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Tag: Senate president

  • 2019 election is not about me, says Saraki

    The Senate President Bukola Saraki on Tuesday said the 2019 election in the state is about the preservation of Kwara state culture and tradition.

    He added that the election is not he as the senate president nor the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Senator Saraki added that the people of Kwara state would resist plans by some desperate politicians and their local collaborators to annex the state to the south-west.

    He said Kwara belongs to Kwarans and all efforts by seasonal politicians to hand it over to their Lagos and Abuja paymasters shall be frustrated.

    The Senate President spoke at Bode Saadu, headquarters of Moro local government area, in Kwara north during the official flag off of the campaign of the PDP.

    Saraki added: “This election is not about me or our governorship candidate, Razak Atunwa. It’s about this state, our tradition. Time will tell about whatever we do today. We go back to PDP because we need a government that will care for our people, gives jobs to our people. We should not vote a candidate whose DG said’ he does not care, he does not know.”

    Earlier, Governor Abdufatah Ahmed said: “We are flagging off our campaign to usher in another PDP government. You can all see hunger, poverty in the last three years of APC government. We want to bring in PDP to change the narrative. We shall usher in PDP government in Nigeria and Kwara.

    The state chairman of the PDP, Hon. Kola Shittu said only PDP government will be beneficial to the people of the state and Nigerians in general.

    “PDP government will provide jobs for our youths. Many people have decamped to PDP because of our leaders’ sincerity and welfarism programmes,” he added.

    Read Also: APC cautions supporters against anti-party activities

    In his opening remarks, the Director General of PDP campaign council in the state, Prof Abubakar Sulaiman described APC as a deceitful party which does not mean well for the people of Kwara state.

    He added that: “Kwara election is between the real stakeholders and pretenders and those with territorial expansionist ambition. Kwara belongs to the north and we should not allow them to take the state to the south west. The APC has nothing to offer the state, they only have deception. We should vote for Atiku. Kwara should not vote for ‘ ghosts’ because” we don’t know those paradigm themselves as gubernatorial candidate now. They have never contributed anything to the development of the state “.
    Atunwa promised to run a government of welfarism if elected as the state’s next governor.

    He lamented that “the APC led federal government denied Kwara youths job placements. Our government shall provide jobs for them. Women will be empowered.

  • Minister to Saraki: stop dancing on the graves of Offa robbery victims

    Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed has warned Senate President Bukola Saraki to stop dancing on the graves of the innocent souls who died in the April 5, 2018 armed robbery attack in Offa.

    Mohammed, in a statement in Lagos on Monday by his media aide, Segun Adeyemi, urged Saraki to stop politicising the unfortunate incident.

    He reacted following a claim by Saraki in a radio interview he donated N10 million when he visited Offa on commiseration despite the fact that only N7million was stolen from the banks’ vault.

    The Minister condemned attempts to denominate human lives in naira and kobo.

    He alleged in the wake of his warning, the apparently embarrassing radio interview was hurriedly edited to remove all references to the Offa robbery and then re-aired across Kwara state.

    ”Instead of stopping at that, which in itself constitutes an acceptance of wrong-doing, Dr. Saraki went ahead to hurl insults at me, even when I have been largely restrained in issuing my earlier warning.

    “Had I not been restrained, I would have gone ahead to divulge what actually transpired.

    ”For example, the claim by Dr. Saraki that he donated N10million to care for the victims of the Offa robbery is patently false.

    “He did not! The N10 million he referred to was donated when the Offa market got burnt, and it was made in Ilorin, not Offa.

    “When Dr Saraki visited Offa to commiserate with the community in the aftermath of the robbery, he did not donate a dime! I challenge him to prove me wrong.”

    The Minister added: ”But with politics in the air, the truth becomes the first casualty. Realising that he goofed, Dr. Bukola apparently caused the radio interview in question to be edited to remove the donation reference, and then re-aired.

    “Is it not an irony the people who engaged in this egregious act of dishonesty are the same ones calling others names?”

    He said he will continue to steer debates on the political developments in Kwara state to issues rather than exchange of personal insults, which he has always been averse to.

