Tag: Reps

The House of Representatives on Tuesday, June 11, reshuffle four of its committees, moving their chairmen from, one committee to the other. 

The former chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Hon. Abdulmumini Jibrin (NNPP, Kano) was moved to the Commuttee on Housing and Habitat as chairman, while Oluwole Oke moved from Judiciary to Foreign Affairs. 

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The former Chairman, Committee on Housing and Habitat, Hin. Aminu Balele was moved to the committee on Army as Chairman, while Hon. Hon. Abdullah Mamuda was moved to the committee on Judiciary as Chairman. 

The Speaker, Abbas Tajudeen who announced the changes said it was aimed. At effective and efficient running of the House. 

The spokesman for a group of 60 opposition lawmakers in the House of Representatives, Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, on Tuesday, June 11, accused his colleague, Hon. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi, of spreading falsehood during a plenary session.

Raising a matter of privilege, Ugochinyere requested that the House enforce the provisions of the Legislative House Privileges Act on Hon. Gagdi, which could include suspending him from the House among other punishments.

Hon. Gagdi had informed the House that Ugochinyere led some members on a politically motivated solidarity visit to the governor of Rivers state, under the guise of representing the House of Representatives.

He alleged that, despite being aware of an oversight visit by the House Committee on Local Content to Rivers State, Ugochinyere misrepresented the visit to the media as a solidarity visit to the Rivers Governor, as reported by a national newspaper.

Read Also: Reps to intervene in Plateau Assembly faceoff

However, Ugochinyere said he led a group of 40 “Like Minded” lawmakers to attend a thanks service by the Rivers Governor in their personal capacities and not in the name or on behalf of the House.

He said the members who attended the thanksgiving service were not members of the House committee on local content, adding that the Plateau lawmaker engaged in spreading falsehood on the floor of the House.

Ruling on the matter, Speaker Abbas Tajudeen said the leadership will look into the matter, adding that whenever he is invited, he should gladly honour the invitation with his statement.

A coalition of civil society organizations has thrown its weight behind the resolution of the House of Representatives halting the ongoing divestment of oil and gas assets by multinational companies operating in the Niger Delta region of the country.

The coalition, led by Botti Isaac of Social Action Integrated Centre (Social Action) in Nigeria; Dr. Prince Ekpere of OLESH Centre for Community Development; Arigbabu Sulaiman of HEDA Resource Centre; Dr. Barrister Uko Etuk of Policy Alert; Shehu Akowe of Health of Mother Earth Foundation; and Prince Ayanfe K. Akintola of Legislative Media and Citizens Advocacy Initiative (LeMCAI), met with the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Engineer Kayode Komolafe, in Abuja. During the meeting, they presented a position paper for consideration.

Speaking at a news conference on Sunday in Abuja, Comrade Botti Isaac warned against the government’s plan to hurriedly approve the IOCs’ divestment plans without proper assessment.

He said: “We are worried at the pace that the federal government is taking to grant these approvals. You would recall that the federal government has set this June as the deadline for granting divestment approvals to all these oil companies.

“But we are worried that despite the cries and complaints of Nigerians the federal government is interested in completing the transactions not minding the implications on the people.

“So, we are saying that the federal government should slow down that pace, carry out comprehensive audit and investigation around the divestment process.”

Comrade Isaac asked the government to put necessary measures in place to ensure that the process is divestment in transparent, accountable and in compliance with international best practices.

“These are some of our demands that the federal government should put a halt. We are not saying they should not divest, but they should put a halt to it for now and ensure the right thing is done.

“Any of the oil companies that have applied for divestment should make sure they comply with the standards and the requirements that the government has set in place for them to divest.

“So, the government should not be in haste to approve but should rather listen to the voice of wisdom. The National Assembly has asked them to suspend the process, they should suspend the process and ensure the right thing is done before going ahead with the approval.”

Also speaking, a member of the coalition, Dr. Prince Ekpere said while companies operating in the country have the right to re-order or divest their investments, the funds to be used by the Consortium which intends to acquire SPDC assets would be provided by Shell.

