The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe

  • Senate blames Port Harcourt DISCO for Calabar football viewing centre tragedy

    Senate blames Port Harcourt DISCO for Calabar football viewing centre tragedy

    …Agency report exposes DISCO negligence

     

    The last may not have been heard about the Calabar football viewing centre tragedy that claimed over seven lives.

    The Senate Wednesday put the blame of the tragedy squarely on Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company for gross misconduct and fragrant negligence which occasioned the death of the Calabar football fans.

    The position of the Senate was informed by the reports of the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission which investigated the tragedy.

    The Senate Committee on Power, Steel Development and Metallurgy which was mandated to probe the April 20, 2017 tragedy adopted the technical reports and blamed the Port Harcourt DISCO for abandoning its duties.

    The Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe led committee concluded that it was substantially because the DISCO failed in its duties that led to the death of the football fans.

    The chief Operating Officer of the Port Harcourt DISCO, Kingsley Achife, who represented the PH DISCO at an investigative hearing refused to accept responsibility for the death of the football fans.

    Achife insisted that if a makeshift viewing centre was not constructed under power lines the tragedy would have been averted.

    The committee relying of the reports agreed that safety regulations were essentially breached by the DISCO which led to the death of the fan.

    The committee noted that it should be able to establish who is liable for what happened so that appropriate sanctions would be applied.

    It said that following the reports, safety regulations were neglected and wondered whether there were line engineers who were scheduled to inspect the power lines.

    It said that the DISCO also has the power not to supply electricity to building under power line and wondered why that was not the case.

    The committee said that the reports clearly showed failure on the part of the DISCO.

    Asked what the DISCO did for the deceased, Achife said that they paid N500,000 each to the families of the dead and also paid for drugs to treat those injured.

    He was silent on the hospital bill of those in the hospital.

    Part of the reports adopted by the committee said in the observations of the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency: “The 11kv overhead line feeding this substation is about 4.5 kilometres from the Amika injection substation and transverses over trees along the route all the way down to the Nyaghasang distribution substation.

    “Branches of the ornamental trees were seen touching the line in several places.

    “Several zinc roofed structures were seen constructed under this overhead line including a huge kerozine tank on raised platform.

    “The 11kv power line was observed connected to the transformer through solid fuselinks instead of J&P fuse assembly.

    “The connections from the overhead lines to the fuses were just with twisted stands of aluminium conductors and down-drops were XLPE copper cables.

    “The transformer and feeder pillar were seen earthed; their actual earth resistances to be ascertained.

    “Four uprisers were seen, two of which had the cables placed inside ebonite flexible tubing as added protection against damage.

    “The feeder pillar was seen uncovered and in a dilapidated state with solid copper wires used as fuses. The rating of these copper wires cannot be ascertained. Signs of overheating and melting were seen indicating that these may have been subject to severe overcurrent without blowing. This is usual with this type of fusing used at this substation in Calabar and found nationwide.

    “In general, most of the connections here did not have proper terminations joints compliance.

    “The transformer fence had collapsed thereby partially exposing the substation and making it accessible to unauthorized persons.”

    The report also said that “unstranding of conductors normally distorts the mechanical alignment and strength of conductors.”

    It said that sagging of THE LT conductors was also observed almost everywhere in the Calabar network.

    The report said that the AA Type used is not strong as the aluminum conductor steel reinforced (ACSR) type usually recommended for feeder line.

    The Nation recalls that at about 8pm on Thursday April 20, 2017, fans of Manchester United gathered at a TV viewing centre at No 53 Nsaha Street, Nyaghasang community, Calabar to watch a football match being relayed on satellite.

    The viewing centre was using public power supply from PHED, an indication that it was probably legally connected to the power supply system by PHED.

    About 60 persons were said to have been crowded into the make-shift viewing centre constructed with zinc roof.

    It was reported that at about 8.40pm there was a large explosion sound from the nearby transformer substation and immediately the light went off.

    The owner of the centre was said to have put on the generating set and in the process of the owner trying to switch on the TV set, there was heavy spark on the roof and sides of the viewing centre with the restoration of POWER SUPPLY by PHED.

