Legislature

Senate Queries Federal Character Commission Over Secret Recruitments
Legislature, News, Nigeria

Senate Queries Federal Character Commission Over Secret Recruitments

The Senate on Thursday said it had asked the management of the Federal Character Commission to react in writing, to the secret recruitment being allegedly carried out by federal ministries, departments and agencies. The Chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Character Commission and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Senator Danjuma La’ah, stated this in an interview with Punch in Abuja. He said the FCC management was also expected to show documentary evidence that there was a circular from the Head of Service which placed an embargo on employment. La’ah added that the FCC was asked by his committee to provide details of the recruitment exercise carried out so far since the supposed embargo and the criteria used in filling vacant positions. Read Also: Governors Against Direct Primaries...
Reps Reject Bill Seeking To Empower Nigerians To Sue Government Over Lack Of Welfare
Legislature, News, Nigeria

Reps Reject Bill Seeking To Empower Nigerians To Sue Government Over Lack Of Welfare

A bill seeking to empower Nigerians to sue the government for not providing basic welfare suffered a setback at the house of representatives on Wednesday. Sponsored by Sergius Ogun, a lawmaker from Edo, the legislation seeks to amend section 6 of the constitution to allow the judiciary to entertain cases on the provision of basic welfare as contained in chapter 2. Section 6 (6c) of the constitution provides that “the judicial powers vested in accordance with the foregoing provisions of this section shall not, except as otherwise provided by this Constitution, extend to any issue or question as to whether any act or omission by any authority or person or as to whether any law or any judicial decision is in conformity or otherwise with the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principle...
Reps Order Probe Of FG’s Abandoned N97bn Cancer Centre
Legislature, News, Nigeria

Reps Order Probe Of FG’s Abandoned N97bn Cancer Centre

The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate the National Cancer Control Plan established by President Muhammadu Buhari administration, to determine why fewer Nigerians with cancer cannot access treatment at the special centres. The House particularly mandated its committees on Health Institutions and Health Care Services to “investigate the Federal Government’s implementation of the National Cancer Control Plan 2018-2022 to ensure its implementation.” The committees are also to “ascertain the status of all radiotherapy cancer treatment centres in the country to come up with a workable plan to subsidise treatment for cancer patients.” These resolutions were sequel to the unanimous adoption of a motion moved at the plenary on Wednesday, which was titled, ‘Call for Feder...
Governors Against Direct Primaries Should Embrace Dialogue – Lawan
Elections, Legislature, News, Nigeria

Governors Against Direct Primaries Should Embrace Dialogue – Lawan

Senate President Ahmad Lawan says the national assembly expects President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the electoral amendment bill 2021 into law. Lawan said this on Monday while speaking to state house correspondents after the meeting with the president. On November 19, the national assembly had transmitted the bill to Buhari for assent. The decision to adopt direct primaries has elicited varied reactions, with stakeholders such as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and some All Progressives Congress (APC) governors  kicking against it. There have also been reports that some APC governors are planning to influence the president not to sign the bill because of the clause. Asked how APC can ensure stability when governors are unhappy with direct primaries, Lawan said the best way...
Senator Gbenga Aluko Slumps, Dies In Abuja
Legislature, News, Nigeria

Senator Gbenga Aluko Slumps, Dies In Abuja

A former governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, Senator Gbenga Aluko, is dead. The Ode-Ekiti-born politician was said to have died on Saturday after he collapsed in his office in Abuja. According to Television Continental, he was rushed to a hospital where he passed on. TVC reported that one of Aluko’s aides who spoke on condition of anonymity told Radio Nigeria that Aluko was neither sick nor exhibited any symptom of sickness. Read Also: It’s Tormenting Mum And I Watched My Brother Die –Dangote Another source disclosed that the late politician died of a heart attack. He was the son of the late economist, Professor Sam Aluko. Aluko in 2018 contested the governorship ticket on the platform of the All Progressives Congress in Ekiti State. Aluko popularly called “SGA” was a mem...
Declare Bandits Terrorists Under 24-Hours, Reps Tell Buhari Again
Legislature, News, Nigeria, Security