    ”The people of Kwara, who are bone-tired of the long years of ‘bolekaja’ governance in the state, are all saying in one voice, ‘O to ge’ (enough is enough), and will soon have the opportunity to express their frustration with their votes,” the Minister said.

     

     

     

  • Senate President: Recovery from recession fragile

    Senate President Bukola Saraki has described Nigeria’s recovery from economic recession as fragile, adding that the fundamentals underlying the recovery remain weak.

    In a speech, which was meant to be delivered at the budget presentation by President Muhammadu Buhari to the National Assembly, Saraki said: “Without doubt, the last three-and-a-half years have been eventful ones at the global level and in our domestic economy. From dips in oil prices to major shifts in the economic landscape, crude oil production shut-ins and security challenges, the economy and Nigerians have been directly impacted by these events.

    “Many businesses closed down and many people lost their jobs during the recent recession. In the same period, we lost innocent citizens to insurgency in parts of the North East, thousands were displaced, and many lives also lost due to clashes between farmers and herders, in addition to the general hardship unleashed by unstable economic winds.

    “These are some of the security challenges we have faced. We must take them head-on; it is a battle we must win as a country. It must be admitted that we are not there presently. For one, these security challenges now pose a threat to the viability of the agricultural sector.

    “This is clear in the marked reduction in agricultural output observable since the first quarter of 2018. There is the need for more efforts by all. We here are prepared to give all necessary support to the Executive. We stand ready and committed to assist in every way we can, in order to ensure food security and the protection of lives and property”.

    He bemoaned the under-performance of independent revenues, saying it is straining government’s ability to meet its expenditure, especially investments in critical infrastructure.

    This, he said, further exposes government to higher deficit levels which have been largely financed by borrowing, stressing that there was urgent need to address the lapses.

    “To be clear, two scenarios will play out if we do not deal decisively with challenges to revenue. These would be to accommodate higher debt with higher repayment costs, which is not sustainable or to reduce the capital budget, which would mean a slow-down in government investment in critical infrastructure. This, again, does not aid growth or economy development.

    “Mr. President, it is for these reasons that the National Assembly required that the 2018 Budget proposal and future ones be accompanied by a Finance Bill, which would give credence to the financial proposals of government.

    “It is one way of establishing credibility in projected revenues. It is imperative, therefore, that a 2019 Finance Bill is submitted to the National Assembly for consideration and approval.

    “I have always stressed the importance of setting realistic revenue targets, because we cannot afford to rely on borrowing to finance recurrent expenditure. It is critical we shift focus to generating as much money as required for spending, at least for recurrent needs, so loans can be used solely to fund capital projects.”

  • Why we wanted Lawan as Senate President, by Tinubu

    •Says Oyo won’t return to PDP

    The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, yesterday revealed the reason the leadership of the party preferred Senate Leader Ibrahim Lawan to other contestants in leading the Senate.

    He explained that the senator is a great example of a very consistent and intellectually resourceful leader the country needs. He lamented that those he referred to as political prostitutes denied him of the opportunity to serve Nigeria in that capacity because of their selfish interest.

    Tinubu who was giving a goodwill message at the Abiola Ajimobi Roundtable held in Ibadan, yesterday, lauded the Senate Leader for staying consistent in spite of what happened; stressing that it was one of the qualities that stand him out.

    At the Roundtable with the theme: ‘The Imperative of Building Institutions for Lasting Legacies’ , the former Lagos State Governor said: “Senator Lawan, thank you very much. It will come from you as the institution. You are a great example of a very consistent and intellectually resourceful leader that we have in this country. We saw in him, these leadership traits and the qualities we wanted in the Senate President. We know you are qualified and competent to be, that you would have led the most important arm of our government more effectively but the political prostitutes and their robbers and their collaborators denied you of it because of selfishness and selfish aggrandisement. But instead of fleeing, you remained constant and consistent, seeing this institution as a place for truly lawmaking that we the people and you have remained consistent and constant ever since on a progressive stand. Thank you.”

