The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Speaker

  • Governors, others honour Imo Speaker

    Governors, others honour Imo Speaker

    State governors, parliamentarians and other leaders were among dignitaries who honoured the Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Acho Ihim as he became president of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, African Region.

    The state governor Rochas Okorocha was there at the Imo International Convention Centre (IICC) where the reception was held for the new IICC president. So were governors Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), Aminu Bello Masari (Kastina) and former Senate President Ken Nnamani and other political and religious leaders.

    The Speaker, who had not been in the limelight of the state politics, was showered with encomiums, some describing his cordial relationship with the Executive as exemplary.

    He was praised for supporting and creating harmonious working relationship between the state governor and the legislators, which was cited as the reason for the monumental achievements recorded by the Okorocha’s administration.

    Another cause for joy for the Speaker, according to feelers, was that the highly successful reception may have added impetus to his alleged ambition of succeeding Okorocha as the state governor.

    Meanwhile, in their separate speeches, the three governors who graced the occasion submitted that a healthy collaboration between governors and legislators will speed up the growth of democracy in the country.

    They advised state governors to always work in harmony with the legislators, enjoining the executive the legislative arms of government to eschew undue suspicions.

    Governor Okorocha said, “Things are working well in the state because my government is working with a strong and patriotic parliamentarians, hence, the four-year rolling plan which the legislators in the state had okayed, which has helped the us to record monumental achievements to its credit”.

    Okorocha said, “My administration would not have recorded the volume of monumental achievements on ground to its credit without the cooperation and understanding of the members of the State House of Assembly”.

    He stated that the working relationship would continue to be strengthened.

    Governor Tambuwal stated that the parliament gives democracy the needed teeth.

    He noted that the success recorded in Imo state shows the cordial working relationship between the executive and the legislature.

    The Sokoto State governor advised the Speaker to sustain the virtues that brought him this far.

    He urged the governors to work closely with the legislature for the good of the people, adding that “the legislature is not all about making bills or being in fight or being in competition with the Executive but for checks and balances for a good democracy.”

    Governor Masari, who was the chairman of the event, in his speech, advised that governors should not see legislators as rivals, but  as partners in progress.

    Nnamani while highlighting the roles of the legislature, said that the bridge between autocracy and democracy is the budget, adding that speedy passage of the budget by the Imo legislature helped the government in delivering dividends of democracy and called for such relationship between other governors and their legislators.

    In his speech, the Speaker, expressed gratitude to Governor Okorocha and assured that he won’t fail in his new assignment.

    He noted that the continued support for the Governor by the lawmakers was in the best interest of the people of the state, adding that the existing cordial relationship between the Governor and the lawmakers will continue to be improved upon and sustained.

    Ihim insisted that a vibrant House is not the one that is endlessly engaged in a battle of supremacy with the Executive but the one that is focused on the responsibility of making legislations that will impact the lives of the people and the overall development of the state.

  • Speaker: Lagos ideal for investors

    Speaker: Lagos ideal for investors

    Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker Mudashiru Obasa has said the state is the best destination for foreign investors, particularly those from Germany, with its improving infrastructure and secured environment.

    Obasa spoke in his office at Alausa yesterday, when a delegation of German parliamentarians visited him.

    The Speaker told his visitors that the state, with its huge economic base, which is the fourth biggest in Africa, had the potential for socio-economic growth, an incentive for investors.

    “The state government, in collaboration with the Assembly, has improved the infrastructure in all nooks and crannies of the state.

    ‘’Enactment of the Neighbourhood Safety Corps Law has not only showed commitment of the government to make the state safe for investors but has also improved security in the state, especially at the grassroots level,” he said.

    He sought more collaboration from Germany, especially in the area of economic empowerment and social development.

    Leader of the delegation Charles M. Huber, who chairs the Parliamentary Group of the English and Portuguese-speaking states of West and Central Africa in the German Parliament, acknowledged the existing relationship between his country and Nigeria, with special emphasis on Lagos State.

  • Budget padding: Jibrin challenges suspension in fresh suit

    Budget padding: Jibrin challenges suspension in fresh suit

    …Seeks N1bn compensation

    Former Chairman, Appropriation Committee of the House of Representatives, Abdulmumin Jibrin has challenged his suspension from participating in the House’s activities for 180 days.

