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Tag: Senator Ahmed Lawan

  • Multi-national firms in breach of local content law, says Senate

    Multi-national firms in breach of local content law, says Senate

    The Senate said Tuesday that most multi-national companies operating in the country have failed to substantially comply with the provisions of the Local Content Act.

    Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, stated this as upper chamber began the investigation of the implementation of local content in the country’s oil and gas industry.

    Senate joint Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream) and Gas Resources was saddled with the responsibility of the probe.

    Saraki,  who inaugurated the investigation said that the National Assembly was concerned with the poor level of implementation of local content in the country.

    Represented by the Senate Leader, Senator Ahmed Lawan, Saraki said that “most multi nationals are yet to substantially comply with the provisions of the law.’’

    The Senate President noted that under the Nigeria oil and gas Industry Content Development Act, investors were mandated to consider Nigerian companies as an important element in their project development and management.

    He said, “The Nigeria content in this context refers to firms registered in Nigeria in accordance with the provisions of the Companies and other Allied Matters Act.

    “The National Assembly is challenged to ensure that the oil and gas industry provides an avenue where more jobs and opportunities are given to qualified local experts in the industry.

    “We are here to discuss to know where we are today in the implementation of the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act since it was enacted in 2010.

    “We are also here to know where we have made progress and identify the gaps and where we need help to up the game.’’

    Saraki said that it was obvious a rich local content was one of the most efficient ways to stimulate the economy for a multiplier effect in different sectors.

    He noted that to achieve that, a full implementation of the act was necessary, stressing that it would help in creating employment among other benefits.

    Chairman, Senate on Petroleum (Upstream) Senator Omotayo Alasoadura, assured that the joint committee was determined to finding a lasting solution to the problem.

    Alasoadura said that the Senate at its sitting on September 27, 2016, mandated the joint committee to carry out an extensive investigation into the level of compliance by multi- national companies in the industry.

    He said, “The senate arising from a debate on the need to ascertain the degree of local content in Nigeria oil and gas industry, mandated the committee to determine compliance with the  Act by industry operators.’’

    Engr. Simbi Wabote, Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development & Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Simbi Wabote, told the committee that the board had made tremendous progress since enactment of the Act in 2010.

    Wabote said the board was currently implementing a 10 year strategic roadmap anchored on delivering five pillars of sustainable local content.

    He noted that the board had a target of achieving 70 per cent local content in the next ten years.

    He said, “A lot has been achieved in terms of local content development. It is a key pillar for our nation’s development. A lot has also been done to get the agency to its enviable position.

    “Part of it is to develop the required technical capability and also to ensure strict compliance and enforcement of the provisions of the act.

    “The other pillar is to enable business environment in order that investors will be attracted to Nigeria to invest.

    `”Then most importantly is to enhance the organisational capability of the board to carry out its mandate and ultimately create sectorial and regional market,’’ he said.

    He added that the board has set up the Nigeria Content Development Fund Account and has mobilised stakeholders towards remittance of one per cent of contracts awarded.

    He said that the agency monitored Nigeria content compliance and applied sanctions to defaulting companies in line with Section 68 of the Act, among other achievements.

    “Nigeria content has recorded 6 million training man hours since the inception of the act.

    `”Out of 20 billion dollars spent in the industry from five percent participation, we have been able get back 5 billion dollars into the country and we desire to increase sales to 15 billion dollars in 2027.

    “Before the act, all marine activities in the industry were in the hands of experts outside this country.

    “Today we have been able to get back 36 per cent of those marine activities for equitable participation of Nigerians and established about six world class fabrication facilities.

    “So, today Nigeria is able to handle 60,000 metric tonnes of fabrication capacity in the country. This was at zero level before the enactment of the act.

    “All electrical cables used in the oil and gas operations are manufactured in Nigeria and we are able to manufacture 670,000 of metric tonnes of pipes today,’’ he said.

    The executive secretary said before the act came into being seven years ago, all fabrications, engineering and procurement activities were done outside the country.

    He further said the development had resulted in a capital flight of 380 billion dollars from Nigeria in the past fifty years.

    He added that the capital flight necessitated the exporting of jobs that would have been made available for Nigerians, leading to loss of 2 million jobs.

    “There was high unemployment rate due to the dearth of skills and the total local content utilisation before the enactment of the act was put at just five per cent.

    “That was when the government decided to intervene seeing the way the industry was going and it culminated in putting in place the Nigerian Content Act of 2010.

