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Organ Harvesting: Again, UK Court Refuses Ekweremadu’s Bail Application

1Jul

By Kosi UchennaNo Comments

Child Abuse, Human Rights, Judiciary, Legislature, News, Nigeria, Violence

Organ Harvesting: Again, UK Court Refuses Ekweremadu’s Bail Application

Senate President_Ike_Ekweremadu Nigerian lawmaker and former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, was yesterday, refused bail for the second time, by the UK Uxbridge Magistrate Court, despite his insistence that the alleged organ donor, David Nwamini, was not 15 years old. Ekweremadu was arraigned in court alongside his wife, Beatrice Nwanneka, for charges bothering on alleged kidney harvesting, however, his wife did not appear in court, yesterday. Recall that the London Metropolitan Police had last week arrested and charged Ekweremadu and his wife for allegedly going against a law on organ harvesting. The donor, identified by the UK police as Ukpo Nwamini David, claims to be 15 years old, despite his passport data page suggesting he was 21 years old having been born on Oc...

NASS Should Invite Buhari – Oby Ezekwesili On Beheading Of Anambra Lawmaker

23May

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Crime, Legislature, News, Nigeria, Security

NASS Should Invite Buhari – Oby Ezekwesili On Beheading Of Anambra Lawmaker

Oby Ezekwesili, a former Minister of Education, has called on the National Assembly to invite President Muhammadu Buhari to account for insecurity in the country. Ezekwesili made the call in response to the beheading of a member of the Anambra State House of Assembly, Okechukwu Okoye by unknown gunmen. Okoye’s head, without his body, was found on Saturday at Nnobi, in Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State. This development occurred days after he was abducted. Read Also: Soludo Places N10m Bounty On Killers Who Beheaded Lawmaker, Okoye The Anambra lawmaker, from Soludo’s constituency, was kidnapped last week. Reacting, Ezekwesili tweeted: “Perhaps, now that our @nassnigeria has seen that their fellow lawmaker in Anambra State could be barbarically mangled...

Court Sacks Ex-Speaker, Dogara For Defecting To APC

23Apr

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Judiciary, Legislature, News, Nigeria

Court Sacks Ex-Speaker, Dogara For Defecting To APC

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Friday, declared the seat of the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, vacant, following his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. The court, in a judgement that was delivered by Justice Donatus Okorowo, held that Dogara, having abandoned the political party that sponsored his election, ought to vacate his seat in line with the provisions of sections 68(1) (g) and 109 (1) (g) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended. His sack followed a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1060/2020, which was lodged before the court by the PDP. It will be recalled that Dogara was in 2019, re-elected on the platform of the PDP to represent Dass, Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro Federal Co...

Senator Representing Buhari’s Constituency Dumps APC For PDP

21Apr

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Legislature, News, Nigeria

Senator Representing Buhari’s Constituency Dumps APC For PDP

Ahmad Babba Kaita Senator Ahmad Babba Kaita, representing Katsina North senatorial district in the current 9th National Assembly has officially dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, for Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, citing the loss of credibility in Governor Aminu Bello Masari-led government in the state. Senator Kaita’s Media Adviser, Mallam Abdulkadir Lawal, who disclosed this in a statement yesterday, said his decision to dump the ruling party was premised on the recent trend of activities in the state, including the governor’s refusal to conduct local government elections across the state for a long period. He also cited the marginalisation of critical stakeholders’ by the state government and the state party leadership, as well as the failure of the govern...

Insecurity: Sack NSA, Defence Minister, Reps Charge Buhari

14Apr

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Legislature, News, Nigeria, Security

Insecurity: Sack NSA, Defence Minister, Reps Charge Buhari

House of Representatives One week after a marathon meeting with leaders of Nigeria’s security team, the House of Representatives, yesterday, lamented rising insecurity in several parts of the country, especially Kaduna, Benue, Taraba and Plateau states. The lawmakers took turns to criticise the action and inaction of President Muhammadu Buhari, restating their earlier call for a declaration of emergency on security. While some called for the sacking or resignation of the National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (retd.) and the Minister of Defence, Maj. Gen. Bashir Magashi (rtd.), others called for the shutdown of the National Assembly, partly blaming the parliament for not doing enough in its oversight of the executive arm. This is coming a day after the Northern...

