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Tag: recall

  • Kwankwaso supporters protest plan to recall students

    Kwankwaso supporters protest plan to recall students

    Supporters of former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso have called on Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, and national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to prevail on Governor Abdullahi Ganduje not to recall indigenous students studying abroad on scholarship.

    Reports are rife that the state is planning to recall the students, who were sent abroad on scholarship by the government of Senator Kwankwaso.

    But his supporters, under the auspices of Southern Mandate of Nigeria (SMN), said the government’s decision was targeted at the Senator, adding that the move was being sponsored by “political urban guerrillas” who see Kwankwaso as a threat in the 2019 election.

    The group’s National Coordinator Comrade Ikonomwan Francis, in a statement yesterday, said the government’s decision was shocking and disheartening.

    The statement reads: “It has come to our knowledge that the governor has perfected his plans to repatriate students  who are on scholarship home and abroad. This act is shocking and disheartening.

    “Former Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso offered scholarship to the youths to study relevant courses which would enhance human capital development in the state.

    “Members of Southern Mandate of Nigeria (SMN) are surprised at the motive behind Ganduje asking that the students be repatriated without considering the effect of this inhuman decision, even at this critical moment of our national development.

    “It should be on record that Ganduje was part of the decision to sponsor these students. Kano State is highly populated but educationally deficient in some key professional areas like Medicine, Nursing, and Aeronautic Engineering etc.

    “Having observed these lapses, Kwankwaso decided to develop these key areas by sponsoring youths abroad, a decision that was accepted and applauded locally and internationally.

    “We view it as barbaric and cynical, that such gigantic project is about to be cut short to score cheap political points. It is worthy of mention that the Kano State government has invested so much in these students in the last three years, and they, on their part, have invested their time and energy to succeed.

    “We know Ganduje is being sponsored by some political guerrillas who see Kwankwaso as a major threat in the 2019 election. They, however, fail to realise that Kwankwaso can never be intimidated by his political foes.

    “We call on Acting President Yemi Osibanjo and the national, leadership of the APC to call Governor Ganduje to order, otherwise the devastating effect of the visceral on Kano State and the students alike will be unquantifiable.”

    As at last night, Commissioner for Information Mohammed Garba could not be reached to confirm the reported plans by the government to recall the students.

  • Recall: Why court can’t save Melaye, by Kogi West voters

    Recall: Why court can’t save Melaye, by Kogi West voters

    •Court to hear case next Monday

    About 188,521 voters in Kogi West Senatorial District, seeking Senator Dino Melaye’s recall, have said the lawmaker cannot be saved by the court.

    According to them, they have complied with the legal requirements to ensure the success of the recall process.

    They have given detailed reasons why they want Melaye recalled and urged a Federal High Court in Abuja, before which Melaye’s suit against his recall was pending, not to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from performing its constitutional duties.

    They noted that while Melaye was not protected by any law from being recalled, Section 69(1) and (2) of the Constitution grants registered voters the right to recall an erring legislator upon losing confidence in him/her.

    The registered voters said there was contradiction in the senator’s position, who they said claimed that the signatures accompanying the petition against him were those of dead people and were forged.

    On the other hand, the voters said Melaye sought to restrain INEC from conducting a verification and authentication exercise on the petition and the signatures.

    They faulted Melaye’s suit, describing it as premature.

    They argued that Melaye cannot hide under the fundamental rights enforcement procedure to challenge his recall by merely pleading lack of fair hearing.

    They said the option opened to him was for Melaye to await the outcome of his recall process, which he can only query by way of a judicial review.

    These formed part of the arguments contained in a bundle of documents filed last Friday at the Federal High Court, Abuja by the 188,521 registered voters in Melaye’s Senatorial District, who signed the petition for his recall.

    The documents were filed on behalf of the voters by three individuals – Chief Olowo Cornelius, John D. Anjorin and Mallam Yusuf Adamu – who said they were acting for themselves and the 188,521 registered voters.

    The documents filed by their lawyer Chief Anthony Adeniyi include motion by Cornelius, Anjorin and Adamu to be named as co-defendants in the case and their joint response to the substantive suit by Melaye.

    On why they were necessary parties in the suit, the three said they coordinated the petition against Melaye’s recall and the signatures of voters submitted to INEC.

    They said since the suit was mainly against the recall process, which they engineered, it was ideal that the case be decided with their involvement.

