₦airaland Forum

As Bukola Saraki Unveils #TheList, What Should Be Paramount?

By: Makinde Smith

 

In the critical expectation of a magician government that will erase the miserable memory of Good Luck Jonathan from the people’s mind possibly in just a night, Nigerians are anxiously expecting the Ministerial appointees that will join the cabinet to assist President Muhammadu Buhari in bringing their dreams alive. For the past four months, citizens have eagerly been waiting for this day. If not for the overwhelming goodwill enjoyed by President Buhari in fact, a lot of turmoil would have emanated from the delayed process of the cabinet formation. Nevertheless, today, October 6th, 2015, is the day that #TheList submitted by the Presidency to the Senate on the eve of September 30th will see the light of the day. Hurray!

 

As we can all say that President Buhari has done all within his power to propose a set of ‘quintessential’ individuals to the Senate, we can also affirm the fact that Saraki isn’t meant to read the list alone, he has the power to influence who scales through, or not, among the nominees. Therefore, Saraki doesn’t only preside on the official declaration of the process; he largely presides on both the official and political passageways of the screening. The point of concern here is the boiling state of disagreement between the Senate President and some power holders of the ruling party. Saraki in his pursuit of efficient “Open NASS,” had promised a swift-but-thorough scrutiny of all nominees. Should any unexpected name, especially stalwarts of his opposing powers surface before the Senate? Then the hypothesis that Nigerians will have to exercise more-elongated patience would be very much correct.

 

In all sincerity, Nigeria is no more static like before. But to be completely frank with ourselves, the politics behind the screen is seriously horrible. What worries us as citizens is that we supported and voted for ‘change’, not by mistake in anyways, but by deep conviction and a renewed hope that our country would assume a practical turning point where democracy will eventually turn out as government of the people. However, with all the ready-made fractures in the APC through the battles and unending acrimonies confronting the Senate, hopes are shaking. What happened to the PDP under the watch of Janathan, I mean how the party warriors started creating its gradual wind-up by their purported clash of supremacy, has also started happening in the APC, much more early. Personally, I’m no way surprised because I never expected much difference from the APC. But the irreparable damages that the masses will be made to suffer once again are the cause of my fear.

 

Today, what happens if the list is read to the Senators? Nothing of course! Because if truly the nominees are yet unknown to anybody until that moment, then another round of power tussle is about to commence. Everyone wants his loyalist to make the high-rated Buhari cabinet, with many suggestions made to the President already. Assuming they have been taken into consideration and it’s just the Senate hook to be surmounted, should anything contravene the so-called “party interest” again? Then masses should kill all other expectations and be looking forward to a re-enforced CCB case or another EFCC invitation for the Senate President. Honestly, all these are likely to occur especially when credence is lent to the widespread rumour that Saraki was dragged to the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) typically by some cabals who doesn’t want him on the seat of the Senate President, not to talk of their preferred candidates appearing before him for screening.

 

Dear brethren, things cannot continue this way. Political parties play very significant roles in democracy and governance. Their decisions, to a larger extent, inform the actions of the leaders. The winning unity, decorum and passion exhibited by the APC during the pre-election period are more needed now in order not to jeopardize the goals of the party and cause a derail for the government.

 

As Saraki uncovers the mask of the list today, Nigerians look forward to a well-stabilized government that will move swiftly to solve all economic and social problems pulling down the walls of this country. Complete priority should be given to productive governance and not counter-attacks by politicians that yield no positive result on the part of the masses.

 

Let the Senate begin the screening in a fair-enough mode that will not hold Nigerians in another set of ransom.

Senate President To Read Ministerial List Tuesday

Senate President, Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki this evening received the list of Ministerial nominees sent to the Senate for screening by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The list was submitted in a sealed envelope by Chief of Staff to the President, Alhaji Abba Kyari and Senator Ita Enang, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Legislative Matters (Senate).

Dr. Saraki has, following the tradition of the Senate, decided that the envelope will remain sealed till Tuesday October 6, when during the plenary sitting of the Upper legislative chamber, it will be opened and the list read to Senators.

Signed

Yusuph Olaniyonu
Special Adviser to the Senate President (Media and Publicity)

Toyin Saraki Represents Aisha Buhari At UN Meeting


Wife of the Senate President, Mrs. Toyin Saraki on Monday represented the wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari, at a meeting of Organisation of African First Ladies in New York.


