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Tag: Saraki

  • ICYMI: IGP wants to frame me up – Saraki

    The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, said on Wednesday the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has concluded arrangements to implicate him in the ongoing investigation and prosecution of suspected cultists in Kwara State.

    Saraki said it has become necessary for him to urgently bring the alleged plot by the IGP to attention of senators, Nigerians and the international community.

    The Senate President said the IGP is also plotting to frame up the state Governor, Abdulfatai Ahmed.

    The announcement threw the chamber into a state of shock and disbelief as deliberations in the chamber stopped momentarily.

    The lawmakers described the development as “a dangerous development” that must be halted in the interest of democracy in Nigeria.

    Before the announcement, the upper chamber held over 45 minutes closed session which Saraki said was meant to deliberate on the running of the Senate and the National Assembly in general.

    Saraki said: “My Distinguished colleagues, there is an issue which I need to bring to your attention very urgently.

    “Last night, my state Governor, Dr. Abdulfatai Ahmed, told me that information at his disposal revealed that a group of suspects who had been in police cells for several weeks for cultism and whose investigation had been concluded with prosecution about to commence under the state law based on the advice of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) and the Ministry of Justice were ordered to be transferred to Abuja this morning.

    “According to the information available to the governor, the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Idris Ibrahim, directed the Commissioner of Police in Kwara State to immediately transfer the men to the Force Headquarters. The plan, as the Governor was made to understand is that, under duress, the suspects would be made to alter the statements they already made in Ilorin. They will then be made to implicate the Kwara State Government and in particular, myself, in their new statement.

    “This plot is part of the strategy by the IGP to settle scores over the declaration by this honourable chamber that he is not qualified and competent to hold any public office, within and outside the country and that he is an enemy of Nigerian democracy based on his usual disrespectful conduct towards lawful authorities.

    “In my own view, this plot is an act of desperation, blackmail, intimidation, abuse of office and crude tactics aimed at turning our country into a police state where top officials cannot be made to obey the law, follow due process and subject themselves to constituted authorities.

    “I want to bring this dangerous development to the attention of all of you my colleagues, the entire country and the international community so that you can be aware of the level of impunity in our country and the danger it constitute to our democracy.”

     

     

  • Senate, Saraki fail in bid to stay judgment voiding Omo-Agege’s suspension

    A Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday rejected an application filed by the Senate, seeking stay of execution of judgment voiding the suspension of Senator Ovie Omo-Agege.

    Justice Nnamdi Dimgba ruled that the application and the notice of appeal were wrongly directed.

    The judge noted that the application did show that it was targeted at the court’s judgment of May 10, declaring Omo-Agege’s suspension as unlawful.

    He said while the application sought a stay of execution of judgment on the matter, the May 10 judgment did not grant reliefs to the plaintiff but merely made consequential order under the omnibus prayer.

    The judge said: “An application that is desirous of the court’s exercise of its discretion must be an application that is genuine. And to be genuine, it must realistically target the actual decision that was reached by the court, and which enforcement is being asked to be stayed.

    “Looking at the ground of the application as well as the notice of appeal submitted to support the application, I am of the view that the ground and notice of appeal are targeted at a different decision of the court made on May 10, 2018.

    “The ground of the application as well as the notice of appeal attacked a decision where all reliefs of the plaintiff were granted, whereas, by the record of this court, in the judgment delivered by this court on May 10, 2018, all the seven main reliefs of the plaintiff were refused.

    “The court only made an order pursuant to the eight omnibus relief, on the basis that the sole reason given for the recommendation and the subsequent suspension of the plaintiff was an unconstitutional reason.”

    “I have seen nothing, either in the application or the notice of appeal that attacked or targeted that sole conclusion of the court.”

    Read Also: Omo-Agege attends Senate plenary

     

  • Invasion: National Assembly panel summons Omo-Agege, Ndume

    … To face panel Wednesday over alleged complicity in mace theft saga

     

    The Senate and House of Representatives joint committee on the investigation of the April 18, 2018, invasion of Senate chamber Tuesday invited a former Senate leader, Mohammed Ali Ndume and Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, to explain their alleged roles in the incident.

