Tag: SENATE PRESIDENT

N87.4tr debt: “Reject Minister’s N15bn residence proposal for VP” – SERAP Urges Akpabio

Aminu Imam

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, to use his leadership position “to promptly reject the plan by the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, to spend N15 billion for the construction of ‘a befitting residence’ for the Vice-President, Kashim Shettima”. SERAP urged him to “assert Senate’s authority and constitutional oversight roles to reject the N2.8 billion on publicity for the FCTA and other proposed wasteful and unnecessary spending that may be contained in the 2023 supplementary budget and the 2024 budget proposed by…

Read More

Akpabio regrets rising poverty, insecurity, others; as Senate resumes new legislative year

Aminu Imam

Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, lamented the rising poverty and insecurity across the country. Akpabio, who spoke yesterday when he welcomed lawmakers back from their annual recess, noted that public agitation for good governance has also been on the rise in the country and called on senators to close ranks and work for the good of the country. The Senate President, who, during the long break, had series of battles over purported plans to impeach him, called on his colleagues during the brief remarks to work for the interests of Nigerians. Speaking further,…

Read More

VP Shettima assures of fraternal bewteen executive, legislature

Abdul-Azeez Ahmed Kadir
Shettima, CoS and NAS leadership

Vice President Kashim Shettima has assured Nigerians of continued fraternal bond between the executive and the legislative arms of government. Shettima gave the assurance when he declared open a two-day retreat for the leadership of the 10th National Assembly (NASS) in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom on Friday. The Vice President said that President Bola Tinubu remains committed to safeguarding Nigeria’s democracy. Shettima also assured the leadership of the National Assembly of Tinubu’s avowed commitment to entrenching democratic ideals and values through collaborative partnership with all arms of government. He said…

Read More

Senate Presidency: “Step down for Umahi” – Ohanaeze begs Kalu, Izunaso

Aminu Imam

Ohanaeze Ndigbo has pleaded with Senators Orji Uzo Kalu, Osita Izunaso to step down for Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, as the Senate President. The group, in an issued press statement yesterday, by its spokesman, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, said that there should be collaborative measures to ensure that the South-Eastregion gets the position of the President of the Senate in the 10th Assembly. ” Ndigbo will continue to prevail upon our distinguished Senators to put forward our collective survival as a nation and other national considerations above all personal or primordial…

Read More

“National Assembly can only expose but can’t punish corrupt officials”, Says Ahmed Lawan

Aminu Imam

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 More

Oil theft: 1million barrels of crude stolen daily — Senate president, Ahmad Lawan

Aminu Imam

…Says crude oil thieves are Nigeria’s worst enemies The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, says Nigeria loses one million barrels of crude oil daily to crude theft. He made the remarks at the presentation of the 2023 Appropriation Bill to a joint session of the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja, yesterday. According to him, the Nigerian economy was still challenged by a dearth of revenues and the situation worsened recently, culminating in the loss of one million barrels of crude per day. He said: “Translated into monetary terms,…

Read More

Senate President justifies billion Naira cars, Jumbo pay for Federal legislators

Aminu Imam

…Says media criticism uncharitable Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, has accused the media of instigating the public against federal lawmakers. Lawan stated this in Abuja, yesterday, at a programme organised by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, (NILDS). Presenting a paper, titled: ‘Legislature, Legislative Mandate and the People – The Reality and Public Perception’, at the maiden Distinguished Parliamentarians’ Lecture, 2021, the Senator representing Yobe-North maintained that the narrative of jumbo pay and expensive cars for legislators was skewed against members of the National Assembly. He claimed that Nigerians…

Read More

Infrastructure: “Nigeria is poor; only option is to borrow” ? Senate President

Aminu Imam

Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, has stated that Nigeria is a poor nation that has no option but to borrow to fund infrastructure. The Senate President made the statement after apprising President Muhammadu Buhari of the activities lined up by the National Assembly. Fielding questions from correspondents after the meeting on Thursday, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, he, however, assured that the legislature would not be frivolous in granting Executive requests for loans. According to him, such requests would be subjected to thorough scrutiny to be sure that they are necessary…

Read More

Insecurity: Senate President pledges N10m to support wounded soldiers

Aminu Imam

Senate President has visited the wounded soldiers and pledged ten million Naira on behalf of the National Assembly to support the Armed Forces. Senate President, Ahmad Lawan said he led other members of the National Assembly to 44 Army Reference Hospital Kaduna to see wounded officers and soldiers as part of activities marking the second anniversary of the 9th Assembly. Senator Ahmad Lawan said the purpose of the visit was to show compassion and empathy with the affected victims, as well as to assess the needs of the military. The…

Read More

Senate asks governors to implement full autonomy for Judiciary

Aminu Imam

Senate yesterday urged the 36 Governors to grant autonomy to the Judiciary, insisting that autonomy for the third arm of Government is non-negotiable. The Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, made the call while fielding questions from reporters in Abuja. Recall that the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, (JUSUN), had declared an industrial action and nationwide protests to compel governors to obey the 1999 constitution (as amended) and Executive Order 10 which granted autonomy to the judiciary in the country. Bamidele said it…

Read More