    At the end of the spark and the commotion that followed about seven people were electrocuted where several others sustained various degrees of burns and cuts.

     

  • PDP Senators condemn police raid on Ekweremadu’s guest house

    PDP Senators condemn police raid on Ekweremadu’s guest house

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senate Caucus Friday evening condemned in strong terms the police raid on Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu’s guest house in Abuja.

    The police on Friday raided the National Assembly guest house in Abuja assigned to the use of the Deputy Senate President Senator Ekweremadu.

    The police was said to have claiming that a whistle blower tipped them off that Ekweremadu hid arms and money in the property.

    The Caucus in a statement in Abuja by its spokesman, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe described the Police action as unwarranted, unacceptable and a deliberate attempt to muzzle the opposition.

    Abaribe also faulted police explanations that they acted on whistle blower tip off.

    He noted  that the “failed gestapo-like operation was nothing but a smokescreen to cover up a carefully orchestrated plot to intimidate Senator Ekweremadu and by so doing cow the opposition from pointing out the failings of the government of the day.”

    According to the caucus, “the raid said to have been ordered by the Inspector General of police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, on a property owned by the National Assembly was a willful affront on democracy.”

    “We had raised alarm on this plot not too long ago and now they have carried out the assignment only to reach a dead end, to the embarrassment of the police and other anti-democratic forces bent on casting a wicked shadow on our fledgling democracy.

    “We of the Senate PDP Caucus will never be intimidated or cowed in discharging our constitutional mandate of providing a responsible opposition.

    “Is it not an irony that the raid in the National Assembly guest house is coming on the eve of the democracy day anniversary?

    “A raid on a property of another arm of government is a dangerous continuation of attack on the institutions that affects the needed checks on the excesses of the executive.

    “It cast an ominous sign and this must stop,” Abaribe said.

     

     

  • Buhari’s $5.815bn Chinese loan faces hurdles in Senate

    …Summons Amaechi for explanation

     

    President Muhammadu Buhari’s request for the National Assembly’s endorsement of $5,815 billion loan suffered setback Tuesday in the Senate.

    The Federal Government planned to raise the loan from China Exim Bank to execute the modernization of Lagos-Kano, Kano-Kaduna, Lagos-Ibadan and Lagos-Calabar rail lines.

    Following a motion by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South), the Senate resolved to invite Minister of Transportation to explain why South East corridor rail line was omitted in the areas covered by the proposed loan.

    The upper chamber however rejected a prayer that urged the Senate to suspend consideration of the loan request pending until correction of the apparent oversight of the eastern parts of the country is made.

    The motion entitled “Outright Omission of Eastern Corridor Rail Line in the request for approval of Federal Government 2016-2015 External Borrowing (Rolling Plan)” was hotly debated on the floor of the Senate.

    Abaribe in his lead debate recalled that on 26th of April, 2017 the Federal Government laid before the National Assembly a request seeking an approval for a loan of $5,851 billion from China Exim Bank to execute the modernization of Lagos-Kano, Kano-Kaduna, Lagos-Ibadan and Lagos-Calabar rail segment;

    He observed with dismay, that the above sections of the rail line that the loan was being sought for covers only a section of the country, the western corridor or sections;

    The Abia South lawmaker noted that the Eastern section of the rail segment, which has a link between the South Eastern to North Eastern parts of the rail line is completely excluded from the request;

    He further noted that the loan being a Federal Government borrowing would be paid for by all SECTIONS of the country; therefore every section of the country should be taken into consideration;

    He said that he is aware that there is a Railway Master Plan developed by the Ministry of Transport and of which such plan has not being referred to in the current borrowing plan;

    Abaribe also said that he is aware that for the railway projects to have a meaningful impact on the development of the country; it should cover all parts of Nigeria.

    He expressed concern that the complete exclusion of the Eastern section that links the four zones of South-South, South-East, North-Central and North East and the key cities such as Port Harcourt, Aba, Enugu, Makurdi, Lafia, Gudi, Jos, Bauchi and Maiduguri is inexplicable,

    He prayed that Senate to suspend consideration of the loan request of any guise until the correction of this apparent oversight of the eastern parts of the country.

