Tag: Legislature

Auditor General Queries Ministry’s N3.8bn Spending From Suspended RUGA Fund
Finance, Legislature, News, Nigeria

Auditor General Queries Ministry’s N3.8bn Spending From Suspended RUGA Fund

The Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation has queried the Federal Ministry of Agriculture for spending a total sum of N3.809bn on the suspended Rural Grazing Area scheme without a presidential approval or National Assembly appropriation. The query is part of the eight audit queries issued against the ministry in the ‘Auditor-General for the Federation’s Annual Report on Non-Compliance/Internal Control Weaknesses Issues in Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government of Nigeria for the Year Ended 31st December, 2019.’ The OAuGF had queried expenditures totaling N60,795,898,225.84 by the ministry. The Acting Auditor-General of the Federation, Adolphus Aghughu, presented the report to the Clerk to the National Assembly, Ojo Amos, on September 15, 2021, whi...
Legislature, News, Nigeria

Electoral Act Amendment Bill: Senate Backs Down On Overriding Buhari, Refers Bill To Constituents

The Senate on Wednesday failed to override the veto of President Muhammadu Buhari, on the Electoral Act Amendment bill. The President of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan,  after an executive session, said the lawmakers had decided to take the President’s rejection of the bill to their constituencies during Christmas and New Year holidays before deciding on the next line of action. Buhari had withheld assent to the Electoral Act amendment bill 2021, insisting that the inclusion of the mandatory direct primaries in the bill might pose financial, legal and security challenges. While the House of Representatives led by Femi Gabajabiamila had resolved to debate the matter after they returned from recess in January, the Senate remained adamant even as 73 senators reportedly resolved to overri...
House Of Representatives’ PDP Caucus Calls For Buhari’s Resignation
Legislature, News, Nigeria, Security

House Of Representatives’ PDP Caucus Calls For Buhari’s Resignation

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Caucus of the House of Representatives has said Nigeria needs saving from the grip of President Muhammadu Buhari. A statement by O. K. Chinda, the Chairman of the PDP Caucus of the House of Representatives on December 20, Nigeria has been hijacked by terrorists and bandits who have turned communities into killing fields. "Unfortunately, the General who famously boasted of leading from the front is now missing in action," the PDP Caucus said. The statement read, "Nigeria, under the rulership of General Buhari, has been seized by hostage-takers - bandits and terrorists - who exact ransom demands on the poor and impoverished citizens and turn homesteads, hamlets, villages, towns and cities into killing fields. "The bloodletting unleashed by the h...
Electoral Act Amendment: Buhari Returns Bill To NASS, Faults Direct Primaries, Cites Insecurity
Legislature, News, Nigeria

Electoral Act Amendment: Buhari Returns Bill To NASS, Faults Direct Primaries, Cites Insecurity

President Muhammadu Buhari has asked the National Assembly to remove the clause that has to do with direct primaries from the Electoral Act Amendment Bill. On Monday, the President, who stated this in his letter to the Senate, asked the National Assembly to remove the controversial clause on direct primaries from the bill and return the proposed law to him for assent. The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, confirmed to Punch that Buhari had sent the letter to the National Assembly. But a source who was privy to the content of the letter said the President refused assent because political parties had their various constitutions that stipulated mode of primaries that should be adopted. According to the source, the President argued that it would ...
Senators, Reps Get N52m, N32m Yearly Office Running Allowance – Lawan
Finance, Legislature, News, Nigeria

Senators, Reps Get N52m, N32m Yearly Office Running Allowance – Lawan

The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, on Monday, revealed the salaries and emoluments of members of the National Assembly to the public in Abuja. Lawan also said the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), had surpassed his predecessors on assent to bills. He stated this in a paper presented at the First Distinguished Parliamentarians’ Lecture Series organised by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies. The President of the Senate said the monthly salary of a senator was N1.5m, while that of a member of the House of Representatives was N1.3m. He said the N13m thrown into the public space a few years back as the monthly salary of a senator was actually their quarterly office running allowance. Lawan said, “The total salary of a member of t...
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...
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...