The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Rep

  • Kano needs positive change, says Rep

    House of Representatives Deputy Minority Leader and governorship aspirant in Kano State, Kawu Sumaila, has said he is in the race to make life easy for the residents.

    The lawmaker said the people of the state have been enduring hardship, adding that their suffering was man-made.

    Sumaila, who is representing Takai/Sumaila Federal Constituency, noted that the merger talks among opposition parties, such as the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) to form the All Progressives Congress (APC), was to rescue Nigeria from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) maladministration.

    According to him, the PDP misrule can plunge the nation into chaos.

    The lawmaker told reporters in Kano that the opposition would ensure that the PDP is voted out in the 2015 general elections.

    Sumaila said he was mobilising Kano residents to give him their mandate.

    He decried the challenges confronting the state, adding that he was concerned about the plight of the people.

    The lawmaker said every resident has a role to play in the political change the state needs to improve its economic and political development.

    Sumaila said: “We must work very hard to wrest power from the incumbent administration and halt the people’s hardship.”

    The lawmaker added that he was only waiting for the conclusion of the merger talks among the opposition parties to make his next move.

    He hoped the new party would hold its convention this month.

    The ANPP lawmaker promised the APC would abide by its constitution, when registered.

     

  • Tambuwal to swear in Rep

    Tambuwal to swear in Rep

    Embattled former president of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Comrade Tony Nwoye, may be sworn in today as member representing Anambra East/West Federal constituency of Anambra State in the House of Representatives, it was learnt yesterday.

    According to a source, Speaker Aminu Tambuwal has promised to ensure justice by heeding judicial advice hinged on court pronouncements.

    But the incumbent member, Chriscato Ameke has described the development as impossible, saying that being a pre-election matter, it has to be decided by the Supreme Court.

    The source said the Speaker’s decision was based on the findings of an independent panel he set up as well as the advice of the Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Kasuwa and the Head of Litigation and Counselling, Mr. Saleh Abubakar.

    “I can confirm to you that Dr. Tony Nwoye will be sworn in on Tuesday (today) by the Speaker. You know, the Speaker is a lawyer and he has studied the contents of all the judgements and has concluded that he will swear in Nwoye today.

    “In fact, Mr. Speaker has promised that in compliance with the House Legislative Agenda, which preaches rule of law, he cannot be party to a travesty of justice,” he said.

     

  • Blame vandals for poor telecom services, says Rep.

    Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Communications, Hon. Oyetunde Ojo, has said vandals are responsible for poor services rendered by telecommunications companies in the country.

    Ojo, who represents Ekiti Central II Constituency, spoke in Erijiyan Community High School, Erijiyan in Ekiti West Local Government at the inauguration and inspection of projects initiated and executed by him in conjunction with the federal government and corporate bodies.

    The projects are located across some communities comprising Ekiti West, Efon and Ijero Local Governments.

    They included the Digital Awareness Programme (DAP) initiated by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC); MTN Foundation Learning Facility-200 units of MTNF branded students’ desks and benches and 20 units of MTNF branded teachers’ tables and chairs by the lawmaker; ICT project at Efon; 500KVA at Igbemo and some others.

    According to the lawmaker, “DAP is the initiative of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) designed to equip youths and the literate members of the communities with internet education for improving their ICT skills to enhance their economic opportunities.

    The lawmaker said the vandals whose presence is felt in all parts of the country had made the telecom masts and other support facilities their main targets, thereby creating disruptions in phone networks as witnessed lately.

    He stated, “The most challenging task affecting the telecommunications companies is the insecurity in the country; that is the attack on these base stations. At the end of the day, once you have a problem with a base station in Maiduguri, the effect is felt in neighbouring states.”

    According to him, only the prompt and decisive intervention of the federal government could reverse the picture and make the telecommucations companies improve on services.

    In his speech at the event, the executive vice chairman of the NCC, Dr. Eugene Juwah, represented by a national commissioner on the board of the commission, Mrs. Abiodun Olujimi, explained that a total of 230 secondary schools across the country benefitted from the programme.

  • Rep faults govt programmes

    A member of the House of Representatives, Amere Akintayo (ACN, Osun) has reiterated the determination of the House to present a budget of hope and prosperity next year.

    He said it is unfair to compare Nigeria with other countries on the $80 crude oil benchmark as proposed by the House while other parameters were conveniently ignored by the government.

    According to him, some of the touted empowerment programmes of the government were mere media hype with insignificant impact on Nigerians.

    He said the government should measure the impact of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) and Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria (YouWiN) as well as the N200billion agriculture loan to farmers, among several others.

    Akintayo said the House won’t swayed by unrealistic comparison with other economies that have always been known for transparency and accountability.