    “The main goal of the act is to develop the capacity of local supply chain for effective and efficient service within the oil and gas industry without compromising standards.

    “It is also aimed at enhancing development and inclusion of Nigerian services and manpower,’’ he said.

     

  • Confirmation: Senate bars Lottery Commission nominees from office

    Confirmation: Senate bars Lottery Commission nominees from office

    …Frowns at non-confirmation

     

    The Senate Thursday asked the nominated National Lottery Commission, Mr. Lanre Gbajabiamila, to stay away from office until his appointment is confirmed by the Senate.

    Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, gave the order after listening to the Senate Leader, Senator Ahmed Lawan on alleged assumption of duty by Gbajabiamila without Senate approval.

    Senator Dino Melaye had on Wednesday told the Senate that President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed a DG for the National Lottery Commission who has assumed duty without Senate confirmation.

    Saraki mandated Lawan to follow up Melaye’s information to establish the truth about it.

    Lawan who briefed the Senate yesterday confirmed that “indeed the National Lottery Commission Director General has assumed duty.”

    Lawan said that the DG agreed that he assumed duty without Senate confirmation apparently in error.

    Lawan said, “The nominee for the office of the Director-General of National Lottery Regulatory Commission actually assumed office. I think he was misadvised and therefore assumed office without being confirmed. But there is a genuine appeal that such thing will not happen again. I have advised that the nominee should not be seen around the office.”

    Saraki said, “I think you will agree with me that the Leader has done a very thorough job. Not only that, he has responded promptly within 24 hours first of all to establish that the point raised by Senator Dino was factual and he got the assurances that this type of thing will not happen again.

    “We therefore stamp it out and it must not occur again. He has erred and he must probably have been misguided but definitely he must not be seen reporting in that area. Definitely, that must not happen.

    “Going forward, for nominees and the executive, we must respect our laws and our processes. Even if he did it, somebody should have been there to direct and guided him. Those who are eager to resume should tarry a while and follow the due process. We will close this matter here.”

    Senator George Thompson Sekibo (Rivers East) was not impressed.

    “I rise on the issue and the very good explanation that was brought by the Leader eloquently delivered and truly accepted. I accept it, I am not against it. I am not asking for sanction but my problems are two.

    “When you are bringing a complex matter and you are bringing it under personal explanation, for me it is misdirecting the House. This matter is a complex matter and personal explanation should not be a controversial matter. Then you are bringing major controversial matter. Somebody who is fragrantly violating the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Section 5(1)(b), and you just bring it under personal explanation and he finished talking and sat down as if nothing has happened.

    “Sir, it is a major issue. I am saying for caution, next time issues of this nature should not come under personal explanation. They should look for other orders to bring it so that it is open to us to debate. We will not remove the man, we will agree with him because he is our leader. But to block and close our mouth, I don’t think it is the best for all of us.”

     

  • NASS budget lacks transparency – El-Rufai

    NASS budget lacks transparency – El-Rufai

    …Govs should publish salary, security votes, LG funds too – Dogara‎

    Kaduna State Governor Malam Nasir El-Rufai on Friday hit hard on the National Assembly (NASS) members, saying their budget lacks transparency.

    This was just as he said the NASS, particularly the Senate, is seen as an opposition to the fight against corruption being championed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    El-Rufai stated categorically that the NASS is seen as one of the fighters of the war against corruption, stressing that though, he does not believe it is entirely true, neither does he believe that it is entirely false.

    The governor stated this in his goodwill message at the closing ceremony of the  5-day retreat ‎of the National Assembly management personnel held in Kaduna. 

    Dogara
    Dogara

    Meanwhile, Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon. Yakubu Dogara in a swift reaction told the Governor to champion the campaign for transparency in the budget, saying that, he would like to see Governors publish their monthly salaries, allowances, security votes and local government funds.

    Governor El-Rufai who reacted to the paper presented by the Chief of Staff to the Senate President, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, said he won’t be diplomatic like Baba-Ahmed, but blunt, because he doesn’t work for the National Assembly.

    According to him, “the National Assembly is seen as an opposition to the fight against corruption, the National Assembly particularly the Senate is seen as one of the fighters of the war against corruption and that image has to be worked on, now that we are going towards election year, the leadership and members of the National Assembly has to do something about the narratives.

    “I don’t believe that it is entirely true‎, I also don’t believe it is entirely false but it is important that the National Assembly do something about its image.”

