National Assembly
Water Resources Bill: Minister decries misinformation of Nigerians
The Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu, has said that Nigerians are being misinformed about the Water Resources Control Bill. The minister made the statement while interfacing with the House of Representatives Committee on Water Resources in Abuja, following the public outcry that trailed the passage of the bill. Newsmen recall that sequel to a motion of personal explanation by Rep. Benjamin Mzondu (PDP-Benue) the house withdrew the bill which had already been passed on the grounds that it was not gazetted. The minister recalled that the bill was presented in the 8th Assembly and there was a two-day public hearing with Rep. Aliyu Ahman-Pategi as chairman. According to him, there was no issue at all until some unpatriotic Nigerians gave bad and dangerous colouration, and tried t...
House of Reps deputy speaker charges youths on peace
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ahmed Idris Wase has appealed to the Nigerian youths to give Peace a chance and not to take laws into their hands on matters that government has promised to address head long. Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives in a statement issued through his Chief Press Secretary, Umar Mohammed Puma, and made available to newsmen in Jos urged the youths in Plateau and other states of the federation to give peace a chance, saying the federal and state governments, as well as the National Assembly, were already doing everything humanly possible within their Powers to ensure that the demands of the #EndSars protesters are met. “The federal, state government and the National Assembly are doing all that needs to be done to ensure justice for the victims...
#EndSARS: Out-of-School children a future time bomb – Senator Okorocha
Rochas Foundation Former governor of Imo state and Senator representing Imo West in the National Assembly, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, has described the violent twist to the #EndSARS protests as a wake up call to Nigerian leaders, expressing concern that Nigeria’s huge population of out-of-school children is another time-bomb waiting to explode in the future. At a news conference weekend in Abuja, Okorocha who was flanked by leaders of different socio-cultural and political groups from across the country said; “Today, we have millions of out of school children in the country, it is another time bomb for tomorrow. While the situation is getting under control, government and leaders must rise to their responsibilities to ensure that such occurrences do not happen again”. According to him, the os...
House of Rep member arraigned over ‘N1.6 million bribe’
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has charged a member of the House of Representatives, Oghuma Egwakhide, for allegedly collecting N1.6 million as bribe from three contractors. In a statement on Thursday, the commission said Mr Egwakhide was charged on a four-count before Justice Adebukola Banjoko of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Jabi. The commission accused Mr Egwakhide, who represents Etsako East/West/Central Federal Constituency, Edo State, of collecting kickbacks from contractors handling school projects in his constituency. The ICPC said investigations revealed that Mr Egwakhide, demanded 10 per cent kickbacks from the N16.5 million contract for the construction of one block of three classrooms at Fugar Mixed Secondary Sc...
774,000 jobs: Ministry raises federal lawmakers’ slots
There were strong indications on Sunday that the much awaited 774,000 unskilled jobs for Nigerians would take off in October. It was gathered that following a series of negotiations, the Ministry of Labour and Productivity had increased the slots allocated to each member of the National Assembly. It was learnt that each senator would present 1,000 beneficiaries, while a member of the House of Representatives would present 50 beneficiaries from each of the local government areas in their constituency. The lawmakers were said to have rejected the 30 and 25 slots per senator and Rep member respectively, which was initially allocated to them by the ministry in August. A senator confirmed to newsmen on condition of anonymity that he had directed his aides in his constituency office to liaise wi...
President Buhari vows to check ‘greed of a callous few’
President Muhammadu Buhari has stressed the need for all arms of government to deploy resources to address the common needs of all citizens rather than the greed of a callous few. The president made the call at the 2nd National Summit on Diminishing Corruption and launch of the National Ethics and Integrity Policy, organised by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), in Abuja on Monday. The summit has the theme: “Together Against Corruption”. According to him, the National Ethics and Integrity Policy project the government’s aspiration for the rediscovery of cherished traditional ethical values of honesty, integrity, hard work, truth, justice, unity, faith, and consideration for one another, irrespective of status or background. He reiterated his ear...
