Speakers and their deputies emerged in various states of the federation as the legislatures were inaugurated across the country on Tuesday.

Zamfara

Hon. Bilyaminu Ismail from Zurmi West emerged as the speaker of the 7th Assembly in Zamfara State.

The speakership position was zoned to the Zamfara North Senatorial District to balance the political equation as the governorship slot went to the Zamfara Central zone while Zamfara West got the deputy governorship slot.
Hon. Adamu Aliyu from Gumi 11 was elected deputy Speaker.

Plateau

A first-time lawmaker, Hon. Moses Sule (PDP) got the speakership office.

Also, Joseph Bukar representing Shendam constituency (APC) nominated Gwattson Fom Dalyop of Jos South Constituency (PDP) as deputy speaker and was seconded by Dantong, (PDP), Riyom Constituency.

Sule appreciated his colleagues for choosing him to led them in the 10th Assembly and appealed for their cooperation to have a rancour-free assembly.

 

Enugu


The member representing Udi North State Constituency Hon. Uche Ugwu was elected the speaker of the Assembly.

For the position of deputy speaker, Hon. Jane Eneh of Awgu North Constituency nominated Prince Ezenta Ezeani of Igboetiti West Constituency.

His nomination was seconded by Okey Mba of Nkanu East

Ezeani was declared the deputy speaker of the 8th Assembly by the clerk, Dr. Emma Udaya.

 

Kwara


A member of the Kwara State House of Assembly representing Ilesha/Gwanra State Constituency, Salihu Yakubu Danladi, emerged as the Speaker of the House.

Naija News understands that 38-year-old Danladi, who was the Speaker of the 9th Assembly emerged unopposed during the inauguration of the House on Tuesday, June 13.


He was nominated by Zakari Danbaba from Kaiama State Constituency and seconded by Arinola Lawal from Ilorin East State Constituency.

 

Adamawa


A lawmaker living with a physical disability, Rt Hon Bathiya Wesley, became the speaker of the 8th Assembly of Adamawa State.

Wesley won the hotly contested election after consulting with key stakeholders and appealing to his fellow legislators.

In a phone conversation with Daily Trust on Tuesday after his swearing-in ceremony, Wesley, who represents the Hong Constituency, said he sees himself as “a child of destiny” and doesn’t identify as physically challenged.

 

Cross River


Rt Hon Elvert Ayambem has emerged as the new speaker of the 10th Cross River State House of Assembly.

Naija News understands that the lawmaker representing Ikom II State Constituency was elected for the position unopposed on Tuesday, June 13.

Also, Hon Sylvester Agabi representing Obudu State Constituency was elected Deputy Speaker.

 

Kano


A member of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Jibrin Ismail Falgore, was elected as the new speaker for Kano State 10th House of Assembly on Tuesday.

Naija News reports that the member-elect representing the Rogo constituency in the state assembly won the election unopposed on Tuesday when lawmakers cast their lots.


Falgore was nominated by Lawal Hussaini (Dala/NNPP), with his nomination seconded by a member-elect from the opposition party, All Progressives Congress (APC), Musa Ali Kachako (Takai).

 

Delta


The member representing Warri South-West Constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly, Emomotimi Guwor has been elected as the Speaker of the 8th House of Assembly while Arthur Akpowowo who represents Ethiope-East Constituency, emerged the Deputy Speaker.

Guwor and other members of the State’s 8th Assembly were inaugurated after they swore an oath of allegiance.

 

Kaduna


Honorable Yusuf Liman and Honorable Magaji D. Henry were on Tuesday elected as Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly respectively.

Last modified on Wednesday, 14 June 2023 08:14

An unnamed teenager has reportedly shot dead his friend while testing bullet-proof charm in Ekiti state.

The deceased was a JSS 2 student at Erinjinyan Community High School in Ekiti West Local Government Area.


The tragedy happened on Monday when the two boys involved were playing with a Dane gun, a local said.

The gun was said to belonged to the father of the suspect, who was a palace hunter.

The teenagers were allegedly testing the potency of a bullet-proof charm.

The suspect and his father have been since been apprehended by officers from Aramoko Divisional Police, while the corpse of the victim has been deposited in the mortuary of an undisclosed hospital.

Efforts to get the police to confirm the incident were futile as the spokesperson of the Ekiti State Police Command, Sunday Abutu, failed to pick up his calls.