    Ndume and Omo-Agege are to answer questions on allegation of aiding the invaders to force their way into the Senate chamber to snatch the mace.

    Chairman of the committee, Senator, Bala Ibn Na’Allah, issued the invitation at the committee’s meeting Tuesday.

    The invitation was said to have been sequel to testimonies by heads of different security agencies within the National Assembly alleging that “Omo-Agege led seven unauthorised persons into the Senate to steal the mace.”

    The action of the chamber invaders was said to have “disrupted plenary.”

    Findings also showed that Ndume was alleged to have prevented Sergeant At Arms who keeps the Mace, from taking it away to safety.

    The invitation letter to read in part:

    “Based on the testimony of the Sergeant At Arms before the committee, you (Mr. Ndume) are alleged to have prevented the mace keeper from taking away the mace to safety.

    “The committee has, therefore, deemed it necessary to invite you in order to respond to that allegation.

    The committee’s invitation to Omo-Agege said, “Based on the testimony of the National Assembly Divisional Police Officer (DPO), the DSS and the Sergeant at Arms, you are alleged to have entered the National Assembly accompanied by seven persons who allegedly took the mace of the Senate during plenary session on April 18, at about 11:30 a.m.

    Read Also: Saraki inaugurates panel to probe invasion of chamber

    “All those who testified, stated that the said people were cleared into the chamber based on your confirmation that they were with you.

    “The committee, in pursuance of this, has deemed it necessary to formally invite you to respond to these allegations on Wednesday, May 16 at 11:00am,”

    The National Assembly Divisional Police Officer, Sulu-Gambari Abdul, had accused the Ndume and Omo-Agege of conspiring with thugs who invaded the Senate chamber and took away the mace on April 18, 2018

    Sulu-Gambari noted that the Senate invasion was an act of internal conspiracy among some security agencies and some lawmakers, confirming allegation of complicity of security agencies in the invasion.

    Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, who inaugurating the joint ad hoc committee of the National Assembly to investigate the invasion of the Senate chamber and snatching of the mace by suspected thugs last week noted that the attackers had violated the liberty of the people who the National Assembly represent.

    Saraki had said, “The events of the 18th of April, 2018, will go down as one of the darkest days of our democracy. The precincts of the National Assembly is not just a place where the National Assembly meets, it is the symbol of our liberty and freedom from autocracy and the base of our democracy.

    “This should not happen. It should never have happened. The violation of this solemn place, the symbol of our liberty to have a government by the representatives of our people for our people, by a group of mobsters and criminals cannot simply be ignored.

    “It has been inferred in many quarters that this group of thugs and urchins were led by a serving distinguished Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (this) is most despicable and unspeakable.”

    Meanwhile Senator Omo-Agege failed to resume plenary Tuesday as widely reported.

    The Delta Central lawmaker was reported to have said that he would resume plenary Tuesday following a court ruling which set aside his suspension by the Senate.

    Although no reason was given for his absence, sources said that Omo-Agege is likely to resume plenary Wednesday

    in compliance to the court judgement.

  • Ultimatum from ex-PDP chiefs: Buhari’s men await next move from Saraki, Tambuwal, others

    Strategists of President Muhammadu Buhari are awaiting the next line of action from leaders of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP), following an ultimatum the latter issued to the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for a meeting.

    In a four-page letter the defunct nPDP leaders addressed to the National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, dated April 27, 2018, they alleged that their members had been relegated to the background in the APC in spite of their contributions to the success of the party.

    But despite the seven-day ultimatum, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Odigie-Oyegun and members of the National Working Committee (NWC) are yet to meet on the protest letter.

    There were indications that the party leadership was tactically awaiting the return of President Muhammadu Buhari, the leader of the party, before taking a decision.

