Chairman of the Constituencies Outreach Committee, Rep. Lawal Abubakar, said in spite of legal and constitutional controversies surrounding constitutional projects by federal legislators, its implementation through constituency development fund had grown by convention.

    He maintained that it had also grown by practical exigencies to become critical element of delivering development services and infrastructure to the people.

    “It is important to provide a robust legal framework and mechanism to promote greater transparency, accountability, effectiveness and sustainability in the use of CDF as instrument of development fund and advancement of collective public good,’’ he said.

    Mr Idayat Hassan, representing the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), a Non-Governmental Organisation, argued that the proposed legislation “is a usurpation of the local government administration under the executive arm.

    “CDD is of a strong opinion that the approach of this bill circumvent the strictly oversight role of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.

    Hassan contended that ascribing the project approval role to the National Assembly would create a dependent role for local government executives.

    He said that it would also open a risk for patronage and clientele corruption with their legislative counterparts.

    According to him, the National Assembly has arrogated excessive powers to itself in the bill.

    “There is a duplication of roles of members, which will seriously undermine democracy, transparency and accountability of the fund.

    “This role duplication contravenes all fundamental rules of accountability.

    “The National Assembly passes the Act and sits on the advisory committee as ex-officio member contravenes public meeting for the nomination of members of the committee.

    “It has a final say on the project approval and of course the implementation, and is responsible for the oversight of the fund.

    “This duplicity of roles makes CDF a de facto legislative fund and will lead to another era of constituencies’ project contestation,’’ he said.

    He argued that though the Act provided for clear guidelines on how to manage the fund, the governance structure was poor.

    This, Hassan said, would lead to political interloping on the implementation of CDF projects and increase graft and projects manipulation.

    In its own presentation, the National Institute for Legislative Studies (NILS) submitted that in view of the need to strengthen the manner of administering constituency projects of the members of National Assembly, the bill was desirable and worth considering by the legislature.

    Also supporting the bill, Rep. Timothy Golu (Plateau-PDP) argued that the proposed law was very important in the even distribution of projects because most lawmakers did not have any federal representation in their constituencies.

    He said that the enactment of the law would enhance their reach with the grassroots.

    Similarly, Rep. Beni Lar (Plateau-PDP) allayed fears of stakeholders that the development fund might engender corruption in the system, saying that the bill could be streamlined to give it good law.

  • Reps eulogize late Adebayo, Ogbemudia,

    Reps eulogize late Adebayo, Ogbemudia,

    The House of Representatives, on Tuesday, showered encomiums on the late former Governors of defunct Western and Midwest regions, Generals Adeyinka Adebayo and Samuel Ogbemudia.

    This was sequel to a motion under matters of urgent public importance moved by two lawmakers, Ayodele Oladimeji  (Ekiti-PDP) and Pally Iriase, Deputy Whip of the House.

    Oladimeji (Ekiti-PDP) while moving his motion said Adebayo as the former Western region Governor brought a lot of development to the defunct region, that now encompasses Oyo, Ekiti, Ondo, Osun and Ogun States. 

    General-Adeyinka-Adebayo

    According to him, Adebayo was the embodiment of vision and consistency in terms of the desire to elevate his people to a new level social equality.

    The late General, Oladimeji said, provided qualitative governance that moved the region to great reckoning. 

    In the same vein, Pally Iriase in his motion said as a two-time Governor of the Mid West region and Bendel State Ogbemudia contributed meaningfully to the development of his state and the country at large.

    Ogbemudia
    Ogbemudia

    He said Ogbemudia during his tenure initiated “unforgettable improvements in the area of Sports, Education, Health, Commerce, Industry, Agriculture, Housing, Public Transportation and Rural/Urban transformation through superb infrastructural development”.

    The lawmaker said some of the late statesman’s achievements include the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Games village Afuze, University of Benin, Bendel Line, Bendel Steel structures, Bendel Pharmaceuticals among others.

