Dons Eze40 NIGERIAN LAWMAKERS MAY LOSE SEATS OVER CONCURRENT MEMBERSHIP OF NASS, ECOWAS PARLIAMENT
40 NIGERIAN LAWMAKERS MAY LOSE SEATS OVER CONCURRENT MEMBERSHIP OF NASS, ECOWAS PARLIAMENT Over 40 Nigerian lawmakers are likely to vacate their seats for concurrent membership of the National Assembly and ECOWAS Parliament as well as the Pan-African Parliament, if a suit filed against them succeeds. The suit was filed by the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners, ALDRAP, a non governmental organisation that seeks to promote transparency and accountability in governance through public interest litigations, advocacy, policy engagements. The body had earlier called on the President of the Senate to declare the seats of the affected lawmakers vacant for belonging to multiple parliament’s at the same time and collecting emoluments from all. Having failed to comply with the call, the body served a pre-action notice on the Senate President and copied the Clerk of the National Assembly, indicating its readiness to seek judicial redress if the call was not heeded. The body, in the letter dated April 8, signed by its Secretary, Dr Tonye Clinton Jaja, warned that in the event that the Senate President fails to comply with its request within seven working days from the date of the letter, it shall commence a lawsuit to seek the interpretation of a court of law. In the alternative, the body offered to draft two bills for domestication of both the international instruments establishing both the ECOWAS Parliament and the Pan-African Parliament. The group insisted that the practice of serving both bodies violates Section 68(1) of the 1999 Constitution and Article 18, Supplementary Act of the ECOWAS Parliament, 2017, which prohibits a serving member of a parliament serving with it and collecting emoluments. In the suit filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, ALDRAP asks the court to determine whether having regard to Section 68 (1) (a) of the 1999 Constitution (as altered), any member of the National Assembly who wishes to take a seat at the ECOWAS Parliament and/or the Pan-African Parliament, ought to first resign from the National Assembly. “In the alternative: whether having regard to Section 12 of the 1999 Constitution (as altered), the provisions of the ECOWAS Parliament legislation, which allocates 35 seats to Nigeria, has not yet become legally operative within Nigeria considering that both the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly have not subjected the said parliament to the legislative procedure prescribed under Section 12.” The prayed the court to make a “Declaration that the 5th defendant (Clerk of the National Assembly) shall immediately discontinue the payment of salaries and all forms of remuneration to all 40 lawmakers who were recently inaugurated as either members of the 6th Assembly of the ECOWAS Parliament and/or the Pan-African Parliament”. It also prayed for an order directing the Clerk of the National Assembly immediately discontinue the payment of salaries and all forms of remuneration to all the 40 lawmakers who were recently inaugurated as either members of the 6th assembly of the ECOWAS Parliament and/or the Pan-African Parliament.The group, in the same vein, asks the court to order the 6th defendant (INEC) to immediately conduct bye-elections within 30 days from the date of the vacancy to fill all 40 vacant seats at the National Assembly.
WIKE TO FUBARA: COURT INJUNCTIONS OBTAINED BY MIDNIGHT CAN’T REMOVE RIVERS LAWMAKERS
WIKE TO FUBARA: COURT INJUNCTIONS OBTAINED BY MIDNIGHT CAN’T REMOVE RIVERS LAWMAKERS FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, has said that court injunctions obtained by midnight cannot be used to unseat any member of the Rivers State House of Assembly. Wike spoke on Saturday at the grand civic reception held at Ogu-Bolo in honour of Chief George Thompson Sekibo to celebrate his 20 years of service at the National and 36 years of his life in public service. “If they like they can go to anybody by 2am or 4am to get injunction. The law will take its course. We must follow due process,” Wike said. Turning to the suspended assembly members, Wike said: “Don’t be afraid, nobody will remove you as a lawmaker. Most of you don’t understand. This is our work. Our business is to make them to fear. That is what I am doing. We will make them to be angry ever everyday and they will continue to make mistakes.” Wike declared that backing Governor Siminalayi Fubara was a mistake he would correct at the appropriate time. “I want to say this clearly, in life we have made a mistake. I have made a mistake. I own it up and I say God forgive me. I have said all of you forgive me. But we will correct it at the appropriate time. I am a human, I am bound to make a mistake. So forgive me for making a wrong judgement. So nobody should kill. “As you see me I stand straight. I think well. I came with senator Magnus Abe. I work with people that have brains. On politics, when people with brains agree they disagree. Those, who don’t know what to do but said they would bring me down, who born them? They are nowhere. When you are in charge, you are in charge. “Everything will calm down. All these people running around, they would come down. Boma worked for his appointment, he showed loyalty and commitment and that is why God placed him there. Don’t worry. “Let me also advised you, forget about how they abuse us. You must be alive for people to abuse you. If you are dead, will they abuse you? At the appropriate time when the results will be announced, we will know who is who. We have defeated them severally.“Some.of them ran to Abuja but when I went to Abuja, they ran back here. Have you not seen the way Abuja is moving? No amount of propaganda can help you. Ogu people have shown loyalty and I want to thank you”.
OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT TINUBU, BY AMBASSADOR HABIB BABA HABU OON
OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT TINUBU, BY AMBASSADOR HABIB BABA HABU, OON Dear Mr. President, Having traveled extensively across Nigeria with you during the 2023 campaigns and being a devoted member of the Renewed Hope Family, I remain steadfast in my belief that you, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Jagaba of Borgu, possess the determination, capability, and skill to lead Nigeria towards progress. The Nigerian populace did not err in electing you as President. Throughout the campaigns, you emphasized the imperative of revitalizing the Nigerian economy and steering it towards growth and development. You were candid in acknowledging that the necessary reforms would initially entail considerable pain for Nigerians. Presently, we are all experiencing the repercussions of these reforms. It is important to acknowledge that the dynamism displayed by ABAT in Lagos has been tempered by the frailty of ageing. Nonetheless, your mental acumen, sagacity and capability endure. This presents challenges in conducting physical inspections of projects, necessitating a reliance on trusted aides. However, this reliance, on trusted officials, also poses a vulnerability to potential sabotage within your administration. I implore you not to place unwavering trust in any individual to the extent that their words supersede your own, even if inadvertently. Vigilance and continuous oversight are essential. Drawing from my experience as the Presidential Liaison Officer to the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who passed away 14 years ago, I witnessed firsthand how his illness rendered him susceptible to exploitation by ministers and personal staff. Some of them exploited this trust, exacerbating crises that ultimately led to the Doctrine of Necessity. Although this is a topic for another occasion, it is worth noting, Olusegun Adeniyi, in his characteristic humility didn’t explicitly name such individuals. I have been working on a paper dealing exclusively with “The Powers of the Unelected Personal Staff of a President – from General Abatcha to PMB”. My second and concluding pointer is to, respectfully, draw Your Excellency’s attention to the fundamental economic principle that no government can tax its citizens into near poverty and expect sustainable growth and development.May Allah grant you good health and the capability to achieve your objectives of making Nigeria Great. Your success remains as one of my daily prayers
THEY ABANDONED NOVEL IDEAS I INTRODUCED AFTER I LEFT POWER – JONATHAN
THEY ABANDONED NOVEL IDEAS I INTRODUCED AFTER I LEFT POWER – JONATHAN Former President Goodluck Jonathan has said some of his ideas were jettisoned after his exit from office. Jonathan, who was President from 2010 to 2015, said this during the Founder’s Day Colloquium to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State, on Friday. The colloquium, with the theme, “Re-Imagining Tertiary Education for Africa’s Present and Future Reality”, was held at the university’s main auditorium. While recalling that women were admitted into the Nigeria Defence Academy, Jonathan said he faced serious challenges but had his way as the president of the country. “I recall the challenges faced by women in the military. But as President, I directed that the Nigeria Defence Academy commence admission of women into the institution. “However some of the ideas, which could have helped in the technological development of the country were jettisoned,” he said. The ex-President also called for the recalibration of the nation’s educational system to focus more on technology and innovation. While describing the focus on acquiring only certificates as damaging to the economy, he stressed that the attitude should be discouraged by emphasizing knowledge and skills acquisition to produce graduates that would pilot the economy. He said: “I want to congratulate the founder of this university and say that because of the success of the university, successive governments gave licences to other private universities to operate. “There is always resistance when one starts something new, but with your commitment and dedication, your efforts in the last 25 years are commendable. “All founders of private universities in Nigeria need to celebrate you for opening the door for them.” He thanked God for using the former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsami Abubakar, to bring democracy to the country. Also speaking, Abubakar, who was instrumental in the establishment of the university, said Igbinedion University had immensely contributed to the growth and development of Nigeria in almost every sector. He congratulated the Chancellor and Founder of the university, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, for the foresight to pursue a private university license 25 years ago. Deputy Pro-Chancellor of the university, Lucky Igbinedion, who spoke on behalf of the Pro-Chancellor, and Founder of the university said 25 years after, the effort of establishing the institution had paid off with the springing up of more private universities in the country. The Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the university, Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye, disclosed that students of the institution were exposed to entrepreneurial and skills acquisition modules.“At 25, it is significant to note that the brilliant exploits of our Blue-sky graduates in their various fields of endeavour across the globe evidenced the quality of our products,” he added.