    While commending Governor Ajimobi for changing the fortunes of the state in the last seven years, Tinubu said his success would have been incomplete without a worthy successor. He hailed his choice of Adebayo Adelabu, who he believes would build on his exploits.

    His words: “To the discussants, we have facilitated this important topic, it is all about you as a thinker and a doer and that is what Nigerians need all over – thinking and doing. The capacity to pick the right kind of people to think out the need for our society; that institution that you represent, translate it to vision and be able to do it. Unless that you have the rare combination of thinking and doing you cannot succeed as a leader and that is what you have done for Oyo State.

    “The third and most critical element: yes we have seen all the roads, the infrastructural renewal, reforms and re-engineering of Oyo State coming up from you. Establishing the infrastructure is critical to development and to economic regeneration of the state. You have been doing that, we have seen you in brick and mortal form. I have commissioned projects for you but have you succeeded? No. Not yet. We have seen demolition, we have seen emotions, we have seen expressions, we have seen reforms, even of traditional institutions. Yes a leader must lead and face the pain, and critical evaluation of his steps but courage, if it’s lacking, you have failed. You don’t lack that, you have exhibited that and I salute you.

    “The last one is what has just been mentioned.  You can be successful as a leader if you have the capacity to construct and develop the road infrastructure and housing estates as bricks and mortals but, one critical element is that how many other leaders have you developed, particularly those who can succeed you? Otherwise, as you move, the empire crumbles. And you have critically done that. If they say I am involved in choosing your successor, it is part of human qualities as a leader to consult and find out or do due diligence about somebody’s background.

    “So, for your choice of a successor, I will campaign and support and contribute to the success of Adelabu. He is a man who has worked in the private sector. I am from the private sector background, a man who has worked on the economic prognosis at macro and micro levels in the country as CBN Deputy Governor of Nigeria, is now trying to succeed you.

    “The All Progressives Congress (APC) will support you, that is part of the leadership qualities that you have exhibited to protect that legacy and to build on it. You are just a foundation engineer who has just reconstructed Oyo State institutionally, who has reconstructed Oyo State infrastructurally.

    “I say thank you and congratulations and I don’t feel bad if they say I have been associated in the process. If you do direct primaries again like you did, I will vote for your choice of successor because reform, reengineering and reinvigoration of institution can only continue beyond us and if the foundation is bad, the house will crumble.

    “I saw in the debate yesterday, you could see the difference between a developmental economy and a container economy. Oyo State is going APC, Oyo State is APC, it is progressive politics. Our Moses has crossed the Red Sea, no going back to Egypt.”

    In his speech, a former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, showered encomiums on Ajimobi. He said he possesses high leadership qualities having known him since the 1990s.

    In his vote of thanks, Ajimobi expressed satisfaction that those celebrating him are the icons of his time, stressing that the commendations did not come after his demise.

    He praised Tinubu for his vision and qualities, recalling that the top politician has been ahead of all his colleagues since they were together in the United States (US) in the 1970s.

    He said the Roundtable was borne out of his deep belief that no meaningful developmental achievement is possible without intellectual base. “We believe most sincerely that knowledge and intellectualism must precede development. We are making a template of the leadership already established by Asiwaju Tinubu in Lagos State. I thank him for setting the Lagos template.” Ajimobi said.

    Earlier, discussants hailed Ajimobi for having offered sound leadership in virtually all spheres of life.

    Lead discussant, Prof. Tunji Olaopa, said Ajimobi is not a typical Nigerian politician. He pointed out that the vision and courage he brought to governance stood him out, stressing that he has raised the bar of governance in the state.

    Other speakers including Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi 111 also commended Ajimobi for his astute management ability. They all posited that building institutions rather than individuals will change the development track of the country.

    Also at the event was the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi; members of the National Assembly, Health Minister Prof. Isaac Adewole and many other traditional rulers. The US Ambassador Stuart Symington addressed the gathering on telephone.

     

  • Non-payment of salary: Workers shutdown National Assembly

    Members of Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), Tuesday made good their threat to disrupt activities at the National Assembly.

    The workers in their numbers shutdown the National Assembly over alleged non-payment of salary and other allowances

    The two chambers of the National Assembly were barricaded by the plea cards bearing workers as they stopped Senators and House of Representatives members from accessing their offices.

