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Tag: Senator Monsurat Sunmonu

  • Senate confirms new ambassadorial nominees

    The Senate on Thursday confirmed three new ambassadorial nominees forwarded to it by President Muhammadu Buhari earlier in the year.

    Those confirmed are Mr. Christopher C. Chiejina from (Delta), Mr. Bukar Kolo, (Yobe) and Mr. M. A. Mabdul from Benue State.

    The nominees were confirmed following the consideration of the report of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs.

    Chairman of the committee, Senator Monsurat Sunmonu had earlier led members to screen the nominees.

    While presenting the committee’s report to the Senate in session, Sunmonu said all the nominees met the criteria for the job.

    Similarly, nominees for the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) were also confirmed by the upper legislative chamber.

    Their confirmation followed the adoption of the report of the Senate Committee on National Planning and Economic Affairs.

    Mr. Kabiru Nakaura was confirmed as chairman, representing the North West zone.

    Members of the new board, as confirmed by the Senate, are Akinola Bashir (South West), Moses Momoh (South South), Wallijoh Ahijoh (North Central), Adam Modu (North East) and Nwafor Chukwudi (South East).

    President Buhari had forwarded their nomination to the Senate in November 2018.

  • Senator advises would-be travellers

    The Chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Senator Monsurat Sunmonu has appealed to Nigerians seeking to travel to other countries of the world to be good ambassadors of the country by shunning all vices and activities that would portray them in bad light as such portrayal would send dangerous signal about Nigeria among the comity of nations.

    The lawmaker representing Oyo Central in the Senate made the appeal as a result of increasing rate of maltreatment and deportation of Nigerians, pointing out that the government at any level cannot stop anybody from travelling abroad, provided the requirements of such visa had been met.

    According to her, instead of stopping people from travelling abroad, what the government would do is to educate and advise any Nigerian travelling abroad to understand the nature, conditions and culture of the country as well as the need to abide by the laws of the land they are travelling to.

    In a chat with reporters, Sunmonu, who was the Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly expressed happiness that one of the bills she introduced on the treatment of gunshot victims without police reports has been helping the relevant agencies in their investigations as well as saving many innocent lives.

    She added that apart from legislative functions, she has also attracted and facilitated many projects to her constituency pointing out that, the feats recorded so far and the support of her people were enough to earn her another ticket for the Senate seat in 2019.

    She said: “We cannot stop anyone from travelling. Those in our missions have been told to look after our people abroad. But what we are also doing is to encourage Nigerians not to lose hope in Nigeria.

    “Before you travel to any country in the world, you have to obtain the country’s visa and upon obtaining such visa, there are conditions in those countries. So, if you are being caught working that means you are violating their laws. There are rules for employment visas all over. But when you engage in criminal activities, then you will be arrested and jailed.”

    Sunmonu while speaking on steps by the present administration to close some missions abroad noted that the step is being taken in order to restructure and rebrand Nigeria’s foreign missions for effectiveness and efficiency.

     

  • APC Senatorial Caucus laud Senator, Ajimobi for sense of devotion

    APC Senatorial Caucus laud Senator, Ajimobi for sense of devotion

    The Oyo Central Senatorial Caucus of the All Progressives Party (APC) has lauded Senator Monsurat Sunmonu, for her practical wisdom in coping with ever-increasing number of complex issues.

    Sunmonu is representing Oyo Central Senatorial district at the National Assembly.

    Specifically, they commended the lawmaker for her perseverance in listening, thinking through issues raised by members and leveling with them to their amazement.

    These were the resolution reached Friday at the end of the meeting held in Oyo town.

    In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting attended by leaders, elders and eleven local governments’ party chairmen, it described Sunmonu as ‘’a God-fearing, passionate and upright politician inherently committed to improving the socio-economic well beings of her people’’.

    ‘’As constituents, we do not always agree with her, but we respect the distinguished Senator for thinking through the issues and leveling with them. We have never had it so good and interesting like this before’’.

    Consequently, the meeting passed votes of confidence on Senator Sunmonu, and the State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, for their pragmatic representation and governance respectively, adding that these could be attested to through various unprecedented transformation programmes
    within the senatorial in particular and the State in general.

    Speaking with reporters, Senator Sunmonu said legislative service is one of democracy’s worthiest pursuits, adding that it is an important duty that deserves time, attention and dedication.

    According to her,’’ the meeting is aimed at appealing to the best instincts of the electorate, talk about what you stand for and what you have been doing, and still intend to do during your time in office, then work as hard as you can to fulfill those promises. I ran for office to make a difference, a difference for the better and I am doing just that for my people’’.

  • Senator advises intending travellers

    The Chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Senator Monsurat Sunmonu has appealed to Nigerians seeking to travel to other countries of the world to be good ambassadors of the country by shunning all vices and activities that would portray them in bad light as such portrayal would send dangerous signal about Nigeria among the comity of nations.

