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Tag: Yakubu Dogara

Reconstitute Investment and Securities Tribunal, Reps tell FG

The House of Representatives Wednesday urged the Federal Government to expedite action on the reconstitution of the Investment and Securities Tribunal membership.

The House also mandated its committee on Capital Markets and Institutions to liaise with the Federal Ministry of Finance and other relevant MDAs with a view to working out short term solutions that will enable the Investment and Securities Tribunal function before the reconstitution of its membership.

The resolution of the House was sequel to the passage of a motion by a member, Tajudeen Yusuf with the title: “Need for the immediate reconstitution of the Investment and Securities Tribunal.”

The lawmaker, while presenting the motion noted that following the dissolution of Ministries Departments and Agencies by the Federal Government on 16 July, 2015 through a circular from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Investment and Securities Tribunal has not been able to sit to adjudicate issues that bother on the Capital Market.

He further stated: “Concerted efforts to make the federal government realize the strategic importance of the tribunal to the national economy, and therefore the need for reconstitution of its membership and reiterate its status as a civil court and not a board, has yielded no positive results.”

He expressed concern that in the last eighteen months of the non- reconstitution of the Tribunal, the case docket has grown with about 51 pending cases.

“Prior to the dissolution of the Tribunal, it had from inception in 2007 adjudicated on matters with a cumulative monetary value of about N400 billion, which had gone a long way in stabilizing the market and the economy.

“The continued non- reconstitution of the membership of the Tribunal is grossly affecting its role as the Capital Market Adjudicator through which disputes are resolved.”

Yusuf said the non- reconstitution has impugned on the credibility of the Tribunal as Capital Market stakeholders now doubt its relevance and investors’ confidence is gradually being eroded.

“Due to the unfortunate situation, while many litigants are getting restive and frustrated as they cannot find any lawful avenue to ventilate their grievances, some are mooting the idea of self- help, which is inimical to the health of the Capital Market and national economy.

“The Federal Government does not realize that for the Capital Market to play its role as the alternative source for long term capital amidst dwindling oil revenue and comic recession, there is urgent need to strengthen the Investment and Securities Tribunal,” he said.

When the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara called for a voice vote on the motion, it was passed with no dissent.

March 15, 2017
Saraki, Dogara update Buhari on NASS activities

The leadership of the National Assembly, led by Senate President Bukola Saraki, on Tuesday briefed President Muhammadu Buhari on the activities of the National Assembly while he was away in London.

Speaking after the closed door meeting with the president, Saraki, who was accompanied by the Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara, said they were delighted that the president was back in his office.

According to Saraki, “The president met with us. We were there for over 40 minutes. I was not talking to myself. So, you know he was responding.

“We were engaging. He engaged us very well. We discussed issues of national interest, we are well happy to see him back, he is back at the office, and he is doing his work.

“Budget is ongoing. The economy, things that we passed in his absence including the (Chief Justice of the Nigeria) CJN issue; issue to do with the Eurobond.

“Just general issues that are pending and some other issues like the ambassadorial nominees, stability in the Niger Delta – a lot range of issues we covered in the short period of time,’’ he said.

On the 2017 budget proposal, Saraki said that it would be passed before the end of March.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that on Dec. 14, 2016, Buhari presented a budget of N7.30 trillion for 2017 before a joint session of the National Assembly.

Also, Dogara pledged that the National Assembly would continue to collaborate with the presidency to achieve the desired goal of uplifting the quality of life of all Nigerians.

Dogara added, “We expect to cooperate more than we fight in the interest of our people to ensure that there is progress. It is one government, there is no division.

“If he (President Buhari) fails we all failed.

“So, it is in realisation of this that we always extend the needed support to ensure that he succeeds so that our government will be rated as a successful one,” he said.

March 14, 2017
Women’s Day: Dogara urges more women participation in politics

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara has called for more women participation in politics to enable them to contribute meaningfully to the development of the country.

Dogara made the call on Wednesday in Abuja to mark the 2017 International Women’s Day.

The speaker also pledged to be bold for change, adding that it was in line with the theme for 2017 celebration.

He stressed the importance of women inclusion in all fields of endeavour in the country, saying that anything short of that was unhealthy for nation building.

According to him, a status quo that relegates women to the background is unhealthy for national development.

“Women make up approximately half of the Nigerian population, and it is extremely important that an environment that brings out the best in them and enables them to reach their full potential is provided.

“We can’t have half of our people unable to attain their goals or contribute meaningfully to the economy and expect development.

