Category: Legislature - Page 10 - African News Today

Lawan Commends Gov Ugwuanyi’s Commitment to National Unity

29Dec

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Legislature, News, Nigeria

Lawan Commends Gov Ugwuanyi’s Commitment to National Unity

President of the Senate, Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, has praised Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, for promoting national unity and integration across party divide. Lawan while peaking during the 10th year anniversary of the death of Senator Dr Orji Uzor Kalu's father, Late Chief Johnson Uzor Nsiegbe Kalu, held at Igbere, Bende Local Government Area of Abia State, the expressed delight that Gov. Ugwuanyi was patriotic enough to attend the event in solidarity with the family of the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Kalu, in spite of their different political persuasions. The Senate President who stressed on the importance of national unity said that “Nigeria needs all parts of the country to make things work”. Pointing out that "this occasion that has brought all of us here; regardless o...

Gov Lalong Assents to N147bn 2021 Budget

25Dec

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Crime, Judiciary, Justice, Law Enforcement, Legislature, News, Nigeria, Security

Gov Lalong Assents to N147bn 2021 Budget

Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong has signed the N147bn appropriation bill and the state anti-kidnapping bill into law. The House of Assembly in the state had raised the 2021 appropriation bill to over N147bn from the initial N133bn presented to it by Governor Lalong. The Governor’s Director of Press and Public Affairs, Dr Macham Makut said, the adjustment in the figure was done by the lawmakers to accommodate more interests before passing the bill which has now been signed into law by the governor, Punch reports. Makut said the governor while assenting to the 2021 bill consisting of N90.19 billion as recurrent and N57.34 billion as capital expenditures pointed out that the budget will focus on areas that will stimulate economic growth and recovery, particularly as the year beg...

Nigeria: Constitutional Force Majeure Proclaimed Over A Sovereignty Dispute

22Dec

By Ndidi UwechueNo Comments

Human Rights, Justice, Legislature, Nigeria, United Nations

Nigeria: Constitutional Force Majeure Proclaimed Over A Sovereignty Dispute

19th December 2020 On 16th December 2020, history was being made in Nigeria. On that day, there was an official declaration of Constitutional Force Majeure and demand for an orderly process to deal with the unjust and undemocratic situation in Nigeria of using what is referred to as the 1999 Constitution but that is simply Military Decree 24 in some disguise, and not at all a Constitution in the true sense of that word. This was a Joint Proclamation of a Sovereignty Dispute by Accredited Delegates of Nigerian Indigenous Nationalities of the Southern and Middle Belt Territories of Nigeria. This declaration of Constitutional Force Majeure is the pathway for Unionists seeking the Restructuring of Nigeria back to what we had at Independence, or even better than that; plus, it is also the...

Senate Postpones Budget Passage To Next Week

17Dec

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

Economy, Legislature, News, Nigeria

Senate Postpones Budget Passage To Next Week

The Senate on Thursday deferred the passage of the 2021 budget till Monday, next week. Senate President Ahmad Lawan, who made this known at plenary, said the development followed new items of expenditure transmitted to the National Assembly by the Executive. He said the Committee on Finance would work through the weekend to capture the fresh requests from the executive in their 2021 Appropriation Bill report. He said the Senate would hold a special session next Monday to consider and pass the 2021 budget. Following the development, the reports of the 2021-2023 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) as well as the 2021 Appropriation Bill 2020 earlier scheduled for presentation and consideration were deferred. Lawan said: “There was a late req...

Reps Link NIN Demand for SIM Registration to #EndSARS

17Dec

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Communication, Information Technology, Legislature, News, Nigeria

Reps Link NIN Demand for SIM Registration to #EndSARS

The House of Representatives on Wednesday said the recent directive to link National Identity Number (NIN) to Subscriber Identification Module cards was linked with strange calls and messages received by public officials from strangers with unregistered SIM cards during the recent #EndSARS protests. The House said it summoned the NCC to verify the identities of the owners of the telephone lines but they could not be verified as the SIM cards were not registered. The NCC had ordered that SIM cards not linked to NIN issued by the National Identity Management Commission be blocked after weeks. the legislative chamber, however, asked for an elongation of the deadline issued to subscribers to 10 weeks. Speaking at the plenary on Wednesday, the Minority leader, Ndudi Elumelu, moved ...