    The legislator, who was recently suspended following his disagreement with the House’s leadership over alleged fraudulent conduct, including padding of the last national budget, is seeking N1billion damages against the defendants in a fresh suit he filed before the Federal High Court, Abuja.

    Jibrin, in the suit with House Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, Clerk and others as defendants, wants the court to declare among others, that his suspension amounted to a violation of his fundamental human right to freedom of expression.

    He equally wants a declaration that the resolution passed by the House, suspending him, was in breach of the provisions of Section 68 of the 1999 Constitution.

    Jibrin wants an order of injunction restraining the House from preventing him from participating in its activities, including those of its Committees, or accessing the legislative chambers to perform his legislative duties.

    He seeks an order for the award of N1 billion against the defendants as punitive and general damages for his unlawful suspension.

    Justice John Tsosho, to who the case is assigned, has fixed hearing for November 22.

    Meanwhile, Jibrin withdrew yesterday, an earlier suit he filed before before his suspension.

    He had sought to restrain the House of Reps and its leadership from giving effect to the threat to suspend him.

    Friday, Jibrin’s lawyer, Chukwuma Nwachukwu applied to withdraw the earlier case on the ground that it has been overtaken by event.

    Although defendants’ lawyer, Kalu Onuoha demanded for cost from the plaintiff, Justice Tsoho struck out the suit, but declined Onuoha’s request for cost.

  • Kwara Gov, Speaker urge Nigerians to be patriotic

    Kwara Gov, Speaker urge Nigerians to be patriotic

    As Nigeria celebrates its 56 years of independence, Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed has urged Nigerians to demonstrate more patriotism, commitment and dedication to collective goals to overcome the current challenges in the country.

    Governor Ahmed said the economic situation in the country may make livelihood difficult at present, but if Nigerians join hands together, the country will surely and steadily bounce back to prosperity.

    He advised Nigerians to have confidence in the present administration as all things are being done to ensure that the days of economic recession are over in the shortest possible time.

    Gov Ahmed assured Kwarans that his government is committed to delivering the dividends of democracy to the people by embarking on infrastructural development as well as policies and programmes to meet the social and economic needs of the people.

    The Speaker of Kwara State House of Assembly, Dr. Ali Ahmad, urged every Nigerian to put aside their ethnic differences, religious or political affiliation in order to make the country work.

    In a statement, media aide to the speaker, Shuaib Abdulkadir, said “there is no

  • Ekiti deputy speaker, panel chair incur Fayose’s wrath

    Ekiti State House of Assembly Deputy Speaker Olusegun Adewumi and Information Committee Chairman Gboyega Aribisogan may have run into trouble for allegedly meeting with those perceived as an enemies of Governor Ayo Fayose, it was learnt yesterday.

    They were accused of meeting with Senator Buruji Kashamu,  former Ekiti State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Secretary Temitope Aluko,  Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, activist, lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) and a new entrant into Ekiti All Progressives Congress (APC) Yinka Akerele last Saturday in Lagos.

    Adewumi, who represents Ekiti West Constituency I, was said to have been impeached on Fayose’s alleged order at plenary and replaced with Ekundayo Akinleye representing Ijero Constituency

    Aribisogan, who represents Ikole Constituency I, was said to have been suspended at the session.

    The plenary was yet to hold by noon  when reporters visited the assembly, but the lawmakers led by Speaker Kola Oluwawole, were said to be meeting with Fayose at press time.

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti is polarised. The faction loyal to Fayose has Gboyega Oguntuase as chairman; the other faction loyal to Kashamu is led by Williams Ajayi.

    Fayose and Kashamu, who used to be allies are now battling for PDP soul in the Southwest.

    Adewumi could not be reached for comment but Aribisogan denied being suspended.

    Aribisogan, who spoke on phone, claimed that he was in Abuja. He said he had not committed any offence to warrant suspension.

    Speaker Oluwawole debunked insinuations of a leadership crisis in the Assembly, saying whatever might have happened at plenary was a “family affair.”

    Oluwawole said: “Nothing of such happened. I am not aware of any impeachment or suspension plot. The Deputy Speaker is still there as my deputy.

  • Dogara involved in money laundering, Jibrin alleges

    Dogara involved in money laundering, Jibrin alleges

    The ousted Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Abdulmumin Jibrin (APC, Kano ) has alleged the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara to have been involved in cases of money laundering since his (Dogara) Chairmanship of House Services Committee.

