Tag: NASS

Kaduna schools abductions: Parents of kidnapped students protest at NASS

Aminu Imam

…Demand return of children, end to insecurity Parents of the abducted students of the College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, in Kaduna State, yesterday took a protest to the National Assembly complex, Abuja, to register their grievances. The protesting parents were joined by members of the Students Union Government (SUG) of the institution, as well as some civil society organisations, (CSOs). They lamented the negligence of the State and Federal Government in securing the release of their children. They blocked the entrance to the Federal Secretariat axis of the complex as…

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Steps Buhari, NASS must take to save Nigeria — Sultan, Anyaoku, Soyinka, others

Aminu Imam

Some senior citizens and leaders of thoughts from a broad spectrum of the Nigerian society, at the weekend, expressed grave concerns over the future of the country, putting forward a road map to rescue Nigeria from the brink of total collapse. The elder statesmen were unanimous in separate submissions at the 2021 edition of the Obafemi Awolowo Foundation Lecture Series, with the theme: “Whither Nigeria”, that the country has sunk deeper into a frightening multifaceted crisis that required expeditious action and solution. The event, which was held via Zoom with…

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FG contractors protest in National Assembly over unpaid N8bn

Aminu Imam

A group of contractors who said they executed various projects amounting to N8 billion for the Project Development Institute, Enugu, stormed the National Assembly, (NASS) Complex yesterday to protest the non-payment of their money by the Ministry of Science and Technology. The contractors explained that the money is for the settlement the N8bn outstanding for constituency projects they completed since December 2020. The protesters took over the main entrance of the National Assembly complex; chanting solidarity songs for several hours. Speaking with newsmen, the leader of the group, Joy Uche,…

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NASS: Representatives of oil communities throw blows over PIB

Aminu Imam

The on-going public hearing on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) hit a snag yesterday, as members of the host communities exchanged blows with opposing Rep members during the hearing over who should represent oil producing areas. The host community is an integral part of the PIB; however, issue of representation caused the pandemonium.  The leaders of the oil-rich areas, under the aegis of the ‘Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas’, had on Tuesday openly rejected the 2.5 percent proposed for them in the PIB 2020, being considered by the joint…

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Insecurity: “NASS has no power to summon Mr. President Buhari” – AGF, Malami

Aminu Imam

Ø  As House suspends president’s scheduled appearance Ø  “We can summon Mr. President” – Reps leader The Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, (AGF), Abubakar Malami says the National Assembly has no constitutional power to summon President Muhammadu Buhari. The House yesterday suspended its earlier plan for a briefing by the President, after it became clear the president would no longer honour the House’s invitation. In a statement issued yesterday, Malami said it was outside the constitutional powers of the National Assembly to summon the president over his “operational use…

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NASS wants army to activate its aviation unit

Abdul-Azeez Ahmed Kadir

The Chairman, House Committee on Army, Abdulrazak Namdas, has urged the Nigerian Army to activate its aviation unit to support its anti-banditry and kidnapping operations on Abuja-Kaduna highway. Namdas made the call when he led the members of the committee on over sight visit to the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, on Wednesday in Abuja. The chairman, who expressed worry that the security challenge in Kaduna had persisted, noted with concern the resurgence of kidnapping activities on Kaduna-Abuja highway. “We feel that activating Army Aviation will be very apt…

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PIB: Lawyers advocate restructuring of petroleum ministry

Abdul-Azeez Ahmed Kadir

Abuja-based lawyers, Messrs Pelumi Olajengbesi and Henry Kelechukwu, have appealed to the National Assembly (NASS) to ensure that the proposed Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), 2020 was tailored to strengthen the policy arm of the petroleum industry and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources. The lawyers made the appeal in a memorandum on the PIB they jointly signed and addressed to the Senate Committee on Gas Resources in Abuja on Wednesday. Olajengbesi and Kelechukwu, both Senior partners at the Law Corridor, an Abuja-based law firm, stated that the bill should be properly…

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FG writes NASS, seeks more powers to seize, freeze stolen funds, assets

Ishaku Yohanna

The Federal Government has approached the National Assembly for more powers to freeze and seize stolen public funds and assets. The President Muhammadu Buhari, in a letter to the House of Representatives, which the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, read at the plenary on Wednesday, sought creation of a Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Agency. In the letter dated October 6, 2020, Buhari noted that the bill seeking to establish the agency was presented to the Federal Executive Council on September 16, 2020, and was subsequently approved tor transmission to the…

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Water Resources Bill: I’ll take NASS to court, Ortom threatens

Ishaku Yohanna

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has threatened to institute legal action against the National Assembly if it continues deliberation on the National Water Resources Bill which was thrown out by the Assembly in 2018 but allegedly reintroduced. The governor made this position known on Monday during a courtesy visit on him by the new leadership of the Tiv socio-cultural group, “Mzough U Tiv’, led by its president, General Iorbee Ihagh (Comptroller of Prison (rtd)) at the government house, Makurdi. According to Governor Ortom, “a bill that was out rightly…

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