    Members while supporting his motion spoke glowingly of the late Ogbemudia.

    They include Wole Oke (Osun-PDP), Nicholas Ossai ( Delta- PDP) and Johnson Agbonayinma (Edo-PDP).

    The lawmakers said the late General lived a life worthy of emulation and should be celebrated by all because he exercised good leadership.

    When the motion was put to a voice vote by the Deputy Speaker, Yussuff Lasun, it was unanimously adopted by members.

  • Reps summon AGF, IGP over Kogi Assembly

    Reps summon AGF, IGP over Kogi Assembly

    The House of Representatives on Tuesday, summoned the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami, to appear before its Committee on Judiciary over his alleged role in the Kogi House of Assembly crisis.

    This followed a point of order moved by Rep. Nicholas Ossai (Delta-PDP), who cited the Attorney General’s instruction to the Inspector-General of Police to reopen the assembly for proceedings.

    Ossai described the move as unwarranted and unlawful.

    In his contribution, the Majority Leader of the House, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, described the actions of the Attorney General as sad.

    He said that the resolution of the house to seal Kogi assembly was based on Section 11 of the house’s rules.

    Pally Iriase, who led the chamber’s delegation to Kogi, said that the matter was not in court when the house passed a resolution to take over legislative functions of Kogi assembly as provided by the Constitution.

    The Speaker of the House, Mr Yakubu Dogara, said that sensitive matters like that should be treated with seriousness.

    On his part, Rep. Muhammadu Bago (Niger-APC) called for the Attorney General’s resignation, saying that he lacked the power to instruct the reopening of the assembly.

    The legislators, however, resolved to summon the Inspector-General of Police and Malami to appear before their relevant committees.

    They also constituted a 22-member Ad hoc Committee headed by the majority leader to investigate the matter and report back in two weeks for further legislative attention.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the house resumed plenary on Tuesday after two weeks recess for the Easter celebration.

     

  • We need base stations at Ikhin

    We need base stations at Ikhin

    HON. PALLY Iriase is a good lawmaker representing his people well. I mean the people of the Owan Federal Constituency in Edo State.

    When we needed electricity at Ikhin in the Owan East Local Government Area, he gave us without wasting time. He has always been giving us dividends of democracy.

    Now, we need base stations (masts) in our community in order to boost mobile communication. People in the area are suffering as a result of poor communication being experienced.

    In the light of this, I am calling on Hon. Iriase to use his position to bring base stations to our area.

    He is our leader. We shall always support him because he has been treating matters concerning our welfare with urgency.

     

    Bright Aigbokhai,

    Ikhin, Owan East,

    Edo State.

  • Where is National Conference heading to?

    Where is National Conference heading to?

    The National Conference has been described as a jamboree by many stakeholders. Other critics have also said that it is a mere talk shop. But, President Goodluck Jonathan, who set it up, has insisted that the delegates can chart the way forward for the country. The opposition has objected, saying that the President was trying to shore up his battered image, ahead of the next presidential election. Since the conference started its deliberations, it has faced many challenges. There are mutual distrust and suspicion between delegates from the South and North. The voting pattern has also generated controversy. There are fears that the outcome may not even see the light of the day. Correspondents ONYEDI OJIABOR and DELE ANOFI examines other obstacles against consensus building at the conference.

    When President Goodluck Jonathan set up the National Conference many stakeholders dismissed it as another fruitless search for a new order. A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Pally Iriase from Edo/Owan East/West Constituency, Edo State, said the conference was diversionary. In his view, the President was trying to divert attention from his inadequacy as a leader. He said nothing would come out of the conference.

    Explaining his objection to the conference, Iriase said: “We are a country ruled by the law and the constitution is clear. Legislative powers reside with the National Assembly. But, there is no legal framework for the conference.”