“The House of Representatives have a history of placing women in strategic positions culminating in the election of the first female Speaker of the House of Representatives in Nigeria.

“We have continued this tradition of Gender parity in the 8th House by placing our female colleagues in strategic positions of leadership in the House.’’

The speaker stressed the need to invest in girl-child education to bridge the gap in the school enrolment statistics.

According to him, Nigeria as a country must invest heavily on the girl-child education as a means of bridging the gap in school enrolment statistics between boys and girls and disparity in literacy levels.

“No child should be left behind in our society. We must resolve to do away with all laws and practices that encourage violence against women in our society.

“Gender should not restrict the dreams and aspirations of millions of our daughters, so we all must be bold for change and support the women around us to achieve their goals and maximise their potentials and talents.

“Recent studies show that Nigerian women are some of the best entrepreneurs in the world.

“As a nation, we must enact and implement laws and policies to further nurture this entrepreneurial spirit and empower our women,’’ he said.

Dogara, therefore, urged his colleagues to be bold for change to support, respect, desist from and speak against all actions that endangered women.

The theme of this year’s celebration is “Be Bold for Change’’.

It is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women International Women’s Day (IWD), which has been observed since the early 1900’s.

The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.

March 8, 2017
Budget: Dogara issues deadline for Eurobond, Committee reports

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara Wednesday issued an ultimatum for the submission of reports on the request of the Federal Government for a resolution of the National Assembly for the issuance of USD 500 million Eurobond in the International Capital Market for the funding of the 2016 budget deficit.

Speaking Wednesday’s plenary, Dogara said the House Committee on Aids, Loans & Debt Management should submit the report on the USD 500 million Eurobond request by Tuesday, 7th, March to enable members’ debate and if necessary adopt its recommendations.

The committee is headed by Olayinka Ajayi (APC Osun).

Recall that the Federal Government recently requested for a resolution of the National Assembly for the issuance of USD 500 million Eurobond in the International Capital Market for the funding of the 2016 budget deficit.

The request was contained in a letter signed by the Acting President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and addressed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara.

According to the FG’s letter, in line with the requirement of securities issuances in the ICM, a specific Resolution of the National Assembly is required as a firm confirmation of the approval of the Legislature for the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) to borrow the USD 500 million through the issuance of a Eurobond Debt Instrument in the ICM.

Also, the Speaker at plenary yesterday announced a 3rd March (tomorrow) deadline for the reports from standing committees of the House on the 2017 budget Defence sessions held with Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

The Green Chamber had earlier announced a 24th February deadline for the submission of the reports on budgets from the various standing committees. However, many of the committees could not meet the deadline.

The House had twice suspended plenary to allow committees have robust budget Defence sessions with the MDAs under their supervision, with the hope that they would also have adequate time to prepare and submit their reports.

The budget session reports which were meant to be submitted to the House Committee on Appropriations, According to the Speaker, Is holding up further deliberations and forward movement in the consideration of the 2017 budget

March 1, 2017
Reps seek development of satellite towns in FCT

Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on FCT Area Councils and Ancillary matters Zaphaniah Jisalo, has said there is an urgent need to develop the satellite towns in the Federal Capital Territory.

The lawmaker who made the pronouncement during a public hearing on a “Bill for an Act to provide the establishment of Satellite Towns Development Agency also reiterated commitment of the National Assembly to ensuring accelerated development of satellite towns in the Federal Capital Territory.

Another bills considered: a Bill that seeks to create a proper administrative and Political Structure for the Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, (FCT), seeks to set up an agency with the responsibility of satellite towns and other related matters

However, members of the committee were not happy with the FCT Minister, Mallam Musa Bello, for not coming in person.

The Minister’s representative the Permanent Secretary FCTA, Mr Babatope Ajakaiye, told the committee that the they got the notice for the hearing late.

He however incurred the wrath of the members when he said he would have to consult with the president to get approval in order to contribute to the bill.

His words: “Given the beauracratic process of government, we are unable to contribute to the bill.”

But members insisted the hearing would go on in the absence of the minister.

Nkem Abonta while decrying the Minister’s absence said: “the minister’s message to the committee over this hearing is not excusable, we will still go on with this hearing whether FCTA is in support of it or not.”

Jones Onyereri, another member of the committee, was of the same opinion: “It is important for the FCTA to give their input whether in support or not, for you to back out of this hearing without making your own input can end up affecting the FCTA.

“We will go on with the hearing and the bill will go through,” he said.