WAR IN RIVERS: GOV FUBARA RELOCATES HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY TO GOVT HOUSE AS PRO-WIKE LAWMAKERS SEND URGENT MESSAGE TO TINUBU
WAR IN RIVERS: GOV FUBARA RELOCATES HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY TO GOVT HOUSE AS PRO-WIKE LAWMAKERS SEND URGENT MESSAGE TO TINUBU Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has gazetted Executive Order 001, relocating the State House of Assembly to the Auditorium, Admin Block of the Government House, Port Harcourt. The Governor explained that the decision was taken because the current House of Assembly complex is unfit for use after it was burnt on October 29th, 2023, during the political crisis which rocked the state. Fubara stated that the House of Assembly, in its present state, constitutes a threat to the lives of users and needs to be shut down for urgent repairs, renovation and reconstruction to take place. The gazette is dated December 14th, 2023. The Governor observed that the move to the government house was to ensure that the proceedings of the House of Assembly were not impeded and frustrated. He said: “Now, therefore, I, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, the Governor of Rivers State, this 30th Day of October, 2023, pursuant to the powers vested in me under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria hereby issue, order and direct that all proceedings and business of the Rivers State House of Assembly shall temporarily take place at the auditorium, Admin Block, Government House, Port Harcourt, until the repairs, renovation and reconstruction of the chambers of Rivers State House of Assembly.” In another development, the Assembly members loyal to FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, have called upon President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and halt what they perceive as anti-democratic actions by Governor Siminalayi Fubara. During their plenary session at the House of Assembly quarters along Aba Road, the lawmakers expressed grave concerns over what they labeled as Fubara’s autocratic governance style. The Speaker, Amaewhule and his colleagues implored President Tinubu to wade in and call Governor Fubara to order. In a statement released by Amaewhule’s Media Aide, Martin Wachukwu, the Majority Leader, Major Jack, accused Fubara of allegedly planning to demolish the recently constructed Assembly Quarters. Members highlighted a series of what they termed as tyrannical acts by the Governor, including the burning of the Assembly’s Hallowed Chamber, demolition of the Assembly Complex, attack on the Speaker’s official residence, and the withholding of funds from Local Government Councils and the Assembly Service Commission. They condemned such actions as despotic and urged the people of Rivers State and the President to intervene. Amaewhule specifically criticized Governor Fubara’s intrusion into the Assembly, describing it as provocative and indicative of a dictatorial attitude. He questioned whether the Governor respected the constitutional principle of the separation of powers. Amaewhule urged members to defend democracy and reject any attempts to sow ethnic division. The Assembly resolved to communicate their grievances to the British High Commission, the American Embassy, the European Union, and the United Nations, informing them of Fubara’s alleged authoritarian conduct towards the Rivers State House of Assembly.Meanwhile, a court in Rivers State later on Friday declared the seats of Amaewhule and 24 of his colleagues vacant over their defection from PDP where they were elected to APC. The court said that their seats remain vacant pending the determination of the suit filed against them.
