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Tag: Senator Emmanuel Paulker

  • Maina: EFCC denies sharing 222 recovered pension properties

    Maina: EFCC denies sharing 222 recovered pension properties

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has denied allegations that 222 Pension Properties recovered from pension thieves had been shared under its watch.

    Senator Emmanuel Paulker, chairman of the Senate Ad Hoc Committee investigating the controversial reinstatement of wanted Abdulrasheed Maina, had on Thursday alleged that 222 houses recovered by Maina task force had been shared.

    But the anti-graft agency in a statement, by its spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren said that the supposed 222 pension properties didn’t exist and the recovered assets were intact.

    Read Also: Reps seek probe of Maina’s reinstatement

    He said, “The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been drawn to comments attributed to the Chairman of the Senate Ad Hoc Committee investigating the controversial reinstatement of Abdulrasheed Maina, Senator Emmanuel Paulker, alleging that officials of the Commission had shared 222 properties which Maina’s Panel seized from pension fund thieves”.

    “This sweeping allegation, coming from a Senate Committee is disturbing more so as no attempt was made to verify the information from the Commission. The EFCC was never invited by the Committee and given the opportunity to educate it on the status of assets seized from suspected pension thieves; yet the Committee was comfortable to scandalize the EFCC with the public disclosure of unverified claims by unknown interests”.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, there are no 222 properties anywhere that were shared by anybody. The EFCC did not receive a single property from Abdulrasheed Maina”.

    “All the pension fraud assets that are in the recovered assets inventory of the Commission were products of independent investigation by the EFCC, for which Maina and his cohorts had no clues. If Maina or any government official witnessed the sharing of any recovered pension assets by any official of the EFCC, they should be willing to name the official, the assets involved; when and where the ‘sharing’ took place”.

    “As far as the EFCC is concerned, there is no controversy regarding the status of assets recovered from suspected pension thieves. The record of all the recovered assets from both the Police Pension and the Pension Office of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation as well as their current status are intact, and have been communicated to the relevant organs of government”.

    “However, in view of the consistent display of public ignorance about the profile of recovered assets by even those who should know, it is important to state that it is impossible for anybody to share a property that is subject of interim forfeiture by court. Of all the properties seized from pension fraud suspects, it is only properties that are linked to John Yusuf, who was convicted under a plea bargain arrangement that had been forfeited permanently and handed to government”.

    “All the others, with the exception of Brifina Hotel, are subject of interim forfeiture. And the cases are ongoing in courts”.

  • Mainagate: Nothing will be swept under carpet, says Senate panel

    Mainagate: Nothing will be swept under carpet, says Senate panel

    The Senate ad-hoc panel investigating the surreptitious reappearance of former Chairman, Presidential Task Force on Pension Reform, Abdulrasheed Maina, Thursday vowed not to sweep anything under the carpet in its quest to expose how Maina re-emerged.

    The committee also said that its report would be submitted to the Senate in plenary for consideration in December.

    Chairman of the panel, Senator Emmanuel Paulker, stated this while briefing reporters after closed door session with the Attorney General of the federation and Minister of Justice,  Abubakar Malami.

    The meeting was held in his office apparently to keep praying eyes away from the discussion of the panel.

    Senator Paulker said that the committee resolved to conduct the investigation behind closed door because the committee wanted to do through probe of the issue assigned to it.

    The Bayelsa Central lawmaker said that the investigative hearing was shifted to his office on account of his personal discretion.

    He said, “It is at my discretion to hold the meeting my office.  All the four chairmen of the committee were present.  We don’t want a situation whereby media report will dictate section of our report.  The closed door session will allow us to do thorough investigation on the matter.”

    Paulker added, “Nothing will be swept under the carpet, the truth of matter will come out at the end of our investigation and the report will be submitted before Christmas.”

    The meeting yesterday will be the second time this week that Malami will appear before the panel.

    It is also expected that the AGF will appear before the committee next week.

    When the AGF appeared the committee on Tuesday, The Nation exclusively reported that Malami admitted that he met with Maina in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) last year.

  • Senate to FG: Release bailout funds N174bn for pension arrears

    Senate to FG: Release bailout funds N174bn for pension arrears

    The Senate on Tuesday urged President Muhammadu Buhari to order the immediate release of N174 billion voted in the 2016 budget for payment of pension arrears.

    The upper chamber said that fund was a bailout created in the 2016 budget to redeem all federal government pension indebtedness amounting to over N174billion.

    The lawmakers said that the provision for the bailout for pensioners was seen as a viable alternative to save the ugly plight of the country’s retirees.

    The Senate noted that “if the Federal Government could release bailout funds to pay outstanding workers ‘salaries in the states, similar gesture should be used for the payment of pension arrears, which is its direct primary responsibility”.