    On the budget of the NASS, the governor noted that “no transparency in your (NASS) budget, nobody knows your budget, how much you get paid. Publications are made about your salaries and allowances that I don’t believe are true but cannot be defended because there is no transparency about your budget,  personal cost‎ and so on and so forth. I think you can do something about that to clear all the rumours and remove all the evil stories that are largely untrue,” he stressed.

    Speaker while delivering his address, however, told the Governor ‎that instructions have already been given to the appropriate quarters to publish the National Assembly budget.

    The Speaker who expressed reservation about joining issues with the Governor said, “you will have some kind of misfortune if you attempt to join issues with intellectuals like my Elder, Governor Nasir El-Rufai, but as intellectuals we expand issues and add to discussion, so I will like to challenge you to champion the call for transparency in budgeting and budgetary process of NASS to other arms of government.

    Most repeated words in the report include National Assembly, Budget, Corruption, Senate, NASS, etc.

    “We want to see Chief Executives of states published how they are paid, what they spend monthly as security votes, and also publish what happens to local government funds,” he challenged the governor.

     

    Similarly, the Senate Leader, Senator Ahmed Lawan who represented the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki at the occasion said, the National Assembly fights corruption and support the fight against it at all levels of governance contrary to whatever belief of many. 

    He said: “In the National Assembly, we fight corruption through our support and as a matter of facts, the anti-corruption agencies are our creation and for our budget, it is always in the public domain.”

    He said, the legislature and Executive must work together to deliver on promises to Nigerians, adding that, Nigerians expect higher and better performances in terms of service, as legislators we are prepared to continue to support the administration of President Buhari either through the fight against corruption or in the confirmation of political appointees.

  • We obeyed party’s directive to remove Ndume – APC senators

    We obeyed party’s directive to remove Ndume – APC senators

    A caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senators on Wednesday told the National Chairman of APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun that they obeyed the directives from the Party to replace Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume as Senate leader.
    This was disclosed at the National Working Committee (NWC) led by Chief Oyegun while Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, led APC Senators to the closed door meeting.
     
    A source who attended the meeting told The Nation that “the meeting was not as smooth as Chief Oyegun painted it.”
     
    Oyegun had sued for a ceasefire in what he referred to as “the kind of abuse being used on one institution of government or the other.”
     
    He also told reporters that the meeting was “robust and addressed salient issues” affecting the smooth working relationship between the Senate and the executive arm of government.
     
    Findings showed that the Senate caucus blamed the party leadership for the frosty relationship between it and the Presidency.
     
    It was learnt that the caucus pointedly accused the party leadership of “double-standard” in its dealing with the relationship between the two arms of government.
     
    It was also gathered that the removal of Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume as the Senate Leader and his subsequent suspension featured prominently at the meeting.
     
    The APC caucus, it was learnt, told Oyegun that he was in a position to defend the removal of Ndume since the caucus merely obeyed party directive to effect leadership change.
     
    The source noted that it was the position of the caucus that “instead of defending the removal of Ndume and replacing him with Senator Ahmed Lawan as directed by the party, what the Caucus has been receiving are unwarranted attacks and attempts to run down the institution of the Senate.”
     
    APC Senators loyal to Saraki, it was learnt, used the opportunity of the meeting to poor out their indignation and frustration against Oyegun.
     
    On the suspension of Ndume, the source said that there may be “no going back” on Ndume’s suspension going by the body language of the majority of the caucus members.
  • 2017 budget: Senate gives ministers, others two day ultimatum

    2017 budget: Senate gives ministers, others two day ultimatum

    …Defaulting MDAs to receive zero capital allocations

     

    The Senate Wednesday gave ministers and heads of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) a two day ultimatum to appear before its relevant committees to defend their agencies’ 2017 budgets.

    The upper chamber warned that recalcitrant ministers and heads of MDAs who failed to appear within Thursday and Friday would have themselves to blame as their agencies would receive zero capital allocations.

    The ultimatum is coming even as the Senate suspended plenary till Tuesday to allow affected MDAs to appear before its committees.

    Senate Leader, Senator Ahmed Lawan, who moved the motion to suspend plenary noted that the leadership of the Senate had been informed that some heads of MDAs failed to appear to defend their agencies’ budgets.

    Lawn said that the Senate would have no other option than to pass the budget without considering the budget of any MDA that failed to defend its budget.

    The Senate Leader noted that it was discovered that there were issues pending to be resolved with some MDAs.

    Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, who underscored the implications of what Lawan said insisted that heads of MDAs must defend their budget on or before Friday.

