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Tag: Saraki

  • Lai Mohammed: Kwarans ready to wrest power from Saraki

    •Minister inaugurates road rehabilitation in Oro

    Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed has said Kwarans are set to wrestle power from the Saraki dynasty in 2019.

    According to him,  Kwarans are now more united to rescue the state from grinding poverty and mis-governance.

    Mohammed, who spoke in Ilorin at a political summit, said in the new dispensation, every Kwaran will count and have a voice.

    He said: “The resources of Kwara will be used for the development of the state and its people. Never again will our people be turned to panhandlers; never again will our people eat crumbs from the master’s table.

    “Never before have we had an opportunity like this to take our state back from the rapacious few, who have held it by the jugular and prevented it from meeting the hopes and aspirations of its people.

    “From my consultations with stakeholders, I can say categorically that Kwarans have resolved to take their destiny into their hands, and take back what rightly belongs to them. This is unprecedented in the history of our state, and we must not waste this opportunity.

    “If we all remain united, we can’t and we won’t lose the battle for the survival of our dear state. All that is required is for us to subordinate our individual ambitions to the collective efforts, work to wrest our state from the hegemony of one man and his cohorts.

    “On my own part, I can say here, without equivocating, that I won’t be running for any office in the coming elections. For me, it is not about any clamour for office; it is about working with like minds for the greater benefit of our people. Make no mistake about it, the battle ahead will be tough; no one with power gives up easily.

    “But the power of the people supersedes all powers. That’s why I am delighted and encouraged that our people are united in their determination to rescue their state from the grinding poverty, monumental mis-governance and the state of funk that has enveloped it.

    “They say I do not like Ilorin people; but what they do not know is that no amount of cheap blackmail will deter us. The people of Ilorin should know who their friends are; I do not hate them.”

    The Minister yesterday inaugurated the rehabilitation of township roads in Oro, his home town.

    Mohammed said the project is the dividend of democracy to his people and an attestation of President Muhammadu Buhari’s committment to infrastructural development.

    He said: “We came to inaugurate the rehabilitation of Oro township road. When we said the contract had been awarded, some people were in doubt. We thank God that we are witnessing its inauguration today.”

    Mohammed appealed to the people, particularly the youths, to give the contractor the chance to deliver the project on time.

    “We appeal to you that no one should exploit the contractor by asking for money before working,” he added.

     

  • Saraki replies APC over allegations of incompetence

    President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, has described as baseless accusation by All Progressives Congress (APC) that he was the worst president the National Assembly had produced in the country.

    Saraki said in a statement by his Special Adviser, Media, Mr Yusuph Olaniyonu, on Thursday, that the comments by the APC was prompted by alleged plans by the party to “subvert democracy”.

    He said “we can’t descend into the gutter with these characters. Apparently, they have not recovered from the shock of their Tuesday’s failed attempt to subvert democracy.”

    The APC had in earlier in a statement by its acting National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Yekini Nabena,
    said that Saraki was not fit for office of president of the senate.

    The party said, “In every democratic country, the position of the Senate President is one of the highest political offices one can attain.

    “It is a position reserved for the best of the best, experienced and exemplary politicians who by their character and conduct in public offices, the younger generation look up to as role models.”

    It alleged that in terms of exemplary personage, the reverse is the case in respect of Saraki who had been involved in one controversy or the other, including budget-padding, filibustering and legislative rascality. (NAN)

  • Saraki: promoters of siege on National Assembly are cowards (Video)

    Senate President Bukola Saraki and House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara yesterday described Tuesday’s siege to the National Assembly as an act of cowardice

    They insisted there was a plot to impeach Saraki and Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, in a joint statement read by Saraki at a news conference in Abuja.    Department of State Services (DSS) operatives on Tuesday barricaded the National Assembly gate.

    The Senate President noted that the siege was part of the manifestation of “a government within this government.”

    He said that it was curious how the head of a security agency could have authorised the brazen assault on the legislature that was witnessed on Tuesday.

    He said that all entries to the Complex were blocked as early as 6.30 am.

    The Senate President described the ensuing stand-off as “a show of shame that played itself out over several hours in full view of the country”.

    He noted that in no circumstances should the siege have taken place.

    https://www.facebook.com/thenationng/videos/1915753418491787/

    “It beats one’s imagination how the head of a security agency could have authorised the brazen assault on the legislature that we saw yesterday,” Saraki said, adding:

    “Only recently we saw in Benue how eight members of the 30 members of State House of Assembly with the collaboration of security forces, DSS and police tried to impeach the governor.

    “Despite the threat to our lives, we shall continue to fight impunity and injustice in this country.

    “The legislature, more than any other institution in this country, more than any other arm of government, represents the will of the people.