TENSION IN RIVERS AS POLICE TAKE OVER HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY; COURT SUSPENDS PRO-WIKE LAWMAKERS
TENSION IN RIVERS: AS POLICE TAKE OVER HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY; COURT SUSPENDS PRO-WIKE LAWMAKERS About 30 armed policemen have taken over all the entrances to the House of Assembly quarters located along the Aba Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers state. It was gathered that both the first and second gates to the lawmakers’ estate were safeguarded by the police with about 30 patrol vans used to block the entrances. The development came shortly after the Martins Amaewhule-led House of Assembly claimed that the governor was planning to demolish the quarters following his recent surprise visit to the facility. But the governor, Siminalayi Fubara, had explained that his visit to the estate on Thursday was harmless. The governor said: “Is the Assembly quarters not part of my property? Is there anything wrong in going to check how things are going on there? “You are aware of the developments. We have a new speaker, and I went there to see for myself how things are. There might be a few things I might want to do there for the good of our people.” It was learnt that following the alarm raised by Amaewhule, the anti-Fubara lawmakers including some chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) kept vigil around the estate till daybreak. Armed policemen were seen barricading the gates on Friday to secure the facility. However, the Sim Media Volunteers (SMV) called on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to monitor the activities of policemen in the state and ensure they observed the rules of engagement. The convener of the group, Frank Kilsi, decried the arrest and intimidation of the governor’s supporters by the police saying the development could lead to anarchy. Kilsi, who spoke in Port Harcourt, on Friday, said: “We call on the Inspector-General of Police to rein in his men and exercise restrain by stopping the unnecessary attack or wanton arrest on any of the governor’s supporters, as further harassment could lead to anarchy and breakdown of law and order that may not do our state any good. Kilsi appreciated the overwhelming support of Rivers people to Fubara and their decision to stand firm in defence of democracy despite challenges. He said: “We, the youths of the state, under the aegis of SIM Media Volunteers, do hereby emphasize the need for peace, justice and development in Rivers State. “We implore all relevant stakeholders such as the citizens, political leaders, traditional institutions, and law enforcement agencies, to ensure that the rights and freedom of the people are upheld and protected at all times. “To this end, we would like to acknowledge and applaud the great youths of Rivers State for being peaceful and law-abiding even in the face of provocation”. Kilsi commended the governor’s peaceful disposition and commitment to the security of lives and property in the state and asked him to continue on such a path of development. Meanwhile, a Rivers State High Court has suspended the speaker of the House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, and 24 others from parading themselves as lawmakers. The affected lawmakers are part of a group loyal to FCT minister Nyesom Wike. According to a court document seen by our reporter, the matter will come up for hearing on May 29, 2024. The court also prohibited Martin Amaewhule from convening plenary at the assembly premises. The affected lawmakers are: HON. MARTIN CHIKE AMAEWHULE HON. DUMLE MAOL HON, MAJOR JACK HON. FRANKLIN UCHENNA NWABOCHI HON. CHRISTOPHER KAGBANG OFIKS HON. AZERU OPARA HON, ENEMI ALABO GEORGE HON. GRANVILLE TEXENARI WELLINGTON HON, NGBAR BERNARD HON. JOHN DOMINIC IDERIMA HON. QUEEN UWUMA TONY WILLIAMS HON. LOOLO ISAIAH OPUENDE HON. ABBEY PETER HON. IGWE – OBEY AFORJI HON. JUSTINA EMEI HON. IGNATIUS ONWUKA HON. CHIMEZIE NWANKWO HON. LEMCHI PRINCE NYECHE HON. BARILE NWAKOH HON.…
RIVERS ASSEMBLY CLERK DISOWNS PRO-FUBARA FACTION, INSISTS AMAEWHULE IS SPEAKER
RIVERS ASSEMBLY CLERK DISOWNS PRO-FUBARA FACTION, INSISTS AMAEWHULE IS SPEAKER The clerk of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Emeka Amadi, has disowned the pro-Governor Sim Fubara’s faction of the Assembly. Amadi insisted that the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly remains Martin Amaewhule. The clerk said the three members of the assembly loyal to Fubara—Hon. Victor Oko Jumbo, Hon. Sokari Goodboy Sokari and Hon. Adolphus Orubimie Timothy—were suspended on October 30, 2023, and they cannot lay claim to be officers of the House.On Thursday, some lawmakers appointed Jumbo as the new Speaker of the Assembly.
WHY NORTHERN ELITES ARE UNHAPPY WITH TINUBU
WHY NORTHERN ELITES ARE UNHAPPY WITH TINUBU The Dean of Borno Elders Forum, Prof Khalifa Dikwa, says members of the elite in the northern region of the country are unhappy with President Bola Tinubu because of his “misfit and weak appointees” as well as his “anti-people policies”. The political analyst, who featured on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Wednesday, said northern elite are “not happy because each of these policies affect the north entirely”. “Most of the appointees are either misfits or weak or to the wrong places,” the elder statesman said, adding that the appointments by the Tinubu administration are “lopsided”. Prof Dikwa said even “the southern elite should be annoyed because Nigeria is more than Lagos”. He further described as “provocative”, the 0.5% cybersecurity levy on electronic transactions recently introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and asked the President to immediately order the apex bank to suspend the implementation of the new policy.“This is not the time, it’s wrong timing. Why are they provoking the people of this country? They have taken enough,” he said.