    Read Also:Buhari approves enhanced salary structure for Police

    Principal Officers, including Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, Speaker House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and his deputy Lasun Yusuff, were not left out.

    Some of the protesting workers took over the National Assembly lobby chanting solidarity songs as they displayed their numerous plea cards with various inscriptions.

    Others mocked Senators and House of Representatives members as they staged a fake parliamentary session with one of them bearing the mace.

    The workers had at the weekend threatened to picket the National Assembly over claim of non-payment of salary and allowances.

    The Clerk to the National Assembly, Mohammed Sani-Omolori, however insisted that the protest was uncalled for especially when the demands of the workers were being treated.

    The workers vowed to continue the protest until Sani Omolori was removed from office.

    They claimed that efforts to explore dialogue with the management failed to yield expected result.

    They also claimed that since Sani-Omolori came on board, 28% increase of Consolidated Legislative Salary Structure (CONLESS) which was captured in 2018 budget has not been paid.

    “The money has been released alongside other releases, and we ask where is our allowance?”

    “We will not rest on CONLESS until we receive alert. Omolori must go,” the workers chanted.

    PASAN issued a statement at the weekend to alert the National Assembly management of its planned protest scheduled for three days beginning from Tuesday (today).

    Some of the plea cards read “Pass our condition of service bill; CONLESS is not tied to 2018 budget; give us our CONLESS; bank loans are killing; No alert no sitting; Stop Omolori now before he stops Nigeria democracy, Omolori must go; We are not slaves.”

    When Saraki succeeded in paving his way to address the protesting workers, he assured them that the leadership of the National Assembly would meet management to resolve issues at stake.

    Saraki also assured that the two chambers would take steps to fast track the passage of the Condition of Service for National Assembly bill.

    The Senate President pleaded with the workers to call off their protest as their demands would be met.

    Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan, said that the protest was not against the leadership of the National Assembly but against the management.

    Sani-Omolori on his part said: “It is a matter that has been on for some time now and we have tried to explain to them; we approved salary increase for them which was captured in 2018 budget but as it is today, it is a common knowledge that the level of implementation of the 2018 budget, especially the new addition to the National Assembly, which has not been implemented – that is where we had hoped that the addition would be paid.

    “So, to the extent that the money has not been released there is no way we can make the payment.

    “We told them it is wrong and we tried to prevail on them to try to see through things in the correct way. As a matter of fact, I wrote a letter to them and I also had series of formal and informal consultations with their leadership up till yesterday (Monday) to make them back out of what is clearly an act that is not in tune with their own rules.

    Asked if he is worried by the action of the workers, Omolori said: “I am worried that in an institution that you think people should be able to look at things properly and then they are not looking at it that way that is why I am worried.

    “I still insist that they need to be a bit patient with the system. Like I said, in my reply to them; in an unprecedented manner, the presiding officers acceded, without hesitation to their requests for this increment. It was bargained with them and they captured it in the budget.

    “So, how is it in their (lawmakers) powers, if the money is not released? And in any case, the reality on the ground is that it is not only the National Assembly that is suffering from non-release of funds. That is the reality of the Nigerian situation. So, I think we all have to be patient.”

     

  • Confirmation of EFCC scribe suffers setback in Senate

    The Senate Tuesday differed the confirmation of Olanipekun Olukoyede, as the secretary of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    Olukoyede, who hails from Ekiti State, is the Chief of Staff to the Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu.

    President Muhammadu Buhari in a letter to the Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, dated September 10, 2018 nominated him as secretary to the Commission.

    Saraki who read the letter in plenary on October 3, 2018, referred it to the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, to screen the nominee and report back to the chamber.

    Chairman of the committee, Senator Chukwuka Utazi (Enugu North) presented the report his committee to the chamber yesterday.

    Utazi told the upper chamber that Olukoyede satisfied the committee expectations and answered all questions posed to him by committee members.

    The Enugu North Senator told his colleagues that the nominee demonstrated competence and sufficient experience to occupy the office for which he was nominated.