    “We are elected by the people, and an assault on the legislature is an assault on the people of Nigeria.

    “The forcible shutdown of the legislature was an unconscionable assault on a national institution, and thanks to all your efforts, the aggressors have been put to shame.

    “They attempted to execute an illegal impeachment of the leadership of the Senate without the backing of the law, but they faltered. We are confident that, together, we shall always defeat acts of unconstitutionality. The rule of law shall always prevail.”

    Saraki singled out for special mention, Hon. Boma Goodhead, a member of the House of Representatives, who challenged the DSS operatives.

    He thanked the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, “for his handling of the situation we were all confronted with yesterday (Tuesday).”

    Prof. Osinbajo’s “decisive action went a long way towards restoring confidence and the image of our country.”

    “It sent a powerful message – that the DSS cannot be recklessly deployed against institutions of our democracy.

    “The path of leadership is not by party, and we must commend it wherever it is found.

    “Mr. Acting President did the right thing. However, the damage control so far does not address the question of how this invasion was allowed to happen in the first place,” Saraki said.

    “For one, government must ensure that security agencies remain neutral and act in line with the position of the constitution as well as their enabling laws.

    “Heads of agencies should be accountable, and those who step out of line must be held responsible for their actions. Enough with impunity. Enough with the reckless and senseless deployment of militaristic force. Enough.

    Saraki said: “Although we are on annual break, we are daily reviewing the situation and are alive to the responsibility to take action as necessary.

    “In the spirit of that, we also appeal to Mr. President to sign the new 2018 Electoral Act Amendment Bill in line with his recommendations, which has been sent for his assent.”

     

    Senate President defies APC’s quit notice

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) insisted yesterday that Senate President Bukola Saraki must resign following his defection to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole, speaking at the rally to receive Senator Godswill Akpabio into the party in Ikot-Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, urged Saraki to emulate Akpabio, who resigned as Senate Minority Leader when he decided to defect to the APC.

    APC National leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, speaking in Ikot-Ekpene also urged Saraki to follow Akpabio’s example by resigning.

    The APC, in a statement by its Acting National Publicity Secretary Yekini Nabena,said: “We reiterate our call for the Senate President to resign from the position immediately as he no longer has the moral and legitimate ground to occupy that position as a member of the minority PDP. Going by the popular axiom, ‘the majority will have their way, but the minority will have their say”.

    Oshiomhole said: “Senator Akpabio has demonstrated what the people of South South stand for by quitting the seat of Senate Minority Leader.

    “It is the turn of Saraki to vacate his seat as President of the senate.’’

    But the senate president said he would not resign.

    https://www.facebook.com/thenationng/videos/1915795161820946/

    When asked at a news conference he addressed yesterday, he said:  “I was not given the seat of the Senate President. I was elected by members. Secondly, according to our Constitution, it says members of the National Assembly who are elected can elect their leaders. It does not say you have to come from a political party.”

  • Saraki avoids journalists after meeting IBB in Minna

    Senate  President Bukola Saraki on Friday avoided  journalists after  holding a  private meeting with the former Military President Ibrahim Babangida at his hilltop mansion in Minna, Niger state.

    Sen. Saraki arrived IBB’s  residence at about 4.10p.m. and left at 5.50 p.m. for Minna international Airport, shunning  journalists who wanted  to interview him.

    NAN reports that Saraki drove straight to the hilltop home of the  former military  ruler in a convoy of nine vehicles.

    Saraki’s visit followed a press conference he addressed at the National Assembly,  in the wake of the blockade of the National Assembly gates by operatives of the DSS.

    In a blistering reaction , Acting President Yemi Osinbajo ruled the blockade as  illegal and unauthorised and as a gross violation of constitutional order, rule of law and all accepted notions of law and order. Osinbajo then went further to sack the director-general of the DSS, Lawal Daura, who was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari in July 2015.

    On Wednesday, Saraki  sidestepped a question on his presidential ambition.

    He  said  he would answer the question on another day.

    “We are here today about the democracy of this country, and that is what is important to me and to all of us that are here.

    “I think when the time is right I will talk on your issue but today, we are talking about democracy in Nigeria, to defend the rule of law,” he said.

    On whether or not he would relinquish the position of Senate Presidency which he was ‘given’ under the All Progressives Congress (APC),  Saraki stressed that he was not given the position but was elected by members.

    He said that the Constitution allows any member of the Senate to stand for election as the President of the Senate irrespective of the person’s party.

    “I was not given the position as senate president. I was elected by members,” he said.

  • NASS ready to reconvene if necessary-Saraki

    Chairman of the National Assembly and President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, says the parliament is ready to reconvene if there are pressing national issues requiring the legislature’s attention.

