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Tag: Rep

  • Zoning of Rep seat divides Abia PDP

    Zoning of Rep seat divides Abia PDP

    The planned zoning of one of Abia State House of Representatives seats to Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency to a particular area is threatening the peace in the constituency, it has been learnt.

    Several political groups are said to be at loggerheads over the arrangement.

    Sources told our reporter that the member representing the area in the House of Representatives, Prince Arua Arunsi, might have begun moves for his second term through the zoning arrangement.

    But a political support group, under the aegis of Equity Charter Movement, is alleged to be claiming that the seat had been zoned to Arochukwu.

    This is creating confusion on the true status of the seat.

    Anthony Nwankwo, the leader of another political group, Onyereubi Unity Forum, has dismissed the claims.

    He said there was no zoning in the area.

    Nwankwo said those talking about zoning were not the right parties, adding that those talking about zoning forgot that some other communities had not produced such a representative.

    He said: “These people don’t know what they are talking about. They are not political parties that can zone any position because the same area they are projecting has tasted that position. So, if we are talking about zoning, we should be talking about those who have not got to that position before…”

  • Rep aspirant promises purposeful representation

    A House of Representatives aspirant under the platform of the Accord Party (AP) in Oyo State, Mrs Tokunbo Ishola has vowed to rescue the people of Oluyole Federal Constituency from the dark days of misfortune if voted into power.

    Ishola made the assertion at Muslim Senior Grammar School, Odinjo, Ibadan while declaring her ambition to run for the National Assembly seat in 2015.

    She said: ”I am making myself available to the service of my people in the Federal House of Representatives to represent the good people of Oluyole Federal Constituency, come 2015.

    “I have come to resuce my people from the dark age of legislative business. Though, Oluyole people have been electing people to represent them, but such representation could best be described as “stomach and self-pocket representation. I will ensure good representation, poverty alleviation, free healthcare services, good road network, portable water for all and transparency and accountability” the aspirant stated

    Being a woman, Ishola said is not a challenge for her to win the election under the platform of AP, adding that she is keen on giving dividends of democracy to her people.

    According to Ishola, I have empowered thousands of people in the past and I believe I will be able to do more when I am elected into the House of Representatives.

  • Students abandon class to honour class rep

    Students in the English Department of the University of Agriculture (UNIAGRIC) in Makurd, Benue State last Tuesday, abandoned academic activities to honour their class representative,  Joseph Pevigo, at his birthday.

    The birthday party, according to his colleagues, was in recognition of his sterling leadership qualities.

    The students staged a drama in honour of Pevigo, and followed it up with dance presentations.

    In his remark, Pevigo described the occasion as memorable, saying he would forever cherish the love shown by is course mates.

  • Hostel elects rep

    Residents of Beta Hall at the Adekunle Ajasin University in Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), Ondo State have elected their representative in the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) next session.

    Before the election, the students held a manifesto day for contestants to sell their programmes.

    The election, which lasted for one hour, witnessed a large turnout of voters.

    Paul Wasiu was declared winner after polling the highest number of votes to defeat other contenders.

    Speaking to CAMPUSLIFE, Wasiu attributed his victory to the trust reposed in him by residents of the hall. He promised not to disappoint them.

  • Rep advises the military

    Rep advises the military

    A member of the  House of Representatives, Honourable  Bamidele Faparusi,  has called on the military hierarchy in the country to train its personnel to be civil.

    The Honourable who is  representing Ekiti South Federal Constituency 2, on the platform of All Progressive Congress (APC)  made the call in Lagos  during the week.

    He expressed disappointment with the treatment meted out to  the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Aminu Tambuwal,  in Kaduna recently by some military personnel.

    “It is a rape on democracy and institution of government for the number four citizen of the country to be subjected to such humiliation. It shows that the power that be hates the gut of Mr. Speaker. Unfortunately, a country that hates the truth can never move forward. We, the entire members of the House of Representatives are solidly behind him.

    “We condemn in  totality the humiliation that he was subjected to on his way to a conference in Kaduna recently. If such deplorable treatment could be meted out to the Honourable Speaker, you can imagine what could done or better still the kind of treatment that the ordinary man on the street has been getting from these people, ” he said.

    He called on the military to tender their unreserved apology to the Speaker, saying: “We demand apology from the military hierarchy for the demeaning treatment meted out to the honourable Speaker. It is unfortunate don’t have any regards for the citizens from whose sweat their salaries are paid. It is unthinkable that they always take pleasure in humiliating and unnecessarily harassing innocent citizens with impunity.”

  • We’re under pressure to join APC, says Cross River Rep

    The representative of Calabar-South/Akpabuyo/Bakassi in the Federal House of Representatives, Essien Ayi, has urged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to put its house in order. He said he is under pressure to join the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Speaking with reporters in Calabar, he said: “Well, it is true that, we have had a lot of defections in the house. It is also true that even some others are threatening to go, but all what I will advise my party, which I belong, is that they should sit up, if they don’t sit up, if we assume, if we take things for granted, it may be very difficult for us.

    “Whatever they can do to put the party back in shape and bring everybody together they should try and do it. A lot of us have been under pressure to join these other political parties. ?