    He noted that the committee, having found the nominee qualified and worthy of the office, recommended that he be confirmed as requested by President Buhari

    Utazi said: “The nominee appeared before the Committee on Wednesday October 24, 2018. The members subjected to scrutiny the curriculum vitae of the nominee and other relevant documents relating to his background and educational qualifications and the work experience of the nominee.

    “The Committee found that Olanipekun Olukoyede is a trained lawyer. He gave in-depth responses to the questions asked by the members which we believe will add value to policy formulation and implementation in the EFCC.

    “The Committee is satisfied that the nominee has the requisite experience, integrity, professional competence and industry to discharge the functions of the position in which he is nominated.

    “The Committee also noted that there was no adverse security report against the nominee and the scrutiny carried out on the nominee shows that the nominee possesses the necessary academic and administrative experience for the position.

    “The Committee therefore, recommended that the Senate should confirm the appointment of Olukoyede to the office of the Secretary of EFCC”.

    Senator James Manager (Delta South) in his contribution observed that only few members of the Committee signed the report of the screening.

    Manager said that since the nominee satisfied the requisite experience and professional requirement, he should be confirmed.

    “I observe that only few signatures appeared on the signature column. However, going through what the Chairman of the Committee has presented, and knowing full well that this is not very normal time for the Senate, it will not be easy for a chairman of a Committee to have all the members to attend but however, from the number that appeared am sure that they formed quorum.

    “From the report of the Committee, since the nominee has the requisite experience and professional competence, that is what we are looking for in a nominee for the kind of office that we screen him for, I therefore, suggest that any other thing can be ignored so that we confirm the nominee,” Manager said.

    On the issue of low turn-out by members of the Committee during the screening, Utazi explained that some of the senators were out of Abuja on oversight functions while others were engaged on electioneering activities.

    He confirmed that the committee formed quorum during the sitting where the nominee was screened.

    A member of the Committee, Senator Isa Misau (Bauchi Central), opposed the confirmation of the nominee vehemently.

    Misau said that most members of the Committee were not carried along in the screening exercise.

    The Central Senator said that observed during the screening that some of the nominees were not competent to hold the offices for which they were nominated.

    He wondered why only three senators signed the signature page of the Committee report.

    Misau asked the Senate to suspend the confirmation of the nominee so as to allow members of the Committee to meet and further deliberate on the report before the Senate could adopt it.

    He said, “I observed that only three members out of eight members signed the signature page. What I want is that this report should be stepped down so that we the members of the Committee can go through it because I participated actively in the screening of the nominees.

    “There are some of them that are not competent to hold the offices for which they were nominated. I did not sign the report because I am just seeing this report now. It has not been sent to my office. Nobody invited me to come and deliberate on this report and I was part of the screening.

    “And during the screening, I made objection on certain people who are not supposed to hold the office. So, the members of the Committee should study it and not just the Clerk of the Committee to write report and come and submit to the Senate in plenary.”

    Saraki in his ruling asked the Committee Chairman to meet with other members to discuss the report to avoid divergent positions on the confirmation of the nominee.

    Utazi explained that he invited all members to the screening of the nominee but only a few of them attended.

    Saraki ruled that members of the committee should meet and present their report today.

  • Offa robbery: Saraki seeks inquiry into death of key suspect

    …Says he has been vindicated

     

    Following eventual disclosure by the Police that Michael Adikwu, the principal suspect in the deadly bank robbery attacks in Offa, Kwara State, on April 5, 2018, is dead, the President of the Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, Wednesday asked the Presidency to institute a judicial inquiry into the reported death of the principal suspect in the April 5, 2018 Offa robbery attacks, Michael Adikwu.

    Saraki said that the inquiry should be constituted to determine “how and when’ the suspect died.”

    Read Also:Saraki has personalised Senate, says Ndume

    The Senate President in a statement by his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), Yusuph Olaniyonu, noted that the new disclosure by the Police has vindicated his earlier claim that the suspect had been murdered in police custody and that the investigation was politically motivated to implicate him (Saraki), Governor Abdulfatai Ahmed and a few others.