    Dogara was House Services Committee Chairman in the 6th and 7th House of Representatives while Jibrin, as a first timer was Finance Committee Chairman in the 7th House.

    Jibrin, in a statement yesterday also alleged the Speaker to have been involved in the car purchase scandals in the House .

    Dogara was Chairman, House Services Committee during the N2.3b car purchase scandal in the 6th House.

    Jibrin, who accused the Speaker  of not distributing the internal budget of the House to any member, said, “He operates the budget in secrecy and no member has a copy

    “Speaker Dogara has supervised the mismanagement of finances of the House through wasteful award of contracts on items already in members offices

    “Speaker Dogara introduced to members a fraudulent mortgage system in the House and proposed illegal deduction from members running costs

    “Speaker Dogara supervised the scandalous car purchase contract in the 7th Assembly where huge sums of money in bribe was alleged

    “Speaker Dogara was involved as Chairman House services in all cases of money laundering associated with the House since 2007.

    “Speaker Dogara in a clear case of conflict of interest has used his office to facilitate loans from an MDA and arrange “private” meetings with MDA’s.”

  • Drama as union suspends, reinstates Speaker

    Drama as union suspends, reinstates Speaker

    A drama played out at the 10th plenary of the legislative arm of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA) Students’ Union Government (SUG). Its Speaker, Olakunle Balogun, was suspended for alleged misconduct. Ten days after, the Speaker was reinstated, report YOMI AYELESO (400-Level Business Administration) and SOLOMON ODENIYI (400-Level Mass Communication). 

    The 10th plenary session of the legislative arm of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA) Students’ Union Government (SUG) started as a serious business, but ended with drama. Penultimate Monday, members of the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) converged for a meeting. But the conduct of the Speaker, Olakunle Balogun, rattled his colleagues, who moved a motion for his indefinite suspension.

    The SRC members said Olakunle walked out on them to attend another meeting when important issues were to be discussed. It was learnt that the Speaker called for an adjournment, but the motion was not properly moved. As the Speaker walked out, members moved a motion to suspend him.

    In a statement, the Clerk, Christopher Arowolo, said, the Speaker failed to discharge his official duties. This, he said, was contrary to Section 42 (11) and Article VI of the union constitution, which states: “Speaker shall perform all duties incidental to his office.”

    Olakunle was said to have walked out during the sitting when issues concerning the welfare of students were being discussed. Members also accused the Speaker of using the name of the union to solicit financial help without the knowledge of the SRC.

    Christopher said: “The Speaker has also failed to convene the number of statutory sittings per semester. All these amount to gross misconduct. The Speaker has, therefore, been directed to hand over all union documents and property at his disposal to his deputy.”

    CAMPUSLIFE learnt that 13 members supported the suspension of the Speaker, while eight moved against it. Three senators were undecided.

    The Deputy Speaker, Emmanuel Akinrele, confirmed that the embattled Speaker “stormed out” of the plenary. He said: “The Speaker, from the outset, has been diligent. Members are not happy with the way he walked out of the sitting, while pressing issues were being discussed. They have punished him by suspending him and the suspension is indefinite. It may last till tomorrow, next week or next month.”

    According to the member representing the Male Hall of Residence, Toyeeb Ayobami, the Speaker was frustrated by the pressure mounted on him by members, but said Olakunle should have been patient.

    He said: “There has been lingering disagreement s between the Speaker and members, because when important issues are being discussed, it is either the Speaker doesn’t give enough time for members to speak or he adjourns sittings. The last sitting was scheduled to take place before Monday, but the Speaker refused to call for the sitting. This made members to write an open letter to him. The constitution stipulates punishment for anyone who goes contrary to its provision, and that is what we have done.”

    Olawale Fayemiro, representing Faculty of Education, said the decision to suspend the Speaker was taken by the majority.

    He said: “The suspension of the Speaker is an eye opener for all students to demand accountability from their leaders. It shows that one man cannot hold the whole house to ransom. SRC is an arm of the union known for its decency, vibrancy and uprightness. The suspension is the voice of majority of SRC members.”

    Effort by the embattled Speaker to challenge his suspension at the Students’ Judicial Council (SJC) was unsuccessful as the court struck out his case for lack of merit.

    The development took dramatic turn 10 days after, as Olakunle was reinstated. The Speaker was said to have written an apology letter to his colleagues, promising not to walk out on them again.

