The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Senate

  • TAN endorses Ekweremadu for Senate

    TAN endorses Ekweremadu for Senate

    The Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN), Enugu State chapter, has endorsed the return of Senate Deputy President Chief Ike Ekweremadu to the National Assembly, as the lawmaker representing Enugu West.

    It took the decision at the weekend at its town hall meeting in its Enugu State office.

    The group said Ekweremadu has given effective and qualitative representation to Enugu West, Enugu State and the Southeast, in his capacity as the Senate deputy president, therefore his re-election is sacrosanct.

    TAN’s decision is a contrast to the views of some serving council chairmen from Enugu West, who endorsed Governor Sullivan Chime as a replacement for Senator Ekweremadu.

    The Enugu State Coordinator of TAN, Chief Anayo Onwuegbu, said the Senate deputy president had bought the nomination form, adding that Enugu West was the only seat that was not vacant.

  • Youths buy Senate’s form for Akpabio

    Youths buy Senate’s form for Akpabio

    Akwa Ibom Governor Godswill Akpabio has accepted the entreaties of the people of North-West Senatorial District to run for the senatorial seat next year.

    Akpabio made this known yesterday at Ukana in Essien Udim Local

    Government Area when the youth from the senatorial district presented him with PDP nomination form for the primaries.

    It was at a reception organised by Esop Mbong Ikpaisong Afud Annang.

    He said: “I have been under pressure by the people of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District to represent them as a senator in 2015. I want to say that I have accepted the call to serve my people”.

    The governor praised the youths for their love and support to his administration.

    He added: “Akwa Ibom State is a peaceful place because youths have shunned criminality. Youths have supported government efforts and this is why we are able to build a state of equal opportunity for all the youths.”

    The representative of the youth, Chief Moses Akpan, while presenting the nomination to the governor hailed him for giving Akwa Ibom State a voice at the national level.

  • Senate abolishes presidential assent for Constitution amendment

    Senate abolishes presidential assent for Constitution amendment

    If the clause is endorsed by President Goodluck Jonathan, presidential assent will no longer be required to amend any section of the Constitution.

    This is one of the highlights of the conference report on the review of the 1999 Constitution adopted by the Senate Tuesday.

    The upper chamber adopted the report wholesale without debate.

    The lawmakers noted that the provision “enhances the sovereignty of the citizens through their elected representatives by removing the need for presidential assent in constitution alteration exercise while “it also replaces the word “Act” wherever it appears with the word “Bill.”

    Apart from abolishing presidential assent in constitution alteration the lawmakers also adopted the use of referendum for state creation.

    The Senate adopted the provision which confers immunity on legislators in respect of words spoken or written in the exercise of their legislative duties.

    The lawmakers strengthened the administration of local governments in the country by providing for their funding, tenure, election and clearly delineated their powers and responsibilities to ensure effective service delivery as well as insulated them from undue and counter-productive interference from state governments.

    They approved the Right to Education and the Right to Health, as fundamental Rights in the Constitution as well as adopted the establishment of the National Assembly Service Commission and State House of Assembly Commission to be enshrined in the constitution.

    The lawmakers altered Section 59 of the Constitution by voting to bypass the President if he fails to sign a bill presented to him within 30 days.

     

     

  • Enugu professionals to Chime: forget the Senate

    Enugu professionals to Chime: forget the Senate

    Enugu State professionals worldwide have asked Governor Sullivan Chime to forget his senatorial ambition in the interest of the state.

    They said his withdrawal from the election will ensure that the comparative advantage Senator Ike Ekweremadu’s continuity in the Senate would bring to the state and the Southeast is not jeopardised.

    Their stand was contained in a letter to the governor signed by over 1,000 members across the globe.

    The principal signees are Uchenna Nnamani for Enugu East; Desmond Ugwu for Enugu North and Moses Chinegwu for Enugu West.

    Writing under the auspices of Enugu Concerned Professionals Worldwide, the professionals asked Chime, in the interest of the state, to “listen to the collective voices of reason and consider the distractions and great loss inherent in your contest for an elective position.”

    They listed 10 reasons why the governor should stay away from elective office.

    The group said: “As a lawyer, we will not bore you with the constitutional provision of no-term limit for the legislative arm of our presidential system of government.

    “The importance of no-term limit must override the need for zoning, which is not constitutional.