Buhari Writes Reps, Seeks Increase In Subsidy To N4 Trillion

8Apr

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Finance, Legislature, News, Nigeria

Buhari Writes Reps, Seeks Increase In Subsidy To N4 Trillion

House of Representatives President Muhammadu Buhari has asked the House of Representatives to adjust the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) to accommodate the projected N4 trillion for petroleum subsidy in 2022. The president, in a letter read by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Thursday, is seeking an increment of $11 to the oil benchmark to accommodate subsidy consumption and other expenses. According to Mr Buhari, N442.72 billion was earmarked for fuel subsidy in the 2022 budget (January-June), but because of the hike in the price of crude oil, Nigeria is paying more for PMS subsidy, therefore, the country will require an additional N3.557 trillion for subsidy. The current MTEF contains $62 BPD. If this is approved, the benchmark...

Reps Reject Bills To Stop Children Of Public Officers From Schooling Abroad

4Mar

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

Education, Legislature, News, Nigeria

Reps Reject Bills To Stop Children Of Public Officers From Schooling Abroad

A bill seeking to regulate international studies for the children of public officials and strengthen educational institutions in Nigeria has been rejected by members of the House of Representatives. The members said the bill was an affront to their fundamental human rights. But the bill sponsored by Hon. Serguis Ogun representing Esan North-East federal constituency of Edo was ultimately seeking to stop public officials from diverting public funds to their children’s education abroad. Titled “A Bill for an Act to Regulate International Studies for Wards and Children of Nigerians Public Officers, So as to Strengthen Indigenous Institutions to Provide Efficient Educational Service for National Development”, it was roundly debated although it was eventually rejected when put to ...

FG Loses Out As NASS Ratifies States’ Power To Collect VAT

2Mar

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Finance, Legislature, News, Nigeria

FG Loses Out As NASS Ratifies States’ Power To Collect VAT

The Federal Government’s plan to retain the collection of Value Added Tax despite a Federal High Court ruling, hit a brick wall on Tuesday as the National Assembly rejected a proposal seeking to shift the collection of VAT from the concurrent to the exclusive legislative list, effectively leaving the decision to the Supreme Court which is hearing the matter. A Federal High Court had last year ruled that states had the powers to collect VAT. However, the Federal Government opposed the ruling and continued to collect VAT while it projected that it will collect N2.2tn in 2022 through the Federal Inland Revenue Service. Read Also: VAT Row: FG Eyes Out-Of-Court Settlement The regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), also incorporated VAT collection in its Finan...

2Mar

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

Legislature, News, Nigeria

Senate Passes LG Autonomy Bill

The Nigerian Senate, on Tuesday, passed the Bill granting full autonomy to the local government and council areas in Nigeria. Ninety-Two members of the red chambers voted overwhelmingly in support of the Bill, after a clause-by-clause consideration at the Committee on the Whole. Source: Daily Post

Senate Tells FG To Declare Known Terrorist Leaders Wanted

24Feb

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

Legislature, News, Nigeria, Security, Terrorism

Senate Tells FG To Declare Known Terrorist Leaders Wanted

The Senate has called on the President, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) led Federal Government to declare all known leaders of terrorists wanted. The call was made on Wednesday in a six-point resolution reached by the chamber, following a motion considered on the urgent need to stem the increasing spate of kidnappings and insecurity across parts of the country. The motion entitled, “urgent need to surmount all kinds of kidnappings, banditry and related security challenges in Wasagu-Danko, Sakaba, and Yauri Local Government Areas of Kebbi State”, was sponsored by Senator Bala Ibn Na’allah (Kebbi South). The motion was co-sponsored by 12 other Senators, according to a statement by Dr. Ezrel Tabiowo, the Special Assistant to President of the Senate, titled, ‘Senate to...