Lawmakers
Nigerian lawmakers approve $2.4 bn funds for security, coronavirus vaccines
Nigerian lawmakers on Wednesday approved some 982.7 billion naira ($2.4 billon) additional budget funds to help the government buy COVID-19 vaccines, and equipment for its security forces. Africa’s top oil producer, Nigeria is struggling with the economic impact of the pandemic and a slump in crude prices as well as surging violence from criminal gangs and its grinding jihadist insurgency. The approved amount is $216.8 million higher than President Muhammadu Buhari’s request made to the lawmakers in June and is expected to be sourced through international and local borrowing. Most of the funds – around 722 billion naira ($1.8 billion) would go towards the procurement of additional equipment for security forces, Senator Barau Jibrin, chair of the senate appropriation committee, said. Around...
NLC urges National Assembly to transform NNPC to public liability company
The Nigeria Labour Congress has cautioned the National Assembly to handle with utmost care what it described as the very sensitive issue of the unbundling of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation. It urged the lawmakers to transform the NNPC to a public liability company as part of the reforms of the oil and gas sector captured in the Petroleum Industry Bill. The NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, said this on Tuesday, in a statement lauding the passage of the PIB titled, ‘Congress commends the national assembly for passing the petroleum industry bill – demands that the NNPC be transformed into a public liability company.’ It stated, “We know that the process of making the PIB a law has not been completely consummated as the passed bill would still need to be harmonized by a conference of th...
APGA: Electronic transmission of results will check rigging
The All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) has said that the party is in support of the inclusion of electronic transmission of election results in the Electoral Act (amendment) Bill. National Chairman of the party, Chief Victor Oye, said that electronic collation of results will eliminate election to a great extent. Oye who spoke to newsmen in Abuja on Monday said that the party supports the inclusion of the provision for electronic voting and results transmission hundred percent. He said that allowing electronic transmission of results will check the usual manipulation and hijack of election results sheets in transit by political thugs. “Since we are accepting electronic voting, we will also do electronic collation of results. It will help to curb election malpractice and rigging. I think...
PIB: Ijaw leaders reject ‘disgusting, provocative’ bill
The leadership of the Ijaw nation has rejected the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) just passed into law by the National Assembly describing it as disgusting and provocative. The leaders also called on the Minister of State for Petroluem Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, to use this opportunity to write his name in gold, and on the side of prosperity by standing firm with the Ijaw people against their oppressors. President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), the umbrella body of the Ijaw people, Prof Benjamin Okaba in a packed press conference, he addressed at the Ijaw House, headquarters of INC in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, declared that the Ijaw nation rejects in its entirety the 3% and 5% provisions as compensation, the redefinition of host communities and other provisions including the alloca...
South Africa’s Jacob Zuma mounts last-ditch legal fight against jail term
South Africa’s ex-president Jacob Zuma on Friday mounted a last-ditch legal bid to avoid prison after the country’s top court ordered him jailed for failing to appear before graft investigators. In a landmark ruling, the Constitutional Court on Tuesday handed Zuma a 15-month term for contempt after he snubbed a probe into the theft of state assets under his tenure. If the 79-year-old fails to turn himself in by Sunday, police will be given a further three days to arrest him and take him to jail to start the sentence. As the deadline loomed, Zuma pleaded on Friday that the order be “reconsidered and rescinded.” “It will not be futile,” Zuma said in papers filed to the court, “to make one last attempt to invite the Constitutional Court to relook its decision and to merely reassess whether it...
President Buhari hails Governor Matawalle on defection to APC
President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated the Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, on his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Buhari said his ruling party “is becoming more popular because of its impressive performance record and commitment to good governance.” In a message delivered on his behalf by Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF) at the defection ceremony in Gusau on Tuesday, President Buhari said: “I’m proud of your timely and wise decision to join the governing party and our doors are wide open to other politicians who believe in our vision to rebuild Nigeria. “Your voluntary decision to join our party confirms the fact that our agenda for good governance is the only reason why Nigerians ...
