Tag: Reps

The House of Representatives has called for a thorough investigation into the circumstances that led to the heartless, gruesome, and despicable murder of military personnel in Delta State to ensure that the perpetrators and their collaborators are brought to book.

In its resolution following a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by Babajimi Benson (APC, Lagos), the House condemned in strong terms the killing of the soldiers who were reportedly on a peace mission to the Okuama community when they were ambushed by armed youths.

Moving the motion, Benson who heads the House Committee on Defence listed the murdered military personnel of Lt. Col. A.H. Ali who was the Commanding Officer of 181 Amphibious Battalion of the Nigerian Army, Major S.D Shafa, Major D.E Obi, Captain U. Zakari and thirteen other rank and file of the Nigerian military.

According to him, the fallen soldiers were on a peaceful and mediatory mission to quell the communal clash between Okuama and Okoloba Communities in Ughelli South and Bomadi LGAs of Delta State respectively when the horrific incident occurred.

He said these military personnel were only responding to a distress call in their service to their fatherland when they were ambushed and killed on Thursday.

According to him, “The perpetrators of this heinous act did not only stop at killing the military personnel but also went ahead to sacrilegiously debase their remains by ripping out their hearts and other body parts”.

He said unless checked and stopped, acts like this, by the very people the AFN are meant to protect, has the potential of demoralising the military and affecting the insecurity war which has so far recorded some successes.

Contributing to the debate on the motion, Francis Waive (APC, Delta) who represents the Federal constituency where the killing took place said those responsible for the act should be fished out and brought to book.

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Waive however pleaded with the military to observe international protocol and halt the burning of the community so that innocent persons who are already taking refuge in the bushes can return home.

He said: “My people are currently displaced, and there is nobody in the community presently. Many people in the community are currently taking refuge in the bush and it is my belief that the innocent ones should not be made to suffer.

“I believe that efforts should be intensified to fish out those responsible for this act. I also want to appeal to the people from both sides of the divide to give peace a chance.”

House of Representatives member for Kachia/Kagarko Federal Constituency of Kaduna State, Hon. Gabriel Saleh Zock, has given 500 widows N37million grant to build their businesses.

The 500 women selected from the 22 wards that makes up the Federal Constituency, were given N30,000 each while those with outstanding business proposals were given between N300,000 and N500,000.

About 200 Muslim and Christian religious leaders in the constituency also got N11 million largesse as financial support for their peace promotion efforts.

Addressing the female beneficiaries in Kachia, Zock, who carried out the constituency empowerment programme in collaboration with the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, said the gesture was aimed at empowering the women to start or uplift their businesses, so that they can be financially independent.

He urged them to utilise the fund judiciously so that they can become financially independent and assist their respective households.

The lawmaker, while informing that he has appointed agents to monitor the beneficiaries and their businesses, said those who run successful businesses would be further empowered with N1m grant after one year.

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“We are here to empower the religious leaders in this month of Ramadan for the Muslims and also the season of Lent for the Christians. So I deemed it fit to show my own support to the religious leaders and urged them to sacrifice their time and pray for the country so we can have peace

“For the widows, we are donating N24 million to empower about 500 women in the first phase so that they can start a small trade. Apart from the N24 million there are other genuine business proposals in which some got N500,000 some got N300,000, others N100,000.

“With this grant, they can start up menial businesses and also help their children in school. We know that women are the foundation of the house and having a small business will help them go a long way. So we are trying to encourage women to stand up and learn how to do business, so that we can have a business minded generation,” he said.

A Director from the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Chukwuemeka Mba, Director of Training CMB, Kenneth Okoro and Barrister AbdulKadir Bello Idris presented papers on Gender Based Violence (GBV) and how women and communities can stop the scourge.

Six professors of Nigerian universities and four others allegedly abducted from Nigeria and imprisoned in Cameroon since January 2018 have cried out to the House of Representatives to secure their release.

The 10, who are all Cameroonians, said in a petition to the House, said they were legally resident in Nigeria before their abduction.

The professors said they were illegally abducted and deported   on January 5, 2018, on “frivolous allegations of plotting to destabilise the government of La Republique du Cameroon (LRC) President, Mr. Paul Biya”.

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In the petition submitted to the House Committee on Public Petitions, the professors said there had been two separate judgments in Nigeria in their favour on the matter.

The petition was presented on their behalf by Prof. Carlson Anyangwe, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, Fru Joseph Awah, Abdul Oroh, and Mbinkar Ernestine Singeh.

They said despite the judgment by the Nigerian courts that their arrest and deportation were illegal and that they should be released and compensated, the Cameroonian authorities kept them at the Kondengui Security Detention facility.

The detainees recalled that in October 2022, the United Nations Human Rights Council Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UN-HRC-WGAD) in Communication 59/2022 of October 14, 2022, found their arrest and detention arbitrary and illegal.