    The resolution followed the adoption of a motion entitled, “The untold hardship of pensioners occasioned by federal government’s failure to contribute its statutory share of five per cent to the Pension Redemption Fund” sponsored by Senator Emmanuel Paulker,

    Senator Paulker, in his lead debate noted with concern “the untold hardship our retired senior citizens occasioned by the non-payment of their pension arrears since 2015”.

    He said that pensioner under Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS who retired since 2015 have not been paid their pensions due to the failure of the federal government to contribute its statutory share of five per cent to the Pension Redemption Fund in line with the Pension Reform Act, 2004 amounting to a total sum of N285, 946, 669, 881.

    The lawmaker also disclosed that “about N50billion was appropriated for in 2016 to upset part of the pension arrears, but only a paltry sum of N18billion was released”.

    He further lamented that the pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme, DBS which include the Police Pensions, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigerian Prisons Service, Civil Service and other parastatals are yet to be paid their 33 per ecent accrued arrears amounting to N174billion.

    “The delay in payment of pension arrears has put pensioners across the country in a very precarious situations where they wallow in penury, sickness, hopelessness and regret for serving their fatherland diligently only to be abandoned by the government upon retirement”, he said.

    Paulker therefore warned that if urgent steps are not taken to pay the outstanding arrears within the current fiscal year, the much applauded Contributory Pension Scheme may collapse, leading to unimaginable consequences for the pensioners and the country in general.

     

  • Four arrested for kidnapping Senator’s mother

    The police in Bayelsa State had arrested four suspects in connection with the abduction of Madam Fiorentina, the 90-year-old mother of Senator Emmanuel Paulker.

    It was gathered that some of the suspects had confessed to the crime and were helping security agencies to track the whereabouts of the woman.

    The state government on Thursday commended the security agencies especially the police for their prompt response to the incident.

    The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hilary Opara, confirmed the arrest and assured that the nonagenarian would soon be released.

    The victim was on Wednesday morning kidnapped by unidentified gunmen at her residence in Opolo-Epie, Yenagoa, for a second time in four years.

    The state Security Adviser, Lt. Col. Benard Kenebai (rtd), in a statement in Yenagoa also confirmed that the urgent response of the security agencies led to the arrest of the four suspects.

    Kenebai on behalf of the government assured security agencies of the needed support in their efforts to free the woman and arrest other suspects.

    “One of the prime suspects arrested within minutes of the distress call and three others arrested less than six hours later, have all made very useful statements to the police and efforts are on to ensure the prompt and successful release of the victim,” he said.

  • Gunmen abduct Senator’s mother in Bayelsa

    Florentina, the 90-year-old mother of Senator Emmanuel Paulker, was on Wednesday morning kidnapped by unidentified gunmen at her residence in Opolo-Epie, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

    Residents of the area were angry that the kidnappers forcefully took the woman away despite her age.

    Their annoyance also came against the backdrop of the fact that Florentina was being kidnapped for the second time in four years.

    In February 23, 2010, the old woman was abducted by armed youths who later demanded N100million to set her free.

    She was later rescued in March 2010, by security operatives who reportedly gunned down one of the kidnappers along Immiringi road during a gun battle.

    The Nation gathered that the kidnappers returned at about 3am on Wednesday when the victim and other residents were sleeping to execute their evil plot.

    A security source said the kidnappers were five in number and were fully armed with AK47 and other rifles.

    “They came through the main road. They drove a vehicle into the community and immediately started shooting into the air to create panic among people who were fast asleep.

    “They forced the door open, seized the woman and whisked her away to an unknown place. Some residents thought the kidnappers were armed robbers.

    “Some of the residents later came out and started shouting ‘thief, thief’ only to discover later that the woman had been abducted,” the source who pleaded anonymity said.

    Another resident who said his name should not be mentioned lamented the kidnapping of Florentina.

    “Senator Emmanuel Paulker’s mother has been kidnapped again. I heard a gunshot around 3am in the morning and later discovered that the woman has been abducted. There is lamentation everywhere,” he said.

    When contacted the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hilary Opara, confirmed the development and said one of the suspected kidnappers had been arrested.

    He said the suspect was helping the police in their investigations.

  • Jonathan must seek re-election in 2015 – South-South

    Jonathan must seek re-election in 2015 – South-South

    Prominent politicians, elders and patriots form the South-South geopolitical zone on Thursday insisted that President Goodluck Jonathan must offer himself for re-election in 2015.

    Drawn from Edo, Bayelsa, Rivers, Delta and Cross River States, the elders inaugurated the South-South Coalition for Goodluck 2015 (SSCG) in Yenagoa, and declared that Jonathan was qualified to run.