    He stated that the inquiry would help to thoroughly examine and interrogate how the investigation into the robbery incident was conducted by the Police and whether the investigation followed the normal process and comply with global best practices.

    He added that the Police needed to confirm why it took them so long to make the disclosure about the death of the principal suspect after they categorically denied it at the time he (Saraki) disclosed the information and it was reported in the media.

    Saraki said, “It should be recalled that when we mentioned it that the principal suspect had been murdered and that investigation into the Offa robbery attack was politically motivated and targeted at implicating me and other individuals, the Police Public Relations Officer, Moshood Jimoh  said: ‘Michael Adikwu is in Police custody. You know that he is the one that led the killing of 22 people. The fire arms that were carted away, he is helping the police in the investigation to recover them. There is a state in the South-west where they kept him. I can’t mention the state. It is in one of the South-west states’.

    “The fresh facts have now thrown more light into why there had been inconsistencies in the various statements by the police. The Police initially told the Attorney-General of Kwara State that the principal suspect was alive and they only later reluctantly disclosed that he died in the course of arrest. How can a suspect confirmed to be in custody now be said to have died in the course of arrest? This contradiction shows a deliberate attempt to cover up something.

    “It is obvious that the Police have orchestrated the information they give to the public on the Offa robbery only to tarnish the image of the Kwara State Governor and myself. We are calling for a public inquiry to probe the issues of extra-judicial killing, the cover-up of this killing with the aim of framing up some individuals for political purpose and politicizing of criminal investigations. The facts need to be laid bare.

    “The inquiry may help to further document and define the terms of handling of suspects in police custody and how to prevent extra-judicial killing of suspects, for whatever purpose. There is need for transparency in investigations into all cases and our methods should comply with global standards. We should discourage situations where police politicize investigations and deliberately set out to frame some individuals.

    “With the facts on ground, the issues that should be unearthed by the inquiry include: When exactly did the suspect die? How did he die? Why was the police denying the facts of his death when they knew he had died? At what point did the Police leadership knew of the death? Why are the police covering up the facts? We believe the answer to these questions will help the country to address the issue of human rights abuse, extra-judicial killing, manipulation of criminal investigation to achieve political end, deliberate attempt to cover up some facts and how skewed investigation of crime can impact on successful prosecution of suspects,” he added.

    Saraki noted that now that the Police have commenced prosecution of the remaining suspects in court, there should be diligent and prompt prosecution so that justice can be transparently done to both the victims of the Offa robbery and the accused persons.

  • Why Saraki, others want Oshiomhole out – Lawmaker

    The lawmaker representing Egor/Ikpoba-Okha constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon Ehiozuwa Agbonnayima, has accused the People’s Democratic Party of blackmailing National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

    Agbonnayima explained that the purpose for the blackmail is because the PDP knows that they have no hope of winning the election with Oshiomhole as Chairman of the ruling party.

    Agbonnayima, who spoke in a chat with newsmen in Bénin City, said Senate President, Bukola Saraki, had not business making any statement against Oshiomhole.

    He noted that the reason the PDP is making noise and using politics of castigation as well as black mailing people is because they have nothing to showcase as achievements.

    The lawmaker said the PDP has nothing to tell Nigerians as next year’s general elections would be about past antecedents.

    According to him, “When they were given opportunity to serve, they served into their pockets. The people on the street will tell you PDP only got 20 percent pass mark while in office. That is total failure

    “They are now shedding crocodile tears. The Senate President has no business making any statement against Oshiomhole. The PDP wants Oshiomhole to fail because they know that with Oshiomhole as Chairman, there is no hope for them during the elections.

    “They are blackmailing Oshiomhole to make him leave office but they will fail. They failed before they will fail again. When Saraki was in APC, he said many good things about Oshiomhole. Go and check what he is saying now.

    “Under the PDP, undeclared crude oil left the shores of this country. The evidences are there. The US government brought documents on how they sold crude oil abroad and the money went to private pockets. Where is all the money the PDP spent on the power sector? They spent N300bn on roads but where are the roads. President Buhari is three years in office, look at what is happening.