    But some Buhari’s strategists who spoke with our correspondent last night said they were not “losing sleep” over the ultimatum, adding that it was anticipated and they had guarded against it.

    They are only awaiting the next step of the nPDP leaders after the expiration of the seven-day ultimatum for counter-response.

    Investigation conducted by our correspondent revealed that the party is overwhelmed with activities, including the governorship primary in Ekiti State, the conduct of local government congresses, state congresses and the forthcoming national convention.

    It was learnt that managing the aftermath of the Ward Congresses in some states had been herculean for the party which is trying to ensure peace and reconciliation among its members.

    A member of the NWC said the leadership of the party might not discuss and respond to the nPDP letter in isolation.

    “Apart from being busy, the issues raised in the letter are weighty and all other organs might have to be involved,” the source said.

    Another party source, however, said: “The party appears to be tactically awaiting the return of the President because most of the issues raised border on the disposition of the Presidency.

    “You cannot get a letter and go to town with a response without hearing from the other side. With feedback from the President, the party will be in a good stead to lay the cards on the table.

    “Even on the eve of the President’s departure to the United Kingdom, he had audience with some of the key leaders of nPDP who joined hands to form the APC coalition.

    “No one knew whether or not the April 27 letter came up for discussion.”

    When contacted, the National Publicity Secretary of APC, Mr. Bolaji Abdullahi, simply said: “The party has not had the opportunity to discuss the letter.”

    A source in Buhari’s camp, who spoke in confidence, said: “We are not losing sleep over the ultimatum, because we know their ultimate target is exit from APC. We had anticipated it long time ago and we have our plans on how to curtail them.

    “The letter was just the first stage of a pre-planned agenda to embarrass APC and President Buhari.

    “They have lined up more activities before they finally defect. We got all the intelligence report long before hand.

    “On the alleged side-lining of the nPDP members, we will respond with appropriate statistics at the right time. The letter was misleading and inaccurate.”

    Responding to a question, the source added: “Unlike in 2014, the political dynamics are different this time around because Buhari is a covert strategist.”

    A leader of the nPDP said: “We cannot talk of the next step now until Buhari comes back to the country. We want his reaction to our notes too.

    “His body language will determine our next move, which is being jealously kept.”

    The nPDP leaders lodged their protest in a letter dated April 27, 2018 which was delivered to the APC National Secretariat in Abuja yesterday.

    The letter was signed by a former National Chairman (nPDP), Alh. Abubakar Kawu Baraje and ex- National Secretary (nPDP) Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola.

    Those copied include President Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

    In the said letter, they listed seven grievances on why the coalition which led to the birth of APC was not working.

    They include lack of concession of any position to nPDP in power sharing; no significant patronage and appointments to executive positions in various government agencies; fewer appointments of nPDP members into boards of various government agencies; opposition to the emergence of the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives; general lack of consultation, non-recognition and even persecution of former New PDP members and leaders; and harassment, intimidation and persecution of former New PDP leaders by the government.

  • Between Buhari, Saraki and Tambuwal

    Last week, Uche Secondus, National Chairman of PDP currently defending his honour in court following the listing of his name as one of Federal Government identified alleged looters, inaugurated a committee to woo back and groom former PDP stalwarts such as Saraki, Dogara and Tambuwa, for 2019 as “a part of a strategy to ensure “the party does everything within the confines of the law to regain power in 2019”.  “The last three years of Buhari”, he says, “has convinced Nigerians of the need for a credible alternative in 2019”.

