Thursday, December 19

Legislature

Reps Meet Chief of Army Staff Over Threats of Breakup
27Mar By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments
Legislature, News, Nigeria, Security

Reps Meet Chief of Army Staff Over Threats of Breakup

The members of the House of Representatives have held a closed-door meeting with the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Ibrahim Attahiru, to discuss the secession threats in the country. Despite the refusal of the lawmakers and the military to divulge the details to reporters, reports say the succession agitations in the south-West championed by Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Ighoho, the Indigenous People of Biafra, and other agitations in the South-East and South-West featured the most. The House delegation led by its Chairman, Abdul-Razaq Namdas, held the meeting with the COAS behind closed doors at about 11 am at the Nigerian Army Headquarters in Abuja. The lawmakers raised concerns over the agitations of individuals and groups to divide the country and rising insecurity. ...
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NLC Mulls Nationwide Protest Over Removal of Minimum Wage from Exclusive List
4Mar By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments
Finance, Labour, Legislature, News, Nigeria

NLC Mulls Nationwide Protest Over Removal of Minimum Wage from Exclusive List

The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, plans to embark on a nationwide protest to protest a move by the National Assembly to remove the minimum wage from the Exclusive List to the Concurrent List. The NLC in a statement signed by its President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, and Acting General Secretary, Ismail Bello, said its National Administrative Council could embark on a nationwide strike, should the national assembly fail to reverse their decision. Their reaction followed a plot by the House of Representatives to change the current wage structure which gives the Nigerian government the power to negotiate the minimum wage for workers across the country. According to the statement, the NLC warned that workers would not tolerate the undermining of their rights by those it tagged opportunistic...
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Imo Assembly Impeaches Majority Leader
4Mar By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments
Legislature, News, Nigeria

Imo Assembly Impeaches Majority Leader

The infighting at the Imo State House of Assembly, Owerri, on Thursday, took a different turn as the lawmakers impeached the majority leader, Uche Ogbuagu. Ogbuagu, who represents Ikeduru state constituency, had moved to the All Progressives Congress, APC, following the removal of former governor Emeka Ihedioha in January 2020 by the Supreme Court in a bid to assume a principal role in the house. It was gathered that he was impeached by a majority vote at Thursday’s plenary which took place amid heavy security presence. His removal was announced by the speaker, Paul Emezim, who presided over the plenary. The impeached lawmaker is speculated to have been embroiled in a cold war with the deputy speaker, Amarachi Iwuanyanwu. Details later…
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Senate Ratifies N11.35bn Police Trust Fund Budget
24Feb By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments
Finance, Legislature, News, Nigeria

Senate Ratifies N11.35bn Police Trust Fund Budget

The Senate has approved N11,352,457.70 as the budget for the Nigeria Police Trust Fund in the 2020 fiscal year. The approval followed the consideration of the harmonized report of the Senate and House of Representatives Committee on Police Affairs. The implementation of the approved NPTP 2020 budget is set to elapse on the 30th of April, 2021. Senator Halliru Jika, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Police Affairs on Wednesday presented the report of hid committee at the plenary. According to Jika, it was the first budget of the NPTF since the establishment Act came into being in 2019. He said, “Only 0.5 per cent of the total revenue accrued to the federation account and 0.5 per cent of the total VAT were remitted to the NPTF Account. “Other sources of revenue as prescri...
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El-Rufai to FG – Give us State police, Resource Control Now
20Feb By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments
Legislature, News, Nigeria, Security

El-Rufai to FG – Give us State police, Resource Control Now

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has asked The Federal Government to as a matter of urgency implement the three specific recommendations of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Committee on True Federalism to address the insecurity in the country. The governor disclosed this when he featured as one of the speakers on a live broadcast on Friday tagged, ‘The Fierce Urgency of Now: Tactics and Strategies to Pull Nigeria from the Brink.’ El-Rufai said that Nigeria had failed “jealously and consistently protect its prerogatives and status as a leviathan, the ultimate guarantor of security, the protector of rights and the promoter of the rule of law.” He said that is why the Federal Government’s power is being challenged in a frighteningly sustained manner by a phalanx of armed non-sta...
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New Service Chiefs Set for Reps Screening Wednesday
16Feb By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments
Legislature, News, Nigeria, Security

New Service Chiefs Set for Reps Screening Wednesday

The House of Representatives is set to screen the newly appointed service chiefs, on Wednesday. Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, Babajimi Benson, said the service chiefs will be screened behind closed doors for security reasons, Punch reports. The service chiefs to be screened include - Maj. Gen. Lucky Eluonye Onyenuchea lrabor – Chief of Defence Staff; Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru – Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo – Chief of Naval Staff; and Air Vice Marshal Isiaka O. Amao – Chief of Air staff. They will replace the erstwhile Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin; Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas; and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar. Femi Gbajabiamila, spea...
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Ban Open Grazing, Senator Tells Buhari
10Feb By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments
Agriculture, Legislature, News, Nigeria

Ban Open Grazing, Senator Tells Buhari

Tolulope Odebiyi, a member of the Nigerian Senate has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to sign an executive order to ban open grazing by herdsmen in the country. The senator who represents the Ogun West Senatorial district on Wednesday while regretting the invasion of killer herdsmen into the country from neighbouring countries asked Buhari to take immediate action. Odebiyi said, “It is an indictment on our leadership that people are coming into Nigeria to rape, maim and kill our people. It is upsetting and we must rise up to this occasion. I rise that the President need to speak and calm the nation. “The President can sign an Executive Order banning open grazing. There are actions that he can take immediately but nothing is being done.” The South-West region has been in the ey...
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Senate Deliberates on Buhari’s Request to Confirm Service Chiefs
9Feb By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments
Legislature, News, Nigeria, Safety, Security

Senate Deliberates on Buhari’s Request to Confirm Service Chiefs

The Senate, on Tuesday deliberated on President Muhammadu Buhari’s request to confirm the newly appointed service chiefs. The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan read the request which was contained in a letter dated 27th January, 2021. A statement by Lawan’s aide, Ezrel Tabiowo, said the letter read, “In compliance with the provisions of Section 18(1) of the Armed Forces Act. Cap A20 Laws the Federation of Nigeria 2004, I hereby forward for confirmation by the Senate, the appointment of the under listed officer as the Chief of Defence Staff and Services Chiefs of the Armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. “The appointees for confirmation are: Maj. Gen. Lucky Eluonye Onyenuchea lrabor – Chief of Defence Staff; Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru – Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admir...
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Reps Propose Three-month Postponement of School Resumption
17Jan By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments
Covid-19, Education, Legislature, News, Nigeria, Safety

Reps Propose Three-month Postponement of School Resumption

The House of Representatives has frowned at the decision of the Federal Government to allow schools to resume on Monday despite a spike in cases of COVID-19. The Green chamber alleged that the Federal Government failed to consult the relevant committees of the National Assembly, contrary to their claim that all relevant stakeholders were consulted before arriving at the January 18, 2021, resumption date. The house, therefore, asked the federal government to postpone the resumption of schools for three months, pending implementation of safety measures against COVID-19. This was disclosed by Prof Julius Ihonvbere, Chairman of the House Committee on Basic Education and Services in a telephone interview with The Punch on Saturday. He said, “They did not consult us; at least in my c...
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