They said the global agency asked Nigeria and Cameroun to unconditionally free and pay them appropriate compensation.

Six professors in Nigerian universities and four others have petitioned the House of Representatives to help secure their release after being allegedly abducted from Nigeria and imprisoned in Cameroon since January 2018.

The petitioners, all of Cameroonian nationality, of which the others include refugees and asylum seekers, said they were all legally resident in Nigeria.

They stated that they were illegally abducted and deported from Nigeria on January 5th 2018 to Cameroon, on “frivolous allegations of plotting to destabilize the government of La Republique du Cameroon (LRC) President Mr. Paul Biya.”

They petitioned that they were unfairly tried and incarcerated.

In their petition submitted to the House Committee on Public Petitions by their lawyers, they said two separate judgments in Nigeria had been ruled in their favour in connection with the matter.

The petition was presented on their behalf by Prof Carlson Anyangwe, Prof Chidi Odinkalu, Barr Fru Joseph Awah, Barr Abdul Oroh and Barr Mbinkar Ernestine Singeh.

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They stated that despite the judgment by Nigerian courts that their arrest and deportation were illegal hence they should be released and compensated financially, they were still being held at the Kondengui Security Detention facility in Cameroon.

They also added that in October 2022, the UN Human Rights Council Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UN-HRC-WGAD) in Communication 59/2022 of 14th October 2022, found their arrest and detention by Nigeria and Cameroun arbitrary and illegal and it has asked both Nigeria and Cameroun to unconditionally free the victims and pay them appropriate compensation.

The petitioners prayed as follows, “Cause the government of Nigeria to institute an urgent action to secure the implementation of Communication 59/2022 of 14th October 2022 of the UN-HRC-WGAD calling for the release of the Petitioners. 

“Cause the Government of Nigeria to take action and implement the rulings in the 3 judgments of the Federal High Court of Abuja in 2019, ordering the release and compensation of these Petitioners.

“Cause Nigeria to leverage on the Abuja 2002 ruling in the case of Kelvin Ngwang Ngumne et al Vs the FGN, demanding that Nigeria intervenes to resolve the conflict between Southern Cameroons and La Republique du Cameroun and respect for the particular clause of the Green Tree Agreement which demands that both la Republique du Cameroun and Nigeria retain their boundaries at independence, To pursue the self-determination quest of the Southern Cameroons to its logical conclusion as mandated by the FHC 2002 judgment.

“Cause the Government of Nigeria to take action and urgently initiate proceedings before the ICJ and other international jurisdictions citing la République du Cameroun to be sanctioned for fraudulent misrepresentation during the Bakassi Peninsula case in the ICJ.

“Cause the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to take its rightful place as “big brother” in African politics and cause the African Union or the United Nations to intervene in the matter between the Southern Cameroons and La Republique du Cameroun or to proceed as mediator and resolve the ongoing conflict and restore peace and stability in the Gulf of Guinea region.”

At the last hearing of the matter before the House Committee on Public Petitions a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mohammed Manu, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had no record if this petition.

He however said their findings revealed the matter was handled by the government as a security and legal matter.

Chairman of the Committee Hon Mike Etaba adjourned the heating tot April 16th 2024 for proper service and hearing.

The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Ministry of Education to ensure that security education is incorporated as a core subject in the Primary and Secondary Schools Curriculum.

The House mandated the Committee on Basic Education and Services to ensure implementation.

These resolutions followed the adoption of a motion titled, “Need to Incorporate Security Education as Core Subject in Nigeria’s Primary and Secondary School Curriculum” moved by Hon. Omirin Emmanuel Olusanyo.

The House noted that Security Education is crucial for fostering knowledge and preparedness, enabling Individuals to understand potential threats and take appropriate measures to protect themselves and their assets.

It also noted that security education prepares students for contemporary challenges in security, ranging from economic, political, social, and environmental threats.

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The House said Security Education equips students with the necessary skills to direct the various contemporary security challenges, including economic, political, social, and environmental threats.

It said it was aware of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report that since 2018, over 30 Schools have been attacked, resulting in at least 2,295 teacher deaths and over 1,000 child abductions.

The House worried that the recurrent attacks and threats against Nigerian educational institutions, teachers, and pupils are hurting educational quality, teacher turnover, and perpetuating a culture of impunity.

The House said was aware that due to the escalating insecurity in the country, it has become imperative, for children to learn defence mechanisms, and master first aid principles and emergency handling skills.

The House said it was cognizant that in an increasingly volatile society like Nigeria, investing in security education is essential to safeguard students, knowledge, skills and awareness in security education empowers them to take preventive action.

The House of Representatives on Wednesday, March 6, advocated for the payment of living wages to Nigerian workers at the rate that would be commensurate with current economic realities across the world.

The House directed its relevant committees of Labour and Employment, Finance and National Planning to work out modalities for the payment of living wages to Nigerian workers at rates that match economic realities.

