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Tag: Saraki

  • Expert: civil engineering more than structures, covers waste management

    You need to come to the environmental division,” Mrs Abiola Kosegbe told some Civil Engineering students of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) last week.

    Mrs kosegbe, who was speaking at the Nigerian Institution of Civil engineering Students Affairs (NICESA) held at the Julius Berger Hall of the university last Thursday, said this when she noticed the students were wearing t-shirts that had “civil engineer” emblazoned on them, while their department is called “Civil and Engineering Department”.

    The first female chairman of Nigerian institute of environmental engineer (NIEE) Lagos chapter said  the students were neglecting a part of their training that dealt with the environment.

    Speaking on the theme: “The role of civil engineering in a developing economy: Bringing the students closer to the professional sector,” Mrs Kosegbe discussed about effective waste management, which she said was dependent on having adequate data about the population, “because population determine how well you can manage your waste.”

    She also said waste management requires an integrated system.

    Mrs Kosegbe advised the prospective engineers to be resourceful, think outside the box , and join the NIEE, which would be useful for them in the future – like when they go for NYSC.

    A student of Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Coker Adeniran, also spoke about waste management.

    “It is not possible to have human in a place and not talk about how to treat the environment.  Waste is anything you do not need. It is important for us to manage our waste because of our health because when we do not manage our health there is a possibility that we will have health issue.  Therefore in order to have a sustainable environment there is a need to manage our waste. And also waste can be used to produce electricity. It will be good to Invest solid waste management in our country because it could improve the economy,” he said

    Coker also discussed the difficulty in recycling plastic bag; how Nigerians discharge their waste indiscriminately; and how to manage it.

    “There should be a rational management policy that will be strictly implemented in order for us to see that there is a whole lot that can be delivered from waste management,” he said.

    Mr Gabriel Ojo, managing partner /Director of Sanni , Ojo & partners consulting limited spoke about the records of failed buildings , additional common knowledge failures , causes of failures, illustration of problems and solutions.

    The causes of failures are:lack of patronage of qualified, competent professional, lack of adequate capacity combined with lack of enforcement of the building /planning controls by the relevant government agencies , lack of adequate regulations generally.

    Professor K.O Aiyesimoju chief host of the conference, said that the training of engineer is not just in the academic institution but what they learn during their industrial training.

    He also spoke about the problem of IT placement and also said that the IT will be increased from six to nine months.

    Also speaking, the Host of the conference Dr Isaac Akiije said “You are like raw material that will become products.  Once you get it right in the University, you will get it right out there.

  • Saraki orders probe of accreditation guidelines for journalists

    Senate President, Bukola Saraki, on Tuesday, ordered the investigation of the drafting and release of the National Assembly accreditation guidelines without the knowledge of the political leadership of the National Assembly.

    Saraki, in a statement released by his aide in charge of social media, Olu Onemola, noted that the guidelines which have attracted widespread condemnations from several quarters negated his belief and commitment to unhindered operation of the media practitioners.

    It was also gathered that in a bid to unravel the circumstances that led to the release of the accreditation guidelines, the Senate President has written to the Clerk to the National Assembly, Mohammed Sani-Omolori, to brief the political leadership of the National Assembly on the matter.

    Following the outrage generated by the release of the offensive guidelines, Saraki and Speaker House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, have denied knowledge of the accreditation guidelines.

    Saraki and Dogara were said to have been rattled by the content of the guidelines and insisted to unravel the authors of the document.

    Finding showed that the Management of the National Assembly may have suspended the accreditation and withdrawn the guidelines due to mounting public outcry that followed its release.

    Although no official statement has been released to that effect, the National Assembly Clerk was said to have directed the Director of Information, Agada Rawlings Emmanuel, who signed the guidelines to immediately withdraw it.

    A team of National Assembly officials comprising Emmanuel and other senior staff have been set up to work out acceptable guidelines for the accreditation which, it was learnt, has been suspended.

    The statement by Saraki on the need for investigation of the matter reads:

    “The attention of the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has just been drawn to a story that is circulating on social media about the National Assembly issuing new guidelines to journalists.

