The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Reps

  • Reps adopt constitutional amendment reports from states

    THE House of Representatives yesterday adopted returns from the Houses of Assembly on the constitution alteration Bills 2018.

    This was sequel to the adoption of a motion by Deputy Speaker Yusuf Lasun and 53 other lawmakers.

    But it was the Majority leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, who read out the motion.

    Lasun, in the motion, referred to the provisions of Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) on the procedure of constitution amendment.

    He said: “Also aware that 33 bills seeking to alter various provisions of the constitution were presented at the Senate and the House of Representatives on Wednesday July 26 and Thursday July 27, 2017 respectively.”

    Both the Senate and the House, he said, “passed 15 of the bills without any difference and have since transmitted same to the state Houses of Assembly for their resolutions while four of the bills were passed with differences and have been committed to a conference committee for further legislative action.”

    Thirty-five states, except Lagos, sent in their returns. The House said 12 altercation bills satisfied the provision of section 9 (2) of the 1999 Constitution for their passage into law.

    On Bill No2, (Authorisation of expenditure in absence of appropriation) 28 states voted Yes and six states voted No. One state abstained.

    Bill No 4 (Financial autonomy for state legislatures, 33 states vote Yes, one state voted and one abstained.

    Bill No 8 (The Legislature), 34 states said Yes, one state voted No. On political parties and electoral matters, 32 states voted Yes and two abstained.

    Bill No 15 (The Nigeria Police Force), 34 states voted Yes and one state voted against it.

    Bill No 16 (Restriction of the tenure of the President and governors) 32 states said Yes and two states voted No while one abstained.

    Bill No. 20 (Submission from the Judiciary) 29 states voted Yes, while two states said No and four states abstained.

    Similarly, on Bill 21 (Determination of pre- election matters), 33 states voted Yes and two states abstained On Bill No. 22 (Consequential amendment on Civil Defence), 27 states voted Yes and one state voted No. Seven abstained.

    Bill No. 24 (Procedure for overriding Presidential Veto in Constitutional altercation), 24 states said Yes. Eight voted No and three states abstained.

    On reducing age for election (Bill 27), 33 states agreed and two states abstained. And on the timeline for the presentation of Appropriation Bill, 27 states voted Yes, six states voted No and two abstained.

    Gbajabiamila was of the opinion that Lagos took part in the exercise and does not know the reason they were not included on the list.

    Lasun said it would be transmitted to the President for his assent.

    “We expect in the next one month to receive  a rerun from the President and it will become part of the constitution.

  • Reps condemn attack on Senate

    The House of Representatives has called for total overhaul of the National Assembly security system following Wednesday’s attack on the Senate by hoodlums.

    The lawmakers condemned the porosity of the National Assembly complex where adequate security was said to be grossly lacking.

    The call followed the adoption of a motion of urgent national importance by the House Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, who described the invasion of the Senate by hoodlums as attack on the highest arm of institution.

    He said: “In every democracy, the mace is vital to the parliament. We don’t know the facts yet, though it has started to unraveled.

    “What we do know is that thugs came into the floor of the Senate while members are sitting, picked up the mace and took off with it into a waiting car in front of the White House.

    “How this happened is a cause for concern because it is easier for the camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for anybody to walk into the chamber and pick up the mace.

    “It is sad that on this day we have visiting parliamentarians from the Gambia and we have to apologise to them because they should not leave with a bad taste in their mouth.

    “So, we have to join the Senate in solidarity because as it is now, we are sitting ducks and we will be forever if something is not done on the matter.

    “This moment should be used for what we should have done long ago. This place is porous. Things we should not see are happening everywhere. You see people hawking, some selling clothes and suya. How did they get in?

    “There is a need to discuss how to beef up the security at the National Assembly.

    “This attack is sacrilegious and could have been worse. This is akin to a terrorist attack but we will not be intimidated.

    “This attack is meant to stop us from performing our job but we will sit and do our job.”

     

     

  • Reps, IG bicker over allegations of corruption

    THE members of the House of Representatives panel investigating allegations of corruption and harassment against the Inspector General, Ibrahim Idris, said yesterday he cannot lecture them on how to do their job.