In its resolution following a motion sponsored by the Minority Leader of the House, Kingsley China, and 37 other members, the House resolved to transmit its resolution to the Senate for concurrence.

The federal government recently set up a tripartite committee made up of persons drawn from the executive, organised Labour, state government and the organised private sector to negotiate the minimum wage.

Moving the motion on behalf of the sponsors, Deputy Minority Leader of the House, Aliyu Sani Madaki (NNPP, Kano) said the rising rate of inflation in the country, which has made it difficult for average Nigerians to afford basic needs such as food, water, housing, education, healthcare, transportation, and clothing.

He explained that the rising inflationary rate in the country has also hurt the cost of living, with the cost of food, accommodation, education, and transportation skyrocketing.

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Madaki said Nigeria is a signatory to the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and Article 23 of the Declaration states that “every individual who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration to ensure such a person and his or her family exist in dignity.”

According to him, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have a 2030 achievement deadline, and eight out of the 17 SDGs of the United Nations require the payment of a living wage to be achieved.

He said further that when the fuel subsidy was removed in May 2023, the federal government offered palliatives to cushion its effects. However, the ameliorative effect of this measure has been overtaken by the continued rise in the cost of goods and services.

He said that the minimum wage (in Nigeria) was increased by the president recently, but the purchasing power is low owing to the continued rise in the cost of living in the country and the fall of the Naira.

He stressed that Trade Economics in 2018 reported the living wage for an individual Nigerian and a Nigerian family to be N43,200 per month and N137,600 per month, respectively. This is a pre-subsidy removal report.

He maintained that presently, no labourer can live in Nigeria with a wage of less than one hundred thousand Naira (N 100,000.00), while expression concerned that according to the World Bank report, low purchasing power in the country occasioned by a high inflationary rate, has led to an increase in poverty across the country.

He recalled that the Speaker of the House of Representatives had on September 29, 2023, at the State Banquet in Abuja, opined that it is only a living wage that can ameliorate the insecurity and corruption pervading the country.

He said unless very immediate and pragmatic steps are taken to improve the income of Nigerians, more Nigerians will go down the economic line, with the poor population increasing. This, in effect, would lead to desperation and a loss of faith in the government.

The House of Representatives has rejected the report of an ad–hoc Committee that Investigated the circumstances surrounding the acquisition of OVH Energy by NNPC limited. 

When the report of the ad hoc committee constituted Immediately the House inaugurated last year was tabled for consideration  some members of the committee accused the chairman, Hassan Abubakar Nalaraba (APC, Nasarawa) of single handedly writing the report without input from them. 

Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Francis Waive, moved the motion for the consideration of the report in the absence of the Committee Chairman. 

In moving the motion, Waive said since the document has been laid before the House, it was the document of the Parliament and any member of the committee can move for its consideration as the House cannot wait endlessly for the Committee Chairman. 

Waive said the report was a result of a thorough investigation by the Ad-Hoc committee and the recommendations therein is subject to the approval of the House in the Committee of the Whole.

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But Awaji Abiante (PDP, Rivers) cautioned against the consideration as members of the House were not given copies of the report to study, while on the recommendations were brought before them, adding that members of the House need to have copies of the full report to make informed decisions. 

In his contribution, Ibrahim Isiaka (APC, Ogun) said evidence before the House shows that thorough work was not done by the Ad-Hoc committee as the timeframe was short for it to be thorough in its investigations and proposed that the matter be transferred to the House committee on Petroleum Resources Downstream for a more thorough job. 

Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu who presided over committee of the whole, sought to find out what the details of the takeover and management of the company was in relation to NNPCL as well as if financial manipulations and fraud were truly uncovered by the Ad-Hoc committee.

Some other members of the House who contributed to the debate however observed that the report submitted to the House was not signed or contributed to by any other member of the committee except the chairman. 

 Kalu however called on the House committee on Petroleum Downstream to take over the investigation and be mindful of the the real issues on irregularities, corruption, and integrate due process and report back to the House in 4 weeks.

The committee had recommended the lifting of the suspension of the House directive to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL) to halt the acquisition of OVH Energy Marketing and sustain provision of energy for security purposes as provided for in the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021.

 It also asked the NNPCL to sustain its application of principle of corporate governance, which has given rise to the increase in profit of the NNPC Retail from 6.593 Billion naira in year 2021 to 18.4 Billion naira in the first quarter of the year 2023.

The recommendations also include urging the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to act in accordance with its mandate by refusing and denying facilities to whose operating license no longer subsist from lifting products and the associated consequences that may apply. 

It also urged all facilities that operate within the Midstream and Downstream sector of the oil and gas sector, within the regulatory purview of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, to obtain and renew their operating licenses, including the NNPCL and it Companies, or face consequences as provided in the NMDPRA regulations.