Senate President Godswill Akpabio has described Nigeria’s legislature as the most ridiculed and subject of attacks among the three arms of government in the country.
He said the reason for this barrage of ridicule aimed at the National Assembly was because of the lack of understanding of its workings.
He spoke in Abeokuta, Ogun State, at the 100th birthday colloquium in honour Senator Kunle Oyero, a member of the Senate in the Second Republic, representing Ogun Central.
The colloquium themed “Legislation in Nigeria: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow”, was organised by the Abeokuta Grammar School Old Boys’ Association (AGSOBA).
In his remarks, Akpabio said a number of Nigerians don’t even see the necessity of the legislature.
Represented by the Ogun Central Senator, Shuaib Afolabi Salis, the Senate president told critics of the National Assembly that if there had been a legislature in place in 2007, the country would have since had a life president.
“The one arm of government that people don’t really understand and it’s always a subject of ridicule and attack is the legislature. In fact, people sometimes don’t think the legislature is doing anything at all.
“But picture a situation where there was no legislature in 2007, there would have been a life president in Nigeria. Picture a situation in Nigeria where there was no legislature, a number of things would have gone wrong in Nigeria.
“Because people don’t understand the legislature, there is also a problem. Like someone puts it, Legislators are sometimes the victims of the system.
“I gave Dr Reuben Abati (a moderator at the event) a few examples. In the ninth legislature, there were some senators that even from afar, you could say they were doing what senators should do. They were moving motions, sponsoring bills and making the right interventions.
“In the chamber, the roles of the legislature are three: making laws, oversight function and appropriation. Most of those senators were doing those things, but guess what? None of them returned. This is because the metric of measuring the performance (of senators) by the people who vote is different from what the syllabus dictates.
“The syllabus will say as a legislator your role is to make law, perform oversight and make appropriation, those are the three things a legislator is expected to do. But any senator, any member of the National Assembly that confines himself to that will not get a return ticket even in his party.
“Because the metric of measuring the performance of legislators is the number of transformers…’Distinguished Senator, my wife has put to bed, ‘Distinguished Senator, my mother-in-law is dead’, ‘Distinguished Senator, I want to do a freedom ceremony from my apprenticeship,” among other requests are those of the things that people who truly vote, measure your performances with.”
He expressed worry that the elite have left the voting power to those “who do not understand the choices before them,” and asked them to take keen interest and participation in the election process.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has welcomed the decision of the Senate to probe alleged admission racketeering in universities, saying the exam body will be vindicated.
Recall that the Senate on Wednesday agreed to investigate allegations of admission racketeering in the nation’s universities following a motion moved by Senator Onyeka Nwebonyi (Ebonyi North).
Nwebonyi, who cited the admission travails of one Chinyere Ekwe at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), alleged that university staff members conspired with JAMB officials to carry out unwholesome practices, prompting the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, to call for a fair hearing.
Reacting to the development, JAMB’s Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, commended the Senate for giving an opportunity to the exam body to defend itself over the issue.
He said JAMB did not offer a provisional admission letter to the candidate and as a result welcomed the counsel of the Senate president that the matter be investigated, saying, “We will cooperate with the Senate.”
The Accord Party governorship candidate in Saturday’s gubernatorial election in Kogi State, Admiral Usman Jibrin (retired) has called for the cancellation of the election following the exclusion of his party’s name from the ballot paper.
Jibrin made the call at a press conference at Anyigba in Dekina LGA of the state on Sunday.
He described the action of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as a surprise turn of events, saying, he is contemplating legal action against the body over the incident.
He expressed his dissatisfaction with the situation, stating that the omission of his party’s name infringed on the democratic rights of the electorate and undermined the principles of a free and fair election.
“The exclusion of the Accord from the ballot paper in most of the polling units has raised concerns about the fairness and transparency of the electoral process,” he said.
He added: “We are deeply disappointed by the decision of INEC to exclude the Accord from the ballot paper.
“This not only undermines the democratic process but also denies the people of Kogi State the opportunity to make an informed choice.
“We are left with no option but to call for the cancellation of the election and explore legal avenues to address this injustice.”
He noted that INEC had not released an official statement on the matter, stressing that the electoral body should address the issue promptly to provide clarity and maintain the integrity of the election.
Governorship Candidate Blames INEC Officials
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate in Kogi State, Muritala Ajaka, has faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the alleged manipulation of the gubernatorial election in the state.
Naija News reports that Ajaka, vying to unseat the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, spoke on Sunday during Channels Television’s ‘The Verdict programme for the off-cycle governorship elections’.
He accused INEC of compromising the exercise through the officials sent to the state.
Akaja maintained the party had evidence of results sheets already written before the commencement of the election, and, unfortunately, things happened that way.