    Saraki noted that the Senate would not allow few individuals to hold the country to ransom by flagrantly failing to honour invitations from committees.

    He said that the extension of the budget defence session would affect the earlier date scheduled by the National Assembly to pass the 2017 budget.

    The Senate President said that the National Assembly has set the second week of March as the new target to pass the budget.

    Saraki said: “The plenary has been suspended till next week to allow the committees to complete the budget defence. From the meeting we had on Tuesday, it shows that a number of ministers and chief executives of MDAs have not come to make their budget defence and we are going to give them today and tomorrow to do that.

    “Any minister or head of agency that does not do that by Friday, we are not going to keep this open and hold the country to ransom because of a few people. We have already lost a week because we should have finished this by end of last week and start receiving reports.

    “This is a final warning to all those required to ensure that unfailingly by today or tomorrow, they should appear before the committees. After that, the committees are allowed to do as they wish on their budgets.”

    Saraki also said that the leadership of the Senate would meet with the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo yesterday to resolve grey areas in the budget.

    He said, “Those who are meant to re-submit certain corrections should do that by the end of Friday. It is our hope that by next week, all reports should have been submitted to the Appropriation Committee and for them to start receiving the reports for those that have completed their work. It is very important that this is done.

    “The leadership will also be meeting with the Acting President this evening (yesterday) to try and iron out these issues. This is because we are determined that we must pass this budget within the second week of March. That is our target. So, we hope that this meeting will also help to speed up some of these discrepancies and clear them.”

    Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Abdullahi Sabi, warned that heads of MDAs who failed to appear before the committees will have zero capital budget allocations.

    On Tuesday, standing committee chairmen were in a closed session with the leadership of the Senate to brief on the budget defence.

    It was learnt that the committee chairmen complained bitterly about the uncooperative attitude of some ministers and heads of agencies.

    The chairmen were also said to have pointed out inconsistencies in the 2017 budget document.

    It was learnt that the lawmakers demanded breakdown of the N500 billion voted as intervention funds.

    The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, was named as one of those who failed to appear before the committee to defend the budgets of his ministry.

    The Director General of Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) was also said to have failed to appear to defend the budget of the corporation.

    Other issues raised were alleged ‘phoney’ proposals including fake budgets for items such as computers, funds for maintenance of generators and other proposals and items said to have been duplicated.

  • My appointment as senate leader will stabilize senate – Ahmed Lawan

    My appointment as senate leader will stabilize senate – Ahmed Lawan

    The new senate Majority Leader Sen. Ahmed Lawan has said his emergence as the senate leader will bring stability and foster unity among senators and across party hierarchy at the upper legislative chambers more than before.

    Sen. Lawan who spoke to journalists over the weekend in Damaturu also observed that his appointment was predestined and divine, adding that the decision of his colleagues to make him leader of the senate was the original position of the APC caucus of the senate and the party.

    According to him, the executive cannot do without the support of the legislature which is the key component of democracy, stressing that the new senate will now focus on supporting President Mohammadu Buhari led administration to achieving its programs and policies.

    “My appointment as Senate Majority Leader by my colleagues in the APC caucus was an act of God, it was predestined. I want to thank my colleagues for having the confidence in me to do that job as senate leader.

    “My appointment as you know was the position of the All Progressive Congress right from the beginning when we ran for the senate presidency with the current senate president Sen. Bukola Saraki. The party nominated me as the Senate Leader, Sen. George Akure as the Deputy Senate Leader and other two principal officers for other party positions but something happened and we were never so appointed.

    “But in the wisdom of our colleagues after one and a half years or so, the caucus decided that it was time to change what was done and that the party’s supremacy must be adhered and here we are.

    “It is our believe that, that stabilizes the APC caucus in the senate, that brings unity to the senate and we can now face the real challenges of development in our administration. I believe that will also stabilize the entire senate as a whole because a stabilized and unified APC caucus ensures that the APC caucus and the minority
    parties will work better. So on the whole we have a better senate now, a more stable senate and I am sure it’s going to be a more productive senate.

    “We need to support our President, Mohammadu Buhari. The legislature is so important that whatever legislative interventions the president and his administration require should be done in good time. We have no time to waste, we need to do everything possible particularly this year as an administration to make life better for Nigerians and we are focused and determined to give the president and this administration the support for better Nigeria and Nigerian,” Sen. Lawan said.

    Speaking on the current hardship being faced in the country and the position of the senate, the Senate Majority Leader explained that they are always on the side of the common people, adding that the 2017 appropriation bill is tailored towards making life better for ordinary Nigerians.