The meeting, which bordered on First Ladies’ advocacy against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA) was held on sidelines of the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, New York City.


Mrs. Saraki took to her Twitter handle (@Toyinsaraki) to announce the delivering of Mrs Buhari’s speech at the meeting.


Delivering the speech, Toyin quoted Aisha Buhari as commending the dedication and focus of the First Spouses on HIV AIDs in African nations.


The development may have put to rest the insinuation that the presidency is in loggerheads with Senate President Bukola Saraki

Saraki - ‘I will be at the Tribunal Tomorrow, Tuesday’.
 
The Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki will appear before the Code of Conduct Tribunal tomorrowTuesday 22nd of September 2015.

While the Senate President Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, had stated and maintained that he is ready to submit himself to due process of the law on any issue concerning him, he also believes that he has an inalienable right to resort to the same judiciary for protection when he feels his fundamental rights are about to be infringed upon.

The Senate President is a law abiding citizen and his absence from tribunal was based on legal advice he received from his counsel that it is not necessary for him to appear before the tribunal at this stage since the jurisdiction of the tribunal and the process of initiating the matter are being challenged before the federal High Court Abuja.

Following the adjournment for the determination of the motion on notice and the substantive suit before the Federal High Court to 30th of September and the appeal pending before the Court of Appeal adjourned to the 29th of September 2015, the Senate President has decided, as a law abiding citizen, to appear before the Tribunal in the interim.

Dr. Saraki has taken the decision to attend the Tribunal sitting to demonstrate his respect for the rule of law in spite of his personal reservation on the process of his trial and the purpose it may be intended to serve.

Dr. Saraki wishes to assure Nigerians of his absolute belief in the judicial process and is therefore confident that the course of justice would be served at the end of this matter.

Media Office of Senate President

Fire at LIRS: Tinubu & Fowler Fingered

 

News reports coming in from Alausa, Lagos State say that a fire outbreak occurred at the offices of the Lagos Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) this morning.

 

Political analysts are already speculating that this fire is not unconnected with the attempts by loyalists to Babatunde Fowler, who has been nominated by Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to serve in President Buhari’s government, to cover up his tracks after several questionable business dealings with companies linked to Tinubu.

 

In Tunde Fowler’s administration at the helm of the LIRS, reports state that Lagos State’s internally generated revenue went up from about N3.6 billion a month in 2006, to about N20.5 billion per month. However, between 10 to 15 per cent of the proceeds were channeled to Alpha Beta Consulting, a company that is owned by Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

 

We will keep you updated on more developments.

No arrest warrant for Saraki – Police and Chief Mike Ozehkome says, It is judicial recklessness



Amid the controversy generated by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) order for the arrest of Senate President Bukola Saraki, the police said, yesterday, they were yet to receive a bench warrant to effect it.

“I am yet to see one”, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Solomon Arase, said while responding to a Sunday Vanguard inquiry.

The CCT, headed by Justice Danladi Umar, had, in a ruling on Friday, ordered the IGP and other security agencies to arrest Saraki and produce him before it tomorrow (Monday) to face a 13-count charge bordering on corruption and false declaration of assets.  The order and subsequent bench warrant followed Saraki’s failure to appear before the tribunal for arraignment.

The CCT order was in negation of an Abuja Federal High Court order, on Thursday, stopping the tribunal from commencing the trial of the Senate President.

While stopping the trial, the High Court summoned the Federal Ministry of Justice to appear before it tomorrow (Monday) to show cause why Saraki should be prosecuted.

The court equally summoned the CCT Chairman, Umar; the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau, Mr. Sam Saba; as well as a Deputy Director in the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. M.S. Hassan, who signed the charge sheet upon which Saraki is to be prosecuted at the CCT, to appear before it.

“The police are yet to receive the Code of Conduct Tribunal bench warrant”, ordering the Senate President’s arrest, a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), ACP Adebisi  Kolawole, also said, yesterday.

Meanwhile, senior lawyers, who spoke with our source,yesterday, faulted the order of Justice Umar, the CCT Chairman, which they described as judicial recklessness.

The Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), including constitutional lawyer and human right activist, Chief Mike Ozehkome, equally dismissed the CCT’s position that it shares coordinate jurisdiction with the Federal High Court.

Ozehkome said:   “What Justice Umar did amounted to judicial recklessness and a deliberate invitation to anarchy. It is a clear example of using the institution of the judiciary to abuse the citizens fundamental right.

“It is judicial recklessness in the sense that there was already a subsisting order by Justice A.R. Mohammed of the FHC who had ordered the tribunal Chairman and officers of the Attorney General of the Federation that signed the charge against the Senate President to appear before him on Monday.

“In law, what Justice Umar ought to have done was to tell his lawyers to go to the Federal High Court to set aside the order or appeal against it. For him to have been shown a copy of the order and he said `I have seen it’ and still went ahead to issue a bench warrant against Saraki is most reckless and irresponsible.”

On the power of the CCT, the SAN said: “It is a fallacy for the CCT Chairman to think that he has coordinate jurisdiction with the Federal High Court. Maybe the Chairman is an illiterate on our law and constitutional organogram of the judiciary. If he is aware, he will know that the CCT is not part of the courts recognised by Section 6 of the Constitution which specifically lists all the superior courts and the CCT is not one of them.”

On his part, Mr. Utstaz Yunus Usman, SAN, said:  “My take is that if there is an order from another court, the CCT ought not to have  issued bench warrant because the Federal High Court, whether rightly or wrongly, if a court gives an order, even if you are of coordinate jurisdiction, the other court ought not to proceed with the matter.

“The CCT Chairman ought to have asked the prosecution to go and vacate the order of the Federal High Court first. It is very obvious from this case that politicians are trying to bring anarchy in this country. If there is an order, it ought to be vacated before the bench warrant. The way they are going, politicians should be careful not to bring anarchy and lawlessness to this nation.”

Similarly, an Abuja based lawyer, Mr. Ugochukwu Ezekiel, said:  “Basically, the CCT and the Federal High Court are two separate courts. Though I expected Saraki to   obey the summon of the court,  the manner    the bench warrant was issued even when a Senior Advocate of Nigeria had volunteered to produce him in court on the next adjourned date makes one suspicious of the motive behind the action of the CCT.

“The CCT should not have proceeded with the bench warrant. Lawyers are ministers in the temple of justice. If a SAN made an undertaking from the Bar, the tribunal ought to have held on till Monday”.

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100 DAYS OF EIGHTH SENATE:

The gains of visitation : http:///VjlWzfxRa9

BY Yusuph Olaniyonu

BUKOLASARAKI:100 DAYS OF DIPLOMATIC NETWORKING

BY CHUKS OKOCHA

It is gradually becoming a global phenomenon. http:///uAG8XF4Z2J

BUKOLASARAKI:100 DAYS OF DIPLOMATIC NETWORKING

BY CHUKS OKOCHA

It is gradually becoming a global phenomenon that elected political officeholders are accessed of their performances in office on the 100th day of assumption of office. It is basically to ensure that they are in line with their campaign manifestoes as well as their administrative agenda.

Few days ago, President Muhammadu Buhari clocked 100 days in office, while the President of the Senate and indeed, the chairman of the National Assembly, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki would be hundred days in office this Wednesday. He assumed office on June 9, 2015, as the President of the Senate.

It is in line with this that it has become necessary to highlight what could be described as the landmarks under Senator Saraki as the Senate President and Chairman of the National Assembly and how he has been able to pilot the affairs of the Senate under him within the last 100 days in office

Saraki has succeeded in galvanising the senators into one united upper legislative chamber, irrespective of the circumstances that led to his emergence as the President of the Senate on Tuesday June 9 2015. A pointer to this is the resounding vote of confidence given to him by no less than 81 senators from both the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). This is very significant because it shows the confidence and support his colleagues has on Saraki’s leadership ability as a team player.

The Senate President has shown this quality in the constitution of some of the standing and ad hoc committees of the Senate, where he exhibited a high standing moral and leadership quality by ensuring that not only senators who are his supporters are given the privileges of becoming the chairmen of these committees. For the records, the Senate President deliberately ensured that all shades of interests are accommodated in the committees, so far constituted.