    The Vice Chairman, House Committee on Publicity, Solomon Odeniyi, confirmed the reinstatement of the Speaker.

    He said the suspension divided members and affected activities of the parliament. Solomon also confirmed that the Speaker wrote an apology letter to members, but declined to reveal the content of the letter.

    He said: “The House has forgiven the Speaker. As humans, we all make blunders. When we feel remorseful about our mistakes and apologise, we should be forgiven. This is what we have done. The Speaker realised his mistakes after taking us to court. We realised and saw that the suspension had divided the House. We felt this is not good. So, we accepted the Speaker’s apology and he has been reinstated.”

    Olakunle neither denied nor confirmed the allegations against him. He said he would not want to say anything to disrupt the peace process.

    He said: “You will recall that I challenged my suspension in the union court, but my counsel decided to settle out of court through Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) for unity of the House. I have apologised to my colleagues. We are back as one indivisible family and we are poised to carry out our duties to students.”

  • Padding: Lawmakers received $25,000 each for vote of confidence – Jibrin

    Padding: Lawmakers received $25,000 each for vote of confidence – Jibrin

    ….. Its tales by moonlight – Zakari Mohammed

    The budget paddings scandal took yet another turn Wednesday as the former Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin accused the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara of bribing some members with 25,000 dollars each.

    According to Jibrin, the alleged sum was for the selected members to sign a vote of confidence for the speaker and three other accused principal officers.

    The lawmaker made the allegation in a statement issued to journalists yesterday in Abuja, saying members of the House of Representatives were given 25,000 dollars to sign a register opened at the Speakers Asokoro guest house.

    He further states: “This disgraceful act is coordinated by Hon. Zakari Mohammed, Hon. Jagaba Adams Jagaba and DCOS to Mr Speaker Hon. CID Maduabum.

    “It is a shame that Mr. Speaker has not responded to any of the allegations raised against him but has resorted to look for fraudulent cover

    “My stand is that the corrupt Speaker Dogara, Lasun, Doguwa and Ogor must listen to Nigerians, reconvene the house immediately and step aside.

    “Investigation by anti-graft agencies is already on and I pledge to support the investigation and prosecution of these corrupt public officers, “he said.

    However, in a swift reaction to the allegation, one of the lawmakers accused of distributing the money, Hon. Zakari Mohammed in a tweet quickly debunked the allegation.

    He said: “My attention has been drawn to yet another tweet by the former chairman appropriation committee, Hon Abdulmumin Jibrin saying that I and others were distributing $25,000 to each member of the House, to generate signatures for speaker Dogara’s vote of confidence, “I want to state that the accusation is not only untrue but it is another tales by moonlight to hoodwink Nigerians to malign my image.

    “Fellow countrymen please disregard this cheap blackmail aimed at playing to the gallery, I challenge Mr. Jibrin to name at least 10 members or less who benefitted from the bribe.

    “My advice to Mr. Jibrin is that he should stop the mudslinging of my person and concentrate on licking his self-inflicted wounds.”

  • ‘Speaker backs padding of budget in secret location’

    ‘Speaker backs padding of budget in secret location’

    Former House of Representatives Appropriation Committee chairman  Abdulmumin Jibrin, has alleged that the padding of the 2016 budget with N40 billion was done at a secret location with the backing of Speaker Yakubu Dogara and three principal officers.

    Jibrin, who gave more details on the development in a statement last night, said the allegation of padding was not against the entire members of the House but the four principal officers.

    Apart from the Speaker, he listed the other principal officers as Deputy Speaker Yusuff Lasun, House Whip Alhassan  Ado Doguwa and Minority Leader Leo Ogor.

    All of them have washed their hands off the matter, saying Jubrin is muck raking after putting himself in trouble.

    But Jubrin insists the principal officers were involved and that he needed his colleagues to listen to his side of the story and set up a panel to probe the matter.

    Jibrin, who said he had to bear the bashing arising from the padding, said 10 Committee chairmen were also involved in injecting N284b into the budget with 2000 fictitious projects.

    He said unknown his colleagues, his inability to intimate the entire House about the Budget matter was well planned and executed by Dogara and the others.

    He said: “During the budget period, when they discovered that I was not the kind of a person they could use to perpetrate their illegality, Mr. Speaker and the three other principal officers took away the entire Appropriation Committee secretariat to a secret location where all sort of insertions were made into the budget.