    “The current suffering in the country is one of the serious economic challenges that we face at the moment. It is because the senate has always been on the side of the common Nigerians. What we have tried to do however is that in the 2017 budget we have made provision to make the economy better.

    “I can tell you that the appropriation bill that the president submitted to the National Assembly has so many provisions of estimates that are geared towards bringing some reliefs to Nigerians like the social interventions which targets the most vulnerable and the disadvantaged in the society.

    “They will get access to some funds for agricultural purposes and employment opportunity for our teaming youth. The senate cannot do anything different from that because this administration wants to make life better for the people and the senate has to key into that either through legislation or enlightening the public on policy and we remain with the administration,” Sen. Lawan pledged.

  • Senate Leader briefs Osinbajo on 2017 Budget

    Senate Leader briefs Osinbajo on 2017 Budget

    ..Says opposition Senators cooperating with Buhari

    The new Senate Leader, Senator Ahmed Lawan, on Monday met with the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, at the State House and briefed him on the progress made so far by the Upper Chamber in the consideration of the 2017 Appropriation bill at the National Assembly.

    According to him, Senators on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition parties are unanimous in their support for President Muhammadu Buhari.

    He spoke with State House correspondents at the end of the closed door meeting.

    He said: “I’m here to meet the Acting President to brief him on what the Senate is doing on the Appropriation Bill 2017. You know we have suspended plenaries for three weeks. The idea is to have ample time to focus on the appropriation bill. The committees will start to work from this week meeting the MDAs on the budget defence that they need to do.

    “Secondly, you know that the Acting President is an APC Acting President of this our administration. As a new Senate Leader, it is also important that I come here to this office to tell the Acting President and our administration that the APC caucus in the Senate is now a united caucus.

    “We are ready as a caucus to support our administration; we are also ready as a Senate, that is both the APC and the minority parties, to work for the betterment of Nigerians. Our colleagues in the opposition have always been supportive and being there for the Senate to function.” he added

    The whole development, he said, is to ensure that the government delivers on its campaign promises to Nigerians with the executive and the legislature working hand in hand.

    “So that our campaign promises become real and available to all Nigerians for the betterment of the country,” he said

  • Senate: Full list of APC caucus who signed Ndume’s removal

    Senate: Full list of APC caucus who signed Ndume’s removal

    The caucus of the All Progressive Congress who signed the removal of Senator Ali Ndume as leader of the senate included 39 out of 63 Senators in the 109-member Senate.

    Recall that the Senate president, Bukola Saraki, on Tuesday announced Ndume’s removal shortly before the upper legislative chamber adjourned plenary.

    Saraki made the announcement following a letter he received from the APC caucus titled; ‘Notice of Vote of No Confidence/Change of Leadership’ in which the caucus requested for a change in the leadership.

    The letter which contained the list of Senators (See same below) who appended their signatures was captured in the Senate’s votes and proceedings of Tuesday, approved on Wednesday.

    Full List of the APC Caucus:

    1. Donald Alasoadura, Ondo Central
    2. Rafiu Adebayo, Kwara South
    3. Jibrin Barau, Kano North
    4. Baba Garbai, Borno Central
    5. Dino Melaye, Kogi West
    6. Abubakar Yusuf, Taraba Central
    7. Benjamin Uwajumogu, Imo North
    8. Mustapha Bukar, Katsina North
    9. Joshua Dariye, Plateau Central
    10. Ibrahim Gobir, Sokoto North
    11. Shaba Lafiagi, Kwara South
    12. Ibrahim Abdullahi, Sokoto South
    13. Francis Alimikhena, Edo Central
    14. Suleiman Nazif, Bauchi North
    15. Usman Nafada, Gombe North
    16. Kabiru Marafa, Zamfara Central
    17. Olugbenga Ashafa, Lagos East
    18. Tijjani Kaura, Zamfara North
    19. Suleiman Hunkuyi, Kaduna North
    20. Ubali Shittu, Jigawa Northeast
    21. Shehu Sani, Kaduna Central
    22. Magnus Abe, Rivers Southeast
    23. Aliyu Abdullahi, Niger North;
    24. Umaru Kurfi, Katsina Central
    25. Isa Misau, Bauchi Central
    26. Babajide Omoworare, Osun East
    27. Yahaya Abdullahi, Kebbi North
    28. Kabiru Gaya, Kano South
    29. Ali Wakili, Bauchi South
    30. Ahmed Yarima, Zamfara West
    31. Sabo Mohammed, Jigawa Southwest
    32. Ahmed Lawan, Yobe North
    33. Olarenwaju Tejuoso, Ogun Central
    34. David Umaru, Niger South
    35. Abdullahi Gumel, Jigawa Northwest
    36. Monsurat Sunmonu,  Oyo Central
    37. Binta Masi, Adamawa North
    38. Danjuma Goje, Gombe Central, and
    39. Rabiu Kwankwaso, Kano Central.
  • NASS: Ashafa urges APC lawmakers to unite