    It is difficult to fault the thesis of Secundus who without doubt has correctly read the mood of frustrated Nigerians.  For his party, his jibe at Buhari could not have come at any other auspicious time. The daily mindless killings have continued. Pastor Adeboye has hardly finished saying there may be no election in 2019 if the killings continued while government appears helpless, when grisly murder of 71 women and children in southern Kaduna by suspected herdsmen followed. In the midst of this, the president buffeted by ill- health jetted out to London for medical attention leaving in charge of his security apparatus, a defence minister, the Director General of DSS and an Inspector General of police who by their body language and pronouncements have lost the confidence of besieged people of the Middle Belt region. Whether out of indolence or incompetence of his administration, there was no government policy thrust to address new realities following his admission in faraway US that the killers are remnants of Gadaffi armed gang let loose on West Africa. Similarly, little has been heard of state policing as recommended by his Party. Wailings by Middle Belt opinion leaders such as Jerimiah Useni and Theophilus Danjuma who now openly accuse the Fulani hegemonic power of discrimination and ethnic cleansing seemed to have been ignored.

    And curiously the president has ignored the opinion of Nigerian patriots such as elder statesmen Wole Soyinka, the Nobel laureate and Emeka Anyaoku, the respected former secretary General of the common wealth and many others on restructuring which they had proffered as panacea to massive corruption at our dysfunctional centre, herdsmen killing, uncontrolled entry of illegal immigrants, insurgency in the north and militancy in the Niger Delta.

    With the President once again away on medical trip to London while various causes of social dislocations remain unaddressed,  not many will disagree with our young hot blooded but highly resourceful Professor Pius Aladesanmi’s verdict that it is not difficult “to  delegitimize Buahri because of his irredeemable clannishness, failure to fly, and failure to deliver.”

    Unfortunately since a people deserve the government they get, we are saddled with Buhari’s government no matter how imperfect. However, since tomorrow is a product of yesterday and today, Secondus and his committee of Babangida, Abacha and Obasanjo groomed new breed politicians like Babangida/Olu Falae’s SDP and Obasnajo/Oyinlola coalition cannot in my view be the messiahs the country needs.

    The Committee is headed by former Cross river state governor, Liyel Imoke  supported by former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido; his Niger State counterpart, Babangida Aliyu; and former Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam. Others are former Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr. Paul Orhii; former Aviation Minister, Kema Chikwe; and a former National Chairman of the PDP, Bello Haliru Mohammed. Besides Dr. Kema Chikwe and Dr. Paul Orhii, all other members of the committee are either on judicial or media trial by EFCC

    First,Uche Secundus, the man trying to chart a new beginning for us was   himself in February 2016 arrested by EFCC for allegedly receiving 23 vehicles including Mercedes G63 and a Range Rover Autobiography, all valued at N310 million from controversial businessman and Deziani associates who was said to be in the habit of distributing money and gifts to politicians in order to evade payment of $14m crude oil royalty his company, Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Nigeria Limited, failed to remit to the federal treasury.

    Liyel Imoke the chairman of the committee, was a senator at thirty under Babangida fraudulent “transaction without end”, became a member of one of Abacha’s “five fingers of a leprous hand” (apology to late Bola Ige, and later Obasanjo’s Special Adviser on Public Utilities; Chairman of Technical Board of the National Electric Power Authority and his Federal Minister of Power and Steel, where he supervised the unbundling of the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA). He and Olusegun Agagu, who had also served as Minister of Power and Steel were questioned on the disbursement of $16 billion for the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP).  Committee on Power of the House of Representatives during a public hearing later concluded that  all the contracts awarded to companies to execute power plants projects in the country were not executed just as it also queried the scandalous concessionairing  of the Ajakouta Steel Plant.

    Sule Lamido was Obasanjo’s Foreign minister from 1999 to 2003 and elected governor of Jigawa State April 2007-2014. He was Obasanjo’s favourite for the 2015 presidential election. Mr. Lamido alongside two of his sons, Aminu and Mustapha, and two others have been arraigned by the EFCC on a 27-count charge for alleged abuse of office and money laundering. He did not consider that as an impediment to his 2019 ambition. While declaring at a rally in Birnin Kudu Local Government Area of Jigawa recently, he had bragged “They called me a thief and jailed me. All the molestation and intimidation can’t change my destiny in becoming the next president come 2019″ His joker: unlike Buhari, he says he is an authentic Fulani.