    Read Also: Court rejects suit against Saraki, Ekweremadu’s removal

    “These alleged guidelines have not emanated from either the Senate President or the Speaker, and will be promptly investigated.

    “The public should note that the 8th National Assembly has been committed to the freedom of the press as exemplified by its work to bringing governance closer to the people through live streams and live tweets.

    “The leadership of the 8th National Assembly believes strongly in the freedom of the press and in carrying the Nigerian public along.

    “Hence, the Senate President and all his colleagues will continue to work to ensure that these freedoms remain unhindered.”

    The accreditation guidelines released by the National Assembly on Monday had stipulated among others that media organization will submit a copy of its income tax return for the last two years.

    Continue on Page 2

  • EFCC probe of Saraki not personal, says Magu

    The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu on Tuesday said the fresh probe of the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki is either not personal or a witch-hunt.

    He said the investigation of Saraki is not different from other investigations being done by the anti-graft agency.

    He also said he is not slowing down on the anti-graft war because corruption is a national disaster.

    Magu made the clarifications in a chat with newsmen shortly after receiving an outstanding award from Euro Knowledge Forum , led by Mrs. Yinka Fayomi, in Abuja.

    The EFCC on Saturday sealed off five choice mansions allegedly traced to the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki.

    Read Also: I am not aware of seal-off of Saraki’s houses – EFCC’s Spokesman

    The mansions were suspected to have been acquired with state funds while he was the governor of Kwara State between 2003 and 2011.

    The assets were suspected by the EFCC not to have been declared by Saraki.

    Saraki is being probed by the EFCC for his earnings and acquisitions in office as a governor between 2003 and 2011; how a N17billion bond was spent; allocations to the state from the Federation Account while in office and some suspicious transactions by the state government in the administration of the outgoing Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State.

    Saraki has however described the seizure as a witch-hunt and battle against a political enemy.

    Magu, who insisted that the war against corruption is not personal, said he was not after anybody.

    Continue on Page 2

  • Saraki, Ortom, others jubilant as Mark exits Senate

    Senate President Bukola Saraki, his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu and Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom yesterday paid glowing tributes to former Senate President David Mark for his meritorious service to his constituents and the country as he exits from the Senate after 20 years.

    In their separate goodwill messages to Mark at a thanksgiving mass at St. Augustine Catholic Church, Otukpo, Benue State, Saraki, Ekweremadu, Ortom and others described the former Senate President as an icon and patriotic leader in contemporary Nigeria.

    A statement by Mark’s media aide Paul Mumeh said the thanksgiving was to mark former Senate President’s exit from the Senate after 20 years.

    According to the statement, Saraki noted that his predecessor had set a record as the longest serving senator since 1999, the longest-serving President of the Senate and referred to him as an officer and a gentleman.

    He said: “Senator Mark was our own equivalent of the United States Senators Robert C. Byrd (51 years, five months, 26 days), Daniel K. Inouye (49 years, 11 months and 15 days) Strom Thurmond (47 years, five months, eight days), Ted Kennedy (46 years, nine months, 19 days and Patrick J. Leahy (44 years) in terms of institutional memory that he embodies.”

    Saraki acknowledged that Senator Mark remains a stabilising force in or out of the Red Chamber of the National Assembly.

    The Senate President also said he remains relevant, even when he left the position of the primus inter pares in the Senate.

    He added: “While Senator Mark’s record in the Senate remains unbeaten, it is necessary to mention that he is a bridge builder and consummate politician. My colleagues and I in the Eighth Senate appreciate his humility, brilliance and patriotism.”

    Ekweremadu underscored Mark’s leadership qualities, saying: “Your place of honour as a fine, perceptive, detribalised, patriotic, astute leader and a true democrat is unarguable and unshakable.”

    Besides leading the National Assembly to break the jinx of constitutional amendments and the successful electoral reforms, Ekweremadu added Mark’s “capacity as a wise, experienced, patriotic and true statesman manifested at a very trying time in the nation’s history when you guided the National Assembly to invoke the Doctrine of Necessity to steer the country away from palpable constitutional crisis.”

  • Saraki, Ekweremadu, Kalu urge Muslims to pray for peace

    Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, yesterday called on Muslim faithful to pray for a positive turn around in the fortunes of the country.