RIVERS CRISIS: ONE HOUSE TWO SPEAKERS AS PRO-FUBARA GROUP ELECTS OWN SPEAKER
RIVERS CRISIS: ONE HOUSE, TWO SPEAKERS, AS PRO-FUBARA GROUP ELECTS OWN SPEAKER The political crisis in Rivers State has taken a whole new twist as some members of the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara elected the member representing Bonny constituency, Victor Oko-Jumbo, as their Speaker. Oko-Jumbo, who is said to be the new speaker for the entire 32-member Assembly, was said to be elected at 10am during plenary on Wednesday, in line with the Standing Order of the House. Oko-Jumbo was one of the four lawmakers loyal to Fubara in the wake of the political crisis in the state. They had at the time of the crisis elected Edison Ehie as the speaker, but the latter later resigned from the State Assembly, and was appointed the Chief of Staff to the Governor. It was not clear how many lawmakers were present during the plenary that produced Oko-Jumbo as speaker. Oko-Jumbo was led to the plenary with the original mace of the Rivers State House of Assembly by the Sergeant-at-Arms, David Wariboko, who managed the last sitting of the Martin Amaewhule-led Assembly in the same position. Oko-Jumbo in his acceptance speech thanked the members for electing him as the new Speaker sequel to the resignation of the former Speaker, Edison Ehie. He called on the Executive and the Judiciary, as well as the public to disregard every law purportedly enacted by the Amaewhule-led Assembly, describing it as an exercise in futility. “You will agree with me that after the House last sat on the 13th of December, 2023, and adjourned sine dine, there has been an avalanche of legislative rascality perpetrated by the 25 former members of the 10th Rivers State House of Assembly, led by the former Speaker, Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule. “These former members, being fully aware of the provisions of Section 109(1)(g) of the CFRN 1999, defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Party (APC) on the 11th of December, 2023. “Consequently, the Rt. Hon. Edison Ogerenye Ehie-led Assembly, on the 13th of December, 2023, wrote to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), declaring the seats of the 25 lawmakers vacant in line with Section 109(1)(g) and (2) of the CFRN 1999. “My distinguished colleagues, there are a plethora of cases pending in our courts further to the defection of the former lawmakers,” he said. “All laws, plenary sessions and actions taken by the illegal House members are hereby declared void and a nullity in the eyes of the law by virtue of the judgment of Lord Denning in the celebrated case of MacFoy v UAC (1961) 3 All ER 1169.” Oko-Jumbo emphasised. He said, “Furthermore, this House would want to most respectfully urge and call on His Excellency, the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, DSSRS, to desist forthwith from further dealings with the 25 former lawmakers, in whatever guise. “Those members are merely floating and do not have any landing ground or anywhere to berth their ship since their defection to the All Progressives Congress on the 11th of December, 2023. “This House is the legally and constitutionally recognised House of Assembly by virtue of the defection of the other members, and is ready to receive correspondences from and work with His Excellency, the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara. Distinguished colleagues, let me thank you once again.“I know I can count on your unalloyed and unwavering support as we work with His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara in moving our dear Rivers State forward in promoting the progress and welfare of the State.”
GROUP DEMANDS APOLOGY FROM UMAHI OVER ATTACK ON PETER OBI
GROUP DEMANDS APOLOGY FROM UMAHI OVER ATTACK ON PETER OBI The Igboezue International Association Nigeria and the Diaspora (IIAND), has called on the Minister of Works, David Umahi, to tender a public apology to Mr. Peter Obi, over his recent outbursts against the former Anambra State Governor, asserting that Umshi’s comments not only unjustly targeted Obi, but also disrespected the entire Igbo community. Speaking at a press conference in Onitsha, IIAND’s National President, Pius Okoye, said Obi’s criticism of Lagos-Calabar Costal highway project, neither concerned Tinubu nor Ndigbo, and “we wonder why a man of such calibre, a former Governor of Ebonyi State, should bring Ndigbo into such a matter that does not concern them, if not for trying to retain his job. The association condemned the actions of Igbo politicians who drag the Igbo community into personal disputes, fueled by political rivalry, labeling it disrespectful to the Igbo nation. They urged that political discourse should be conducted with civility and respect, devoid of attempts to divide or undermine the unity of the Igbo people. “We think that Ndigbo deserve an apology from Umahi. If he had stopped at just attacking Obi and accusing him of incitement, we would not worry, but bringing Ndigbo in his comment is lack of respect for the Igbo nation. We demand an apology from him,” they said.The group told Ndigbo not to succumb to panic amidst current challenges in Nigeria, but to maintain their renowned work ethic and resilience in the face of adversity, emphasizing their belief that God stands with them.