“I wonder what type of transaction is that. What will happen if all the states in the Niger Delta go ahead to carry out similar commission and find out?”

Dr. Ekpere said there should be proactive steps to hold the IOCs accountable for their historical activities in the oil-producing region, pointing out that the assessment report conducted by Bayelsa State Government indicated that the sum of $12 billion would be required to clear the environmental degradation in the State.

“These are some of the reasons why most likely these oil companies are divesting from the Niger Delta. They want to evade the long historical liabilities they’ve caused the Niger Delta,” he maintained.

Also speaking, Cecilia Ogwuchie explained that one of our concerns is Environmental Liability and Cleanup.

Read Also: Reps summon Keyamo, Sirika, NCAT rector oversale of training helicopters to private individuals

The divestment raises critical questions about responsibility for past and ongoing environmental damages due to oil pollution.

“With assets changing hands, there is concern about the commitment of new local owners to address legacy pollution issues and invest in necessary cleanup and remediation efforts for the past and recent liabilities.”

She also lamented over the contentious award of cleanup contracts and oil spill management which “often intensified these tensions, underscoring the necessity for equitable and transparent divestment.”

She harped on the need to ensure effective regulatory oversight and legal clarity, adding that “minimal involvement of regulatory bodies in supervising previous asset transactions and ensuring the addressing of environmental liabilities raises alarms about the efficacy of existing frameworks to safeguard community rights and ecological integrity amidst divestments.”

The House of Representatives Committee on Public Assets has summoned the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo and his predecessor, Senator Hadi Sirika to appear before it to explain the circumstances surrounding the sales of two Bell Helicopters belonging to Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria to private individuals despite interest shown by Nigerian Army, Navy and Police.

The committee also summoned the Rector of Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, (NCAT) Zaria, Joseph Shaka Imalighwe and his predecessor who authorised the sales of the two  Bell 206 Helicopters 206 -L4 BZB and BZC -M2061 L4.

The Chairman, House Committee on Public Assets, Hon. (Barr.) Ademorin Kuye, said the invitation becomes necessary in view of the circumstances surrounding the sales of the two helicopters when the college was left with no helicopter for training of students.

The committee chairman said that apart from denying the Nigerian Army, Navy and Police the opportunity of purchasing the helicopters, the NCAT authorities in May 2023 sold the helicopters to two firms below 60% of the cost price.

Kuye said the committee could not hold an investigative hearing on the controversial sales of the two helicopters on the earlier scheduled date because of the moves by the anti-graft agency to arrest some individuals who are connected to the matter.

He said a day to the investigative hearing, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC arrested some of the personalities who were supposed to appear for the hearing. According to him, the committee had to postpone it till another date.

The Minister of Aviation and all those summoned are expected to appear for the investigative hearing on  25th June, 2024 at the House of Representatives wing in National Assembly Complex, Abuja.

According to Kuye, letters of invitation have been sent to the relevant persons and organisations in respect of the hearing.

The Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria, was established to provide human resource development in the aviation industry in Africa.

NCAT is also expected to undertake training programmes to meet both national and international requirements but at the moment, the college is allegedly operating without a single helicopter.

Read Also: Reps summon Keyamo, Sirika, NCAT Rector

Kuye had, in 2023 condemned the sale of the two training helicopters by the college, assuring that the  committee will investigate the alleged sale of the training helicopters by the college.

Kuye who headed the committee that investigated sales of public assets in the 9th Assembly said the attention of the committee was drawn to the development through media reports on the purported sale of 2 Bell 206L-3 helicopters which were public assets acquired for training pilots by the Nigeria College of Aviation Technology, Zaria for about N1.2 billion.

He said “the sale of the Helicopters under the pretext of underutilization by the authorities of the College of Aviation in March 2023 has now become a symptom of the worrying trend of asset stripping in all sector of the economy by all MDAs toward the twilight of the last administration.