The Kuje Correctional Centre has presented to the Zuba Magistrate Court, the medical report of the psychiatric evaluation of Obiajulu Ujah.

The citizen, regarded as a supporter of Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi, caused a stir at the Abuja airport on March 31.

Ujah was ejected from a Lagos-bound Ibom Air flight after vociferously opposing the May 29 inauguration of President Bola Tinubu.

 

Upon his arraignment in April, he was sent to prison for one month to enable medical experts to determine the state of his mental health.

The medical report signed by the Kuje Prison Chief Medical Officer (CMO) suggests Ujah has a mental disorder, PRNigeria reported on Tuesday.

At the last sitting at the FCT Magistrate Court in Zuba, Magistrate Abdulazeez Ismail Muhammad subpoenaed the Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).

Also summoned was the Kuje Correctional Centre CMO to provide his opinion in writing as to the state of mind of Ujah, who is said to be mentally-challenged.

With the report now tendered before the court, Ujah will know his fate at the next hearing in the matter adjourned to the 15th day of June, 2023.

The raging controversy over the unveiling of the supposed national carrier, Nigeria Air plane, at the twilight of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration should not be swept under the carpet, civil society organisations say.

The unveiling of Nigeria Air was carried out by Hadi Sirika, former Minister of Aviation, on May 26, 2023, at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The Ex-Minister expressed delight, insisting that the Federal Government had matched its words with action regarding the project.

 

Before the unveiling, the erstwhile Minister had repeatedly assured Nigerians that the project would kick off, at some point revealing the plan for aircraft which would be used in the fleet.

Sirika promised that Nigeria Air would begin operation within five months following the unveiling of the name and logo of Nigeria Air at the Farnborough International Air Show in July 2018.

However, there was a backlash after the event, especially over the Ethiopian Airlines plane used for the unveiling.

The outgone House of Representatives Committee on Aviation reacted by calling for the suspension of the establishment of Nigeria Air.

It also called for prosecuting those involved in the unveiling of the national carrier by the previous administration, describing the exercise as a fraud.

The committee urged President Bola Tinubu to constitute a high-level Presidential committee to undertake a holistic review of the processes of the Nigeria Air project.

Rep. Nnolim Nnaji, the Chairman of the committee on Aviation, said the committee was dissatisfied with the actions of the former Minister of Aviation in going ahead to flag off the operations of Nigeria Air despite a standing court injunction against such, insisting there was no provision for sustaining the airline’s operations.

He said a careful review of the process indicated the exercise to be highly opaque, shrouded in secrecy, shoddy and capable of ridiculing and tarnishing the image of Nigeria before the international community.

We want to put on record that the committee and, indeed, the National Assembly had no role in the purported launch of Nigeria Air or anything related thereof.

He said, While the committee and indeed the parliament is not opposed to Nigeria having a National Carrier, as a matter of fact, having a National Carrier is highly desirable to us as a people and Nigeria, as a nation.

The committee also directed the Federal Ministry of Aviation and its partners in the Nigeria Air project to suspend flight operations and every other action concerning Nigeria Air.

Joining the call for a thorough probe of the alleged fraud is a Civil Society Organisation, the Center for Human Rights and Accountability Network, CHRAN.

It called on the anti-graft agencies, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, to probe Buhari over his role in the alleged ‘fraudulent’ launch of the Nigeria Air.

It also demanded immediate arrest and investigation of Sirika and all those involved in the alleged scam for them to face the full wrath of the law if found wanting.

In a statement signed by its Chairman, Otuekong Franklyn Isong and the Deputy Director, Public Affairs, Comrade Vincent Aluu, the group said, The launch, which took place on the last day of the Buhari’s government, was criminal and aimed at defrauding the people.

A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Dr Haruna Gololo, also urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to investigate the immediate past Minister of Aviation over unpleasant discoveries in Nigeria Air aircraft’s purported launch.

He demanded, We are giving the EFCC two weeks to arrest and investigate the former Minister of Aviation and other key participants in the former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

The President of the Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network (CRRAN), Olu Omotayo, said the previous administration acted as if there was no law in the country.

Omotayo said an investigation ought to have commenced if it were in an advanced country.

He said what they did was shabbily done, insisting it was dubious.

He said, The past administration did not handle it in an open way. It was shrouded in so much secrecy, and when you are doing a public project like that, the people are supposed to know.

But they were just dribbling at the Nigerians, telling Nigerians that they already had some aircraft on the ground at various press conferences they addressed, but with the situation, it turned out to be false.