    For the third time, the police boss was absent from the hearing and had written the committee a nine-page letter telling the lawmakers he would not attend.

    A Deputy Commissioner of Police Abdulyari Lafia had brought a petition before the House and an ad hoc committee, headed by Diri Douye, was mandated to investigate the matter.

    Lafia accused the IG of “criminal misappropriation, embezzlement and stealing N2.4 billion”.

    He also indicted a Director of Public Prosecution in the Office of the Federal Attorney General and Minister of Justice, saying he “collected unspecified amount of money and doctored a legal advice favourable to the suspects to enable the police kill the case”.

    But a letter from the IG to the committee and signed by Commissioner of Police,  David Igbodo, reads: “It is the conviction of the IGP that the matter before the committee is the same with the three suits filed in court by DCP Abdulyari and will not make any further comment on the issue as that will be subjudice.

    “The Inspector -General of Police is prepared to meet DCP Abdulyari in court and not at the committee room of the National Assembly, where the chairman of the committee has consistently made derogatory remarks against the IGP,” the letter said.

    But the letter annoyed the members of the committee.

    Its chairman, Diri Douye and other members like Edward Pwajok (SAN) noted that the case in question can only be subjudice if the Speaker feels so.

    The lawmakers described the letter as a “lecture” and said the IG has arrogated the power of the Judiciary to himself and is teaching members how to do their job.

    Chairman, Police Service Commission Mike, however, Okiro gave a rundown of the disciplinary procedure for erring officers, which some members disagreed with.

    The lawmakers said they needed to see the court order and all other documents relating to the issue.

  • Reps seek military deployment in Oyo

    The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to deploy military machinery to quell killings and other violence in Irepo/Oorelope/Olorunsogo Federal Constituency of Oyo State.

    The lawmakers said President Muhammadu Buhari should direct the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.- Gen. Tukur Buratai, Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Abubakar Sadiq and Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, to carry out the deployment.

    They said the call was a non-partisan advice to the Federal Government because being a national issue, security of life and property should not be narrowed to partisanship.

    This followed the adoption of a motion by George Oladele (APC, Oyo), who complained that his constituency, covering over 200 villages, has been under siege by bandits.

    He said the hoodlums robbed, maimed and killed villagers, adding that their activities may have evolved from decimation of trained groups from their stronghold in the Sambisa forest and Northeast by security agencies.

     

  • Reps reject N20b PHCN assets sale report

    The House of Representatives yesterday rejected the report of its Committees on Power and Public Procurement that investigated the alleged fraudulent sale of the non-core assets of the deduct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).

    The House had on November 21, 2017 asked the Federal Government to stop further sale of PHCN non-core assets and scraps while mandating the joint Committe to investigate the alleged fraud of over N20billion in the exercise.

    The lawmakers expressed disappointment in the Committee for failing to carry out its mandate to the letter.

    According to the lawmakers during the sitting of the Committee of the Whole House chaired by Speaker Yakubu Dogara, the seven recommendations by the committee fell short of expectation by being silent on the alleged fraud, the basis of the investigation.

    Signs of trouble for the report emerged when the Chairman of the Committee of the Whole, Dogara noted that no reference  was made to the fraud issue in the document.

    In his argument against the comprehensiveness of the report, Toby Okechukwu (PDP, Enugu) regretted that the report left the House more confused than when the assignment was given to the Dan Asuquo – led ad hoc Committee last year.

    “They didn’t give us any idea of the fraudulent sale; there were allegations but there is nothing in this document  to marry that with all these recommendations.

    “I will rather move that the report be stepped down for the committee to carry out the assignment as being the mandated by the House,” he said.

    Rita Orji (PDP,  Lagos), who moved  the motion that led to the setting up of the investigative committee expressed regrets that the report deviated from its original mandate.

    The House had adopted Orji’s motion of urgent national importance on  November 21, 2017 after recalling that auctioning of PHCN overtime cargoes, scraps and obsolete items by NELMCO valued at over N20billion was recently carried out and over N1.5billion was claimed to have been realised from the sale.