Declare Bandits Terrorists Under 24-Hours, Reps Tell Buhari Again

The House of Representatives Committee on Army has again urged President Muhammadu Buhari, to declare bandits terrorists to enable the Nigerian Armed Forces to fully clamp down on them. The Chairman of the committee, Abdulrazak Namdas, made the call when the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Farouk Yahaya, appeared before the committee to defend the budget proposed for 2022 in Abuja on Friday. It was the second time the committee was urging Buhari to take the action within 24 hours. The House had on September 30, 2021, a day after the Senate passed the resolution, asked Buhari to designate bandits, who have dominated the North-West and parts of the North-Central geopolitical zones, and their sponsors as terrorists. The lawmakers made the demand when the Training and Doctr...
Republic of Benin Legalises Abortion
Legislature, News, Uncategorized

Republic of Benin Legalises Abortion

The Republic of Benin parliamentarians have voted to legalise abortion and authorised the process under very restricted conditions. The law was passed after a heated debate in the parliament, with some legislators strongly opposed to legalising abortion before the amendment finally passed. According to the new law, women can terminate a pregnancy within the first three months if it is likely to “aggravate or cause material, educational, professional or moral distress, incompatible with the woman or the unborn child’s interest.” Read Also: El-Zakzaky Sues AGF, DSS For N2bn Over Detention, Passport’s Seizure In Benin, abortion was initially authorised if the pregnancy “threatened the life of the mother”, was “the result of a rape or incest” or when “the unborn child has a particularly ...
Zamfara Assembly Suspends Two Lawmakers Suspected Of Aiding Kidnap Of Speaker’s Father, Colleague’s Murder
Crime, Legislature, News, Nigeria, Uncategorized

Zamfara Assembly Suspends Two Lawmakers Suspected Of Aiding Kidnap Of Speaker’s Father, Colleague’s Murder

Zamfara House of Assembly on Monday suspended two of its members for their alleged involvement in aiding and abetting banditry in the state. The two lawmakers are alleged to have aided the kidnap of the Speaker’s father, and the murder of another colleague of theirs. The suspended members, according to a Press release signed by the Director-General Press Affairs of the House, Mustafa Kaura, are Yusuf Muhammad Anka representing Anka constituency; and Ibrahim T. Tukur Bakura representing Bakura constituency. The statement said, “They have been suspended from the state House of Assembly for three months pending the conclusion of investigations on the allegation leveled against them. “They are to appear before the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges in conjunction with securit...
INEC Awaits Buhari’s Nod on e-transmission of Results
Elections, Legislature, News, Nigeria

INEC Awaits Buhari’s Nod on e-transmission of Results

The Senate bowed to pressure from the public on Tuesday when it passed a bill that gave the Independent National Electoral Commission the sole power to determine the procedure for the transmission of election results. The red chamber also approved direct primaries as the method to be adopted by all political parties to elect candidates for all elective positions. The amendments were made on Tuesday by the Senate to some clauses of the Electoral Act (Repeal and Re-enactment) bill 2021, passed on July 15, 2021. In its reaction, INEC said that although it had the capacity to transmit elections results electronically, it said it could only adopt the method after President Muhammadu Buhari, had signed amendments to Electoral Act. Also on Tuesday, the Peoples Democratic Party and civ...
Designate Bandits As Terrorists, Reps Tell Buhari
Legislature, News, Nigeria, Security

Designate Bandits As Terrorists, Reps Tell Buhari

The House of Representatives, on Thursday, asked President Muhammadu Buhari, to designate bandits, who have dominated the North-West and parts of the North-Central geopolitical zones, and their sponsors as terrorists. The Senate had made the demand earlier on Wednesday. Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, Babajimi Benson, at the plenary on Thursday, moved a motion of urgent public importance to urge the chamber to back the Senate. It was titled, ‘Declaration of Bandits and their Sponsors as Terrorists.’ The Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, had asked for those who were against the motion but the lawmakers chorused, “No!” The motion was unanimously adopted through voice vote. Moving the motion, Benson said, “The Senate, on Wednesday, 29th September, 2021, adopted a m...