The roof over the National Assembly has continued to leak rainwater after the 9th Assembly allocated N30bn to the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) in the 2021 fiscal year for a comprehensive renovation of the edifice. Segments of the porous roof were noticed since the start of this season’s rainy season, with reports appearing on some blogs. But in a swift reaction to the reports, the construction firm handling the renovation of the National Assembly Complex, Visible Construction Limited, has assured users of the complex that the leaking points will…
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NASS Leadership Tussle; Northern Elders Forum Chides VP Shettima, urges Presidency’s non interference
The Northern Elders Forum NEF has asked the Nigerian presidency to allow the members of the National Assembly to choose their leaders without interference and eschew religious sentiments being bandied about. The Forum spoke in reaction to the statement credited to Vice President Kashim Shettima with regards to the suitability of Abdull-azeez Yari and Godswill Akpabio. Briefing the media in Kaduna, the Director, Publicity and Advocacy of the Northern Elders Forum, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed said the forum has cautioned the President Tinubu administration on many occasions to respect the rights…
Read MoreN’Assembly compiles N30bn lawmakers’ severance package
The National Assembly management has commenced clearance of members of the Senate and the House of Representatives for payment and collection of severance packages, as the 9th Assembly winds down. The Clerk of the House, Yahaya Danzaria, made this known in a notice to members at the plenary on Wednesday. The 9th Assembly, which was inaugurated on June 11, 2019, is expected to wind down by the first week of June, while the 10th Assembly is billed for inauguration on June 13, 2023. The Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila,…
Read MoreNational Assembly: “We’ve approved Buhari’s $800m loan request” – Reps. member
A member House of Representatives Committee on Loans, Aids and Debt Management, Abubakar Yunusa Ahmad, says federal lawmakers have approved the $800 million loan request of President Muhammadu Buhari. The lawmaker however argued that the loan would not be utilised by the Buhari administration, saying the incoming government would deploy its own approach to utilise the loan. According to the Reps. member, who was a guest on a television programme yesterday, said “The $800 million – there were so many talks that we did, especially we in the loan committee,…
Read MoreNaira Swap/Cashless Economy: NSA raises alarm policy may affect troops in the field
The National Security Adviser (NSA) Maj.-Gen. Mohammed Monguno (rtd), has said that the change of currency and cashless policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), if not well thought out, may affect operations of troops in the field. Monguno made the observation when he appeared before an Ad-hoc Committee of the House of Representatives on change of currency and cashless policy on Thursday in Abuja. Represented by the Head of Defence Unit, Rear Admiral Abubakar Mustapha, the NSA said that even in advanced countries, such policies could affect operations…
Read More“National Assembly can only expose but can’t punish corrupt officials”, Says Ahmed Lawan
Senate President Ahmad Lawan, yesterday, lamented that the National Assembly is incapacitated in the fight against corruption and waste of public resources because the 1999 Constitution did not give the parliament the needed legislative power to do so. He said this while responding to a lecture delivered by a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, during the 6th convocation ceremony of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies-University of Benin (NILDS-UNIBEN) held at the National Assembly, Abuja. Bankole delivered his lecture on the theme: “Challenges of…
Read MoreCrisis looms in CCB, as commissioners petition NASS over chairman’s alleged corruption
Federal Commissioners in the Code of Conduct Bureau, (CCB), have accused the chairman, Professor Mohammed Isah, of running the agency as a sole administrator and alleged corruption. The commissioners, who petitioned both the Senate and the House of Representatives, said the chairman, in contravention of the provisions of the Act establishing the CCB, single-handedly transferred staff without reference to the Board. They also alleged he by-passed the members against the approved organogram of the Bureau, asking the National Assembly to, as a matter of urgency, intervene in the matter to…
Read MoreRenovation of NASS complex to cost N30.2bn – Minister
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT), Musa Bello, has said that the on-going rehabilitation of the National Assembly (NASS) Complex would cost the sum of N30.222 billion. Bello stated this during an oversight visit embarked upon by the Senate Committee on FCT to the FCTA. The minister said the National Assembly Phase-2 project, popularly known as the ‘White House’, was built from 1996 to 1999 by ITB Nigeria Ltd, adding that no major rehabilitation work has been done since then. Bello, who said that the contract, which was…
Read MoreNigerian women occupy National Assembly over rejected ‘special seats‘ Bill
Various women groups, yesterday, occupied the gate of the National Assembly in protest after both chambers rejected a Bill meant to create ‘special seats‘ for women. The women, who gathered early in the morning at the Three-Arms Zone, marched to the National Assembly gate chanting songs of solidarity. The groups demand that the Federal lawmakers should reconsider the requests for 111 seats for women, equal citizenship, 35% representation in party leadership, more appointive positions in government, and vote in favour of these amendments. The women were mobilised by the United…
Read MoreConstitution Amendment: NASS approves financial autonomy for State Legislatures, Judiciary, LGs
…Rejects FG’s grip on VAT, pension for NASS presiding officers, and other matters The Senate and House of Representatives have approved financial autonomy for State legislatures, Judiciary and local governments in the country, in the ongoing voting on Nigeria’s Constitution amendments. The approval came yesterday, during voting on the report of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bills, 2022. The senators, during voting on the report, rejected pension for presiding officers of the legislature. Out of a total number of 88 Senators registered to…
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