Apart from this, the Senate under Saraki has ensured the passage of motions that have positive bearing and impact on the welfare of Nigerians, especially as the performance, efficiency and supply of electricity to Nigerians. It was because of the motion passed by the Senate that led to the review of electricity tariff by the National Electricity Regulation Commission (NERC). Today, through the response of the Chairman of NERC, Dr Sam Amadi, the mandatory N700 fixed rate charged consumers by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) have been removed and as well as bulk metering abolished.

This is kudos to the Senate under Saraki as a responsive legislative arm of government that listens to the plights of Nigerians.

Closely associated with this is the investigation into the management of resources in the power sector. The ad hoc committee of the Senate led by the former governor of Kebbi State, Adamu Aliero, is currently probing the power sector where the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Power, Godknows Igali, has revealed that over N2.77 trillion has been spent on power generation since 1999, yet, there is no constant power supply in the country. This committee is one of the ad hoc committees set up by the Senate before embarking on its statutory recess.

This, notwithstanding, the Senate under Saraki as the President for the first time showed concern to the plights of the internally displaced persons in the Northeast of the country. Through a motion passed by the Senate, the Senate leadership visited the IDP camps in Maidugiri, where the members of the upper legislative chamber saw firsthand the problems confronting the IDPs in the various camps littered all over Maidugiri. They were also briefed by the Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima.

The same visit was followed up by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu to Yobe State. By so doing, the Senate has come to show that lawmaking is not only sitting at the chambers of the National Assembly but also visiting the places and persons concerned on issues to see firsthand before passing any motion or laws that would have direct bearing on the people whom they represent. This in indeed how to ensure a perfect oversight function of lawmaking.

Since the visit to the IDP camps in Maidugiri, the Senate President has become the number one campaigner to seek external funding to rehabilitate the damages caused by the Boko Haram insurgency in some part of the Northeast. For instance, in this new diplomatic initiative, when he received the envoys of Spain, India and Mexico who paid a courtesy visit to him, Saraki called for an international funding to rebuild the affected places in the Northeast.

Even at the last meeting of the Speakers of Parliaments’ meeting hosted by the Secretary General of the United Nations (UN), Banki Moon, the Senate President continued his campaign for external funding to rehabilitate the Northeast.

In his speech at the meetin, Saraki urged the international community to partner with Nigeria to defeat the Boko Haram insurgency.

Saraki noted that the brutality of the Boko Haram and all other menace of terrorism require international support to eradicate. He specifically noted that the menace of the Boko Haram insurgency has become a clog in the wheel of progress in Nigeria, while counselling that terrorism as occasioned by Boko Haram should not be treated as local problem.

Speaking later at another meeting with the German and French delegations, the Senate President called for international support for the building of the Nigerian economy.

Now, to the main business of the day. The first 100 days of the 8th Senate under Senator Saraki in support with the change mantra of the President Buhari’s administration has been quite supportive in its anti-corruption campaign. Upon assumption of duties as the Senate President, Saraki in a meeting with the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) identified the flaws in the granting of waivers in the payment of the relevant duties before goods are imported into the country.

It was after the first meeting that Saraki had with the CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele that it was revealed that import duty waivers were granted to some companies in the importation of rice, groundnut oil and other agricultural produce to the detriment of the economy. The implication of this is the loss of revenue to the federation account. This was followed up by the setting up of Senate ad hoc committee to unravel the companies involved and ensure that the companies remit the money into the coffers of the federation. Today, there is a Senate Committee led by Adamu Aliero.

Just on Wednesday, as part of activities within his first 100 Days in office, the Senate President did what his predecessors have not done. For more than two hours, he undertook a tour of the facilities in the National Assembly. His reason was to see things for himself. He said that the aim of the facility tour was to enable him and other principal officers to see things for themselves and for an on-the-spot assessment and to give room for good understanding of things.

Accordingly, he said after the tour that, “The Assembly complex represents the image of the National Assembly. So, it is important for us to see what the issues are and have an understanding of the environment.”

What is more, the taste of the pudding is in the eating. More is certainly on the way, if the Senate under Saraki could cover this mileage in merely 100 days.