Another member, Aisha Duku said the FCT was loosing a lot of revenue due to poor administration, and that the minister alone cannot determine what the masses want.

Jisalo in his ruling said the committee will not be deterred by the unpreparedness of the minister.

His words: “This is a people’s parliament where everyone lend their voice, I am not pleased with the minister’s comment, you can’t be taking money and cannot account for that money.

“We are trying to put a law to make sure this money you are collecting is
accounted for.”

In his opening speech, the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara who was represented by Pally Iriase, the Deputy Chief Whip of the House, said the bills when passed will ensure that area councils in the FCT were politically and administratively provided for.

He said as major organ of development in the FCT, the absence of an enabling law had always created constraints in operations and output of Satellite towns.

February 16, 2017
Osinbajo, Saraki, Dogara meet in Aso Rock

The Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, on Thursday met behind closed doors with the leadership of the National Assembly at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

At the meeting were the Senate President, Bukola Saraki; and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara.

The duo had held similar meeting with Osinbajo on Tuesday.

Speaking with State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, Saraki said that the Thursday meeting was centered on Nigeria’s troops deployed in The Gambia.

“The Acting President was briefing us on our trip to The Gambia and what the situation is. He told us that the Navy and the Air Force will be coming back and that it is likely some troops will be left behind,” he stated.

He had disclosed that the Tuesday’s meeting had discussed the state of the economy and the 2017 Appropriation Bill currently before the National Assembly.

February 2, 2017
N600m rent allegation: Senate clears Saraki, Dogara, others
- Senate to seek review of Senate President’s building contract
The Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Thursday said that presiding officers of the National Assembly did not receive any rent from the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).
The committee also said that the Senate would demand the review of the contract for the building of the residences of the Senate President and Speaker House of the House of Representatives.
Chairman of the committee, Senator Dino Melaye at a media briefing in Abuja said that the review of the contract sum of the building became necessary due to the discovery of what he called “skyrocketed and over inflated contract prices.”
Melaye said that the clarification of the “erroneous impression” that the National Assembly leadership collected over N600 million rent from the FCDA became imperative following a “false report by an online medium to that effect.”
The Kogi West Senator noted that it is on record that the National Assembly leadership does not collect rent from the FCDA.
Melaye said: “Our attention has been drawn to a story in an online medium, where a sponsored group called Citizen Action to Take Back Nigeria (CATBAN). Obviously, one of this briefcase Civil Society Group that are not registered even by law in the Federal Republic of Nigeria and hurriedly packaged to do assassin jobs on the social media.
“This fake briefcase NGO called CATBAN claimed that the president of the Senate, the speaker and their deputies are using Federal Capital Development Authority to collect some amount of money as rent for their accommodation.
“We want to state clearly that the four presiding officers of the National Assembly do not collect any money for rent, furniture and renovation from the FCDA or any federal government agency for that matter.
“I as the chairman of the Senate committee on FCT, I put my integrity on test to say that no kobo was collected by any of the presiding officers from the FCDA and those who know how government bureaucracy works know it is practically impossible for any of the presiding officers to collect money directly from the FCDA.
“It should be noted that while senators Bukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu as well as Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara and Lasun Yusuff are entitled to well furnished official accommodation by virtue of their positions just like the president, the vice president and the Chief Justice of Nigeria, they all live in their private residences.
“They even insisted last year if you recall that the president of the Nigerian Senate insisted last year that the N10 billion which the FCDA put in the 2016 budget for the completion of the official residencies of the Senate President and speaker be removed from the budget to save cost in reflection of the mood of the nation and that money was removed from the budget because Nigeria is in recession, they sacrificed their own personal comfort for the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“It should be noted that this same group CATBAN on January 3rd, 2017 held a press conference where it cleared Mr Babachir Lawal, SGF who had been indicted by the senate for corruption in the award of contracts and utilisation of funds meant for the northeast humanitarian crisis.
“Therefore, the same NGO that held a press conference and their name came into limelight for the first time on the 3rd of January is the same NGO now that is speaking trying effortlessly to indict the leadership of the National Assembly, therefore, we know where this is coming from.
“We advise the sponsors of the group who are holding on to straw as they are drowning in the six pole of their corrupt practices to always check their information very well as they got it wrong this time.
“I also want to use this opportunity to call on fake NGOs like this who propagate falsehood and lies all over the social media to advise themselves and do the right thing and I do expect that intelligence group before coming to the public will carry out even if they are been fed with lies.
“I expect them to process this lies and check the veracity or otherwise of it before jumping into conclusion.
“I challenge this group to provide evidence in terms of transfers or how in any manner any presiding officers have benefited financially from the FCDA.
“I say it is a lie, it is not true, it is malicious, it is fallacious, it’s baseless and totally untrue.”
On the review of the contract sum of building the Senate President residence, Melaye noted that as “Chairman of the committee, even if the Senate President had not asked that the money is removed from the budget we would have stopped it.”
Melaye said that his committee went on oversight to the buildings and discovered that the contract was inflated.
He said: “As I speak to you, the mosque that is occupying less than 100 square meters that are meant to be the prayer place for the Senate President and deputy senate president’s residence and even the Vice President’s residence was awarded for over N200million. And it is a three bedroom boys quarters less structure.
“The gatehouse of the Vice President’s residence was also awarded at over N250million. We are going to call for a review of that contract and Julius Berger said they are going to build a concrete building.
“I went there with a hammer and I hit the wall and I saw block. So, that investigation is ongoing. And we want to make sure that government is not being raped and shortchanged. So we are definitely going to call for a review of the contract because this is a rape of the taxpayers’ money.”
February 2, 2017
Osinbajo, Saraki, Dogara meet over economy