If it were in an advanced country, an investigation is supposed to have commenced because I felt that whatever they did was shabbily done, and it was very dubious. There is nothing on the ground to show that they actually invested the amount of money they were talking about.

So the issue has to be investigated, either by the appropriate agency or the incoming National Assembly. We cannot just leave it lying down because it will encourage public officeholders to repeat the same act in the future. They acted as if there was no law in the country.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has disclosed the agenda of his meeting with President Bola Tinubu.

The two men met inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja/

Speaking with newsmen afterwards, Jonathan said he met with Tinubu to brief him about the planned constitutional referendum in Mali.

 

Jonathan is a special envoy of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and is leading the mediation mission in Mali.

The West African country will conduct a referendum on a new constitution on June 18. It will be a precursor to the long-awaited elections scheduled for February 2024.

I came to brief the president on the activities of some continental and subcontinental bodies. You know, I am the ECOWAS mediator for Mali and the chairman of the West African Elders Forum.

Jonathan said, So, there are certain issues bordering on the continent and the sub-region that I discuss with various presidents.

Managing Director, Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission, HYPPADEC, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq Yelwa has described as tragic the boat mishap that claimed many lives in Patigi LGA of Kwara State.

According to a statement by the spokesman of the commission, Nura Tanko, the HYPPADEC boss said the incident was shocking and sad owing to the intensity of casualties recorded.

He said the Commission had already dispatched a team of experts from Kwara state office to assist in search operations while awaiting the comprehensive report on the mishap to be guided on the next line of action.

 

The incident, according to reports, occurred when a wooden boat carrying about 300 people returning to Ebbu after a wedding capsized, claiming about 150 lives.

The Kwara state police command through its spokesman, SP Okasanmi Ajayi, confirmed in Ilorin on Tuesday that 103 persons died in the boat mishap.

Abubakar, expressed sympathy to the family of the bereaved while praying for quick recovery of the survivors.

He also expressed heartfelt condolences to the Kwara State Government, Patigi Emirate and the families of the deceased.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has told the new leadership of National Assembly that it is time to get on and move swiftly with the business of governance in the service of Nigeria.

 

The president stated this on Tuesday in a message on the election of Senator Godswill Akpabio and Rt. Honourable Tajudeen Abbas as the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives for the 10th National Assembly.


Tinubu, who described their election as a good development, congratulated them and rejoice with the new Deputy Senate President Jibril Barau and House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu for their well-deserved victories.


He said being elected by their peers as presiding officers and assuming the leadership of the National Assembly remained a great honour that came with huge responsibility, adding that “I trust that you will justify the confidence reposed in you by your members and many Nigerians.”

He also wished Senator Abdulaziz Yari, Honourable member Idris Wase and Honourable Aminu Jaji who he said enriched the process with their participation in the leadership election the best and a successful tenure in the 10th National Assembly.

The president urged them to sustain the same level of enthusiasm they brought to the leadership contest in the discharge of their duties to their constituents and Nigeria.

“My congratulations to all members of the National Assembly, across party lines, who, today, enlisted into the service of the blessed people of our great country.

“We have all been called upon and accepted the responsibility to diligently and faithfully serve our fatherland with the oath we took. It is time to get on and move swiftly with the business of governance in the service of Nigeria,” he added.

Tinubu expressed his preparedness to “transparently” work with the National Assembly, saying “Nigerians expect distinguished Senators and Honourable members to make laws and carry out oversight duties that will enhance the performance of government to achieve successful outcomes including improving their quality of life.”

The president said promises made during campaigns could only be fulfilled when both the executive and legislative arms of government worked “together in harmony but with respect for our respective prerogatives and in the best interest of our country.


“I will remain a partner in progress for peace, stability and prosperity of Nigeria. I count on the leadership of the 10th National Assembly and all members to work and walk with me on this governmental journey.
“Once again, I send my best wishes.”

Last modified on Wednesday, 14 June 2023 06:43

A chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Buba Galadima has disclosed that decisions taken so far by President Bola Tinubu are poised to make the country better.

This was made known on Monday by Galadima at the inauguration of the Nuite De-Paris Restaurant owned by Maria Namvar, an Iranian investor, in Abuja.


He said Tinubu, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), is starting well as president, adding that he hopes the tempo will be maintained.

“For those of us who have been in trenches in politics for the last 45 years, you will know that this time around the difference is clear,” he said.