    “I happen to be one of those who originally started the party. In Calabar south, we had a forum called Calabar South Forum, we merged with the Cross River Democratic forum led by the former and present governors of the state, which later transformed to the PDP in the state. Even the day that the G34 was inaugurated, I was at the Eagle Square; so I will say that I am one of the founding members of the party and within me, if they happen to allow the party go the way it is going now, it will pain me because I know how we suffered to make the party what it is today.

    “So my advice to the gladiators, because, there are so many gladiators, who are trying to show their power, they say when two elephants fight it is the grass that suffers. They should tread carefully so that they should not destroy our party.”

     

     

     

  • I didn’t borrow to wed, says Rep

    A member of the House of Representatives from Ife Federal Constituency, Hon. Rotimi Makinde, has described as laughable, an online report that he is broke after his wedding to a beauty queen.

    He reacted yesterday through his media aide, Elder Sanya Ojo, saying: “It is unfortunate for any discerning mind to nurse the insinuation that a trained accountant in the person of Hon Rotimi Makinde could get involved in anything that could lead to financial recklessness. Accountants are known to be judicious in their spending and Hon Makinde is an accountant of many years in the private and public sectors. To be precise, he was in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for 20 years.

    “Being a lawmaker representing four local government areas, a right-thinking person would know that such a political office holder would have large followers who provided the platform to rejoice with their leader. Indeed, the night party later held in Ile-Ife was a direct way of satisfying the yearnings of his supporters who wanted an event held in the constituency.”

    Insisting that the wedding was celebrated modestly, Elder Ojo added: “As a thorough-bred businessman he would not also spend beyond his budget or go into borrowing as being peddled by mischievous enemies through a faceless blog merely for a wedding event. For anybody to also think he would attempt to lure Asiwaju Bola Tinubu with money as canvassed by the blog, is high-level ignorance by his coward enemies.”

  • We need grassroots police, says Rep

    We need grassroots police, says Rep

    A House of Representatives member, Rasaq Bello-Osagie, has said the three tiers of government need their police, instead of the present unitary police system.

    The lawmaker said this would make it easier for the nation to have what he called a collaborative police.

    The member representing Oredo, Edo State, at the National Assembly spoke at a lecture organised by the Students’ Union Government (SUG) of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) in honour of a former Secretary-General of the school’s SUG, William Ubong.

    The students’ leader was killed by unidentified gunmen 20 years ago during a students’ leadership meeting on the school premises.

    The lawmaker expressed concern that the police have not concluded the investigation into the student’s killing and several others involving Nigerians.

    He said the first step to take to reposition the police for effective security operations is a “radical review” of the present structure.

    Bello-Osagie said: “I am inclined to support a three-tier police system. As practised in other federations, Nigeria should have not only a federal police but a state and local police system as well with different operational focus and domains.

     

  • Rep, monarchs parley for development

    A member of the House of Representatives, Hon Bamidele Faparusi, has assured that he would continue to devise ways of meaningfully engaging youths and women in his constituency to arrest criminal tendencies.

    Faparusi, an engineer, said he brought Information and Communication Technology (ICT) centres to three major towns in the constituency to expose youths to various opportunities in their domains.

    The lawmaker, who represents Ekiti South Federal Constituency 11, comprising Gbonyin/Ekiti East/Emure Local Government Areas, frowned at the rate at which youths engage in cyber crimes, which he said, is inimical to the country’s image.

    He spoke at Omuo Ekiti while inspecting some constituency projects in his domain.

    Some of the projects include: Three 50-capacity ICT centres, each at Emure, Ode and Ilasa; a modern library at Omuo, and electricity projects in two other notable towns. All, he said, would gulp N312 million as contained in the 2012 Budget.

    Faparusi visited the palaces of Olomuo of Omuo Ekiti, Oba Noah Omonigbehin; Elemure of Emure Ekiti, Oba Emmanuel Adebayo and the Olode of Ode Ekiti, where the monarchs praised him for being serviceable.

    The lawmaker assured that all the projects billed for execution during his tenure would be done through local experts, particularly from the constituency.

    He said the House of Representatives would soon enact a law that would make it difficult for Nigerians to engage in cyber crimes, adding that a committee had been set up to fine-tune arrangements on the passage of such a bill into law.

    He said measures would be put in place to ensure that youths are not allowed to use the ICT centres to perpetrate frauds that could further damage the image of the country.

    The lawmaker said he decided to upgrade the library at Omuo with modern facilities to improve reading culture among youths in the town.

    He explained: “We are now in the world of ICT. It is now possible for students to acquire foreign certificates. You can study in any foreign university without necessarily going to that country. They can also explore job opportunities. So, the benefits of ICT are not quantifiable.”

    Faparusi, a chieftain of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), urged the host communities to assume ownership of the projects for the contractors handling them to deliver qualitative jobs.

    He said he had discussed with the state governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, on the Omuo-Isinbode-Ode-Agbado Road, adding that the government had awarded the contract for the project, which he assured, would be delivered soon.