    Saraki, in a goodwill message to mark the beginning of the holy month, signed by his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), Yusuph Olaniyonu, in Abuja, noted that since fasting symbolises internal cleansing and spiritual renewal, the country can benefit tremendously from the prayers of the faithful during the period.

    He said: “It is my prayer that Allah accepts the earnest prayers and sacrifices of the Muslim Ummah during this Holy Month. May we emerge better, both at the individual and national levels, after this spiritual exercise.

    “Let’s us seek an end to recurring killings, kidnapping and all forms of insecurity in our country. As community leaders and members of the Islamic faith, we have a responsibility to work for peace in our communities in particular, and the country in general.

    “We cannot afford to gloss over the present level of insecurity and harsh economic realities in our country. Therefore, let us pray earnestly for Allah’s intervention in the socio-economic life of our people,” he stated.

    Saraki also called on all leaders both at the national and state levels to put in place policies and programmes that would directly benefit the people and gainfully engage the nation’s growing youth population.

    He added that the high youth population in the country is a blessing as the young people can hasten the development process if positively engaged but that the advantage can also become a time bomb if they are not well managed and deployed for good causes.

    Ekweremadu on his own urged Nigerians to stand united in prayers in the Holy month of Ramadan.

    He said the nation’s challenges, though many, were surmountable if prayers and the right attitudes were applied.

    A statement by the Special Adviser to the Deputy Senate President, Uche Anichukwu, said that Ekweremadu made the call in his goodwill message to the Muslim Ummah at the start of Ramadan Fast.

    Ekweremadu said: “At Ramadan, let the nation unite in prayer, for the spirit of unity, love, forgiveness, justice, and peaceful co-existence to prevail in the nation, for with these, we can easily surmount other challenges.

    “Importantly, I urge our Muslim brothers and sisters to also offer special prayers for members of our armed forces and security agencies, who are grappling with enormous security challenges at the moment”.

    He wished the Muslim faithful a spiritually rewarding month of Ramadan.

    Former Abia State Governor and Senator-elect, Abia North Senatorial District, Dr. Orji Kalu, urged Muslim faithful to use the holy month of Ramadan to offer prayers for the country.

    Acknowledging the peaceful co-existence among people of various religious faiths in Nigeria, the former governor urged Nigerians to imbibe the act of alms-giving, brotherliness and piety in their daily endeavours.

    Kalu, while urging the Muslim community to uphold the teachings of the holy Quran, stressed that the holy month of Ramadan should be dedicated to service to God and humanity.

    The Senator-elect wished the Muslim Ummah across the globe a spiritually-fulfilling exercise, adding that the holy month of Ramadan calls for self-appraisal and sober reflection.

    “I join our Muslim brothers and sisters across the globe to usher in the holy month of Ramadan. It is a special and sacred month in the Islamic calendar. It is a period Muslims must rededicate themselves to the service of God. Let us use this season to advocate good causes by embracing the teachings of the holy Quran. The qualities of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) must be emulated. We must demonstrate love, charity, selflessness, patriotism, religious and tolerance in our daily activities during this season and beyond. The holy month of Ramadan should be dedicated to intensive prayers for Nigeria.”

    The former governor while calling on Muslim faithful to follow the doctrine of Islam as encapsulated in the holy Quran, urged Nigerians to live in peace and harmony regardless of religious differences.

  • Why Saraki, Dogara are hell bent on installing successors

    AFTER Sentry’s report last penultimate Saturday that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, was plotting to retain his seat as Speaker in the 9th Assembly, fresh facts have emerged that the Speaker is working on a Plan B after realising the odds that stack against him succeeding himself.

    Dogara, it was learnt, is now giving a serious thought to installing one of his three loyalists (Mohammed Umar Bago, Idris Ahmed Wase and Aliyu Mukhtar Betara) as the Speaker of the 9th House.

    And he is not alone in the plan to install his successor, as the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, is also said to be busy plotting how to install his successor. As part of this plan, he has in the past few days, drummed it into the ears of members of the National Assembly-elect on the need to elect who is best to lead them.

