Executive
Senator Lawan: National Assembly won’t tolerate disrespect from presidential appointees again
The President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, on Monday, said the federal lawmakers would no longer tolerate appointees of President Muhammadu Buhari, abusing the National Assembly. He said the President himself had made it clear that he would not tolerate such. Lawan spoke with State House correspondents shortly after Buhari inaugurated the Executive, Legislative Party Consultative Committee at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja. He said, “I believe that should be the end of it (appointees knocking heads with legislature). We believe that we should work together. “Mr President made it very clear that he is not going to tolerate any of his appointees doing things that are not respectable, things that have no dignity to the National Assembly. “For us in the National Assembly, ...
Senator Lawan: Nobody is above scrutiny of the National Assembly
President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has said that nobody is above the scrutiny of the National Assembly. Lawan stated this in his closing remarks moments before the Upper Chamber adjourned plenary till September 15, 2020. Speaking on the gains of a harmonious working relationship between the Legislature and the Executive arm of Government, the Senate President advised appointees of the President against needless confrontation with the Committees of the National Assembly. According to him, engagements with Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government by the Committees of the National Assembly are carried out to serve public interest and in accordance with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution as amended. “As for what has been happening recently, let me take this opportunity to adv...
President Buhari reads riot act to ministers, MDAs over discord with National Assembly
President Muhammadu Buhari has read the riot act to ministers, ministries, departments and agencies, warning that any disrespect to the National Assembly will not be tolerated. According to a statement by Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, Buhari issued the warning after meeting Senate President Senator Ahmed Lawan and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila at the State House, Abuja. Garba said the meeting, which lasted for almost an hour, was characterized by an engaging discussion on a range of key issues of National importance particularly the role of the Legislature as a critical component in supporting their common goal and commitment towards improving the lives of the people of Nigeria. The statement read in part: “In the course of their...
774,000 jobs: National Assembly can’t suspend selection process – minister
The Minister of State for Labour, Festus Keyamo (SAN), says members of the National Assembly cannot stop the selection process of the 774,000 Special Public Works Programme jobs. He stated that the Joint Committees on Labour of both the Senate and the House tried to “control the programme as to who gets what, where and how”. The minister insisted that he would not surrender the programme to the lawmakers’ control “since their powers under the constitution does not extend to that”. He, therefore, directed the state selection committees to proceed with the recruitment process. Keyamo, in a statement issued after his meeting with the NASS committee ended in a fiasco on Tuesday, said, “There was a misunderstanding between us when they questioned why I did not privately submit the programme to ...
NiDCOM chief congratulates Benedict Oramah on his re-appointment as Afreximbank president
The Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has congratulated Prof. Benedict Oramah on his re-appointment as President, African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) for a second term in office. The NiDCOM chair expressed the felicitations in a statement by Mr Gabriel Odu of the Media, Public Relations and Protocol Unit of the commission on Tuesday. The NiDCOM chief said that Oramah’s “enormous contributions to the growth and development of the bank and the huge successes attained during his first tenure” testified to his re-appointment. She, therefore, urged Oramah, as a Nigerian in diaspora, to woo more diaspora investors to invest in the continent particularly Nigerian diasporas and to continue on his quest to better prepare the African continent to c...
Governor Wike: Some Rivers coronavirus cases recorded in hotels
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has stated that the State Security Council takes all decisions regarding the management of COVID-19 in the state. Wike, who stated this on Tuesday when the executive members of the Nigeria Hotel Association, Rivers State Chapter, paid him a courtesy visit, noted that all decisions taken by the state government were for the overall good and interest of Rivers people. According to him, no right-thinking government will deliberately make decisions that will negatively affect the lives of the people. “I don’t take decisions alone in the fight against COVID-19. All decisions are taken by the State Security Council and they are for the overall interest of Rivers people. “You know people applaud government decisions when it suits them but when it does not favou...
National Assembly leadership meets finance minster over 2020 budget amendment
The Leadership of the National Assembly on Thursday met with the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning to be briefed by the latter on the plan by the Federal Government to amend the N10.59 trillion 2020 budget passed by the National Assembly in December last year. The meeting which had in attendance principal officers from both chambers, was presided over by the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila. The Senate President, in his welcome address told the Executive arm of Government to ensure that the interest of Nigerians remains protected in the proposed cut to the 2020 national budget. Lawan also expressed the willingness of the Federal lawmakers to expeditiously consider the proposed amendment to the 2020 budg...