Okocha is the Special Assistant to the Senate President on Print Media

Still On The Buhari, Tinubu And Saraki Affair By Chima Chime
By Editor - Sep 11, 2015 0
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I am an adopted ‘Lagos boy’, a self-styled ‘Buharist’, a fan of the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, and a believer in the notion that the APC is the best thing to happen t o Nigeria since the discovery of the revered Agege Bread. I am also a shrewd student of international politics. This is why I believe that it is necessary to comment on a picture that is making the rounds in the national dailies and on online platforms that shows President Muhammadu Buhari, flanked by Tinubu, and Chief Bisi Akande, a former interim-Chairman of the APC.

Anybody that truly understands democratic politics would agree with me on these next points. In more-developed democratic nations, as soon as a government is formed, regardless of the constitution of the individuals that make up that government, it is expected that the leaders of that government have to work together. A careful case in point is President Barack Obama having to work with the Republican Speaker of the United States (US) House of Representative, John Boehner, and the Majority Leader of the US Senate, Mitch McConnell, who is also a Republican.



However one chooses to look at it, it is unacceptable that nearly 100 days since the inauguration of the 8th National Assembly, President Buhari has chosen not to engage in a formal capacity with the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, who is a member of his own party. This development is equally problematic when you look at the President’s statement immediately after the June 9th election of presiding officers of the National Assembly in which he stated that Saraki’s election was in fact constitutional – as he was chosen by a majority of his colleagues.

I do not believe in politics of personalities. I believe in politics for the greater good. That is why I cannot stop being baffled that the President would choose to meet with two of the men that were instrumental in calling a phantom meeting in his name, and without his permission with the Senators at the International Conference Center in Abuja on the 9th of June – thus, depriving a vital chunk of APC Senators their right to vote. These same people allegedly illegally ordered the Inspector General to  shut the gates of the National Assembly against even members-elect and their families.

What’s more difficult to understand, is that the meeting with Buhari, Tinubu, and Akande was allegedly to discuss the upcoming ministerial list. This is because with the Senate being the constitutionally mandated legislative body to approve the nominees of the executive branch, I wonder why the President chooses to meet instead with private citizens like Tinubu and Akande, instead of consulting with the ‘constitutionally elected’ Senate President on the next steps that his nominees will eventually have to face – legislative vetting and confirmation.

I believe that in the interest of Nigeria which we all clamour should move forward, this perceived ‘Cold War’ needs to end right now. Buhari and Saraki need to mend any broken fences to get the lasting nation-building underway. As things are, executive powers can only go so far. In a similar vein, the powers of the legislature stop at oversight without the signature of the President. For his legacy, Buhari needs Saraki’s Senate to be effective, as much as Saraki’s Senate needs Buhari’s presidential pen to pass any bills into law.

This man-made checkmate cannot be allowed to continue. It sets a dangerous tone for the future of Nigeria under this administration, and a more dangerous precedent for the future of our country’s democracy.

– Chima Chime writes from Lagos –

BUKOLA SARAKI AWARDS SCHOLARSHIP TO BEST LAW STUDENTS OF UNILORIN

The Senate President of Nigeria, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, today awarded two 1st Class Graduates from the Faculty of Law of University of Ilorin scholarship into Nigeria Law School. The young men, Muhammad Abdullahi Tosin and Adam Muhammad Ndakuku are indigenes of Irepodun and Edu Local Government Area of Kwara state respectively.

This is according to the latest update on his Facebook, instagram and twitter platforms as thus, "Today I had the privilege of awarding two young Nigerians from University of Ilorin with scholarships to Law School.

I have always maintained that when the young people of our country succeed, we all succeed.

I hope these scholarships will provide a little help to these two young men, as they journey down the right path to succeed in their spheres of engagement." He then promised to extend the philanthropic gesture to other promising ones among the downtrodden Nigerian youths.