    The lawmaker representing Oyo Central in the Senate made the appeal as a result of increasing rate of maltreatment and deportation of Nigerians, pointing out that the government at any level cannot stop anybody from travelling abroad, provided the requirements of such visa had been met.

    According to her, instead of stopping people from travelling abroad, what the government would do is to educate and advise any Nigerian travelling abroad to understand the nature, conditions and culture of the country as well as the need to abide by the laws of the land they are travelling to.

    In a chat with reporters, Sunmonu, who was the Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly expressed happiness that one of the bills she introduced on the treatment of gunshot victims without police reports has been helping the relevant agencies in their investigations as well as saving many innocent lives.

    She added that apart from legislative functions, she has also attracted and facilitated many projects to her constituency pointing out that, the feats recorded so far and the support of her people were enough to earn her another ticket for the Senate seat in 2019.

    She said: “We cannot stop anyone from travelling. Those in our missions have been told to look after our people abroad. But what we are also doing is to encourage Nigerians not to lose hope in Nigeria.

    “Before you travel to any country in the world, you have to obtain the country’s visa and upon obtaining such visa, there are conditions in those countries. So, if you are being caught working that means you are violating their laws. There are rules for employment visas all over. But when you engage in criminal activities, then you will be arrested and jailed.”

  • Senate resolves to begin screening of ambassadorial nominees

    Senate resolves to begin screening of ambassadorial nominees

    —Ebonyi, Ondo, Plateau candidates failed appointment criteria, says Senate report

    The Senate on Wednesday resolved to commence immediate consideration and screening of 47 career ambassadorial nominees sent to it by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The list of the ambassadorial nominees was submitted to the Senate on June 9th, 2016 for consideration and confirmation.

    The resolution of the upper chamber followed the recommendations of its committee on Foreign Affairs which considered as series petitions alleging irregularities and lopsidedness in the appointment of the nominees.

    The Senator Monsurat Sunmonu headed committee which considered the petitions recommended that the screening of the nominees should begin immediately.

    Vice Chairman of the committee, Senator Shehu Sani presented the report of the committee to Senate in plenary.

    The reported stated that from the presentation of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Babachir David Lawal who appeared before the committee to clarify issues surrounding the criteria for the appointment, candidates from states that were not represented in the list of 47 did not meet the requirements for appointment.

    The report also said that some senior officers from the omitted states either did not meet the required minimum of 30 months to their retirement or fell short of other criteria used for the appointment.

    The committee said that from its findings due process appeared to have been followed in the appointment of the nominees.

    The report said that the SGF assured that President Buhari would to address the seeming lopsidedness with the appointment of non-career ambassadors.

    The committee said that its findings informed its recommendation that the Senate should proceed with the screening of the nominees.

    It however urged the Federal Government to quickly submit the list of non-career ambassadors to assuage the feeling of marginisation  by some states.

    It asked the government to sustain the tradition of submitting the list of career and non-career ambassadorial nominees at the same time.

    The upper chamber adopted all the recommendation of the committee and resolved to begin the screening of the nominees.

    Senators from Bayelsa, Benue, Kogi, Ondo, Plateau, Taraba had raised objection to the list because their states were not represented.

    After the resolution, Senator Emmanuel Paulker (Bayelsa State) insisted that “fairness is fairness.”

    Paulker said that he expected that with 47 appointments, at one would go to each state of the federation while the remaining 11 may be used to favour some states.

    He said that Bayelsa has many level 16 officers in the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

    He added that the Federal Character principles should have been adopted.

  • Why grazing reserve bill can’t fly – Sunmonu

    Why grazing reserve bill can’t fly – Sunmonu

    Chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Senator Monsurat Sunmonu, Thursday said that the controversial National Grazing Reserve Bill should be considered dead on arrival.

    Senator Sunmonu who represents Oyo Central Senatorial District noted that though her investigation showed that no such bill was pending in the Senate, she had been consistently inundated with telephone calls by concerned citizens of her constituency about the “Grazing Reserve Bill” and the massacre of Nigerians by people alleged to be “Herdsmen.”

    She noted in a statement entitled “My thoughts on the #GrazingReserveBill and “Herdsmen” that there cannot legally be an Act of National Assembly providing for the compulsory provision or confiscation of land.

    The Land Use Act, she said, is unequivocal that all land is vested in the hands of governors to hold in entrust for the people.

    She insisted that any such law, promoted for compulsory acquisition or confiscation of land, will undoubtedly be unconstitutional and therefore void.

    The former Oyo State House of Assembly Speaker noted the Land Use Act has been elevated beyond the realms of being a normal Act of National Assembly, because it can only be amended in the same way that the Constitution can be amended.

    Sunmonu said, “As a Nigerian, a legislator and representative of the people I have had recourse to think long and hard about these issues and ask myself what I, as a member of the Senate can do to help solve the problem.