The SDP candidate also appreciated President Bola Tinubu for providing adequate security during the election.
He said, “INEC disappointed all of us. Check from the results. Just like the last man [on the show] was complaining, INEC gave us the impression that everything was going to work perfectly but it turned out the other way.
“I want to believe the team that was sent to the state were the ones that compromised. Before the commencement of the election, the results sheets were already out everywhere in the whole of Kogi Central.
“Of course, we have written to them and have evidence. It is just unfortunate that these things happened this way.
“If we had known we were going into a jungle, we would have prepared for a jungle arrangement. The Federal Government has done its own part. We must give kudos to President Ahmed Bola Tinubu. He provided security for everybody.
“INEC too, the arrangement from and before the commencement of the exercise, everything was all right. But the officials of the INEC – sent to Kogi state – were the ones that compromised. They gave the result sheets to Yahaya Bello. Results were written before the election.”
Meanwhile, 18 out of the 21 local government area results have been collated, INEC said there will be a supplementary election in 59 polling units in the state on November 18.
The SDP candidate is trailing his APC counterpart, Usman Ododo, from the announced results.
The All Progressives Congress Governorship candidate, Usman Ododo, has been announced winner of the just concluded November 11 governorship election in Kogi State.
Ododo won with 446,237 votes, defeating his closest rival, Murtala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party, who garnered 259,052, while Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party pulled 46,362 votes.
This is despite INEC announcing that fresh polls will be conducted in some polling units in the Ogori/Magongo Local Government Area of the state on November 18, 2023.
The Returning Officer for the Kogi State governorship election, Prof Johnson Urama disclosed this on Sunday evening.
“Ahmed Ododo of APC, having certified by the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” said Urama.
The Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities has written a protest letter to the Federal Government, demanding that the government rescind the plan to deduct 40 percent of the Internally Generated Revenues of federal universities.
The Secretary-General Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, Prof. Yakubu Ochefu, who disclosed this to our correspondent in a phone interview at the weekend, said the government could not be demanding 40 per cent of varsities IGR when it had refused to grant them autonomy.
The PUNCH reported that the Federal Government in a letter dated October 17, 2023, titled ‘Implementation of 40% automatic deduction from internally generated revenue of partially funded federal government institutions,’ said it would begin the deduction with effect from November 2023.
The letter signed by the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mrs Oluwatoyin Madein, Director of Revenue and Investment, Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Felix Ore-ofe Ogundairo, said the auto-deduction policy of gross IGR was in line with the Finance Circular with reference number FMFBNP/OTHERS/IGR/CRF/12/2021 dated December 20, 2021.
Ochefu, speaking with our correspondent, said should the Federal Government spurn the plea by the VCs and goes ahead with the policy, parents would bear the consequences.
Ochefu explained that the Finance Act 2020 specified that 40 percent could only be sent to the FG if there was a surplus, saying in the case of universities, there was no surplus but a lack of funding because universities only get user charges from students and not profits or revenues.
He said, “If you look at the Act, it didn’t say 40% IGR, but surplus. So, who determines what is surplus? The Finance Act of 2020 is explanatory and it is the institution that is supposed to decide and send you the surplus if there is any. But FG says it now wants to deduct it from the source. We have protested, and written to the Ministry of Education. If they insist, it means they want to ground the universities to a halt. Or we will be forced to add the 40 percent to what we are charging the end users and these end users are complaining already. We told the Ministry of Education to write the Ministry of Finance to halt the development. The letter was written on Thursday.”
He added, “Ultimately, any decision taken, it is the parents that will bear it. Schools are not commercial activities; they are social entities. Parents will bear it if FG insists on a 40 per cent deduction. For the government to sit down somewhere and equate universities, colleges, and polytechnics as revenue centres, that isn’t possible. They are not funding universities well enough. If you grant autonomy and we are charging the normal rate then we will give you the 40 percent.”
Also, the National President, Academic Staff Union of Universities, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, said, “As a union, we are in a meeting to take the decision. They are not supposed to deduct anything from anyone. The university is not generating revenue, this means you want to give students loans and you want to go back to the universities to collect it as 40% IGR.
“These are universities that are not properly funded. Parents are complaining that they can’t pay the current fees, yet you want to collect 40 percent of the little universities earn.”
Five persons died while one sustained injuries in an accident at Ososa Junction on the Sagamu-Benin Expressway on Sunday.
Eight persons were involved in the accident, but two escaped unhurt.
Spokesperson of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ogun, Mrs Florence Okpe, confirmed the accident to newsmen in Abeokuta on Sunday.
She said the early morning crash involved an unregistered Mack truck and a Honda Accord car also without a registration number.