    On why they seek Melaye’s recall, Cornelius stated in a supporting affidavit that the electorate in Kogi West were tired of the senator’s conflicting and confusing roles in the Senate.

    He noted that while Melaye has barely spent two years in the Senate, he was preparing “seriously” to contest a councillorship position in his ward in Ijumu Local Government.

    Melaye actually made this fact public when, in paragraph 20 of the affidavit supporting his originating summons, he claimed: “I am interested in contesting for a councillorship position in my Local Government Area, Ijumu…”

    Cornelius said: “Since he (Melaye) cannot simultaneously hold the offices of a senator and councillor, his constituents are voting more competent, reliable and worthy replacement to represent them in the Senate.

    “Before the election, he claimed he had eight university degrees from universities within Nigeria and abroad, and particularly from Harvard University. It turned out that he did not attend Harvard University and the best of the certificates he parades is a 3rd Class.

    “He (Melaye) was elected because he was sponsored by the APC (All Progressives Congress), and now he has taken up arms against the party and the leaders of the party at the state and national level.

    “None of the numerous motions and Bills he claimed to have moved or facilitated in the Senate is of any direct benefit to the state in general and to Kogi West in particular.

  • Recall Nigerian Law School student

    SIR: We of the Legal Education Rights Agenda, a national campaigning organization of law faculty students, law graduates, lawyers and public interest-inclined persons hereby write to demand the recall of Kayode Bello, a student of the Abuja campus of the Nigerian Law School, who was unjustly expelled from the campus of the Nigerian Law School, Bwari, Abuja, after he allegedly had an argument with a fellow student.

    We condemn the  undemocratic manner in which the  graduate of University of Ibadan, Oyo State was reportedly bundled out of the school’s library by law school officials and policemen attached to the Bwari Police Station on the day he was expelled. We condemn the actions of the management of the Nigerian Law School in the poor handling of the complaint of Bello over the poor state of welfare conditions in the Abuja Campus of the Nigerian Law School which is a reflection of similar poor state of welfare on the other five campuses of the Nigerian Law School.

    We hold that the   Secretary to the Council of Legal Education, Elizabeth Max-Uba, should have reacted in a pro-active manner over his complaint over the leakage of the sewage pipe in his room’s toilet other than the strong arm tactics the school management. We hold that leakage of water system in rooms in the hostels of Nigerian Law School is symptomatic of the poor welfare conditions in most the campuses despite the huge fees students cough out to undertake the programme.

    We also condemn the poor handling of the incident of March 15, which led to Kayode Bello’s expulsion. We condemn the culture of seat reservation in an institution that is meant to be a training ground for fighters for egalitarianism.

    We reject the accusations of the Nigerian Law School that Kayode Bello is inciting students against the school management based on his correct and regular complaints on the poor state of welfare on the campus.

    We condemn the poor fate that Kayode Bello was exposed to by the management unto which he was deprived of a bed space in the Law School campus and he was forced to be sleeping in the open room.

    We condemn the action of the  Chief  Security Officer who  led his team to  give Kayode  Bello a letter of expulsion to sign on July 21, which he  rejected upon which he  called for reinforcement and  dragged the poor boy out of the library and took him for detention at  the Bwari Police Station.

    We call for the immediate recall of Kayode Bello in order to sit for his Bar Examinations, an immediate improvement of welfare conditions in all campuses of the Nigerian Law School in order for students to adequately prepare for the Bar Examination.

     

    • Emma. O. Emma

    Legal Education Rights Agenda, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.

  • No role in recall

    •Senate absolutely has no powers to retain a senator whose constituents have told to return home

    What ordinarily should be an exercise of democratic rights of the Kogi West electorates, anchored on the provisions of the 1999 constitution as amended, has, through chicanery, turned into legislative filibuster and blackmail. We are talking about the aspiration of the people of Kogi West to recall their serving senator, Dino Melaye, over egregious infractions. Without prejudice to the suit by the embattled senator, it is our view that it is unconstitutional and ill-mannered for the senate leadership to turn that national institution into a bully pulpit, in defence of Senator Melaye.

    Both the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, had, in clear abuse of their legislative privileges hinted that the exercise of the constitutional rights of the people of Kogi West will be in futility. According to Senator Ekweremadu who boasted about his scholarly accomplishment and legislative experience, the provision of section 68(2) of the 1999 constitution, gives the two chambers of the National Assembly the right to ambush the recall.