    The group consisting of chiefs from various communities, former commissioners, erstwhile local government chairmen and retired military officers asked the President to declare his re-election bid without further delay.

    It was gathered that Senator Emmanuel Paulker, Jonathan’s kinsman from Bayelsa State, is one of the financiers of the group.

    The Nation learnt that persons planning the campaign of the President intended to use the group as a frontline mobiliser of support within the zone for Jonathan’s re-election.

    Other persons behind the formation of the group are – Chief Thompson Okorotie, Chief R. Arimogha, Dr. Elder Dickson, Chief Josephine Ezonbodor, Major Andrew Oputa (rtd) and Chief Felicia Tawari.

    The Convener of the group, an elder statesman and former political adviser in Bayelsa, Chief Okorotie, addressed the group delegates and said the zone must support President Jonathan.

    He claimed that the achievements of Jonathan were “too well known and too numerous to recount.”

    He, however, highlighted power, agriculture and education as sectors where the President had performed very well.

    Okorotie known as one of the kingmakers in Bayelsa, said it was not true that the President had failed in fighting the security challenges especially the Boko Haram insurgency in the country.

    “The Jonathan administration has not failed in this direction. We need to remind ourselves in Nigeria that during former President Obasanjo’s tenure, Boko Haram insurgents were operating in 12 states of the north.

    “Today, they are not only restricted to three states in the North-East, the international terrorists are on the run,” he said.

     

  • Senators’ on Hajj stalls public hearing on PIB

    Senators’ on Hajj stalls public hearing on PIB

    A public hearing on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) was stalled yesterday because of the absence of senators, who are on pilgrimage to mecca.

    Chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum, (Upstream) Senator Emmanuel Paulker, said the hearing was postponed “due to circumstances beyond our control.”

    Paulker said: “At the end of the day, national interest will prevail and the PIB will see the light of the day in the life of this National Assembly.”

    The panel chair, who spoke in Abuja, said there was no cause for alarm adding: “Every thing humanly possible will be done to see the PIB through this time around.”

    Paulker said contrary to insinuations, opposition against the bill was only against some clauses.

    International Oil Companies (IOCs), he said were only opposed to the fiscal regime of the bill while some northern governors are opposed to 10 per cent equity participation of the host communities.

    Stakeholders, he said, agreed that oil and gas laws were obsolete and needed to be reviewed.

    Insisting that there is no problem with PIB, Paulker said: “The first outing we had we slated two days for our public hearing. But we lost a colleague.

    “The first day of the hearing we started but the second day was the burial of Senator Pius Ewherido.

    “Between me and you I cannot sit in the Senate for a public hearing when a colleague was being buried.

    “So because of the circumstance, it was compelling on me to postpone the hearing. I was just paying the last respect to a colleague.

    “We now agreed in a smaller committee of chairmen and vice chairmen that there was need for us to create room for those that never attended the hearing to attend.

    “Unfortunately enough, we scheduled it for 9th of October but here again a lot of our colleagues went for Hajj.

    “The PIB is a very important bill, so important that we cannot exclude a good majority of members of the joint committee that are going on Hajj. I was made to understand that some have already left for Hajj.

    “It will not be fair for those who left for Hajj to come back and hear that we have gone ahead with the public hearing. So it is not correct to say that the PIB has suffered many postponements.”

    On the controversy trailing the bill, he said the PIB was important to every Nigerian and all sectors of the economy.

    He said: “Oil is the main stay of our economy. We are looking forward to a day that the economy would be diversified. There is so much reliance on oil.

    “As long as the economy rests on oil and there is an Act that is coming to repeal all laws surrounding this single all important commodity, every serious-minded Nigerian would be interested.”

    Paulker said he had receiving calls that “if we hold the public hearing on 9th October, it will not be possible for them to appear for the public hearing.

    “One thing I will assure Nigerians is that everything humanly possible will be done to ensure that the PIB will see the light of the day.

    “As soon as we have this last outing of the public hearing we will retreat to our committee level. We can decide to lock up ourselves for a week or two weeks to filter the bill so that we can forward it to plenary.”

  • PIB: Senate proposes Lagos, Abuja, others for hearings

    Chairman, Senate Joint Committee on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), Senator Emmanuel Paulker, yesterday said the committee may conduct public hearings in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kaduna.

    Paulker spoke at a one-day PIB workshop organized by the Joint Committee in Abuja.

    The lawmaker said the workshop was meant to refresh the memories of the members of the committee on the PIB before they embark on public hearings.

    He said: “We are engaging services of professional to enlighten us on the bill once more so that when we go out for public hearing in various locations, we would be versed in everything concerning the bill.

    “Since we now want to commence the process of passing the Bill, there is need to invite professionals to refresh the memories of Senators of members of the National Assembly.”