    Sentry, however, gathered that the motivation behind Saraki and Dogara’s plot to install their successors is to ensure that they are not succeeded by people who would not be willing to cover their tracks over the huge debts the two chambers have incurred under their leadership in the last four years.

    The current National Assembly is believed to have incurred the most debt in the history of the institution, but in his capacity as the chairman, Saraki has stoically refused to disclose the actual worth of the debts, what the loans were used for, the repayment plans and the collaterals.

    The duo is said to be borrowing from the experience of the former Speaker of the House of Representatives and current governor of Sokoto State, Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, who was able to install his stooge while leaving the House as Speaker.

  • Court gives Saraki, Dogara, 52 others 5 days to respond to suit challenging defection

    The Federal High Court Abuja on Friday gave Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and 52 other lawmakers until April 17 to file their responses to a suit asking them to vacate their seats.

    An advocacy group, Legal Defence and Assistance Project, (LEDAP) dragged the lawmakers to court seeking a declaration that they were no longer members of the National Assembly having defected to other political parties before the expiration of their tenure.

    The defendants comprise 17 Senators, 37 members of the House of Representatives, the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Attorney-General of the Federation and the clerks to both houses.

    When the matter was called, Mr Efut Okoi announced appearance for the senate and the senators while Safiya Mohammed announced appearance for the members.

    Both counsel urged the court to entertain their applications noting that a litigant’s choice of counsel was his fundamental right.

    Mr Jubrin Okutepa, (SAN) who announced appearance for LEDAP said that the defendants were attempting to confuse the court by changing counsel.

    He noted that at Thursday’s proceedings, Mr Mahmud Magaji, SAN, announced appearance for all the defendants and wondered why that had changed.

    He urged the court to ask Magaji to move the applications he had earlier filed and strike out any other applications before the court with regards to the suit.

    Magaji, in one of his applications, challenged the jurisdiction of the court to hear the matter on the grounds that the plaintiff had no “locus standi” to file the suit.

    The trial judge, Justice Okon Abang however held that it was in the interest of justice to hear all counsel in the matter.

    He ruled that the plaintiff, (LEDAP) was at liberty to reply to all the processes filed by the defendants on or before April 15 and ordered the defendants to file their reply by April 17.

    Read Also: Court withholds judgment in suit against defection of Saraki, Dogara, 52 others

    He said that any party that failed to abide by the court‘s directive would have itself to blame.

    The judge adjourned the matter until April 18.

    The court on Thursday, suspended delivering judgment the suit, even though the judge said it was ready, in order to give the defendants an opportunity to file their processes so as to give all parties in the suit fair hearing.

    LEDAP, in their suit filed on Sept. 14, 2018, prayed the court for an interpretation of Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution.

    This was with regards as to whether any member of the National Assembly who resigns from the political party that sponsored his election before the expiration of the term for which he was elected, automatically loses his seat in the assembly.

    The group was also seeking a declaration that the lawmakers were no longer entitled to receive any remuneration due to a member of the National Assembly and that any of such remunerations after their date of defection be refunded to the Federal Government.

    LEDAP in the suit, also prayed the presiding members of the National Assembly to declare vacant, the seats of the defectors.

  • Updated: Senate releases details of National Assembly’s 2018 budget

    The National Assembly leadership has released details of its 2018 budget.

    Findings show that the release of the fiscal document, hitherto held secret, was in line with the directive of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who asked Clerk to the National Assembly, Mohammed Sani-Omolari, to release the document for public view.

    Saraki, however, confirmed this on Friday, via his verified Twitter handle in a tweet publicly addressed to BudgIT, a civic tech organisation which helps to raise the standards of transparency in public finance.

    Read Also: Senate confirms new ambassadorial nominees

    He said,

    “Dear @BudgITng:

    “Find the details of the 2018 Budget of the National Assembly here: http://nass.gov.ng/document/download/10247 …

    “This is in accordance with the commitment of the leadership of the 8th National Assembly to accountability and transparency. #OpenNASS.”

    The 45-page document shows that a total of N139,500,000,000 was budgeted for the National Assembly in the year 2018.