    We vehemently disagree with the ranking senator, for equating threat of bad faith with constitutionalism. The relevant provision referred to by Ekweremadu provides: “… the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives or a member shall first present evidence satisfactory to the House concerned that any of the provisions of that subsection has become applicable in respect of that member.”

    The subsections referred to are contained in section 68(1)(a-h) of the 1999 constitution as amended, which deals with a plethora of circumstances under which a senator or member of the House of Representatives: “shall vacate his seat in the House of which he is a member.” The list includes: where a legislator becomes a member of another legislative house; a legislator ceases to be a citizen of Nigeria; a legislator becomes President, Vice President, Governor, etc.; where the President of Senate or Speaker receives a certificate of recall from the Chairman of INEC, etc.

    It is clearly duplicitous for the Senate President and his deputy to give the impression that where any of the circumstances listed in paragraphs a-h of section 68(1) arises; any of the two Houses can, through subterfuge, claim that there is no satisfactory evidence that: “any of the provisions of that subsection has become applicable in respect of that member.” So, it is either that Senate President Saraki who claims exceptional knowledge of law by marriage did not consummate that aspect of the relationship, or he chose to associate with the false intellectual grandeur of his deputy.

    Without prejudice to the order of the Federal High Court, which, as reported, refused to grant an interlocutory order of stay, even as it nevertheless ordered the maintenance of status quo ante bellum; we believe that all that it takes to recall a senator or member of the House of Representatives is contained in section 69(a-b) of the 1999 constitution. Where the provisions of that section have been duly adhered to and a certificate under the hand of INEC chairman is presented, neither the President of Senate nor the Speaker of the House can stop a recall under the guise of lack of satisfactory evidence.

    To seek to appropriate such powers is to infuse the legislative houses with the powers it does not have. To hold otherwise is to say that the Senate or the House of Representatives can allow a member who has been appointed a minister or who has become a member of another legislative house, or who has seized to be a citizen of Nigeria to continue to be a member, by virtue of section 68(2).

    The Senate did nothing to make Melaye a senator; if those who made him one feel he should be recalled, so be it. The best his colleagues in the Senate who might miss him can do is wish him well in his future endeavours. They cannot stop his recall.

  • Does Senate have role in recall?

    Does Senate have role in recall?

    The Senate’s insistence that it has a role in the recall of a senator has drawn the ire of many Nigerians. Lawyers, former legislators and other stakeholders have faulted the claim and maintained that the 1999 Constitution only empowers the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to initiate the process, following constituents’ request. Assistant Editor LEKE SALAUDEEN reports.

    The Senate has drawn a battle line with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for embarking on the recall of Senator Dino Melaye from Kogi West District. The Senate claims it has a major role to play in the recall of the senator and, in fact, a final say in the exercise.

    Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu has faulted the INEC moves; he wondered why the electoral commission is not following the laid down procedure in carrying out the exercise. Ekweremadu said INEC is just wasting its time because it is an exercise in futility, adding that when they are done, they will present a satisfactory evidence to the Senate before the report could be implemented. According to him, when INEC is done, it has to come back to the Senate with satisfactory evidence to convince members before the report could be accepted.

    But INEC said it embarked on the process in accordance with Section 68 and 69 of the 1999 Constitution and Section 116 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended). It said only a legitimate court order or an injunction can nullify the process.

    Section 69 states that: “a member of the Senate or of the House of Representatives may be recalled as such a member if- (a) there is presented to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission a petition in that behalf signed by more than one-half of the persons registered to vote in that member’s constituency alleging their loss of confidence in that member. The petition is thereafter, in a referendum conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission within ninety days of the date of receipt of the petition, approved by a simple majority of the votes of the persons registered.

    Affirming the authentication of the process, a leader of pro-recall constituents, Mr Cornelius Olowo, said it was initiated by the people of Kogi West protesting poor representation. Olowo said the electorate have complied with the constitutional requirement for the recall of Melaye. He said a petition which had signatures of more than 52 per cent of the electorate in the senatorial district was submitted at the office of INEC Chairman.

    Olowo said the electorate were prompted to seek Melaye’s recall because of his abysmal performance since he was elected to represent the district in 2015; he has distanced himself from the constituents; he has no constituency office in Kogi West as a way of reaching him on matter of interests from the people that elected him and that he has not organised one town hall meeting anywhere in Kogi West to meet with the people to present his score card or stewardship.