Lagos assembly warns local councils against extorting courier, logistics operators
Pool Photo The Lagos House of Assembly on Monday ordered local government councils and local council development areas (LCDAs) in the state to desist from extorting and harrassing operators of courier and logistics services in the state. Mudashiru Obasa, the House speaker, said the local councils do not have the power to tax logistics and courier services. He said the power of the councils was limited to the registration of bicycles as dictated by the Constitution. Mr Obasa said it was important to act against the action of the councils because it affects the ease of doing business in the state. “We have to make them understand that going out to disturb well-planned and organised businesses that stand to create employment for our youth especially with the rate at which students graduate wi...
PDP cautions Zamfara governor, lawmakers over plan to defect to APC
The Peoples Democratic Party has cautioned the Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly, and those of the National Assembly from the state against defecting to the All Progressives Congress. Newsmen reported that Matawalle will dump the PDP for the APC tomorrow. Reacting, the PDP stated that Matawalle defecting to the APC amounts to a decision to vacate office. According to the party, “No law allows him to cross over to any other party with the governorship mandate statutorily given to the PDP through the ballot box.” This was disclosed in a statement titled, ‘Zamfara: PDP Cautions Matawalle, NASS, SHoA Members Against Defection,’ signed by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan. It read, “The PDP is watching developments i...
Edo deputy governor: Godfatherism bane of Nigeria’s democracy
The Deputy Governor of Edo State, Comrade Philip Shaibu, has blamed the advent of godfatherism in Nigeria’s politics as the bane of democracy in the country. This is even as he called for the removal of a bicameral legislature to reduce cost of running governance. Shaibu stated this on Saturday at the Government House in Benin, the state capital, while addressing hundreds of youths who were protesting alleged misrule in the country. The protesters under the aegis of Coalition of Civil Society Organizations, Students’ Unions and other concerned Nigerians, brandished placards of various inscriptions, as they joined others across the country to seek for good governance and sustainable democracy. The protest which commenced at 10 am, lasted for more than two hours and disrupted free flow of hu...
House backs bill to prohibit bank employees from operating foreign accounts
A bill seeking to prohibit bank employees from operating foreign accounts has passed second reading at the house of representatives. The bank employees’ declaration of assets act amendment bill also seeks to mandate the bankers to declare assets of their spouses and children less than 18 years old. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had in March ordered those in the banking sector to declare their assets in accordance with the act, raising questions as to the legality of such directive. Newsmen reported that the bank employees’ declaration of assets act requires bank board members, managing director, general managers, clerks, cashiers, messengers, cleaners, drivers, and any other category of workers — whether part‐time, casual or temporary — to declare their assets. Leadin...
Israel lawmakers to vote Sunday on anti-Netanyahu government
After weeks of political wrangling, the Israeli parliament is set to vote Sunday on whether to install a “change” coalition and end Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s record 12 consecutive years in power. Announcing the date for the confidence vote, speaker Yariv Levin, a Netanyahu ally, said on Tuesday “a special session of parliament” would debate and vote on the fragile eight-party alliance, after the country’s fourth inconclusive election in two years back in March. Later in the day, the prime minister’s office announced that a march by Jewish nationalists through Jerusalem would go ahead in a week’s time, potentially de-escalating tensions with Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group which went to war with the Jewish state for 11 days last month. Israeli right-wing groups had the day b...
CAN: We never approached National Assembly on CAMA
File Photo Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has clarified its position on the controversial Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), disclosing that it has not approached the current National Assembly for any amendment on the Act. CAN General Secretary, Joseph Daramola, in a statement explained that the response was to contradict media reports quoting CAN President, Dr. Samson Ayokunle, as accusing the National Assembly of not assisting the Association when CAMA was being amended. Part of statement noted, “we want to make it abundantly clear that CAN President was not referring to the current National Assembly, because CAN never approached the federal lawmakers on the controversial law. “CAMA is not a product of the 9th Assembly but the previous Assembly (8th Assembly). It’s our expe...