Okpe said the accident was caused by excessive speed and wrongful overtaking on the part of the driver of the Honda car leading to a collision.
She added that the injured victim was taken to General Hospital, Ijebu-Ode while the deceased were deposited at the morgue of the same hospital.
(NAN)
‘This Cooked Result Can’t Be Accepted’ – Dino Melaye Demands Total Cancellation Of Kogi Election
AdminThe Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the 2023 Kogi State governorship election, Dino Melaye has demanded a total cancellation of the electoral process.
Melaye in a short statement released via his X account on Sunday said the results are being ‘cooked’ in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He added that the total cancellation of the November 11 2023 off-cycle election in Kogi State is the way forward.
Sharing an election result sheet from one of the local government areas in the state, Okene, the former Senator wrote: “Okene LG alone wrote 138,416 for APC. This cooked result can’t be accepted. Total Cancellation is the Answer.”
Earlier, Naija News reported that Melaye was defeated in his local government area of Ijumu.
According to the results announced on Sunday by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Melaye was defeated by the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Usman Ododo.
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Ododo, the APC candidate got 10,524 votes while Melaye of the PDP got 6,909 votes.
[NaijaNews]
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has restored oil production of 275,000 barrels per day at TotalEnergies.
This is according to a November 12 statement signed by Olufemi Soneye, Chief Corporate Communications Officer at NNPCL.
According to the statement, a peace deal has been brokered between TotalEnergies Management and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) as well as the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).
A part of the statement read:
- “Following a peace deal brokered on Sunday, November 12, 2023, by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) between the Management of TotalEnergies, operator of the NNPC / TotalEnergies JV, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association, (PENGASSAN) and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), the unions have agreed to suspend ongoing industrial action leading to immediate restoration of 275, 000 barrels of oil per day production.
- “In a communiqué issued at the end of a marathon negotiation session chaired by Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, Executive Vice President, Upstream, NNPC Ltd., all parties committed to resolving all the issues within an agreed framework.
- “The communiqué was signed by TotalEnergies MD/CEO Matthieu Bouyer, PENGASSAN President, Comrade Festus Osifo, and NUPENG President, Comrade Williams Akporegha. It was witnessed by NNPC Ltd.’s, EVP Upstream Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan and Chief Upstream Investment Officer, NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services, Bala Wunti. Also in attendance was Victor Bandele, Deputy Managing Director, TotalEnergies.”
During the meeting, PENGASSAN President, Comrade Festus Osifo said:
- “Today we have been able to reach an agreement and for the virtue of this agreement, we as PENGASSAN, are committed to every letter in this agreement, and we have resolved that we will be restoring normalcy across all offices and field locations effective immediately. We will communicate to our members to resume work immediately.
[Nairametrics]
The Nigerian Correctional Service in Kano State has disclosed that 140 individuals on death row are awaiting execution.
Spokesman of the Nigerian Correctional Service in Kano State Command, Musbahu Kofar-Nassarawa, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Kano that those on death row are of both genders.
The absence of a hangman further complicates the situation, raising questions about the state’s preparedness for implementing capital punishment.
“Kano Correctional Centre has no hangman because it is a Medium Security Custodial Centre,’’ Kofar-Nassarawa said.
He pointed out that the governors in the state have not taken decisive action by either signing death warrants or commuting the sentences of those on death row to life imprisonment.
“Some governors use Constitutional provisions to release inmates based on recommendations by the Advisory Council on the prerogative of mercy to decongest correctional centres,” Kofar-Nassarawa noted.
The complex nature of the legal process and the reluctance of the governors have contributed to a growing number of individuals in a state of limbo, awaiting a final decision on their fate.
[Leadership]
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The United States has reaffirmed its commitment to partnership with Nigeria, especially in the creative sector.
Ramin Toloui, the U.S. Department of State Assistant Secretary for Economic and Business Affairs, disclosed this during his November 5-8 visit to Lagos.
His visit focused on ways the United States can support Nigeria’s efforts to enhance its already flourishing creative sector, which is driving economic growth and workforce development.
A statement by the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria on Sunday said Assistant Secretary Toloui engaged in substantive discussions with government officials and prominent creative sector stakeholders, emphasizing the interest in promoting African and Nigerian growth and development.
“I am here because the United States government seeks to strengthen partnerships and support the growth of Nigeria’s vibrant creative industry.
“I had the privilege to meet some of the remarkable individuals leading Nigeria’s creative sector, which has been fueled by surging global demand for Nigerian content.
“This growth creates jobs and drives innovation. At the same time, it underscores the importance of intellectual property protection within the creative sector.
“Our engagement across Africa, our infrastructure investments, and our collaboration with Nigeria reflect our shared dedication to advancing prosperity and development,” Assistant Secretary Toloui was quoted as saying.