    He also urged that Senate to invite the Minister of Transport to appear and explain the reasons for the exclusion of the Eastern Corridor of Nigeria’s Rail Lines from the proposed loan from China Exim bank.

    Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu who seconded the motion said that the Senate should see injustice done to any section of the country as injustice to all.

    Ekweremadu said that it is on record that the Federal Government had been rehabilitating rail lines in the country with the exception of the rail lines in the South East.

    He noted that the promise of the government that the rail line in the South East would be accommodated in future is doubtful.

    Ekweremadu said that no section of the country should be excluded in development projects.

    But Senator Gbenga Ashafa, (Lagos East) described the information in the motion as “inadequate and inaccurate.”

    Ashafa who is also Chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transport, said that the Lagos-Kano and Lagos-Calabar rail lines covered the areas listed in the motion.

    He said that Onitsha and Aba areas are also covered in the plan of the rail line.

    He urged the Senate to look at the issue dispassionately insisting that the loan should be secured for the development of the country.

    Ashafa added that government is a continuum.

    Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki said that leadership of the National Assembly took up the issue with President Buhari.

    Saraki said that the meeting of the National Assembly leadership with the executive informed the second letter of the President on the issue.

    He said that the second letter of President Buhari specified that every section of the country would be covered by the loan.

    Saraki said that if the report of the Senate committee on Local and Foreign Debts failed to cover the South East, the Senate would resolve how to deal with the loan.

     

  • South East senators to FG: Probe IPOB members’ killing

    The South East Caucus in the Senate on Thursday asked the Federal Government to immediately constitute a judicial panel of inquiry to investigate the alleged killing of about 150 defenceless members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

    A statement issued by Chairman of the caucus, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe in Abuja, said the Amnesty International report, which painted a very chilling picture of the brutal killing of peaceful protesters allegedly by the Nigerian Army is not only embarrassing to Nigeria as a country, but one that cast doubts on the operational modus of the Nigeria military in handling civil protest in a constitutional democracy.

    Abaribe said the caucus resolved that the reported killings must be investigated and those found culpable made to face the law.

    Amnesty International in a report on Wednesday said an analysis of 87 videos, 122 photographs and 146 eyewitness testimonies relating to demonstrations and other gathering between August 2015 and August 2016 consistently showed that the military fired live ammunition with little or no warning to disperse the crowd of IPOB members.

    The group also claimed that it found evidence of mass extra-judicial executions by security forces, including at least 60 people shot dead within two days during events to mark Biafra Remembrance Day.

    Abaribe said,” It is not enough for the Nigeria military to debunk the report, we as a caucus demand an independent inquiry in the mould of a judicial panel and urgently too.

    “It is our candid view that such panel would reassure the Igbo that the Federal Government is alive to its responsibilities one of which is the protection and respect of the fundamental rights of all people irrespective of tribe or religion.

    “Unraveling the authenticity of the report would help to prevent a reoccurrence just as it will engender unity in our country.

    “But the most important to us now is that the report must be probed and those implicated must be made to face justice.”

  • Senate demands First Option Policy on made in Nigeria goods

    Senate demands First Option Policy on made in Nigeria goods

    The Senate Wednesday asked the Federal Government to urgently initiate and implement the First Option Policy on purchase of locally manufactured products for government procurement in all arms of government.

    The upper chamber said that the policy should also be extended to every public funded organization.

    The lawmakers expressed commitment to amend the Procurement Act to ensure that agencies of government and government funded institution  adopted made-in-Nigeria goods First Option Policy.

    This followed a motion by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South) entitled “Need for patronization of made in Nigeria good in Nigeria.”

    First Option Policy on purchase of locally made goods would compel Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government to place priority on purchase of locally made products.

    Senate Abaribe, in his lead debate, expressed concern that investment in real sector had given way to trading in foreign and imported goods resulting in negative balance of trade, close down of textile companies, wood processing factories among others.

    The Abia State born lawmaker recalled that Nigeria’s economy was dependent on made in Nigeria exports, in the 60s and early 70s.