    “The blackmail has always been, Abdul people will laugh at you if anything goes wrong between you and Dogara because of the lead role you played and the many toes you stepped on to get him elected.

    “It’s been a painful experience. Again the secretariat was taken away from me on Speaker Dogara’s instruction for the second time to a location I don’t know and all sort of insertions into the budgets were made and returned to me for signature.

    “I said over my dead body! It was a massive crisis behind the scene until the early morning of the Friday that Mr President assented the budget.

    “It was Sen Danjuma Goje that brokered a compromise that since the Deputy Speaker leads the Harmonisation Committee, he should also sign such that the Harmonisation Committee will share responsibility with us.

    “Senator Goje pleaded with me so hard all night and later shouted heavily on me, reminding me that he is not talking to me as a Senator but as a father. I cried heavily all night.

    “When the budget Harmonisation Committee headed by Deputy Speaker Yusuf Lasun gave out 80 per cent concession across board to the executive demands during the harmonisation negotiation, it was agreed that the remaining 20 per cent should go to the entire NASS.

    “The Deputy Speaker excused himself that he wanted to go and consult with Mr. Speaker. He came back after few hours and in an unprecedented display of greed, presented to me a hand written note distributing the remaining 20 per cent to only principal officers.

    “70 per cent of the 20 per cent was reserved for Mr. Speaker and himself while the remaining 30 per cent of the 20 per cent goes to other principal officers.

    “I am sure he will recognise the handwriting when he sees it. My colleagues didn’t know all of these.

    “Mr Speaker also directed me to create what I advised him will be a controversial line item under Service Wide Vote to introduce about N20 billion project using the name of NASS.

    “He directed me to see a highly-placed PDP politician, which I did and collected the documents. I advised him repeatedly against it but he kept pressuring me until I bluntly told him I will not!

    “When the Appropriation Committee received all the budget reports from standing committees, an analysis was conducted. We discovered that about 10 only out of the 96 Standing Committees of the House introduced about 2,000 (two thousand) projects without the knowledge of their committee members amounting to about N284, 000, 000, 000 ( Two hundred and eighty four billion).

    “I was alarmed. But I was cautious because at our pre-budget meeting with the committee chairmen, I was clearly warned not to touch their budgets. I reported the matter to the speaker. He did nothing about it obviously because he was working behind the scene with the committee chairmen.

    “That was the beginning of the whole budget problem from the side of House and the whole exercise had to go through several versions before it was passed.

    “So, is it Abdul that introduced 2000 projects into budget worth N284billion? But I quietly bore the pain and abuses from all over the country and continued to defend the committee’s inputs as a show of loyalty to the institution I represent which I so much love and still have many great minds in there.

    “Apart from Chairman Agriculture Hon Mongunu who owned up and explained his inputs at the only executive session I was allowed to attend, the other chairmen who loaded the budget kept quiet and watched me bashed from every angle by angry Nigerians.”

    Jibrin also defended himself when accused of keeping silence on the matter before things went sour among the principal actors, saying: “Many members of the House and Nigerians will be shocked to know that there has never been good times between myself and Speaker Dogara.

    “It took few weeks after his election as Speaker for me to realise I never really knew him well. I was hasty to judge him by his innocent looking personality.

    “When you see a house you sacrificed everything to build is falling apart and the driver believes he is firmly in charge because he has eight votes advantage, you are left with no choice than to tie your seat belt for obvious eventuality. I must admit I made an error of judgement.

    “I don’t know to whom and from where I will start apologising for not heeding to wise counsel. There is nothing I am saying now that I have not discussed or warned Speaker Dogara on the few occasions that I sought and got private audience with him.

  • ‘No plan to impeach Oyo Speaker’

    The Chief Whip of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Akimoyede Olafisoye, has debunked the rumour that lawmakers are planning to impeach the Speaker, Michael Adeyemo, for incompetence.

    Akinmoyede said though three parties are represented in the House, they are working as one.

    He added that the lawmakers are aware of the current national financial difficulties which made it difficult for states to pay  salaries.

    Calling on the public to pray for Nigeria, Olafisoye said the Assembly will work together with the government to ensure prompt payment of salaries.

    He urged Nigerians to be patient as the policies of President Muhammadu Buhari will favour the masses at the end.

    “Nigerians should support and pray for the President because we will all be living witness to the improvement that will come to the country soon,” he said.