    “I was Chairman of the Board of Nigeria Railway Corporation under the PDP. When we planned to have standard gauge and brand new coaches but they bought refurbished coaches. I challenged them. When those equipment came, they were refurbished equipment. I refused to commission those rubbish. Look at the all the coaches under Buhari, they are brand new and state of the art. Go and look at Abuja Airport. The APC government has turned it around. We are not where the PDP took us to. We now have $47.3bn in foreign reserve. By now, the PDP would have squandered the money.”

  • Akpabio to Saraki: Senate must be restructured, reconstituted

    The Senate resolution to sheath the sword may have broken down as the former Senate minority leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, Wednesday openly canvassed the immediate reconstitution of the upper chamber because there is need for.

    Akpabio said that the Senate should immediately be restructured and reconstituted to reflect the numerical strength of parties in the upper chamber.

    He said that there was need for the All Progressives Congress (APC) to assume leadership of the Senate.

    Akpabio stated this at a press briefing after altercation in the Senate chamber.

    Senator Akpabio (Akwa Ibom North West) vowed not make any further contributions in plenary as long as Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, who defected to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) continued to preside over the affairs of the Senate.

    The former Akwa Ibom State Governor asked Saraki to take a cue from his example and step down as Senate President.

    He said that it is on record that he tendered his resignation letter as minority leader when he defected from the PDP to APC.

    He noted that in all sphere of endeavours as well as in democratic setting, “the majority must always preside over the minority.”

    He added that while the minority should have its say, the majority should have its way for the peace to prevail.

    The Senate, he insisted, must be properly constituted while Senators must sit according to political parties in the chamber.

    According to him, “You cannot have 10 senators presiding over the affairs of 80 senators and expect peace to reign.”

    Akpabio said, “On the other side, having me move from the PDP to the APC, I think it is a jolly good movement and I am excited that I have a much greater opportunity to relate directly with the government and not my voice to be heard from a partisan point of view.

    “Being part of the ruling party now, whatever advice or contributions I will make will not be looked at with suspicion. They will now know that I am saying it from a patriotic point of view and for the fact that I want things to work better.

    “I moved in national interest. I saw a kind of slight towards disorder, where many of my colleagues saw defection as a weapon against the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    “I don’t believe that we should bring a government into being without supporting that government to succeed. If the administration slides and Nigeria slides into anarchy, it is our children that will suffer. I moved to stabilise the polity.

    “I moved from PDP to APC, to make sure that this government works before election. It should not be all about election; it should be first about Nigeria. Let others also move in national interest.

    “I did not just move like that, I was a (Minority) Leader in the Senate. I resigned my position in order to show that, yes, I meant business. Let others who also have positions in the Senate who wish to also cross carpet from one political party to another also resign their positions and take a cue from what Godswill Akpabio did.

    “There is the need for us to restructure the Senate. Behind where I sat today, my very good friend, distinguished Senator Shittu; it was after the little noise in the Senate that he told me that he was now in the PDP and I said ‘why are you sitting here?’

    “Don’t you think there is the need for us to restructure the Senate? PDP will sit on a side, APGA will sit where they are supposed to, and the ruling party which still forms the majority will still sit where they are supposed to sit.

    “The leadership should be restructured in a way that the majority can have their way and the minority will have their say. That is the practice all over modern democracies.

    “You cannot have a political party with 10 members, another with 80 members, and the 10 members will now produce the leadership.

    “Does it happen anywhere in the world? Nigeria is not different. We are running a democracy. That is what I meant when I said I would speak when the Senate is well restructured and reconstituted.”

  • Senate in rowdy session over sitting arrangement

    …APC, PDP Senators square up for a fight

     

    For over 30 minutes Wednesday common sense took flight in the Senate.

    Tempers rose. Political party affiliation rather than national interest took better part of senators.

    It all started with a Point of Order raised by the Senator representing Akwa Ibom North East, Senator Bassey Albert Akpan.

    Akpan (PDP) specifically raised Order 43 which deals with personal explanation under which a senator is allowed to speak about himself and his constituents.