    According to him, “we have over 360, 000 registered voters in Kogi West and within a week of collection of signatures, we were able to gather over 188,500 signatures endorsing the recall. It is now left for INEC to go and do confirmation of the signatures before going on the process needed for the recall.”

    A senior INEC official who do not want his name on print has debunked the allegation by Ekweremadu that the electoral commission has failed to comply with the laid down procedures. He said Section 69 of the Constitution stated that there must be a petition from the people seeking recall of their representative at the National Assembly and that such petition should be backed with the signatures of half of the registered voters in the constituency. “These conditions have been met by the people of Kogi West. It is now left to INEC to verify the names and the signatures. In doing this we shall be guided by the provisions of the constitution. We don’t act on sentiments, we deal with facts. The politicians should allow INEC to do its work.

    On whether INEC would involve the Senate in the process, the INEC official said it is not possible because the constitution is very clear on who should handle the exercise which is INEC. The area where the Senate or House of Representatives can come in is when the INEC Chairman is to submit the report to the Senate President or the Speaker, House of Representatives as the case may be.

    According to Section 68 (h) of the constitution, “the President of the Senate, or as the case may be, the Speaker of the House of Representatives receives a certificate under the hand of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission stating that the provisions of Section 69 of this Constitution have been complied with in respect of the recall of that member”.

    However lawyers have faulted the claim of the Senate that INEC lacks the power to recall a legislator. They held that the power to recall any law maker from the Senate or House of Representatives rest squarely on the electoral body and the constituents.

    Lagos lawyer and human rights activist Mr Femi Falana (SAN) said the procedure for the recall of a legislator has been spelt out in the Constitution and the Electoral Act. According to him, INEC has a role to play and it has put the engine on motion.

    Falana said Melaye is aware of the constitutional provisions, hence, he headed for the court to stop the process. Section 69 and the Amended Electoral Act of 2010 is very explicit on this matter;  it was stated there that the power to recall a legislator lies between the electorate and INEC. He advised the Senate to stop indulging in legislative rascality and arrogating powers and roles that do not belong to it.

    A lawyer, Dr Ajibola Basiru said the Senate have no role to play in the recall process. He noted that Section 69 of the Constitution clearly addressed the issue of recall of members of the National Assembly.

    He said: “the National Assembly had turned itself into an autocratic institution, using legislative powers to dabble into issues that are clearly outside its purview. That is why we are finding it difficult to move forward in this country today because the legislature is encroaching on the powers of executive and holding the government into ransom.

    “It is dangerous to democracy and rule of law when National Assembly started arrogating powers and roles that were not assigned to it by the Constitution. The concept of separation of power spells out the powers and responsibility of the three arms of government. The legislature cannot turn itself into overall boss by acting against the constitution and the rule of law.

    Basiru, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Osun State explained that the legislative process of any legislative house is not required before a member is recalled. He advised the National Assembly, especially the Senate, to guide against legislative rascality and impunity, which will not deepen democratic process and the rule of law; It will instead create chaos and confusion in the polity, he said.

    Lagos based lawyer and civil rights activist, Mr Monday Ubani was excited by INEC moves to apply the constitutional provisions, based on the petition of the people of Kogi West. “This is the first time we are putting to test the power of the electorate to recall their representatives from the National Assembly,” he said.

    Apparently reacting to Ikweremadu’s comment that the exercise will fail, Ubani asked Nigerians to be patient and follow the process to decide whether the INEC is wasting its time or not. “Let us wait and see if the Senate will at the end of the exercise refuse to accept INEC’s report on Melaye’s recall; whether Nigeria will allow it to happen.

    “The truth of the matter is that the Senate has no role to play in the recall process. The only role it has in is when the INEC Chairman presents the Senate President with the certificate of recall. It is that certificate or letter notifying him that the Senate President will bring to the attention of the members at the plenary session that the member in question has been recalled,” he explained.

    Ubani said that Section 68 (1a-h) does not require the consent of the presiding officers of the National Assembly for the recall, but only seeks to inform them of the outcome, contrary to the claim of the Senate that it would also verify the legitimacy of the votes before a conclusion is made.

    “The National Assembly rating is very low among the Nigerian public; it doesn’t enjoy goodwill from the people. Ninety per cent of those who reacted on social media on this issue are angry with the senators. It is not good for an institution representing the people”. It is high time the Senate embark on self-appraisal  and do away with acts that have lowered its image in public domain”, the lawyer stated.