    According to her, there were widespread claims of irregularities and improper advertisement on national dailies including the Traders Journal.

    Asuquo in his response said the observations by his colleagues were apt but that the aspects demanded by his colleagues were contained in the documents at the Committee’s secretariat.

    He apologised that the mistake could be as a result of printers challenges and asked that the report be withdrawn.

     

     

     

  • Reps get 6000 petitions from Academy

    The House Committee on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration has received more than 6,000 petitions from the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, Akwa Ibom State. Besides, the Committee has issued a 30-day ultimatum to contractors handling projects at the academy to return to site.

    During its oversight visit to the Academy, the  Committee Chairman,  Mohammed Umaru Bago, urged its management to pay outstanding debts and warned the contractors to return to site or have their contracts revoked.

    Bago said: “I will encourage you to call all contractors of abandoned project for an interaction, pay all outstanding debts to contractors and ask them to return to site. Any contractor that refuses to return to site after 30 days will have his contracts revoked.

    “Then, any work that is done without drawing, delegate your works department to get drawings on such jobs so that it can be maintained and refurbished, because some of the buildings that you have cannot be used.

    “You don’t need to have thousands of buildings that are empty.

    “On the issue of workers aiding some host communities to tap electricity power from the academy, any staff found to be doing such, please before you arrest such staff member, first sack him or her. Because when you sack such person, he is no longer a staff member, so you now arrest the person as a criminal.’’

    Bago continued: “It is wrong to tap power from a generator that has just 100KVA capacity. Imagine a generator meant to service a building, some people in connivance with some of the Academy staff tap electric power from it to a village, how can such generator last long? This is wicked.

    On ongoing projects, the lawmaker urged the Academy’s works officers to work hard on them. He said the architects should look at the designs of the projects while the engineers should look at engineering aspects of projects. Projects, he said, should not be left to contractors.

    ‘’It’s because people are not busy; that is why they have time for gossips. When I went to NIMASA, I told them that if I receive any petition from anybody, I will come to the agency and announce the name of the petitioner. The same thing will apply here. If anybody writes petition here, I will come and call the person to come and defend his or her petition.

    “I have more than 6000 petitions from this academy alone on my desk. And most of the petitions are unfounded. I don’t have time for your petitions, people must change,” he added.

  • Reps, Fayemi clash over Ajaokuta concessioning plan

    • Buhari urged to intervene

    • N2b vote for concessioning ‘intact’

    The House of Representatives has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to stop the Minister of Mines and Steel, Kayode Fayemi, from concessioning the Ajaokuta Steel Complex pending its review order.

    The lawmakers said the stop- order was in the interest of the economy and the anti- corruption fight of the government.

    The Reps, after passing  a vote of no confidence on Fayemi,  resolved to tighten the noose around  the Minister by expanding the mandates of its Ad-hoc Committee investigating   the Ajaokuta Steel Complex.

    The legislators promised to introduce a Bill to Provide for the completion of Ajaokuta Steel Company and also to Prohibit the Concessioning thereof prior to its completion.

    The ad-Hoc Committee was also mandated to inquire into why Fayemi engaged PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) in auditing Ajaokuta Steel Complex, without due process.

    The Committee would add to its reponsibility by inquiring into the nature of the conflict of interest that may have arisen on account of the Minister appointing a firm,, Greenwhich Trust Limited, to serve as Transaction Adviser for Ajaokuta, without due process.

    The House emphasised that it had become important for the Ad hoc Committee to ascertain whether Fayemi has pecuniary interest in appointing a technical audit firm for the company.

    Following the vote of no confidence passed on Fayemi and his deputy for shunning the House two weeks ago, the Minister had vowed that the Federal Government would not spend any more of its resources on the 98 percent completed Steel Complex but concession it to a private company for completion.

    However, at plenary yesterday while debating a motion on Ajaokuta sponsored by Ahmed Yerima (APC, Bauchi) and 24 others, the lawmakers were in unison that the Federal Government should complete the construction of the steel complex before considering its concession to the private sector.

    Fayemi and Hon Abubakar Bawa Bwari, have  however faulted the position of the Lawmakers on Ajaokuta Steel Complex.