    Saraki said this while fielding questions from journalists at a news conference in Abuja on Wednesday.

    There have been calls from the presidency for the assembly to reconvene to approve funds for the 2019 general elections as requested by President Muhammadu Buhari on July 24.

    The presidency is also saying that there other urgent matters needing the lawmakers’ attention, which if not treated, could affect the country adversely.

    The assembly commenced its annual recess on July 24 to resume on Sept. 25 in line with its calendar.

    Saraki, however, said it was difficult to understand why the nation would shutdown because the National Assembly was on recess.

    He said that the assembly adjourned two days before the scheduled date but ensured that the Electoral Bill was passed.

    Saraki said that the bill was the only pending issue before the assembly and that it was passed before the lawmakers commenced recess.

    On the request for more funds for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), he said it was amazing that people were not asking what INEC was doing that they did not submit their request until the lawmakers embarked on recess.

    He said from January through June, the lawmakers were on ground and that nobody from the Executive made any request of additional funds for the INEC.

    Saraki said that in the interest of the country, the leadership of the assembly would meet with INEC “and if there is need to reconvene, the legislators will”.

    According to him, the plan of the assembly before security agents barricaded its entrance on Tuesday, preventing it from holding a meeting was to the urgent issues.

    He said that the assembly “wants free and fair elections and allegations claiming that the institution is trying to sabotage INEC are not true”.

    On the blockade at the Assembly Complex, Saraki said it was at times like that that the legislature played its role in fighting for democracy and the rule of law.

    He said the assembly would continue to ensure that security agencies played their roles which were “to protect us and not to attack us”.

    The president of the  Senate said in cases where security agents went out of the ambits of the law, the legislature would take necessary actions that would ensure that they were called to order.

    “This is why I commend the acting President for what he did. That action is long overdue; not just the DSS DG, a lot of the security agencies are doing things that are not in line with the Constitution.

    “Several times we have summoned heads of security agencies to appear before the National Assembly in line with the Constitution but they do not.

    “They should be sanctioned in the same way the DSS DG has been sanctioned. In Benue, security agents escorted eight members of the State House of Assembly to impeach the Governor, aiding illegality.

    “The Executive knows what to do; we are saying that any security agency that acts against democracy should be sanctioned similarly and that is our position,” he said.

    On the absence of All Progressive Congress (APC) lawmakers at the complex at the time of the siege, Saraki said that lawmakers who arrived the complex in the morning and were denied access were told that there was a list of legislators that would be let in.

    He alleged that the plan was to only allow certain APC senator to gain access, adding that that was why those whose names were not on the list were denied access.

    Saraki explained that the reason the APC legislators were not on ground in the morning was because they were holding a meeting somewhere else before coming to the complex.

    He said the meeting was inconclusive and it was adjourned to 11.a.m, adding  that if they had concluded, they would have been at the complex.

    Saraki said that members of other parties heard of the plot and decided to all turn up at the complex and that that was the reason APC lawmakers were not on ground.

    “We must protect this democracy, we must ensure the rule of law; if anybody is to impeached, the process in the constitution must be followed.

    “If you have the numbers, go ahead and do it but if you do not have the numbers as required by the Constitution, do not turn us into a banana republic, Nigeria has passed that, we want a country everybody would be proud of,” Saraki added.

  • Saraki visits Babangida in Minna 

    Sen.President Bukola Saraki, has arrived Minna, capital of Niger State to hold a private meeting   with the former military President Ibrahim Babangida.

    The meeting is taking place at the Hilltop residence, of the former military ruler.

    News Agency of Nigeria  reports that Saraki landed at Minna International Airport at about 4.10 PM and drove straight to the hilltop home  of the  reclusive former leader.

    It was not clear whether Saraki came to discuss his presidential ambition with Babangida.

    At a press Conference today, he sidestepped the question. But he did not outrightly deny nursing the ambition.

     

    Read Also: Saraki storms national assembly

     

    He said  he would answer the question on another day.

    “We are here today about the democracy of this country, and that is what is important to me and to all of us that are here.

    “I think when the time is right I will talk on your issue but today, we are talking about democracy in Nigeria, to defend the rule of law,” he said.

    On whether or not he would relinquish the position of Senate Presidency which he was ‘given’ under the All Progressives Congress (APC),  Saraki stressed that he was not given the position but was elected by members.

    He said that the Constitution allows any member of the Senate to stand for election as the President of the Senate irrespective of the person’s party.

    “I was not given the position as senate president. I was elected by members,” he said.

     

  • NASS leadership meets INEC in Abuja

    Senate President, Bukola Saraki, said on Wednesday the leadership of the National Assembly is meeting the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) delegation in Abuja.