    NASS: Ashafa urges APC lawmakers to unite

    Senator Gbenga Ashafa ofLagos East Senatorial District, has urged other senators elected on the platform of his party, All Progressives Congress, APC to close ranks and settle down to work, having come to terms with the enormity of the task before them.

    Ashafa made this statement in reactions to the senate inauguration fallout and how it affects the legislative body.

    He pleaded that members of the APC Senators Unity Forum, the senators of Like Minds and other such caucuses in the 8th senate should collapse their structures and form a united, progressive front that will work with the new leadership of the red chamber for the overall interest of the Nigerian people.

    The second term senator who is well known to be a bridge-builder amongst his colleagues in the senate made the call on the heels of the fallout which trailed the stormy inauguration of the senate on June 9 where Senator Bukola Saraki emerged as the senate president as against Senator Ahmed Lawan, the candidate anointed by APC.

    He furthers, “We have to realize that the hopes of Nigerians are high. The new government has amassed a lot of political capital – having been elected as a result of the massive build-up of goodwill for our various candidates in the elections and the stark disenchantment with the previous administration.

     As a result, the goodwill of Nigerians must not be taken for granted. So I make this call for one Nigeria and it starts with us – One Senate, united for the progress of our various constituents and translating change into policies and laws that will, in turn, yield tangible and beneficial results for everyone.”

    Senator Ashafa urged all party members with various leanings to push aside their personal ambitions for now, noting that whilst the party’s decision is binding on us all, we must see the bigger picture which is a progressive and united Nigeria.

     He concluded saying he will be devoted to pro-people policies and promised a re-invigorated approach to committee oversight functions upon resumption from the current recess embarked upon by the 8th senate.

  • Senate in rowdy session over Rivers crisis

    Senate in rowdy session over Rivers crisis

    … Summons IGP

    The Senate on Wednesday had its share of rowdy session as tempers rose over the continued crisis in Rivers State.

    The unhealthy incident occurred when the upper chamber was considering a motion entitled: “Recent Shooting and Disruption of Political Rally in Port Harcourt, Rivers State” sponsored by Senator Wilson Ake (Rivers West) and 47 others.

    However, the Senate resolved to invite the Inspector General of Police, Abubakar Mohammed, to brief it and give a situation report of the goings-on in River State.

    On Tuesday, the House of Representatives was embroiled in uproar as the All Progressives Congress (APC) members in the House claimed majority.

    The Senate’s version of disorder was however averted by the timely intervention of the Senate President, David Mark, but not before Senator Alkali Jajere (Yobe South) sprang from his seat to protest alleged abusive comment directed at Senator Ahmed Lawan by Senator James Manager (Delta South).

    Jajere was said to have been infuriated by alleged unprintable remarks Manager made against Lawan.

    He (Jajere) demanded apology from Manager and insisted that proceedings at the chamber could only resume when Manager apologised to Lawan.

    For more than 10 minutes, Senate plenary was disrupted as some Senators made efforts to calm Senator Jajere who charged furiously at Manager.

    Mark watched with disbelief as voices rose while some Senators promptly formed a ring around Manager apparently to ward off any possible attack on him.

    A group of Senators prevailed on Manager to apologise to Lawan and also reminded him (Manager) that the proceedings of the Senate were on live television.

    The Delta South lawmaker left his seat shook hand and embraced Lawan.

    Mark reminded his colleagues that “can I appeal that we cannot be telling people dialogue, dialogue and then we want to fight.”

    He added, “tempers rose just now, I hope it does not rise again. We have to be careful about the situation in Rivers State.”

    Before the consideration of the motion, Manager had, through a Point of Order, attempted to abort its consideration by informing his colleagues that the Rivers State House of Assembly was still under the retainership of the National Assembly.

    He noted that he was surprised to learn that late in 2013, the Rivers State House of Assembly sat and approved the budget of the state.