    They said they have not contracted any transactional adviser for the concessioning of Ajaokuta Steel Company, as being asserted by the House.

    They said the ministry had not spent a dime from the N2.096billion appropriated by the House for the concessioning of Ajaokuta Steel Company in the 2017 Appropriation Law. They were concerned that the House of Representatives could devote an entire day to an issue that has not even arisen

    In a statement, the Special Adviser (Media) to the Minister, Olayinka Oyebode, said it could be deduced from the Reps Resolution to stop the planned concessioning of the steel company that they have grossly misunderstood the Ministers and other stakeholders working with the Ministry on this exercise.

    In view of this and the need to set the record straight for the sake of the general public and the investing community, it is important to state as follows:

    • The Ministry of Mines and Steel Development has not contracted any transaction adviser for the concessioning of Ajaokuta Steel Company, as wrongly asserted by the House.
    • The process for the appointment of a Transaction Adviser is on, but cannot be completed until it gets the approval of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
    • The Ministry has not spent a dime from the N2,096,500.00 (Two billion, ninety six million, five hundred thousand naira ) appropriated by the House for the concessioning of Ajaokuta Steel Company (in the 2017 Appropriation Law).
    • The mediation process that led to the amicable settlement of the legal encumbrances on Ajaokuta Steel Complex has not ended. There are still a few more steps to be taken as outlined in the terms of (out of court) settlement. And the Ministry is following up on this.
    • It is also important to state that no one has been hired.
    • We find it rather worrisome that the House of Representatives could devote an entire day to an issue that has not even arisen.
    • The Ministry remains committed to making Ajaokuta Steel Plant function effectively, convinced that steel remains the most important engineering material and backbone of industrialisation in any economy.

     

     

     

  • Election sequence: Court stops Senate, Reps

    The Federal High Court in Abuja has restrained the National Assembly and other parties to a suit challenging the legitimacy of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2018 taking any steps in relation to the Bill pending the next hearing in the case.

    The Bill, which seeks to alter the sequence of election as earlier announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as it relates to the 2019 general elections , was rejected by President Muhammadu Buhari. His letter declining assent was read at the National Assembly on Tuesday.

    Justice Ahmed Mohammed, in a ruling yesterday, ordered parties in the suit not to take steps that could affect the res (subject) of the suit.

    Justice Mohammed’s ruling followed an oral application by plaintiff’s lawyer, Wole Olanipekun (SAN), who urged the court to make a preservative order to protect the res when it became obvious that his client’s motion was not ripe for hearing and the lawyer representing the National Assembly would not give an undertaking.

    Yesterday, Olanipekun informed the court about his client’s pending motion for interlocutory injunction for a restraining order against the National Assembly.

    National Assembly’s lawyer Chinelo Ogbozor, objected to the hearing of the plaintiff’s motion on the grounds that it was not ripe for hearing.

    Ogbozor urged the court to adjourn the case as she was only served on Monday and needed time to respond to the application.

    Olanipekun then prayed the court to direct Ogbozor to give an undertaking that her client would not take any step in relation to the Bill pending the hearing of the plaintiff’s interlocutory motion for injunction.

    Again, Ogbozor objected. She declined to give any undertaking and insisted that her client could not be put under any such pressure since they were still within time required by law to respond to the motion.

    Olanipekun then made the oral application, urging the court to “make a preservative order to preserve the res of the matter” pending the next adjourned date.

    He expressed concern that there could be constitutional crisis should the National Assembly decide to invoke its powers under Section 58(5) of the Constitution to override the President’s withholding of assent.

    Responding, Ogbozor contended that granting the plaintiff’s oral application would amount to denying her client a fair hearing.

    She insisted that her client was still within time to respond to the same prayer as being sought in the plaintiff’s motion for interlocutory injunction.

    Ogbozor argued that granting the plaintiff’s prayer would amount to undue interference with an arm of government.

    The second respondent, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), was not represented by any lawyer.

    Lawyer to the third rd respondent – Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) – Taminu Inuwa, said he had no objection to Olanipekun’s oral application.