    Details shortly…

     

  • Court suspends judgment on suit seeking to sack Saraki, 55 others

    The Federal High Court, Abuja has suspended delivery of judgment in a suit filed by an advocacy group, Legal Defence and Assistance Project, (LEDAP) seeking the sack of Senate President, Bukola Saraki and 55 other lawmakers.

    LEDAP dragged Saraki and the 55 other lawmakers to court seeking a declaration that they were no longer members of the National Assembly having defected to other political parties before the expiration of their tenure.

    The group, in their suit filed on Sept. 14, 2018, prayed the court for an interpretation of Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution.

    This was with regards as to whether any member of the National Assembly who resigns from the political party that sponsored his election before the expiration of the term for which he was elected, automatically loses his seat in the assembly.

    The group was also seeking a declaration that the lawmakers were no longer entitled to receive any remunerations due to a member of the National Assembly and that any of such remunerations after their date of defection be refunded to the Federal Government.

    Read Also: Make details of NASS budget open, Saraki orders

    LEDAP in the suit, also prayed the presiding members of the National Assembly to declare vacant, the seats of the defectors.

    They had argued the matter in court with only a counsel to the Senate President being represented once while the other defendants never sent representation.

    The court, being satisfied that the processes were served on all parties but they chose to disrespect the court and stay away, allowed the plaintiff to argue his case and fixed April 11 for judgment.

    When the matter was called on Thursday for judgement, counsel to Saraki and the other lawmakers, Mr Mahmud Magaji,SAN, urged the court to tarry in delivering judgment to hear from the defence team in order to deliver a better-informed judgment.

    “The court should wait a while and hear from the other side now that certain facts are available to it.”
    He further contended that in law, once an issue of jurisdiction was raised, it behoved on the court to hear it first before handling any other issue in the matter.

    Magaji also challenged the jurisdiction of the court to hear the matter on the grounds that the plaintiffs had no

    “locus standi” to file the suit.

    According to him, they are only busybodies and meddlesome interlopers.

    The counsel to the plaintiff, Mr Ede Uko, however, argued that the defendant’s counsel was only attempting to arrest the judgment of the court.

    According to him, the law is trite under our jurisprudence that the judgment, particularly the final judgment of the court cannot be arrested.

    “I submit with respect that the application of the defendants seeking to arrest this judgment is misconceived and completely incompetent.

    He referred the court to several Supreme Court rulings where it was firm to say that no antics of parties could be allowed to be used to frustrate the administration of justice.

    Uko further argued that the conduct of the defence in the matter was not worthy of sympathetic consideration since they were duly served with all processes of the court and they even briefed a counsel to handle the matter.

    He said it was not the fault of the plaintiff that the said counsel failed to appear in court again seeing that the defence had nothing to file but to concede to the claims of the plaintiff.

    ” What the defence is seeking to hold onto is like a drowning man
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  • Senate passes Police Trust Fund bill

    The Senate on Tuesday passed the Nigerian Police Trust Fund Bill

    Senate President, Bukola Saraki, had last week promised the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, that the Senate would fast-track its work on both the Police Trust Fund Bill and the Police Reform Bill.

    Saraki in his remarks after the passage of the Bill, which has also been passed by the House of Representatives, noted that “by passing this Bill, we will be creating big strides towards providing and improving security and the policing in our country.”

    He added, “One of the major concerns has always been the issue of funding of the Police. We believe that this bill will provide the funding needed for training and recruitment.

    “I am confident that by the time we lay the report on the Police Reform Bill, we would have gone a long way in moving the police in the right direction.

    Read Also: My visit to Osinbajo not on Senate President, says Ndume

    “It is our view that once we have these Police Bills as laws, we will relieve the burden on the military, so that it can focus on its Constitutional responsibility.”

    The Police Trust Fund Bill aims to provide a legal framework for the management and control of the special intervention funds established under the Act for the training of personnel of the Nigeria Police Force.

    The Trust Fund will also be utilised to enhance the skills of the personnel of the Police, in order to ensure their efficiency, overall performance, and constant improvement while they perform their duties.

    In addition to this, the Trust Fund will be used to ensure that the Nigeria Police Force has the necessary operational equipment, instructional materials, police stations and living quarters.

    The Bill will now be transmitted to President Muhammadu Buhari for his assent.