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Tag: SENATOR

  • Orji is senator in exile, says Abia ex-Speaker

    Orji is senator in exile, says Abia ex-Speaker

    A former Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly, Stanley Ohajuruka, has said former governor and senator representing Abia Central, Theodore Orji, has not given his constituents effective representation.

    The former lawmaker described Orji as a senator in exile.

    Addressing reporters in Umuahia, the state capital, Ohajuruka said Abia Central was unfortunate to have voted for Orji.

    The former speaker accused the former governor of not doing anything to impact on the lives of his people since he got to the Senate.

    He said: “Look at the kind of senator we have here in Orji. Can we say we are having an effective representation in the Senate? We don’t have effective representation in the Senate. I stand to be corrected.”

    Ohajuruka, who was also a member of the House of Representatives, recalled that he attracted 63 projects to Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency when he was in the House.

    The former lawmaker said it was unfortunate that Orji had not attracted a single project to his senatorial zone since he went to the Senate.

    He said: “How many projects can the present senator (Orji) tell us he has attracted to the people of Abia Central? Has he ever invited anyone from the area for a senatorial meeting? Where is the senatorial office? Does he have any? If you can find any, you tell us.”

  • Senator’s scholarship’s second phase to begin December

    The second phase of Senator Theodore Orji’s annual scholarship scheme for Abia Central Senatorial District will hold in December.

    It is expected that 240 undergraduates will benefit from the scholarship.

    The scheme, which started last year, had 60 lucky indigent undergraduates, comprising 10 from each of the six local government areas: Abia Central–Isiala-Ngwa North/South; Osisioma, Umuahia North/South and Ikwuano, as beneficiaries.

    A statement by his Senior Media Adviser, Don Norman Obinna, urged interested indigent undergraduates in the zone to apply for the scholarship to make their education easier.

    The statement reads: “The former governor said the organisers of the scholarship scheme will still adopt the same method used last year to ensure balance. This will help to secure the futures of intelligent students from poor backgrounds in our Education sector, that is underfunded.”

  • LAUTECH: Senator urges Assembly to be cautious

    LAUTECH: Senator urges Assembly to be cautious

    Senator Babajide Omoworare (Osun East), has warned the people fanning the embers of discord between Osun and Oyo States on the proposed sole ownership of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, by Oyo State government to desist from such action.

    He admonished Oyo State Assembly “not to be manipulated to act antithetical to its true political stature, lawmakers should act as statesmen in situations like this.”

    He described the call for drastic actions against indigenes of Osun State by some overzealous people as backward and uncalled for. He called on such persons or group to desist from any proposals capable of aggravating the situation if they lack creativity for a lasting solution to the impasse.

    Omoworare made this known while responding to Save Our Soul message from members of Staff of LAUTECH who are of Ife and Ijesa origin. In a statement by his Media Assistant, Tunde Dairo, the Senator lamented the current state of affairs as it affects LAUTECH and called on all hands to be on deck for a lasting solution.

    According to Omoworare, “but for the current economic hardship being confronted by Nigeria, Osun has been a responsible partner in the LAUTECH venture financially and otherwise despite being at the receiving end on the joint venture. It should be recalled that in 2010, Osun State paid monetisation arrears to a tune of N900 million while Oyo State has not paid a kobo till date.”

    He said, “LAUTECH is a commonwealth of Osun and Oyo states and we have jointly and equally funded the University for 25 years. The two states are proud owners and should continue to see LAUTECH as our success story. That Osun cannot meet its financial obligation for a year is not to say we are irresponsible.”

  • Artistes brace up for Senator Most Distinguished show

    Artistes brace up for Senator Most Distinguished show

    Artistes brace up for Senator Most Distinguished show

    Popular comedian, Bethel Njoku, better known as Senator, is set to take the comedy business into yet another height as he unveils the first edition of his show tagged Senator Most Distinguished.

    To be hosted by comedienne cum TV host Chigurl, Senator promised that lovers of comedy shows will be treated to yet another night of uncontrollable laughter, music and live performances.

    The artiste disclosed that all hands are currently on deck towards making the coming show a success, as expected guests will be thrilled to a fun filled night of oldies melodies by Under Pressure crooner, Raskimono, Mr President Crooner, African China and Ko Gbadun crooner, Nigga Raw.

    On why the show is tagged Senator Most Distinguished, he noted that he is the only senator of the comedy industry who has taken the brand to an enviable and international level making him a non-regular comic act with a distinguished brand name.

    Packaged by Bunmi Davies, the event is billed to hold, Saturday September 10, at Muson Center, Onikan.

    As part of the excitement, guests will be treated to a rib cracking experience and electrifying performance by top notch musical acts that includes Ali Baba, Gordons, Okey Bakassi, FunnyBone, Daniel the humorous, Omo Baba, chocolate city group’ acts MI, Ice Prince, Koker, Jesse Jags’, Sound Sultan, Yemi Alade, Falz, Bez and Skales.