“This is despite the offer of Nigerian Navy to acquire same and possibly use them to address the security challenges facing the country in the area of oil pipeline vandalisation and crude oil theft.

“The committee equally feels the assets could have been converted to the use of Nigerian Police to fight banditry and insurgency in the country.

“The urgency in the sales and concession of public assets at the twilight of the last administration calls for suspicion since the supposed approval was gotten from that administration, and it is only right that the new regime is allowed to be part of the completion of the sales process if there are no hidden agendas.

“Therefore, the House Committee on Public Assets as constituted will investigate the sale of these important training national assets to ensure that due process is followed and that the country is not shortchanged in this deal.”

The House of Representatives Committee on Public Assets has summoned Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo and his predecessor, Senator Hadi Sirika to explain the circumstances surrounding the sales of two Bell Helicopters belonging to Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria to private individuals despite interest shown by Nigerian Army, Navy and Police.

The Committee also summoned the Rector of Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria, Joseph Shaka Imalighwe and his predecessor who allegedly authorised the sales of the two  Bell 206 Helicopters 206 -L4 BZB and BZC -M2061 L4.

Chairman, House Committee on Public Assets, Hon. (Barr.) Ademorin Kuye, said the invitation was in view of the circumstances surrounding the sales of the two helicopters when the college was left with no helicopter for training of students.

The Committee chairman said that apart from denying the Nigerian Army, Navy and Police

the opportunity of purchasing the helicopters, the NCAT authorities in May 2023 sold the helicopters to two firms below 60% of the cost price.

Kuye said the committee could not hold an investigative hearing on the controversial sales of the two helicopters on the earlier scheduled date because of the moves by the anti-graft agency to arrest some individuals who are connected to the matter.

He said a day to the investigative hearing, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC arrested some of the personalities who were supposed to appear for the hearing. According to him, the committee had to postpone it till another date.

The Minister of Aviation and all those summoned are expected to appear for the investigative hearing on  25th June, 2024 at House of Representatives wing in National Assembly Complex, Abuja.

According Kuye, letters of invitation have been sent to the relevant persons and organisations in respect of the hearing.

The Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria established to provide human resource development in the aviation industry in Africa. 

NCAT is also expected to undertake training programmes to meet both national and international requirements but at the moment, the college is allegedly operating without a single helicopter.

Kuye had, in 2023 condemned the sale of two training helicopters by the College, saying  Committee will investigate the alleged sale of the training helicopters by the college. 

Kuye who headed the committee that investigated sales of public assets in the 9th Assembly said the attention of the committee was drawn to the development through media reports on the purported sale of 2 Bell 206L-3 helicopters which were public assets acquired for training pilots by the Nigeria College of Aviation Technology, Zaria for about N1.2 billion. 

He said “the sale of the Helicopters under the pretext of underutilization by the authorities of the College of Aviation in March 2023 has now become a symptom of the worrying trend of asset stripping in all sector of the economy by all MDAs toward the twilight of the last administration. 

“This is despite the offer of Nigerian Navy to acquire same and possibly use them to address the security challenge facing the country in the area of oil pipeline vandalization and crude oil theft.

“The committee equally feels the assets could have been converted to the use of Nigerian Police to fight banditry and insurgency in the country. 

“The urgency in the sales and concession of public assets at the twilight of the last administration calls for suspicion since the supposed approval was gotten from that administration, and it is only right that the new regime is allowed to be part of the completion of the sale process if there are no hidden agendas.

“Therefore, the House Committee on Public Assets as constituted will investigate the sale of these important training national assets to ensure that due process is followed and that the country is not short changed in this deal”.

The House of Representatives on Thursday, June 6, passed the 2024 supplementary bill of N98.5 billion for the Federal Capital Territory Administration.

President Bola Tinubu had recently presented the supplementary appropriation bill to the National Assembly for consideration, saying the money was meant to take care of critical infrastructure.

The chairman of the House Committee on Federal Capital Territory, Hon. Aliyu Mukhtar Betara (APC, Borno) presented the report of the committee to the House for consideration.