    Bello Haliu Mohammed was the former Chairman of PDP. He and his son, Bello Abba Mohammed, were arraigned before Justice A.R Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja on a 4-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and money laundering by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, that want them to return the N300, 000,000 (Three Hundred Million Naira) paid into the account of Bam Projects and Properties Limited in March 2015.

    As for Gabriel Suswan, Benue state Governor (2007-2015), he was indicted by  the Justice Elizabeth Kpojime’s Panel of Inquiry  set up by Governor Samuel Ortom along with 52 others for alleged misappropriation of N107 billion.  The Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has since sealed off three properties: the Metropolitan hotel along FMC road, a residential building still under construction by the river side and Suswan; s family home in HUDCO quarters all in Makurdi

    Like the committee members, those they seek to groom also have a past. Saraki fresh from medical school in London was with his father’s Societe Generale Bank where the loss of N19b led to the collapse of the bank. His illustrious father thereafter donated him to Obasanjo where he served as special adviser on budget. From there he made him governor of Kwara state, a state he had run as a personal fiefdom for over fifty years. Then Saraki moved to the senate where in 2015, he traded off the victory of his party to snatch the plum job of senate President. Today he has all the 8th senate senators who illegally collect N13, 5m in addition to their N700, 000 monthly salaries in his pocket. Melaye is Saraki’s man Friday. He is currently in police detention for alleged gun-running. Of course, Nigerians are conversant with the story of budget padding at the lower house under the leadership of Dogara.The problem with Tambuwal is that even as a former speaker of the lower house and now as a governor, he has been unable to properly articulate  our crisis of nation building. He continues to insist our problem is not restructuring but more money from the federal to the states to implement their programmes.

    Dear compatriots, with the facts before you, pick your choice among all the devils you now know and those you don’t know.

  • Saraki, Dogara for Oshiomhole’s APC chairmanship bid declaration

    Former Governor of Edo, Adams Oshiomhole, on Wednesday announced that he would declare his bid for the national chairmanship of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja on Thursday.

    He told newsmen in Benin that President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki and House of Representatives Speaker, Mr Yakubu Dogara, would join top members of the party at the occasion.

    Oshiomhole said that Imo Governor, Rochas Okorocha, would lead governors elected on the party’s platform to the declaration which would hold at TRANSCORP Hilton.

    The former governor is favoured to replace outgoing chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun after he received the endorsement of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Oshiomhole said he was joining the chairmanship race to contribute to the growth of the party.

    According to him, it is true that I intend to make my ambition known to our party members and Nigerians.

    “I strongly believe that with the experience I have gathered in my public life, having served as President of NLC, governor of Edo, I have what it takes to take our dear party, the ruling party, to the next level.” (NAN)

  • Saraki, Magu meet at EFCC’s N24b office complex in Abuja

    Senate President Bukola Saraki met face to face with Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) acting Chairman Ibrahim Magu in Abuja.

    It was at the N24billion newly completed office complex of the anti-graft agency which Saraki inspected for about 40 minutes.

    The handshake between the two men elicited thunderous applause from dignitaries, EFCC and construction giant Julius Berger Plc officlas on hand so much so that the Senate President allowed the plea of those who missed the photgraph, for another round of snapshots.

    There is no love lost between the two men. The Senate has twice refused to clear Magu to become the substantive chairman of the EFCC.

    This is in spite of the push by the Presidency whose insistence, has now made the Senate to abandon the clearance of many officials whose nominations are pending.

    The Senate President is also facing trial over alleged false assets declaration.

    But yesterday, Saraki said the war against corruption is not personal, adding that it should be everybody’s business.

    He said: “If we are going to build a better society in our country, one of the main things we must tackle is the issue of corruption and how we can do that is by strengthening these institutions.

    “My presence here is to say that whatever we do in our job, the most important thing is that we all represent institutions and we must work and see that it is in the interest of the country.