  • Senator denies taking part in electoral crimes

    A member of the sixth Senate, Ayo Arise, has denied involvement in electoral crimes as alleged by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in its report on alleged indicted electoral offenders in the 2007 and 2011 general elections.

    Arise, who represented Ekiti North Senatorial District between June 2007 and June 2011 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), threatened to take legal action against the commission in a bid to clear his name and defend his integrity.

    The former senator, who spoke in a telephone chat with reporters yesterday, said he has instructed his lawyers to write NHRC, demanding a retraction of the report and publication of unreserved apology.

    Failure to publish the retraction, the former lawmaker said he would file an action against the agency.

    Arise, who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), wondered why the NHRC would turn in such a report without allowing him and others indicted to defend themselves.

    He said he was never indicted by the two tribunal judgments, which followed his election.

    The former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Privatisation said his election was certified by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and was never indicted of any offence by the electoral agency either at the tribunal or in its report.

    Arise said: “I have asked my attorney to write them for a retraction and apology. And if it fails to do that, I will institute a legal action against the commission because I cannot allow anybody to rubbish my reputation, which I have built over time.”

    Arise posited that he had always being a strong advocate of any process or reform that would strengthen the electoral system, cautioning that those saddled with the responsibility should not abused the privilege giving to them by rubbishing the reputations of innocent Nigerians.

    Reviewing what transpired in the 2007 election, Arise explained that his opponent had approached the court to challenge his victory and the appellate court, which was the highest for such cases, ordered a rerun election which he also won with wide margins.

  • Senator urges Ondo APC leaders to prevent defection

    Senator urges Ondo APC leaders to prevent defection

    THE Chairman of the Elders Forum of Ondo State All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Olorunnimbe Farukanmi, yesterday urged the party’s elders to ensure that no aspirant defect from the fold after the August 27 primary election.

    He appealed to the party’s national leadership to conduct a transparent primary that would be accepted by the aspirants after the exercise.

    Farukanmi spoke at a meeting organised by one of the aspirants, Chief Jamiu Ekungba, with the APC elders at the party’ssecretariat in Akure, the state capital.

    He stressed that the elders must begin to talk to the aspirants on the need to remain in the party and support whoever emerges as the party’s candidate.

    Farukanmi said the elders were ready to work and support any aspirant, who wins the party primary.

    His words: “There must be no crisis among aspirants. Elders must support anyone who emerges as the party’s candidate.

    “We must talk to all the aspirants on the need to remain in the party because we don’t want the government of PDP to continue in Ondo State.”

    Ekungba said the state needs a finance expert as a governor to clear the financial mess that would be left behind by the outgoing government.

    The aspirant, who is a chartered accountant, said he is fit to return the lost glory of the state.

    He vowed to establish age-friendly government that would give enough room to the youths and the elders.

  • Edo senator dumps PDP for APC

    Edo senator dumps PDP for APC

    The senator who represented Edo South in the Seventh National Assembly, Ehigie Uzamere, has dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    This was the second time Uzamere was defecting from the PDP to another party.

    He first was in 2010 to the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (CAN), to secure the party’s ticket for a second term in the Senate. But he returned to the PDP in 2014, after a disagreement with Governor Adams Oshiomhole over a Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) appointment.

    Uzamere joined the APC yesterday after the party’s chieftains in Edo South, led by the party’s State Secretary, Chief Osaro Idah, visited him.

    The politician, who announced his defection to the APC, said he left the PDP because of leadership crisis rocking the party.

    He said: “Apart from the fact that Oshiomhole has done well, the PDP today is tattered. As it is now, we don’t know who will be the candidate of the PDP in Edo State. I saw it coming when I resigned three months ago and I have been proved right. The PDP has two national chairmen, two governorship candidates. So, how will I convince my people to vote for a party enmeshed in crises? I have no great leaving the party. From the way it is now, it might not have a candidate…”

  • Senator, group reject Buhari’s NDDC nominees

    Senator, group reject Buhari’s NDDC nominees

    A senator representing Abia South, Eyinnaya Abaribe and a group in Ondo State, Ilaye Coastal Areas Development Association (ICACC) yesterday rejected the nomination of representatives of the states on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NNDC).

    The names were sent to the Senate last week by President Muhammadu Buhari for consideration and confirmation.

    The President, in a letter read last Thursday by Senate President Bukola Saraki, named Donatus Eyinnah as Abia State NDDC representative while Mr. Tokunbo Ajasin was named the representative of Ondo State.

    Abaribe said the appointment of a candidate out of the oil producing area was against the law.

    The senator noted that it was against the Act setting up the NDDC to nominate a state representative of the intervention agency from non-oil producing area of a state.

    He insisted that the President should replace the nominee with somebody from Ukwa West Local Government Area, which he said is the only oil producing area in Abia State.