No plans to Scrap NNPC in the PIB – minister
The Federal Government on Monday said that there are no plans to Scrap the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC in the Petroelum Industry Bill 2020 that has been transmitted to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari. Answering questions from Journalists in Abuja after an interactive meeting with the leadership of the National Assembly, Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, who allayed the fears of staff of the Corporation and Nigerians, said that the bill seeks for the commercialisation of NNPC and not outright scrapping. The meeting which was Presided over by the President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan, with the Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, and other Leaders of the National Assembly in attendance is aimed at discussing the deta...
PDP condemns attack on Borno governor
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the attack on the convoy of the Borno State governor, Babagana Zulum, by insurgents during which at least 15 security operatives attached to the governor were killed. In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan, Sunday, the party said the repeated attack on the governor and the rising wave of terrorist attacks reinforce the necessity of rejigging the nation’s security apparatchik. The party said the incident corroborated Mr Zulum’s insistence that the security architecture in the North-East axis is being compromised. Mr Zulum’s convoy was attacked by suspected Boko Haram insurgents in an evening ambush in the Monguno-Maiduguri axis. The attacks came barely 48 hours after the group ambushed the governor’s convoy along Cross K...
Bayelsa West election: Stakeholders commence community endorsement for Seriake Dickson
File Photo Some stakeholders of the opposition All Progressives Congress in Bayelsa State have embarked on community by community endorsement for former governor Seriake Dickson of the Peoples Democratic Party, for the Bayelsa West Senatorial seat. The stakeholders of the APC in Ekeremor and Sagbama Local Government Area converged at Isampou yesterday and decided that efforts must be made to prevent the political ambition of any politician from damaging the existing cordial relationship between Ekeremor and Sagbama, the two local government areas in the Senatorial district. The stakeholders and community leaders of Isampou community, Aleibiri community, Amanaigbene, Peretorugbebe, and others were unanimous in their position that they would not support any political party and candidate that...
Why APC ‘suspended’ Ekiti governor
The State Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has suspended Governor Kayode Fayemi. Fayemi was accused of holding meetings and fraternising with PDP members like Femi Fani-Kayode (FFK), Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike. According the statement, Fayemi was suspended due to “his numerous anti-party activities, especially his role in the recently concluded governorship election in Edo State which is contrary to the provisions of Article 21 (A) (ii) of the APC constitution.” The Ekiti chapter of the APC claims that five days before the Edo election, Fayemi hosted FFK in government house Ekiti. “For five days prior to the Edo election, Gov Fayemi hosted PDP big wig Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode in the government house in Ado Ekit...
Edo election: PDP Reps condemn ‘siege’ on opposition governors
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus in the House of Representatives has condemned alleged siege on opposition governors by security agents in Benin City, the Edo State capital, ahead of Saturday’s gubernatorial election in the state. The caucus in a statement by its leader, Kingsley Chinda, on Friday night, stated that it is unacceptable that security agencies, whose duty is to ensure safety of lives and property are the ones allegedly causing chaos. Chinda said it is shocking that while All Progressives Congress (APC) governors and a presiding officer of the National Assembly are sheltered in the home of a leader of the party in the state, PDP governors are being harassed. “The caucus find the current siege on Governors by men of the Nigeria Police force and other security officials...
Edo election: Atiku Abubakar asks voters to vote Governor Obaseki
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has asked voters to cast their votes for the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Godwin Obaseki, in the Saturday’s Governorship election in Edo State. He tweeted this a few hours after the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, said Obaseki does not deserve a single vote in the Saturday governorship election. The former governor of Lagos State had in a televised broadcast said, “He (Obaseki) does not deserve any democratic ballot paper. Don’t vote for him, I appeal to all of you.” But Obaseki debunked Tinubu’s claim, noting that Tinubu would fail in his attempt “to extend his political dominance and empire to Edo State”. Atiku in his tweet warned against violence during the election. He said, “The democracy that we enjoy t...