    The Akwa Ibom North East lawmaker informed his colleagues about alleged looming crisis in Akwa Ibom State.

    He claimed that the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state was allegedly plotting to unleash mayhem in the state that would possibly lead to the cancellation of the governorship election in 2019.

    He further alleged that the aim of APC in the state was to instigate the cancellation of the governorship election in the state in order to deploy federal might to cause challenge of leadership in the state.

    Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, ruled that the information given by Akpan was “well noted.”

    Senator Godswill Akpabio (APC Akwa Ibom North West) who appeared to be agitated by Akpan’s information was angling where he sat to respond to what Akpan said.

    Saraki asked Akpabio to go to his seat before he could be recognised to speak.

    The Senate President said that Akpabio cannot speak from a seat that is not his.

    Saraki added that there was no microphone were Akpabio sat.

    Senate Leader, Senator Ahmed Lawan reminded Saraki that there was no formal sitting arrangement in the chamber.

    He said that Akpabio has the right to speak from where he was since the leadership of the chamber has failed to ensure formal sitting arrangement.

    Lawan noted that he has raised the issue of a formal sitting arrangement with the Senate President without the expected result.

    The Senate Leader who insisted that the chamber must be guided by its rules added that “we must have sitting arrangement.”

    Lawan said that there had been movement across party lines with the possibility that more people would still move as they deem fit.

    Saraki said that the Clerk to the Senate, Nelson Ayewo, was directed to allocate seats to senator.

    The Senate President said that he believed that the new sitting arrangement would be completed next week.

    As the exchange of words between Saraki and Lawan continued, Akpabio was visibly boiling where he sat.

    He insisted on being allowed to speak. Saraki stood his ground that Akpabio should go to his seat before he could be allowed to speak.

    Senator Dino Melaye came into the picture.

    The Kogi West Senator attempted to shout Akpabio down.

    Akpabio got irritated and was also shouting on top of his voice.

    Confusion descended in the chamber as other senators joined the fray.

    Chamber decorum momentarily became casualty.

    Attempt to restore decorum was made by Senator Emmanuel Paulker who reminded his colleagues that Akpan raised Order 43 (personal explanation) which did not give room for contribution or discussion by other senators.

    The Bayelsa State senator added that by relying on Order 43, Akpabio was not entitled to respond to what Akpan said.

    Attempts to calm frayed nerves failed.

    Lawan moved to confer with Saraki apparently about the way forward.

    Saraki explained that his position was that Akpabio should go to a seat where there is a microphone.

    He said that Lawan was not fair to him by insinuating that he did not want Akpabio to speak.

    Lawan said that APC must not be discriminated against on the floor of the Senate.

    Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, raised Order 11(1)(2).

    Ekweremadu said that every senator has the right to speak for himself and the people he represents.

    Senates Mohammed Ali Ndume (APC) and Kabiru Marafa (APC) began to shout on top of their voices.

    Ekweremadu was forced to sit down. He later explained that the rules of the chamber made provision for sitting arrangement.

    Akpabio took the floor and said that the seat he sat was allocated to him by the Senate Clerk.

    He added that the embarrassment he received was uncalled for.

    Saraki disagreed and asked the Clerk to confirm if he allocated the seat to Akpabio.

    The Clerk said that when Akpabio requested to sit on the seat, he informed him that there was no microphone on the seat.

    Ayewo said that Akpabio insisted on sitting on the seat.

    He said that he had no choice than to allow Akpabio to sit where he wanted.

    After Ayewo’s explanation, Saraki gave Akpabio the floor to speak.

    The former governor of Akwa Ibom State promptly demanded for an apology “for the unwarranted embarrassment I received today.”

    He added that even the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) apologized to Nigerians.

    He concluded that “until the Senate sitting arrangement is properly constituted I rest my case.”

    That appeared to be the end of the matter until Ndume revived it by tendering apology for preventing Ekweremadu from speaking.

    Ndume said that he has nothing against anybody.

    Lawan also apologized for the altercation on the floor.

    He said that his position should not be misinterpreted as if he took side with APC senators on the issue.

    Lawan noted that they should always see themselves as one body working for the good of the country.