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday met behind closed-door with the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The meeting was over the economy and the 2017 Budget presently before the National Assembly.

Speaking with the State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, Saraki said that the meeting was purely a consultation.

“We are meeting on the economy and the budget, myself, the Vice President and the Speaker, minister of budget and minister of finance.

“We are aware that the economic team will soon be going on a road show and just to brief us and let us know the issues and just carry us along.

“We have just started the budget defence so there are no issues, these are just consultations,” Saraki stated.

January 31, 2017
Igbos should forget presidency in 2019 – Okorocha

Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, on Monday urged his people in the South East geopolitical zone to forget producing the next President of Nigeria in the year 2019.

He made the remark while speaking with State House correspondents after meeting Acting President Yemi Osinbajo along with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

According to him, all Nigerians should support President Muhammadu Buhari for four or eight years tenure in line with the zoning arrangement.

He said: “What I do know is that Ndiigbo should talk about the presidency after President Muhammadu Buhari. I think we should support this government. President Muhammadu Buhari has a tenure to work for, four years or eight years according to the zoning arrangement and everybody should follow the zoning although I am not an advocate of zoning.

He maintained that the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a party is strong in the South East.

He added: “We are trying to rebuild the party and redefine leadership so there will be no confusion. As to whether the APC in the South East is in disarray as the case has always been, we want to have a united party in the South East.

“We are hopeful from all discussions that about two governors will be joining us in the South East to strengthen the party. Right now, we have agreed that Senator Ken Nnamani should take a lead of the party in the South East to enable us have a common understanding along with other leaders like Chief Jim Nwobodo.”

On the denial that three governors in the South-East will join APC, he said: “I don’t think it is true, but if it is true it is probably because it is not time. It could be because I spoke when they were not yet ready.”

Also speaking on the insinuations that he (Rochas) is not worth to be the political leader that the South East should follow, he said: “Leadership is not in question, we have agreed that Ken Nnamdi should lead. So, it is not about Rochas Okorocha, I am a governor.”

January 30, 2017
Reps to IGP: Pay entitlement of 3000 dead policemen

The House of Representatives has expressed concern over the non-payment of the entitlements of three thousand policemen who died in active service to their dependent relatives.

Subsequently, the House has called on the Police Service Commission and the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris to investigate the matter with a view of ensuring the payment of the entitlements within the shortest possible time.

The Green Chamber also mandated its committee on Police Affairs to ensure implementation of the resolution and report back to the House within four weeks for further legislative action.

The resolution of the House was sequel to the passage of a motion by a member, Oghene Emma Egoh (PDP Lagos)

The lawmaker, while moving the motion, said there was a recent revelation by the Nigeria Police Force that the entitlement of over three thousand police personnel who died in active service over the years have not been paid to their dependent relatives.

He noted that “the dependent relatives of the deceased personnel have been suffering immense hardships as a result of the non-payment of the entitlements leading to their inability to pay their rents and school fees of their children.”

The lawmaker also said the non-payment has engendered the difficulties in feeding and providing for other necessities of life in the face of the harsh economic situation in the country.

Egoh said the non-payment of the entitlement of the personnel who died in the line of duty is demoralising on those still in active service and who are ready to put their lives on the line to protect lives and property of fellow citizens.

The motion was passed when the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara called for a voice vote and subsequently referred to the House Committee on Police Affairs.

January 18, 2017