    “The genesis of land law in Nigeria is the Land Use Act 1990, CAP 202, Laws of the Federation (“the Act”). Section 1 of the Act unequivocally vests all land in a State in the Governor of that State and such land shall be held in trust and administered for the use and common benefit of all Nigerians in accordance with the provisions of the Act. The tenors of the law are very clear: Governors are in control of land within their states on trust for the people.

    “Section 49 of the Act goes on to state that the provisions of the Act shall not affect any land that the Federal Government (or any of its agencies) already has title to (i.e. the Federal Government shall continue to own land it already owns irrespective of section 1). This is further to section 297 of the Constitution, which provides that the FCT and national boundaries are vested in the Federal Government.

    Section 315(5)(d) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) (“the Constitution”) provides thus:“Nothing in this Constitution shall invalidate the following enactments, that is to say –

    (d) the Land Use Act, and the provisions of those enactments shall continue to apply and have full effect in accordance with their tenor and to the like extent as any other provisions forming part of this Constitution and shall not be altered or repealed except in accordance with the provisions of section 9 (2) of this Constitution.”

    She noted that “In effect, what the Constitution has done is to incorporate the Land Use Act as part of it (the Constitution). The Constitution unequivocally provides that the Act shall not only apply, but shall have full effect just like any other part of the Constitution.”

    The intendment of the draftsman to incorporate the Act as part of the Constitution, she said, is unambiguous and is further demonstrated by the provision that any alteration or repeal to the Act shall be done in accordance with section 9(2) of the Constitution.

    The lawmaker said that it is significant to realise that while normal Acts of National Assembly can be amended by passing the amendment in the National Assembly followed by Presidential assent, constitutional amendments needed to be passed in the National Assembly and also in 2/3 of the State Houses of Assembly (i.e. 23 states) before the President can assent.

    The consequence of the foregoing is clear; the Land Use Act is now in pari passu with the Constitution, she said.

    She said, “Section 1 of the Constitution is unambiguous that the Constitution is binding on all authorities and persons and that any law that is inconsistent with the Constitution shall be void to the extent of the inconsistency.

    “To tie it all together therefore, the Land Use Act has been elevated beyond the dominion of an ordinary Act of the National Assembly and has in fact been incorporated as part of the Constitution. It is now part of the foundation upon which our society is built.

    “The foregoing begs the question as to whether an act of the National Assembly can be used to excise the clear provisions of the Constitution that all land is vested in the Governor of a State? Can there legally be an Act of National Assembly providing for the compulsory provision or confiscation of land? I’m afraid the answer is in the negative. Any such law will undoubtedly be unconstitutional and therefore void.

    “My contention is that if there is to be anything similar to a Grazing Reserve Bill it necessarily needs the cooperation of States who are willing to pass such laws in their State Houses of Assembly. And of course, the Governor will need to assent.

    “We must not forget that land matters are not listed in the Exclusive or Concurrent list in the Constitution meaning they cannot be legislated on at the Federal level.

    “How therefore do we solve the problems of the “Herdsmen” grazing cattle around Nigeria?

    “Landowners in Nigeria will argue that nomadic herdsmen are a bother. Their reason is that farmers cultivate their land with the motive of yielding crop to sell for profit. However, when a herdsman grazes his cattle on the land of a fellow Nigerian, the hard work of the farmer goes to waste.

    “It is beyond doubt that in such circumstances, tensions between the two sets of people will heighten, particularly if they are from two different ethnic tribes and of different religions. The herdsman has a way of life that has been passed down through generations, and, the farmer also has his right to use his legally acquired land as he sees fit in line with Constitutional provisions.

    “In the current economic climate and with the targeted push towards diversification of the economy, where we are actively encouraging people to invest in agriculture, we must ask how appealing the current sets of circumstances are to potential investors. Would an investor invest huge amounts of capital in agriculture just to have his land grazed on, without his consent, by cattle that does not belong to him?

    “What therefore is the solution? I am of the opinion, that this is a problem that takes a little initiative to solve. In other parts of the world (UK, US etc.), people who want to rear cattle purchase land/ranches on which they graze their cattle.

    “This land is not provided for free by government, it is bought. Payment can be made in a number of ways and can be staggered over a period of time. Rearing cattle is no different to conducting any other business and should be treated like any other business.

    “It is generally known that these cattle do not belong to herdsmen but well endowed financial businessmen. The people rearing cows for business should be subsumed into the normal business realm and approach banks for loans to buy land; in the same way farmers buy land to grow their crops. This will mean that we have statistics on cattle rearing for taxation purposes also.

    “I need not address the fact that some of these herdsmen are carrying arms. The laws of our beloved nation are clear that it is illegal to carry firearms without a valid license. If the herdsmen (or anyone else for that matter) do not have the relevant permits for their firearms then they should feel the full forces of the law.”