    He noted that in 60s and 70s, industries were located in the rural areas, while made-in- Nigeria products were popular in parts of the country and many other African countries.

    He said, “I recall that as at 1990, Nigeria had over 170 developed textile industries employing between 2000 and 10,000 workers each.

    “Today, only 12 are still functioning, the resultant loss of opportunities and employments is anyone’s guess.

    “The current depletion in forex earnings and forex available is a symptomatic effect of an import dependent economy, which is riddled with unemployment, negative balance of trade and low capital formation.”

    Abaribe noted that governments in other countries have developed and adopted varying measures of First Option Policy for their locally manufactured goods in their various countries.

    He listed countries like the United States, Chinese, and India, as some of the countries that made it mandatory for government agencies to source for locally manufactured goods before patronising goods from other countries.

    The lawmaker expressed optimism that if the present administration put measures in place to ensure obligatory official patronage of locally made products for all agencies of government, it would create jobs for the teeming population.

    Most Senators who contributed supported the motion and insisted that urgent action should taken by all arms of government to encourage the growth of made in Nigeria goods.

    Senator Dino Melaye in his contribution however personalized the issue.

    He said, “I want to celebrate the Made in Nigeria Senator for bringing this motion. In considering the made in Nigeria goods, we must look at enabling factors that will necessitate the made in Nigeria goods.

    “It’s beyond having one made in Nigeria attire and you have over 70 Tom Ford and Loubitins in your wardrobe.

    “We must reduce the allocation for made in Nigeria goods and services to the basics. What are those factors limiting the production of this goods. We must tackle them.

    “We must also begin to look at our legislation; we will begin to talk about made in Nigeria goods.

    “We will also move in order to encourage the made in Nigeria products in Nigeria, begin to talk about Made in Nigeria women.

    “Apologies to my uncle, the governor of Edo State, we must as a people stop paying dowries in dollars and pounds.  It is time for my colleagues here to become born again.”

    Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, commended Abaribe for his commitment for promotion of made-in-Nigeria products over the years.

    He said, “I had the opportunity to attend this year’s Made-in Aba trade fair, which Abaribe has been promoting using his own intervention fund.

    “It is commendable to see that for years he has used this money to support the trade fair. The major issue for us is the issue of job creation and we cannot do it without looking at ways to stimulate our own economy.

    “We would be spending close to N5 trillion in the 2016 budget in this regard and if that alone is going towards the local industries it will make a great deal.

    “We must see that we amend the law and oversight properly to see that we make a difference in this country.”

    Saraki called relevant committees to expedite action on amendment of the Procurement Act before passage of the 2016 budget to give First Option to two locally produced products. 

  • Senate condemns shooting of Senator Abe

    The leadership of the Senate on Monday condemned in “strong terms” the alleged shooting of Senator Magnus Abe by the police in Rivers State.

    The Senate in a statement by its spokesman, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, in Abuja also “deplored the escalating political violence in Rivers State.”

    The Senate, according to the statement urged the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, to probe the incident and ensure that it does not recur in future.

    It warned politicians to avoid acts capable of overheating the polity and derail the nation’s democracy.

    “The Senate particularly condemns the Sunday violence which resulted to injuries on a serving Senator, Magnus Abe,” Abaribe stated.

    Senator Abe, representing Rivers South East, was allegedly shot by the police in an attempt to disperse a pro-Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s rally organized by the Save Rivers Movement in Port Harcourt on Sunday.

    Abe has been reportedly flown to London for urgent medical attention as a result of the shooting.

    Abaribe said the “Senate is disturbed that what should have been a peaceful gathering turned violent resulting in injuries.”

    He added: “On this score, the Senate associates itself with the admonition of President Goodluck Jonathan on his pronouncements to mark the Armed Forces Remembrance Day, wherein he warned that no Nigerian blood is worth spilling in the name of politics.

    “Consequently, the Senate urges the Inspector General of Police to investigate the latest incident and ensure that it never recurs.

    “In the same vein, the Senate advises politicians and their supporters to exercise greater restraint and avoid acts that will not only overheat the system but may harm the country’s democracy.”