“We do appreciate Mr President and so far he hasn’t disappointed us for having been on the right track so far.

“We do pray and hope that the action man will continue the work he is doing to make Nigeria a better place for us.”

Also speaking, Folasade Tinubu-Ojo, the iyaloja-general of Lagos and daughter of the president, said she will always support entrepreneurs who are striving to make available job opportunities for the youths.

On her part, Namvar said she is ready to invest more in Nigeria, adding that “there are plenty of opportunities” in the country.

The Nigerian Bar Association on Tuesday told the President, Bola Tinubu, that the determination of what “constitutes “illegal orders” still remains a matter within the exclusive preserve of the courts of law” and not the presidency.


The NBA made the clarification in a letter released by its president, Yakubu Maikyau, SAN, in reaction to a statement by the President, during his Democracy Day address, “that the unnecessary illegal orders used to truncate or abridge democracy will no longer be tolerated.”


Maikyau, in the letter, reaffirmed that the NBA will at all times “vehemently oppose any attempt by any person or group of persons to truncate or in any way abridge our democracy”, he, however, insisted that the president cannot ascribe to himself that role.


Maikyau further congratulated Tinubu on his swearing-in as the sixth democratically elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and tasked the new government to focus on the immediate issues of national security, economy and administration of justice.

The letter read in part, “What Nigerians require is a well-thought-out, informed, all-inclusive and purposeful intervention, with as much information made available to the public, to the extent permitted within the parlance, so as to reassure Nigerians of the sincere commitment of the government in the area of security.

“Government must be transparent; the people must, by deliberate and conscious investment in manpower development and equipment purchase/procurement, be taken out of the state of fear, which decades of bloodshed and flourishing criminal activities have plunged the country into; the psyche of Nigerians must be recovered from the place of despair and despondency! The right people must be given the task of implementing security plans and policies.”

While admitting that the preponderance of views supports the removal of subsidy by the new government, Maikyau noted the need to ameliorate the effect of the removal on the citizens.

He said, “What remains, however, is the need to immediately deploy such measures that will address the ensuing difficulties associated with the withdrawal of the subsidy.”

“With the level of infrastructural deficits in many respects and the reliance on petroleum products as the primary source of power for most businesses, entrepreneurs, and private users, there is an urgent need to put in place policies that will help cushion the effect of this otherwise laudable decision before its positive impact will begin to be felt or noticed within our socio-economic space.”

On the issue of the administration of justice, the NBA President noted that “every aspect of our judicial infrastructure requires fundamental rethinking.”

“Our approaches to policing, adjudication, bail, sentencing, and imprisonment need changes in significant ways. Achieving the desired justice system will be a process, not an event.”


“Nevertheless, change must be accelerated to keep up with the expectations of Nigerians, particularly those of the poorest and most vulnerable communities. Such change must be thoughtfully planned and carefully managed. We are confident that under your able leadership, Nigeria will be able to respond effectively to these various challenges.”

Senator representing Borno South district, Ali Ndume has disclosed that President Bola Tinubu sneaked out to beg some lawmakers to support his preferred candidates for the 10th national assembly leadership positions.

This was made known on Tuesday by the Senator while speaking in an interview with Channels Television.


Ndume said the president deployed his “foot soldiers” to deliver his preferred candidates.

Recall that the Senator representing Akwa Ibom north-west, Godswill Akpabio was elected senate president after polling 63 votes to defeat his challenger, Abdulaziz Yari, who scored 46 votes.

Barau Jibrin, a senator from Kano, was declared deputy senate president.


Tajudeen Abbas, a lawmaker representing Zaria constituency in Kaduna, was elected speaker, while Benjamin Kalu from Abia state, was declared deputy.

The new leaders of the national assembly got the backing of the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Tinubu.

Reacting to the development, Ndume said the president is an “experienced” politician, adding that he convinced many lawmakers to support his preferred candidates.

“When I contested last time (2019), everybody was on the other side because the party and president endorsed Ahmad Lawan,” he said.

“It is almost a repetition of the same thing, the party and the president had a preferred candidate but this president (Tinubu) is an experienced politician who has played a lot of politics.

“He deployed his foot soldiers to complement our (campaign team of Akpabio) efforts and that made a difference. The vice president assisted us.

“He called some people. He even went to some people. It is politics. He sneaked out to visit some people and begged them to support. He has his reasons and there were convincing.”