    Oba Adebayo lauded Faparusi over the projects, urging him to rescue the town from its perpetual land dispute with the people of Supare-Akoko in Ondo State.

  • Ex-UBEC Secretary, Rep sue magazine for N100b damages

    Ex-UBEC Secretary, Rep sue magazine for N100b damages

    A former Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (ubec), Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Modibbo and a member of the House of representatives, Hajiya Aishatu Dahiru Mohammed, have sued PowerSteering Magazine for libel.

    The second defendant is Oga Tom Uhia

    They are demanding N100billion damages against the publisher of the magazine at the High Court of Justice of the Federal Capital Territory.

    The magazine accused Modibbo of embezzling N80billion while in office as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Teachers Institute (NTI) and the Executive Secretary of UBEC.

    The publication alleged that the member of the House, who is Modibbo’s wife, was implicated in an admission scandal at the Ahmadu Bello University, which she never attended.

    According to the writ, Hajiya Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed only attended the Federal Polytechnic Mubi in Adamawa State where she comes from.

    In the action filed by Ben A Anachebe (SAN), Ocholi James (SAN) and S.I. Ameh (SAN), the plaintiffs are seeking the following reliefs:

    “A declaration that the words published by the defendants about the plaintiffs in the PowerSteering Magazine of April 2013 falsely and maliciously written to the public is defamatory of the persons of the plaintiffs.

    “The sum of N100billion only to the plaintiffs as aggravated and exemplary damages against the defendants jointly and severally for libel, false and malicious publication by the defendants against the plaintiffs.

    “A mandatory order compelling the defendants to publish a retraction of the libelous publication in five of their monthly editions in conspicuous pages as a libelous article for five consecutive months and a written apology to the plaintiffs for the damage caused them.

    “An order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants, their agents, servants or privies from publishing or further publishing or caused to be published any other defamatory words about the plaintiffs to any person or persons.”

    In a statement of claim in support of the action, the plaintiffs averred as follows:

    “The 1st plaintiff is the immediate past Executive Secretary of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) whose five years tenure expired sometime 2012. A brief profile of the person of the 1st Plaintiff shall be relied upon at trial. Same is accordingly pleaded

    “The 2nd Plaintiff biodata, credentials and certificates obtained in the cause of her trainings before her election to the House of Representatives is hereby pleaded. And shall lead evidence to establish that she is a woman of integrity, good background, discipline, industrious, hard working, a mother and a good wife.

    “The 1st plaintiff, before his appointment as the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission in 2007, was also the Chief Executive of the National Teachers Institute where he was re-appointed his first tenure in 2003 as a result of his meritorious service that led to the rapid growth of the agency.

    “The 1st plaintiff, before his appointment as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Teachers Institute, was an itinerary lecturer at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria.

    “The 1st plaintiff was never indicted for any wrongdoing by any panel set up in ABU; neither was he ever suspended from being a lecturer at Ahmadu Bello University.

    “The 1st plaintiff was a lecturer at the Ahmadu Bello University before he was recommended and eventually appointed to head the National Teachers Institute in year 2000 based on proven competence and meritorious services as a lecturer in ABU.

    “The 1st plaintiff was not a member of any sex-for-admission syndicate while serving in ABU as a History lecturer.

    “The 1st plaintiff is a man of proven integrity and a stout Moslem who has the fear of God at the back of his mind and does not condone nor indulge in corruption or embezzlement of public funds.

    “The 2nd plaintiff is a member of the House of Representatives from Adamawa State, the home state of the 1st plaintiff.

    “The 2nd plaintiff is the wife of the 1st plaintiff and are still living together as husband and wife.

    “The 2nd plaintiff was never a student of the Ahmadu Bello University all her life but only attended the Federal Polytechnic Mubi in Adamawa State where she comes from.

    “The plaintiffs state that they have never been lovers prior to their coming together as husband and wife.

    “The 2nd plaintiff has never been employed in any organisation all her life but has been working as a contractor prior to her involvement in politics that saw her to the House of Representatives.

    “The 2nd plaintiffs, being a contractor, had been securing contracts from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) for years before the appointment of the 1st plaintiff as the Executive Secretary of the Commission.

    “The 2nd plaintiff always got her contracts from the Universal Basic Education Commission after competitive biddings and due process, unlike the Intermarkets case where the Lebanese wanted the second phase of a contract without due process and sued UBEC under Modibbo when he advertised for bidding–in line with Public procurement Act, 2007.

    “The 1st plaintiff has never lobbied or bribed anybody or given money to any government officials so as to confer an undue advantage on himself for appointment into any lucrative position.

    “The plaintiffs state that the defendants jointly, maliciously and recklessly published in the Power Steering Magazine of April, 2013 ISSN: 2006-523X at the Cover Page with a loud screaming headline MODIBBO STOLE N80B IN TWELVE YEARS? and exhibited the Plaintiffs most recent picture, showing clearly the person being referred to in the article. The Magazine under reference is hereby pleaded. At page 24 to page 29 the damaging article which the writers and publishers knew to be false were printed out with the picture of Dr. Modibbo and Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.”

    No date has been fixed for the hearing.