    Former Senate Deputy Minority Leader Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora aligned himself with the lawyers’ position. He said: “By my understanding of the law though I’m a medical doctor, there is no provision in the constitution or the electoral law that says members of the National Assembly have a role to play in the recall process of members.”

    Mamora said the only role based on Section 68 is for the presiding officer either in the Senate or the House of Representatives to receive INEC report and announce the recall of the affected members at the plenary session. “The report of the recall process will be presented to the affected House and the presiding officer will bring the report to the notice of his colleagues. No more, no less.”

    To Professor Ayo Olukotun the recall process will serve as a check on the behaviours of the sitting law makers. He said if it is established that Senators and Members of the House of Representatives can be recalled, it will strengthen our democracy and drive it in the direction of peoples’ power.

    Olukotun, a lecturer at the Department of Political Science at the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, suggested that the process of doing it must be transparent and devoid of manipulation. If the process succeeds, it will have ripple effects, it will strengthen the power of electorate and where it fails the law makers will know that the sovereign power belongs to the people,” he added.

    A Kaduna based lawyer, Malam Ibrahim Suleiman, could not understand why Ekweremadu is misleading his colleagues in the interpretation of Section 69 of the Constitution. To him, the senate has no role whatsoever in the recall exercise than to receive the Certificate under the hand of the Chairman of INEC stating that the provisions of Section 69 of the Constitution have been complied with.

    Suleiman said the Senate leadership is making issues out of what is clearly stated in the constitution. “I am sure they are doing this to pre-empt the process by refusing to accept the INEC report. It will be unfortunate if Senate should allow nepotism to override the national interest and plunge the country into another logjam,” he added.

  • Melaye’s recall: Saraki, Ekweremadu slams Kogi Attorney General

    Melaye’s recall: Saraki, Ekweremadu slams Kogi Attorney General

    The recall process for the senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye, got messier on Tuesday with the Senate President, Dr Olusola Saraki and Deputy President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu taking on the state governor and its Attorney General.