    In his ruling, Justice Mohammed agreed that the National Assembly was entitled to respond to the plaintiff’s motion for interlocutory injunction.

    The judge said: “Apparently the motion on notice cannot be heard today because the 1st defendant still needs time to respond to the application.

    “The court should ordinarily adjourn the case. But, however, the plaintiff  has referred us to the provisions of section 58(5) of the 1999 Constitution which stirs apprehension if the 1st defendant decides to move its powers provided in section 58(5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999,” he noted.

    Justice Mohammed said the President having withheld his assent and the Constitution having not provided the time frame within which the National Assembly might override the President’s veto, it implied that the National Assembly could take the step anytime.

    He said: “What if the court adjourns the matter for the hearing of the plaintiff’s motion for interlocutory injunction and the 1st defendant decides to convene tomorrow (Thursday) and pass the Bill by two-thirds majority, what will the plaintiff be coming back to do in respect of this matter?”

    The judge said the National Assembly would not suffer any prejudice if it was restrained from taking steps on the bill on the before the next adjourned date.

    He added: “It is hereby directed that parties shall maintain status quo ante bellum at least between now and the next adjourned date.”

    The judge equally ordered that hearing notice be served on the AGF  for the next hearing date.

    He adjourned to March 20 for the hearing of the motion for the interlocutory injunction.

    By the suit, AP wants among others, a declaration that the amendment to the Electoral Act 2010 (introducing a new Clause 25) just passed by the National Assembly which prescribes the sequence/order in which the general elections of President and Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Governor and Deputy Governor of a state, membership of the Senate, the House of Representives, and the House of Assembly of each state of the federation should take place is in conflict or has interfered or curtailed the power, right and discretion of the Independent National Electoral Commission generally and in particular, in respect of the schedule or sequence of the 2019 general elections.”

    It is also praying for an order setting aside Clause 25 of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2018.

    The plaintiff also wants an order of perpetual injunction restraining the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria represented by the AGF from assenting to the bill, and another “restraining the 1st defendant  (National Assembly) from passing into law by a two-thirds majority, or any majority at all, the said bill as already passed by it”.

  • Reps to resend Electoral Bill to Buhari 

    A renewed Executive/Legislature squabble seems to be on the way. The House of Representatives plans to resend the contentious Electoral Act Amendment Bill to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent.

    However, this time, the contentious areas which are causing the President discomfort will be expunged, the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Abdulrasak Namdas, said.

    Namdas told reporters yesterday that the House would   ”re-gazette the electoral act, expunge the contentious areas and debate on it as the procedure requires the House, and transmit it to the President for assent.”

    The president has declined assent on the Electoral Act Amendment bill on the premise that  the National Assembly lacks the power to rejig the time-table the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has set out for the   2019 general election.

    But the House spokesman said the Constitution gives the lawmakersthe power to do what they did.

    According to Namdas  the House will also override President Muhammadu Buhari on 10 bills sent to him by the National Assembly for  which he has refused assent .

    The bills, he said include the Nigerian Peace Corps establishment bill, Chartered Institute of Treasury Management establishment bill, Nigerian Council of Social Workers Establishment bill, Currency Conversion, Prison Orders Act Amendment bill and Police  Procurement Funds Establishment bill.

    Others are: Environmental Health Officers Act amendment bill,  Chartered Institute of Loans and Risk Management establishment bill, Chartered Institute of Public Management establishment bill, Chartered Institute of Export and Commodities  Brokers of Nigeria establishment bill and Federal University of Wukari establishment bill.

  • House of Reps lifts suspension on Jibrin

    The House of Representatives has lifted the suspension placed on the former Chairman of its Committee on Appropriation, Rep. Abdulmumin Jibrin (Kano-APC).

    This followed a letter of apology sent to the House by Jibrin, which was presented by the Speaker, Mr Yakubu Dogara, at plenary on Tuesday.

    The lawmaker was suspended in 2017 for 180 legislative days for allegedly exposing “budget padding” scandal in the legislative arm of government.

    Presenting the letter, Dogara said that the suspended legislator had met all the conditions necessary for him to resume his duties.

    He therefore said that Jibrin was free to resume his legislative duties whenever he wished