    “So my presence here is, after a building like this where the National Assembly has played a great role, it must be my responsibility to see how the money was spent and I can see that that has been done properly and we should continue to work together to see that goes well for the entire country.

    “I think we have all said it. It is something we must fight. There is no way you can build a society without fighting corruption.

    “I have always said that my own strong will is that as we fight it, we must fight it in ensuring that we strengthen the institutions and what you see here is part of the process of strengthening those institutions so that whoever comes here will know that this is what we must fight if we want to build institutions.

    “I think it (project) has gone through about three executive chairmen and one did not come in to say this is not my project and I must not continue. Each one has taken it as his own project.  I think that is good and that is the whole point that is important and this is something we will be proud of for many years.

    “In many years to come, I hope that we don’t have corruption in an environment like this but for now, I think there are many good aspects of this. Having a Nigerian that designed this, the details are very impressive-  the clinic  and all the facilities- and the fact that it has gone through three different administration and the fact that the National Assembly has played its role and brought it to completion, I think that it is a lot of plus.”

     

     

     

     

  • Saraki inaugurates panel to probe invasion of chamber

    •Senate President pledges to bring perpetrators to book

    SENATE President Bukola Saraki yesterday inaugurated a joint Senate and House of Representatives committee to investigate the April 18 invasion of Senate Chamber.

    Members of the committee, including Senate Leader Senator Ahmed Lawan, Senators Abu Ibrahim, John Owan Enoh, Shehu sani, Samuel Anyanwu, Suleiman Hunkuyi, Baba Kaka Garbai and Binta Garba, will be chaired by Deputy Senate Leader Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah.

    Saraki said the Senate Ad Hoc Committee was inaugurated to investigate the incident of the Senate chamber invasion on Wednesday, April 18.

    He noted that the events of April 18, will go down as “one of the darkest days of our democracy”.

     

     

     

  • PIB: don’t induce lawmakers, Saraki tells oil firms

    Senate President,  Bukola Saraki yesterday advised the International Oil Companies and Oil Producers Trade Section (IOCs/OPTS) operating in the country not to induce lawmakers during the consideration and passage of the Fiscal and Host Communities Bills -component of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) pending before the National Assembly.

    Saraki, who gave the advice when the leadership of the IOC/OPTS visited him in Abuja, said the leadership of the eighth National Assembly has made it clear to all lawmakers involved in the process to live above board.

    A  statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sanni Onogu, explained that Saraki called on the leadership of the OIC/OPTS to report any lawmaker who attempts to seek personal favours when the process of considering the bills commences this month.

    Saraki said: “Let me also use these opportunity to just make some ground rules clear. We, as the 8th National Assembly, – I told you at the beginning that the two houses will be on the same position on the remaining bills. I think we have shown that on the first bill we passed.

    “I am confident that for these other bills too, we will do the same. I want to assure you that it is in our own interest and the leadership has made it clear to all the members involved that this must be a transparent process.

    “We are doing it in the interest of the country. Leadership is not going to tolerate any hanky-panky. No favours. No gifts. Nothing must be given to get this work done.

    “And we want to mandate you that if you see any of these, you should be able to bring it to the attention of the leadership. All we want to see is a Bill that is in the interest of Nigeria and we have read the riot act to all our members that nobody should approach anybody for any interest towards any benefit and I want to make this very clear.

    “This is the position of the leadership on this issue. We must ensure that everything is above board because this is not just a Bill for today, but for future generations. We must make sure that in our time, it is done properly.”

    Saraki said after the passage of the  Petroleum Industry Bill after the passage of the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB) by the National Assembly which is now before the Presidency for assent, the process for the passage of the Fiscal and Host Communities Bills will soon commence – to pass a petroleum bill that will be a “win-win” for all stakeholders.

    He said: “This is where we are now and this is where it concerns those of you who are operators to see that we can pass a petroleum bill that is a win-win for all.