According to the statement, the December 2022 U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit highlighted the U.S. commitment to expanding and deepening its partnership with African countries, institutions, and people, adding that Assistant Secretary Toloui’s visit reflects that commitment.
Toloui is the latest senior U.S. official to have visited Nigeria to strengthen ties, promote economic growth, and address shared challenges within the U.S.-Nigeria relationship.
[DailyTrust]
Dangote Group's Executive Director, Commercial Operations, Hajia Fatima Aliko-Dangote, has reiterated the company’s determination to eradicate the high youth unemployment in the country. She said, it is only when youths are positively engaged, that the high insecurity problems in the country will fade away.
Fatima, who made this disclosure at the just concluded Lagos International Trade Fair during the “Dangote Day”, said since inception, the desire of the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, was to assist the three tiers of government in the country, in eradicating poverty, and the best way for Dangote Group to do this, will be to contribute to eradicating youth unemployment in the country.
Noting that Dangote is the highest employer of labour in Nigeria, outside the Federal Government, she said, the priority of the Group is to create more employment opportunities for the teeming Nigerian youths and make them breadwinners of their respective families.
According to her: “The desire of our President, Aliko Dangote, is to ensure that Nigerian youths are ably employed, because it is only when this happens, that they can also contribute their own quota to the growth and development of the county. And once the youths are also positively engaged, the security challenges of the country will abate.”
Fatima, further said the Group is passionate about deepening the Nigerian economy through industrialisation, job creation, provision and rehabilitation of essential infrastructure, and the welfare of the citizens. According to her, “It is the desire to promote industrialisation that informs our decision to become strategic partners with all the major Chambers of Commerce across the nation.”
She also said: “Our investment decisions at Dangote Group, are focused on creating values for all stakeholders. We have invested in several projects which are meant to create jobs and enhance the rapid industrialisation of the Nigerian economy. Dangote Cement Plc remains the continent’s foremost cement producer, with operations in 10 African countries.
“The activities of the cement company through its multiplier effect, provide direct and indirect employment to millions of people across Africa. Through its corporate social responsibility (CSR) interventions, Dangote Cement has touched the lives of thousands of people in host communities across Africa. The company has built schools, hospitals & clinics, roads, markets, and vocational training centres in host communities.”, she stated.
Reacting to what Fatima Aliko Dangote said, Dr Micheal Olawale-Cole, President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), said Dangote Group has created jobs more than any known private sector operators in the Country.
He said the foremost indigenous conglomerate has contributed significantly to providing solutions to the problems of unemployment and by extension, to reducing the poverty levels among Nigerians.
He said the decision of the company to venture into oil and gas would permanently put an end to the issue of petroleum scarcity in Nigeria and contribute substantially to the GDP and the overall economic growth and development of Nigeria.
According to him, Dangote Group has been at the forefront of job creation even as its products and services have touched the lives of millions of people across the African continent and beyond. He then enjoined other corporate bodies to toe the line of Dangote in assisting the Government, through the provision of infrastructure, even if it must be through a tax credit scheme, introduced by the Federal Government.
The Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, has been temporarily shut over an incident involving Aerocontractors aircraft which got stuck on the runway.
The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, NSIB, Dr. James Odaudu confirmed the development in a statement on Sunday.
According to the statement, the Lagos-Abuja flight operated by Aerocontractors landed at the Airport but in a bid to exit the runway, stuck in the grass verge.
The incident involving the Boeing 733 with Nationality and Registration Marks 5N-BYQ occurred on Sunday morning.
DAILY POST learnt that passengers were safely disembarked from the aircraft as there was no casualty recorded.
The NSIB DG said the runway would remain closed until the aircraft is successfully towed from the runway.
He said, “The aircraft upon landing at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja from Lagos and in a bid to exit the runway via A4 had its nose wheel stuck in the grass verge with its fuselage on the runway.
“Consequently, the runway was closed pending the towing of the aircraft from the runway.There was no injury or fatality.
“The NSIB, hereby, solicits information from the general public in form of pictures, video or recording evidences to assist in conducting a comprehensive investigation.”
[DailyPost]
The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Usman Ahmed Ododo is presently in early lead in results of 18 local government areas declared so far.
While Ododo has scored a total of 417,161, the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Yakubu Murtala Ajaka, trails him with a total of 209,103 votes.
The difference between Ododo’s votes and Ajaka’s score so far is 208,050 votes.
Results in three local government areas, including Igalamela-Odolu, Ibaji, and Ajaokuta were yet to be declared before the Kogi State Governorship Election Returning Officer, Professor Johnson Urama took a break.
Details shortly…
[TheNation]