    Another lawmaker, who spoke on a condition of anonymity, pointed out that the National Assembly has not appropriated any fund for the exercise. He explained that the budget for the conference is hidden under the nebulous Service Wide Vote. “Since there is no legal backing, you cannot draw money for it from the national coffers”, he added.

    Since the deliberation kicked off, delegates have not found any common ground on preliminary issues. It is not certain whether the report of the conference will be subjected to a referendum or to the National Assembly. When some delegates called for a debate on the vexed issue, it polarised the conference.

    Also, mundane issues, including sitting arrangement, have led to disagreement. On Monday, two delegates were fighting over a seat, although the seats are not labeled. Muslim leaders have also protested to the President that Christians are dominating the conference. The controversy, said Iriase, has not been resolved.

    Unlike in the past, when Nigeria savoured temporary peace when a conference was in place, the current exercise has not appealed to the Boko Haram sect. Killings by the dreadful sect has continued unabated in the North. “This means that people are only asking for good governance, instead of playing to the gallery”, added the legislator.

    The Secretary-General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Prof Ishaq Oloyede, who is a delegate, agreed that the conference may pale into a wild goose chase. He said that the handling of proceedings by the conference leadership is worrisome. Oloyede lamented that that some delegates are even demanding extra-ordinary privileges at the conference.

    “I have reservations about issues raised, how they were being raised, how insensitive some of the delegates have become. Nigeria needs more attention than this. I watched the drift of the debate and the resolution and I see how pedestrian most of the issues we are going to tackle would turn out to be,” he said.

    The conference has also been divided by religion. Efforts to provide a place of worship for Muslims sparked off quarrel as Christians, who are observing the lent period, demanded the same from the leadership. It is still an outstanding issue at the conference.

    However, a delegate, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, former governor of Anambra State. said that what has transpired at the conference was normal in democracy. He said the conference will foster unity and understanding among the ethnic groups.

    Other delegates, including Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, Pastor Tunee Bakare, radical lawyer Femi Falana, and Hassan Riwan, a youth leader from the North, have criticised the procedure adopted for the deliberation by the Chairman, Justice Idris Kutigi (rtd). Senator Ita-Giwa said that the conference did not kick off on a good note.”This confab is as a result of anger. There are people here who may not have the opportunity to this microphone and present their mission statement in the three months we are here. I suggest that two or three minutes should be given to each and every delegate to present his mission statement. Otherwise, you allow delegates to submit written statements”, she said.

    Falana was in the same frame of mind. He said: “There are 492 delegates here, brought here from all walks of life and you must expect all manners of contributions. The only unfortunate thing from the proceeding, so far, is the tendency of the secretariat to recycle those who brought Nigeria to her kneels, considering the composition of the 49- member committee that has just been drawn up.

    “The same people of expired ideas, who have fixations about Nigeria. It’s not about the Nigerian youth or women. In a committee of 492 people, only three women and no youth. Anyway, as they are consulting, we are also consulting.

    “Someone can say his territory extends to Cameroon. This is the time I expect the Chairman to say stop there, this is not the forum for that, but a conference of Nigerian. But, that is why we have not made any appreciable progress”.

    The National Chairman of the Labour Party, Dan Nwanyanwu, said that, if the conference is properly managed, it will achieve success. “We are trying to build consensus, but, it is difficult. We have seen the mutual suspicion and lack of love among the geo-political zones. This suspicion is fueled by the huge number of old people who have been in this business for so many years and are bent on using the same system that has not worked. They want us to continue to use that system that has not made us to develop, but we are saying no”, he added.

    Rilwan, said the conference was designed for the old men. He said the youths are marginalised at the debate. He also said that these elderly Nigerians were heating up the polity. He said the statement by the Lamido of Adamawa, Dr. Muhammadu Mustapha, on secession, was unnecessary. “This conference is something that must be properly worked out. This is a Nigerian project. The South and North have to come together and make sure it works for the future of this country. I want to believe that we won’t get to a situation where anyone or group would want to walk out of the Conference”, he said.