    “The increase in effectiveness of legislators is due to experience: the more you do something, the better you get at it. Experienced legislators make good laws.

    “The Senate and the House of Representatives have incumbency and seniority rules, which favour re-elected and experienced lawmakers. Examples abound worldwide.

    “The Enugu West has one Senate position and two House of Representatives positions. The ranking senator is also the Deputy Senate President and the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament.

    “The people of this zone will be short-changed if the incumbent senator is denied the opportunity to be re-elected. Besides the loss of seniority, a change in the Senate wipes away the power and influence of the exalted office, which is fifth in the succession ranking in the country.”

    The Enugu professionals insisted that Chime’s presence in the Senate would short-change the state.

    They said: “Enugu State houses the capital of Southeast, the home of Ndigbo. The zone has benefited from federal appointments and the projects emanating from the Office of the Deputy Senate President. The loss of the Office of Deputy Senate President and Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament will be a worst disservice to be visited on any people by their leader.

    “It is necessary for the Southeast to copy the Northcentral, which has given automatic ticket to the Senate President. The governor should be in the vanguard of making sure that the position is retained for the people of Southeast, Enugu State and, specifically, Enugu West.”

    The group feared that the political turmoil generated by the governor’s interest in an elective position could create a rift in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    They said there could be violence and loss of lives, insisting that it would be wrong to engender wasting of lives over “unnecessary political battles, which are not even in the interest of the people.”

    The professionals noted that Chime might have been best fit for the executive position, as “the art of legislation calls for the type of political sagacity needed to lobby, move and pass legislation.”

    “The eight-year experience in the executive position has prepared you better for executive position and less to delve into legislature, where a different personality is better fit,” they said.

    The professionals urged the governor to focus on bequeathing a legacy and “stay out of elective office to allow the people of Enugu East, North and West elect their senators and representatives.”

  • Bill on violence scales second reading in Senate

    Bill on violence scales second reading in Senate

    Bill seeking to eliminate violence against persons, especially women, children and the vulnerable in society, was yesterday read for the second time in the Senate.

    The Bill titled: “Violence against persons (Prohibition) Bill, 2014” was sponsored by Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba.

    Ndoma-Egba in his lead debate, noted that that the Boll was forwarded to the Senate from the House of Representatives and was read for the first time on March 18.

    He said: “The Bill seeks to eliminate or reduce to a minimum the occurrence of gender based violence in the Nigerian society particularly against women, children and the vulnerable in the privacy of homes, public spaces, in conflict situations and as well as address violence by state actors.

    The lawmaker however lamented that violence has become a recurring decimal in our society.

    He said: “It is endemic and has permeated all facets of public and private life. More particularly in Nigeria, violence in relation to women, girls and other vulnerable groups is most pervasive particularly in the context of our customs, traditions and religious practices.

    “As a matter of fact, the threat posed by violence in the country is so enormous that it has taken a huge toll on the peaceful co-existence of citizens.”

  • Constitution: Senate receives conference report

    …To pass PIB

    The Senate on Tuesday received the report of the Conference Committee on the Review of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (further amendment) Bill 2014.

    Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, while presiding over plenary, said the Senate would ensure that it is considered and passed into law as soon as possible.

    He welcomed the lawmakers back from their two weeks.

    He pledged that work on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) would soon be completed to ensure the passage of the Bill into law.

    There has been pressure on the National Assembly to pass the PIB before the 8th National Assembly is inaugurated in June next year.

    Ekweremadu said: “We are going to work on the conference committee report on the Review of the 1999 Constitution the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Today the conference committee will lay on the table the report of the joint conference committee.

    “We also made a commitment to consider the Petroleum Industry Bill in the weeks ahead.”

    He noted that the primaries and congresses of political parties were at hand, saying the period would be challenging.

    He said: “Importantly, as you are aware, we have our primaries and congresses coming ahead of us. I will like to wish everybody goodluck.

    “So this is going to a very challenging and intense period but I believe that as always that we will bring our usual sense of commitment and patriotism to bare in order to overcome this and more challenges.”

    The conference report on the constitution amendment was however laid before the lawmakers by the Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, on behalf of the Chairman, Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution and Deputy Senate President, Ekweremadu.

  • Senate to Presidency: Expedite action on 2015 budget

    Senate to Presidency: Expedite action on 2015 budget

    The Senate on Tuesday asked the Presidency to expedite action on the preparation and presentation of the 2015 Appropriation Bill.

    Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the plenary, said the National Assembly is set to receive the 2015 budget in the weeks ahead.

    Ekweremadu added that the National Assembly planned to pass the Bill before the end of the year to pave the way for its full implementation.

    Non implementation of previous budgets has always been blamed on late presentation and passage of the Appropriation Bill.

    The September deadline set by the Senate for the presentation of the Appropriation Bill every year has always been breached by the Presidency.

    Observers believe that if the Presidency fails to present the Appropriation Bill before the end of the month or the first week of November, members of the National Assembly may be unable to pass it before the end of the year.

    The Senate has about eight weeks to work before the end of the year.

  • Cleric endorses Ekweremadu for Senate

    Cleric endorses Ekweremadu for Senate

    A popular Enugu Catholic priest, Rev. Ejike Mbaka, at the weekend endorsed Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu for next year’s election.

    The cleric declared his support at the weekly prayer vigil at the Adoration Ministry ground in Enugu.

    He said the Deputy Senate President had done well and deserved to be re-elected.

    Rev. Mbaka said: “We have had a Senate President and we have equally had senators. But Ekweremadu has given the people of Enugu and the Southeast the feel of governance.

    “Many of the roads and development projects you see around Awgu, Oji River, Ezeagu, Aninri and many parts of Enugu and the Southeast came courtesy of the quality representation by Senator Ekweremadu.

    “Besides, he is here with his wife. He has demonstrated the ability to keep his family. That is the first test of a leadership.”

    The cleric described Ekweremadu as a man with a good heart and compassion.

    He said the church would stand by him to ensure he returns to the Senate continue his good work for Enugu and the Southeast.

    Rev. Mbaka added: “Talking about Enugu West Senatorial or Enugu State is even local politics. What is at stake here is the Igbo interest and Nigeria. The Igbo cannot sacrifice what they have because of the selfish ambition of anybody.”

  • Ex-Senate president urges respect for zoning of Benue seat

    Ex-Senate president urges respect for zoning of Benue seat

    Former Senate President and Chairman of the Congress for Equality and Change Chief Ameh Ebute has condemned “attempts” by some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members in Benue State to scuttle the single-tenure zoning of the House of Representatives seat in Okpokwu, Ado, Ogbadibo Federal Constituency.

    Ebute, who is the first Senate president of Idoma origin, said the seat for 2015 was zoned to Ado in 2010 at a caucus meeting of the three local governments in the constituency at Okpokwu Hall in Okpoga.

    He said the people believed zoning and a single tenure arrangement would prevent rancour in the constituency.

    Ebute said he was initially opposed to the single term formula but, as a democrat, he succumbed to the people’s will.

    He said Minister of Interior Abba Moro and Benue PDP Chairman Agbo Emmanuel “convened a stage -managed meeting” in Okpoga on Sunday and announced that the party elders had changed the single-term arrangement to enable Ogbadibo Local Government go for a second term and that the decision should not be challenged.

    Ebute, who chairs the National Open University (NOU), said such decision was never taken. He challenged Moro and Agbo to name those at the meeting where the so-called decision was taken.

    He said when he rose up to speak last Sunday, Moro and Agbo prevented him and he walked out of the hall.

    Ebute said: “The Deputy Governor, Chief Steve Lawani, is my political boy. The minister was my legislative aide in the second republic for two years shortly after his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and I supported him to be Okpokwu chairman. What they did to me was an act of disobedience that will haunt them in future.”

    He said he would prove to Moro and Agbo, who he dubbed “political hawks”, that he has not expired politically.

    Ebute said: “In the first place, the party chairman, the deputy governor, the minister and even the state chapter of the party have no power, no jurisdiction to zone the House of Representatives seat to any zone. If it must be done at all, the zoning has to be by the federal secretariat of the PDP.”

    He described last Sunday’s outing as “undemocratic, a shame and a show of arrogance by people who have abused their offices and feel they could use their ill-gotten wealth to manipulate people”.

    Ebute urged the people to stand by the old agreement, adding that Ado would produce the constituency’s representative next year.

  • Boko Haram: Senate approves $1bn for arms

    Boko Haram: Senate approves $1bn for arms

    The Senate on Thursday approved a loan of one billion dollars for the Presidency to purchase arms to fight the Boko Haram insurgents.

    The approval divided the Senate.

    Details later…