    Deputy Senate President, Ekweremadu, fired the first shot when he drew the attention of his colleagues to a three page advertorial by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Kogi State, Ibrahim Sanni Muhammed disparaging his (Ekweremadu’s) contribution on the recall process.
    Muhammed noted in the advertorial that Ekweremadu’s submission that Melaye’s recall was an exercise in futility was made in bad faith.
    The Kogi Attorney General also said that it was unbecoming of Ekweremadu to have said that “They are just wasting precious time because the constitution is clear on what should happen. It is possible that the attorney general of Kogi has not advised them properly. If he had done that, I am sure they would have applied their time to more meaningful ventures in the state. The process of recall is the equivalent of impeachment of executive positions.”
    The Attorney General signed off his advertorial by saying “Finally, I must put on record that contrary to the legal opinion of Senator Ekweremadu on the role of the Senate in the recall process, the Senate has no role whatsoever in the recall exercise than to receive the Certificate under the hand of the Chairman of INEC stating that the provisions 69 of the Constitution have been complied with: See Sections 68(h) and 69 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).”
    Muhammed added that “Indeed by the provisions of the INEC regulations for the recall of a legislator, a legislator stands recalled upon INEC’s confirmation of a majority vote in favour of the recall.”
    But Ekweremadu who came under Order 43 (personal explanation) of the Senate standing rule insisted that the Muhammed was ill informed and should have advised those behind the recall process how near impossible it is to recall a member of the National Assembly.
    He noted that contrary to the position of the Kogi chief law officer, the Senate has a major role to play in the recall of senator and in fact final say in the recall process.
    Ekweremadu said: “This morning my attention was drawn to a three page advertorial by AG of Kogi State (in a national newspaper.)
    “He (attorney general) was responding to my contribution on the floor of the Senate when Senator Melaye informed the house of his constituents’ effort to recall him.
    “I urged them to apply their time to more useful venture in view of the strenuous nature of the recall process and I said the AG may not have advised them properly.
    “I understand that every page (of the advert) costs about 700,000 and five other papers carried the advert and we are talking of about N12m of Kogi money sent.
    “I would have ignored him but because of his statement in the final paragraph stating that “I must put on record that contrary to the legal opinion of Sen. Ekweremadu on the role of the Senate in recall process, the Senate has no role whatsoever in the recall exercise than to receive the certificate from the Chairman of INEC stating that the provisions of Section 69 of the Constitution has been complied with.
    “Indeed by the provisions of the INEC regulation for the recall of a legislator, a legislator stands recalled upon INEC’s confirmation of a majority vote in favour of the recall.
    “He is saying that the Senate has no role. I stand by what I said the other day and I would like to take him to Section 68(1H) and (2) show the role of the senate, which he says has no role.
    “Section 68(1H) reads, “ the President of the Senate or, as the case may be, the Speaker of the House of Representatives receives a certificate under the hand of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission stating that the provisions of section 69 of this Constitution have been complied with in respect of the recall of that member.
    “That was the section the Attorney General was referring to but he mischievously refused to state the provisions of section 2 or probably out of Ignorance, he did not put Section 68(2) which states:
    “The President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives, as the case may be, shall give effect to the provisions of subsection (1) of this section, so however that the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives or a member shall first present evidence satisfactory to the House concerned that any of the provisions of that subsection has become applicable in respect of that member.
    “I don’t know how he came to conclusion that we don’t have a role. I stand by my position. So, I pity the people of Kogi that hired this type AG. It is unfortunate that we are paying a public servant and he is unable to do a simple work of looking at the constitution.
    “Let me emphasise that this 68(2) is not part of the amendment we made to the Constitution.
    “This has been the original provision of the Constitution, so we did not effect it. It has nothing to do with Dino or whosoever. We inherited this provision since 1999. It has been there.
    “So, for him not to know about it I don’t know where he went to law schools anyway, because if he has been properly educated, he would have been conversant with the basic provisions of the constitution.
    “I also don’t know his age at the bar but I believe I am his senior at the bar and I expect him to show some respect to his senior because that is what we were taught at the law school.
    “For the avoidance of doubt, I also believe I have better credentials than himself in the legal profession.
    “I was a teacher and my specialization was Constitutional law. I also practiced law.
    “I have a doctorate degree in law and my interest is also Constitutional Law.
    “I am also the Chairman Constitution review committee of this National Assembly since 2010. So, if I am taking about the constitution, I know what I am talking about.
    “I expect the Ag, instead of him displaying his ignorance to simply call me and I will educate him on the correct position of the law.
    “So I take exception to this and I believe that he needs to refund the amount spent on this to the people of Kogi.
    “So I call on the Kogi House of Assembly to institute an inquiry on who paid for this and find a way of getting the money back to pay the salaries of the people of Kogi state.
    “Kogi should constitute an enquiry to know who paid the money.”
    Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki who did not allow any debate on the issue concurred with Ekweremadu.
    Saraki said, “The Deputy President of the Senate came under Order 43 and according to our rules it cannot be further debated, but honestly I am concerned with the caliber of people holding very senior position.
    “Even those of us who only have association with the legal profession by being married to one but we have learnt over the years to know that this is straight forward.
    “What is even more disturbing and irresponsible is how you can spend N10 million on advert. I have been a governor, when you file money for advert it is a difficult issue.
    “This pretty much shows that government is truly is behind the entire process, when a government can go about and take an advert on an issue like this.
    “There is a need for people on appointed or elected to positions to show some level of responsibility.
    “This is a very simple matter in the constitution. You did not write it neither did you invent it, so DSP, you were just reading it as it.
    “As you said it is very unfortunate for the people of Kogi State,” Saraki stated.

  • Melaye: N1.4b earmarked for my recall project

    Melaye: N1.4b earmarked for my recall project

    •Allegation spurious, says Kogi govt

    Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi West) has accused Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello of sponsoring efforts to recall him from the Senate, with the release of N200 million to each of the seven local governments in the district.

    Melaye, who addressed his supporters at his constituency office in Kabba yesterday, said the threat to recall him remains a joke.

    According to him, 30 members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who refused to collect the money and append their signature on the recall form distributed “by the Kogi State government, have been arrested by the police”.

    He said: “Quote me, Governor Yahaya Bello has released N200 million to each of the seven councils in my Senatorial district to facilitate my recall from the Senate.

    “The money has been released but they are facing resistance in all the polling units, as people refused to sign the recall form. But he is a joker, my achievements speak for me.

    “So far, about 30 persons, including the Ward/Unit chairman in Ife/Olukotun, Mosunmola Shittu, have been arrested on the government’s orders. Everywhere they go, they are facing resistance and have not been able to get signatures because the people are resisting them.”

    A Kabba chief, Ayodele Olukore, expressed their support for Senator Melaye, saying: “We are all supporting him. Nobody can remove Dino.