He said: “That this House does consider the Report of the Committee on Federal Capital Territory on a Bill for an Act to Authorise the issue from the Federal Capital Territory Administration’s Statutory Revenue Fund of the Federal Capital Territory Administration account, the total sum of N98,500,000,000 (ninety-eight billion, five hundred million) only for Capital Projects; for the Service of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, for the Financial ending December 31, 2024.”

Betara said the committee scrutinised the presentation by the President and arrived at the conclusion that the money was needed to develop certain infrastructures in the federal capital.

Provisions of the supplementary appropriation state: “The Director of Treasury of the Federal Capital Territory Administration shall when authorized to do so by warrants signed by the Minister Federal Capital Territory Administration with the responsibility to pay out of the Federal Capital Territory Administration Statutory Revenue Fund of the Federal Capital Territory Administration during the financial year 2024 the sum specified by the warrants, not exceeding in the aggregate N61,553,778,260.00 (sixty-one trillion, five hundred and fifty-three million, seven and seventy-eight thousand, two hundred and sixty naira) only.

“The amount mentioned in Section (1) of this Section shall be appropriated to heads of Expenditure as indicated in the schedule to this Bill.”

Read Also: Reps probe contracts for dredging of Calabar seaport

On the release of funds, it states that “all amounts appropriated under this Bill shall be made from the Federal Capital Territory Administration Statutory Revenue Fund only for the purposes specified in the schedule to this Bill.

“All revenues accruing to the Federal Capital Territory Administration, including the Statutory Revenue distribution shall be paid into the Federal Capital Territory Administration’s Statutory Revenue Account.

“No monies shall be withdrawn from the Account mentioned in Section 3(1) above without appropriation by the National Assembly.”

It grants a waiver to the ministers saying, “Where, due to revenue shortfall, amounts appropriated under this Bill cannot be funded, the Minister of Federal Capital Territory shall seek from the National Assembly a waiver not to incur such expenditure.”

The submission by the committee was unanimously adopted by the House at the committee of the whole.

The House of Representatives has mandated its committee on Renewable Energy to investigate Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) associated with the investment, procurement, and receipt of grants meant to develop the renewable energy sector.

The committee has carried out the probe for the period 2015 till date and report within four weeks for further legislative action.

These resolutions followed the adoption of a motion titled, “Need to Investigate Investments in Renewable Energy Sector and Foreign Grants received from 2015 till Date” sponsored by Hon. Jesse Okey Joe Onuakalusi.

The House noted that Electricity is a crucial factor in the economic and social development of every nation.

The House said it was aware that poor electricity generation and distribution pose a great challenge to the country’s economic development and the living conditions of its people.

The House said it was cognizant of the fact that successive governments since 2015, to address electricity supply challenges, made huge investments and attracted multimillion-dollar foreign grants to the renewable energy subsector of the Power Industry in Nigeria to energise viable and sustainable alternative energy and supply.

It recalled that in December 2023, the World Bank approved a 750 million dollar facility to boost Renewable Energy in Nigeria, to provide over 17.5 million Nigerians with improved access to electricity through distributed Renewable Energy solutions.

Read Also: Reps probe contracts for dredging of Calabar seaport

The House also recalled that in 2020, the federal government launched a 200 million dollar renewable energy project tagged “Nigeria Electrification Project (NEP)” to provide off-grid energy to over 500,000 people across 105,000 households in rural communities in Nigeria with facilities sourced from the African Development Bank (AfDB).

The House further recalled that in 2023, the Rural Electrification Agency reported that over 2 billion dollars in renewable energy had been attracted in the past decade without any noticeable improvement.

It worried that despite the huge investments and foreign grants to develop the renewable energy sector and contribute meaningfully to the public grid to improve electricity supply and boost the economy, no visible contribution from the renewable energy mix to the national grid has been recorded.

The House was alarmed that the dysfunctional electricity generation and supply system remained abetted, contrary to the objective behind the purpose-driven government investment and grants attracted and received to develop the renewable energy sector.