    “A petroleum bill that will be a win for Nigeria on the revenue side, investment side and jobs creation; and it is also a win for those who are investing in Nigeria because we appreciate that it is a very competitive world out there and we must make Nigeria competitive.

    “The only way we can do that is through engagement. We cannot do it by just passing a bill and just putting it at your doorstep, because we are not the ones that will do the investment. So, it has to be a bill that we all believe is in the interest of all those who are involved.’’

     

    It would be recalled that the National Assembly Assembly has commenced the process of passing the Fiscal and Host Communities components of the PIGB now before the President for assent.

    Earlier, the leader of the delegation of the IOC/OPTS and Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Limited, Mr. Osagie Okunbo, said the visit is essentially meant to assure the leadership of the National Assembly that the IOC/OPTS will make its memorandum on the Bills available to the relevant Committees of the National Assembly during the public hearing.

    He said it is important to ensure that the PIB that will be passed is one that will essentially promote investment.

    “Our primary concern is that at the end of the day, we both lay the years of uncertainty to rest, but even more importantly, that a bill that is passed eventually is one that we can all be proud of and the one that we can say will encourage investments in all parts of the oil industry,” Okunbo stated.

     

  • PIB: Saraki warns oil firms against inducing lawmakers

    The President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki has warned the International Oil Companies and Oil Producers Trade Section (IOC/OPTS), operating in the country not to induce lawmakers.

    Saraki read the riot act as hearing would soon commence on the Fiscal and Host Communities Bills, components of the Petroleum Industry Bill which is currently before the National Assembly for consideration and passage.

    Saraki gave the warning  in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Sanni Onogu, in Abuja on Tuesday.

    Saraki was quoted as saying that the leadership of the 8th National Assembly had made it clear to all lawmakers involved in the process to live above board.

    He called on the leadership of the OIC/OPTS to report any lawmaker who seeks any personal favour when the process of passing the bills commence.

    “Let me use this opportunity to make some ground rules clear. The two houses will maintain the same position on the remaining bills.

    “I am confident that for these other bills too, we will do the same.

    ” I want to assure you that it is in our own interest and the leadership has made it clear to all the members involved that this must be a transparent process.

    “We are doing it in the interest of the country. Leadership is not going to tolerate any hanky-panky. No favours. No gifts. Nothing must be given to get this work done.

    ” If you see any of these you should bring it to the attention of the leadership. All we want to see is a bill that is in the interest of Nigeria.

    “We have read the riot act to all our members that nobody should approach anybody for any benefit and I want to make this very clear.

    “We must ensure that everything is above board because this is not just a bill for today, but for future generations and we must make sure that in our time it is done properly,” he said.

    Saraki pointed out that the process for passage of the Fiscal and Host Communities bills would commence soon.

    He added that the national assembly would pass a petroleum bill that would be a “win-win” for all stakeholders.

    According to him, this is where we are now and this is where it concerns those of you who are operators to see that we pass a petroleum bill that is a win-win for all.

    “A petroleum bill that will be a win for Nigeria on the revenue side, investment side and jobs creation; and it is also a win for those who are investing in Nigeria.

    “We know that it is a very competitive world out there and we must make Nigeria competitive.

    “The only way we can do that is through engagement. We cannot do it by just passing a bill and putting it at your doorstep.

    “It has to be a bill that we all believe is in the interest of all those who are involved,” he said.

    Earlier, the leader of the delegation of the IOC/OPTS and Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Limited, Mr Osagie Okunbo, said the visit was essentially to assure the leadership of the National Assembly of their cooperation.

    He said the IOC/OPTS would make their memorandum on the bills available to relevant Committees of the National Assembly during the public hearing.

    He said it was important to ensure that the PIB that would be passed would promote investment.

    “Our primary concern is that at the end of the day, we both lay the years of uncertainty to rest, but even more importantly, that a bill that is passed eventually is one that we can all be proud of.

    ” The one that will encourage investments in all parts of the oil industry,” Okunbo stated. (NAN)