    “He is working for us seriously in Kogi West. All they are doing is under government house directive, and they have already met their waterloo.”

    Efforts to speak with the police spokesman, William Ayah, over the alleged arrests were unsuccessful.

    However, a senior officer, who pleaded for anonymity, said some arrests were made, but for public disturbance.

    But the state government has refuted the allegations, describing it as “spurious”.

    Governor Bello’s chief press secretary, Petra Akinti Onyegbule, in a statement, said: “It is a spurious allegation”.

  • TOTAL RECALL MEDIA BRANCHES OUT

    AFTER seven years of operating in the Nigerian entertainment space, Total Recall Media Limited, a member of T.Recall Group (Nigeria, South Africa and United States), has announced the official commissioning of a state of the art event centre called Spectralinks.

    Situated in the heart of Imodi-Imosan, besides Pebbles Suites, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, Group Managing Director, Mr. Oluseyi A. Adebanjo, aka Seyi Moscow, described the venture as part of Total Recall’s expansion.

    “Event all over the world is a big business and with peculiarity to our clime where weddings, birthday parties, concerts, shows, religious activities and others are close to our people’s hearts, we can only say that we are still at the surface level. There is still a lot of opportunity to be maximized within that Industry. What Spectralinks represent is a 360 event activation platform which includes a 1,500 seater ultra modern event hall, mobile event activation all over the country, media production coverage, a premium lounge for special occasion, rentage of marquee, pole tent and others,” he averred.

    The official commissioning of the event centre, he revealed, is scheduled for noon, today.

    The event, he further added, is proudly supported by Media Guide, Eagles House Global Resources, Eight22 Limited, Pebblesgold Entertainment, T.Recall Group, Event Pataki, Skillful Xpression, Insta Booth, Mouthfull Catering, as well as Ogeyemi Music Band.

    Total Recall Media has produced exciting and innovative content across a variety of platforms for a broad range of end users in the media entertainment and brand industry.

    Among some of its award-winning contents are the sitcom, Two Sides of a Coin, Reel E, Buzz Live With Owen Gee, Lincoln’s Clan, E-Access and a host of others.

  • Rep dismisses recall plans by constituents

    A member of the House of Representatives, representing Mbaike Federal Constituency of Imo, Mr. Henry Nwawuba said the rumour of his constituents plan to recall him was baseless.

    Nwawuba who stated this while addressing newsmen on Monday in Owerri, said he has not been officially communicated on the issue.

    According to him, those behind the rumour were aggrieved PDP members who had problems with him during the state congress of the party.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalled that a group under the auspices of Mbaike Movement, had moved a vote of no confidence on Nwawuba during a meeting last week.

    The group claimed that Nwawuba had not carried members of his constituents along since he was elected, and vowed to begin recall procedures against him.

    The group had also accused Nwawuba of poor representation and high handedness.

    Nwawuba, however, dismissed the threat, saying that the group was only expressing their anger on the outcome of the party’s congress.

    According to him, he is representing his constituents well and is carrying everyone along.

    “My constituents have never complained of misrepresentation or high handedness.

    “This is the fallout of the party congress and I want people to disregard the rumor,’’ he said.

  • Toyota in record Takata recall

    Toyota in record Takata recall

    Toyota Motor Corporation has expanded its Takata airbag recall campaign following a landmark announcement earlier in the month by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) that added 35 million to 40 million inflators to the recall list. The recent expansion will see the replacement of all frontal airbag inflators manufactured by the Japanese part maker that do not use a moisture-absorbing desiccant.

    Toyota will recall the Corolla and Matrix from the 2009 through 2011 model years, the Yaris from 2006 through 2011 model years, the 4Runner from 2010 and 2011 model years, and the 2011 Sienna minivan.

    In addition, Toyota will recall the Scion xB from the 2008 through 2011 model years. Models from Lexus added to the list include the 2007 through 2011 model year ES sedans, the GX from 2010 and 2011, and the IS sedan from 2006 through 2011.

    “The involved vehicles are equipped with a particular type of Takata inflator,” the automaker said in a statement. “According to Takata, a safety defect may arise in front passenger air bag inflators in the involved vehicles due to inflator propellant degradation occurring after prolonged exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures and high temperature cycling. This may result in an inflator rupture when the air bag deploys.”

    Two fatal accidents in Malaysia have been linked to Takata-made airbags, bringing the number of worldwide fatalities associated with the defective airbags to 13.