    He said in his opening address at the World Press Conference in Abuja that the meeting was initially fixed for Tuesday but postponed because of the siege on the National Assembly complex by Department of State Services (DSS) operatives.

    He said: “The President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki; and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, had started a meeting with the National Chairman of the INEC.”

    The Senate President stressed that the National Assembly would support government’s efforts geared towards smooth conduct of  the 2019 general election.

    “We stand committed to doing our utmost as lawmakers to ensure that the responsibility and functionality of governance are met. Although we are on annual break, we are daily reviewing the situation and are alive to the responsibility to take action as necessary,” Saraki added.

     

  • Saraki vows to fight impunity, alleges threat to life

    Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki on Wednesday vowed to continue to fight against alleged impunity despite alleged threat to his life.

    He stated this at a press conference on the invasion of National Assembly by Operatives of Department of State Security (DSS) on Tuesday.

    He said the defection of former Senate Minority Leader Godswill Obot Akpabio is not a National issue for him to speak on.

     

    More details later…

  • Saraki, Dogara blame failed meeting on invasion

    Senate President Bukola Saraki and House Speaker Yakubu Dogara, yesterday blamed the failure of the leadership of the National Assembly to hold its emergency meeting on the invasion of the Assembly Complex by security operatives.

    Saraki had summoned an emergency leadership meeting of the National Assembly to hold yesterday to consider the budget of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as requested by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Saraki and Dogara, in a statement jointly signed by them, said that the meeting could not hold following the invasion of the National Assembly Complex by men of the Department of State Services (DSS).

    The statement said that following the invasion of the National Assembly complex by men of the Department of State Services (DSS) in which legislators and members of staff, including the Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Mohammed Sani Omolori, who is the administrative head of the Federal legislature, were harassed and prevented from accessing their offices,  Saraki and Dogara had condemned the action of the security agents and described the invasion as another attempt to subvert democracy.

    The two principal officers stated that the heavy presence of armed security men who unnecessarily militarised the legislative complex and harassed legislators and the workers in the complex could not be justified in a democracy.

    The Senate President and Speaker noted that today was a sad day for democracy as very early in the morning, they got reports, backed by video and pictures, from members of staff of the National Assembly, their colleagues from both chambers and other individuals, about the heavy presence of the security personnel who insisted that nobody would enter the complex, except certain senators who were to be conveyed into the complex in a Coaster bus.

    It said: “By 6.30 am, the reports started coming in and by 7am, there were pictures and video online showing armed security men preventing Senators and Honourable members from coming into the complex. Some of our colleagues then mobilised other members in both chambers from their respective abode so that they could pressurise the security men from allowing them to gain entry.

    “Obviously, the public outcry from Nigerians and members of the international community against this illegality, this desecration of the sanctity of the legislature and this flagrant abuse of powers forced the government to relax the directives given to the security men as they later allowed the legislators to walk from the main gate into the foyer. Still the lawmakers were not allowed to drive in in their vehicles and were denied access into the main building housing their offices.

    “It is not clear what the plan of the government is but information reaching us indicated that some senators who are pro-executive arm are being camped somewhere here in Abuja and they are being compelled to sign an impeachment notice that would later be brought to the Assembly complex. The Senate Chamber will now be forced open to enable an illegal change of leadership take place in the Senate.

    “It should be noted that the Senate formally adjourned on July 24, 2018 and it stands adjourned. To reconvene, there is a process which has to be followed. Also, it should be clear that these senators who are camped somewhere know the procedure for changing the leadership of the Senate. Both the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Presidency officials masterminding this illegality know that they do not have the numbers to lawfully carry out this action.

    “Therefore, we call on members of the international community to view this development as a coup against democracy. This is a throw-back to the inglorious days of military rule where dissent is not tolerated and freedom of association and other fundamental human rights are willfully and carelessly violated.

    “We urge Nigerians and the international community to condemn this illegal invasion of the National Assembly complex and the attempt to asphyxiate the legislature as undemocratic, uncivilized and irresponsible.”

  • Saraki storms National Assembly

    Few hours after the departure of the men of the Department of State Services (DSS) from the National Assembly, Senate President Bukola Saraki walked into the lobby of the White House to a tumultuous welcome from his colleagues that have been keeping vigil over the chambers.

    At about 3.40pm, movements in the complex changed as people started running toward the White House lobby where lawmakers were seated.

    Saraki walked in on his colleagues after which he sat in their midst while everyone struggled to have a handshake with him.

    Read Also: Osinbajo condemns takeover of the National Assembly

    Saraki was supposed to chair a meeting of the National Assembly leadership scheduled for this afternoon but was called off due to the taking over the complex by security operatives.

    He did not grant interviews to reporters though he had earlier sent a statement that he would address a world press conference tomorrow afternoon.