    A member representing Ukwa West and Ukwa East Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Uzoma Abonta, also rejected Eyinnah’s nomination, saying it was against the law setting up NDDC.

    He said: “We have to learn to respect the law in a democratic regime, which has its foundation on the rule of law. Section 2(1b) of the NDDC Act clearly stipulates that those who would be nominated from the states must be indigenes of oil producing states. That is the law, and it cannot be circumvented.”

    The people of Ilaje Oil-Producing Area of Ondo State have also rejected Ajasin as the state’s nominee on the board of NDDC.

    A statement by the President and Secretary of Ilaje CoAstal Areas Development Association (ICACC), Prince Lawson Akintokun (JP) and Comrade Bode Asogbon said the nomination of Ajasin as Ondo State’s representative on the board of NDDC was an aberration.

    The statement reads: “The Ilaje Costal Areas Development Association on behalf of Oil Producing Areas Of the coastal communities of Ondo State wishes to express our displeasure over the inclusion of one Olatokunbo Ayotunde Ajasin from Owo as a member designate to represent Ondo state on the Board of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

    “Olatokunbo Ayotunde Ajasin is not from the oil producing area of Ondo state where the position is strictly reserved for in accordance with the provision of the Niger Delta Development Commission (Establishment etc) Act 2000 Act no 6 law of the federation of Nigeria.

    “Section 2 (1b) provides that ‘one person who shall be an indigene of an oil producing area to represent each of the nine oil producing states, that is, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross-River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo and Rivers’.

    “Therefore, as a peace loving people, we implore Mr. President to order the withdrawal of the list and replace Ajasin with a credible person from the oil producing coastal areas of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State. We also appeal to the Senate president Bukola Saraki and other distinguished members of the Senate to take note of this as it will amount to injustice to our people.”

  • Senator, group kick against NDDC nominees

    Senator, group kick against NDDC nominees

    Groups from Abia and Ondo states yesterday kicked against President Muhammadu Buhari’s nominees for appointment into the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NNDC).

    The names were sent to the Senate last week for confirmation.

    Buhari, in a letter read by Senate President Bukola Saraki, on Thursday, named Donatus Eyinnah as Abia State NDDC representative. Mr. Tokunbo Ajasin was named as representative for Ondo State.

    The Senator representing Abia South, Enyinnaya Abaribe, kicked against the nomination.

    Abaribe noted that the appointment of a candidate from a non- oil producing area of the state was against the law.

    Abaribe said it was against the Act setting up the NDDC to nominate a state representative of the NDDC from a non-oil producing area.

    He said the President should replace the nominee with somebody from Ukwa West Local Government which, he said, is the state’s only oil producing area.

    A member representing Ukwa West and Ukwa East in the House of Representatives, Uzoma Abonta, also rejected Eyinnah.

    Abonta also said the nomination was against the NDDC law.

    He said: “We have to learn to respect the law in a democratcy, which has its foundation on the rule of law. Section 2(1b) of the NDDC Act stipulates that those to be nominated from the states must be from oil producing areas. That is the law and it cannot be circumvented.”

    The people of Ilaje in Ondo State have also rejected their nominee on the board of NDDC.

    Ilaje Coastal Areas Development Association (ICACC), in a statement, by Prince Lawson Akintokun, president, and Secretary Comrade Bode Asogbon said Tokunbo Ajasin’s nomination was an aberration.

    The statement reads: The ICADA, on behalf of oil producing areas of  Ondo State expresses its displeasure at the inclusion of Olatokunbo Ayotunde Ajasin from Owo, as a member designate to represent Ondo on the Board NDDC.

    “Ajasin is not from the oil producing area of Ondo where the position is reserved for, in accordance with the Niger Delta Development Commission (Establishment etc) Act 2000 Act No 6 Law of the Federation of Nigeria.

    “Section 2 (1b) provides that “one person who shall be an indigene of an oil producing area to represent each of the nine oil producing states i.e. Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross-River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo and Rivers.

    “Therefore, as a peace-loving people, we implore Mr. President to order the withdrawal of the list and replace Ajasin with a credible person from the oil producing area of Ilaje in Ondo State. We appeal to the Senate president Bukola Saraki and other Senate members to take note of this as it will amount to injustice to our people.”

  • Senator urges peaceful coexistence

    Senator urges peaceful coexistence

    Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, representing Lagos West, has congratulated Muslim faithful on the successful conclusion of Ramadan.

    In an Eid-el-Fitri message to his Muslim constituents and Nigerians, Adeola prayed that Allah will answer their supplications as presented during Ramadan.

    He hoped that the spiritual lessons of Ramadan and the injunctions of the Holy Prophets for love, peaceful co-existence, fairness, justice and tolerance will continue in their daily lives.

    Senator Adeola called on Muslims to continue to pray for and renew their support for the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to succeed in addressing the problems confronting the country, adding that the country needs divine direction and intervention to surmount the challenges facing it.