Reps Move to Suspend FG’s 774,000 Jobs Scheme

15Dec

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Employment, Legislature, News, Nigeria

Reps Move to Suspend FG’s 774,000 Jobs Scheme

The House of Representatives on Tuesday moved for the immediate suspension of the controversial Special Works Scheme of the Federal Government. The National Assembly had been broiled in dispute with the Federal Ministry of Labour, Employment and Productivity over the recruitment of 774,000 workers for the scheme. The House during plenary on Wednesday advised the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget, and National Planning against funding the scheme which is scheduled to commence in January 2021. The legislature had earmarked N52bn to fund the exercise in the 2020 Appropriation Act. It was planned to take off in November. The National Assembly also kicked against the removal of the Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment, Dr Nasiru Argungu, who had supported the...

2Dec

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Legislature, News, Nigeria

Senate Confirms Garba as NERC Chairman

Following the nomination of Engineer Sanusi Garba by President Muhammad Buhari, the Senate has confirmed his appointment as Chairman of the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). The red chamber also ratified the nominations of Dr Musiliu O. Oseni as Vice Chairman, and Aisha Mahmud as Commissioner. The upper legislative chamber confirmed the nominees following the consideration of the report of the Senate Committee on Power. Gabriel Suswan, Chairman of the Committee, said the findings showed that the “nominees are qualified to hold the positions ascribed to them on the Governing Board of NERC, under Section 34(1) of the Electric Power Sector Reform Act, (EPSA) 2005.” Suswan added that while there is no petition against any of the nominees; the panel was “satisfied wi...

Senate Passes Bill on Compulsory Health Insurance for Every Nigerian

27Nov

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Legislature, News, Nigeria

Senate Passes Bill on Compulsory Health Insurance for Every Nigerian

Dr Ibrahim Oloriegbe, Chairman, Senate Committee on Health has disclosed that the Senate has passed a bill that makes health insurance compulsory for every Nigerian. He stated this on Thursday in Abuja at the inauguration of Group Individual and Family Social Health Insurance Programme (GIFSHIP). He said, “We have passed it in the Senate. Two Committees on health from Senate and the House of Representatives worked on the bill, so the bill is before the House of Representatives just for concurrence. “Also, the National Assembly has passed the National Health Insurance Authority Act. It will not be National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) again, it will be National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) . A scheme in NHI(S) means only one scheme. That is what has been happening. “The N...

INEC Chief, Yakubu, to Hand Over to an Acting Chairman Today

9Nov

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Elections, Legislature, News, Nigeria

INEC Chief, Yakubu, to Hand Over to an Acting Chairman Today

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu is expected to transfer control of the commission to an acting chairman on Monday (today) pending the ratification of his reappointment by the Senate. A n invitation sent to newsmen by Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, Yakubu’s Chief Press Secretary disclosed that the handover is billed to take place at the conference hall of the commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Monday. Yakubu was first appointed to the position of INEC chairman in October 2015 but was officially sworn in on November 9, 2015. President Muhammadu Buhari had on October 27, 2020 reappointed the INEC boss for a second term in office at the expiry of his first five years tenure, subject to confirmation by the senate. Reports suggest Yakub...

#EndSARS: Senate President Asks Youths to End Protests

15Oct

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

Human Rights, Justice, Legislature, News, Nigeria, Youths

#EndSARS: Senate President Asks Youths to End Protests

The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, on Thursday, advised the youths engaging in anti-SARS protests to put an end to their agitations on the streets. He said ending the protests would enable the President Muhammadu Buhari to work on the implementation of their five-point agenda. Lawan also enjoined the President to expedite actions on the reform for peace to reign. Lawan said, “Nigerians have the right to a peaceful demonstration when they feel very strongly about issues. “They can do so to call the attention of the leaders of this country for the appropriate actions to be taken. “The government has responded, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad has been disbanded. “All the five demands of the protesters have been accepted. ” I believe that when protesters’ demands...