Saraki’s wife, @toyinsaraki affirms her integrity

On september 06, 2015 at 7:22 pm in
RIGHT OF REPLY

By Akeem Olagoke
After reading your story titled: ‘EFCC’s Alleged Diversion of Trillions – Lamorde and the Schism in the Senate’, written by Henry Umoru, the Senate Correspondent of your newspaper, published on Sunday, August 30, 2015, particularly the section of the report sub-titled ‘Toyin Saraki’s Saga’, I feel compelled to give you the benefit of the account of what transpired during Mrs Saraki’s visit to the office of the anti-graft agency.
efccI believe this will stop all erroneous insinuations and imputations contained in your article and others published in Nigerian newspapers in which people try to link the wife of the Senate President with the activities of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions concerning the EFCC.
As a citizen with the utmost respect for highest standards of transparency and democratic accountability, , Mrs Toyin Saraki visited the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on July 27 and 28, 2015, in response to an invitation. Mrs Saraki made herself immediately available to assist the commission wholeheartedly with any lawful enquiry they had.
During her visit, Mrs. Saraki was informed that this enquiry concerned “an investigation into public funds diversion and money-laundering.” It was based upon a 2012 petition submitted to the EFCC by one Sulaiman Abdul – of unknown and unverified provenance – regarding alleged “non-completed and non-performed Kwara State 2012 MDG contracts”.
Mrs Saraki assured the EFCC of her cooperation towards the prompt and positive resolution in satisfaction of this enquiry. Mrs Saraki has always maintained absolute propriety as a spouse of an elected public officer, and in her own private capacity. She has never sought to influence awards of government contracts in any capacity.
Mrs Saraki has noted, as a matter of fact, that the 2012 petition upon which she was belatedly invited to attend this enquiry, three years later, in July 2015, made no reference to herself or her Wellbeing Foundation Africa.
The petition concerned the performance of a third party independent distributor of her foundation’s copyrighted and trademarked intellectual property. She has been reliably advised that this independent distributor won its contract in an openly advertised competitive tender process in Kwara State – long after the May 2011 conclusion of her husband’s tenure as Executive Governor of Kwara State.
Mrs Saraki has since been informed that this company – a well-regarded health sector distributor – in which it should be clear she has no proprietary interest, won this tender in all due process, satisfied its obligations to a high standard, and duly received its completion certificate from the Kwara State Government.
It is pertinent to note that there has been no complaint from the Kwara State Government.
Mrs Saraki has willingly provided comprehensive documentary evidence of the lawful contractual relationship with this independent company.
For the record, the company is an appointed distributor of her Wellbeing Foundation’s registered copyrighted and trademarked tools and resources, which have been deployed throughout Nigeria’s National Health Strategy’s Midwives Service Scheme.
Since its inception, the Wellbeing Foundation has adopted a globally recognised charity sector-funding model that is widely used by others such as UNICEF and OXFAM.
Having always placed an emphasis on the importance of accountability, transparency and diligent reporting, Mrs Saraki has always operated within the law and to the highest standards of global compliance in all of her activities, and she is confident of her personal and institutional integrity.
It is thus, a sad reflection of the general mistrust of prominent figures in Nigeria, that any authentic and verified lawfully earned copyright, trademark and author royalties accruable, and declared transparently, to Mrs Saraki and The Wellbeing Foundation Africa, could ever be hastily and wrongly presumed, by any party, to be illicit in origin. Equally worrisome, is the unfortunate prevalence of maliciously concocted petitions, of fictitious origins.
Every single day, 2,300 newborns and under-five year olds and 145 women of childbearing age die in Nigeria. This makes Nigeria the second largest contributor to the under–five and maternal mortality rate in the world
For over a decade, the Wellbeing Foundation Africa has led efforts to reduce Nigeria’s unacceptably high maternal, newborn, and child mortality indices.
Through collaboration and consultation with local, national, and international partners, WBFA has developed innovative solutions that have been adopted into the very frontline of the Nigerian health systems.
These solutions include the WBFA Integrated Maternal, Newborn, and Child Personal Health Record, WBFA Universal Health Maternity And Child Record Books and Notebooks, the WBFA Clean Birth MamaKit, the WBFA BabyKit, WBFA EMONC Skills & Drills Training, #MaternalMondays Demand Creation for Birth-Preparedness, WBFA Baby-Friendly Initiative Breastfeeding Manual, WBFA Antenatal Education Curriculum, and Inclusive Access to Health Financing Capacitation.
Having been partners to the United Nations Every Woman, Every Child initiative since 2011 at the invitation of UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, WBFA has consistently worked to bring global best practice innovations back home to Nigeria. These innovations include the Alaafia Universal Health Coverage Fund, which provides health insurance for 5000 Kwaran residents annually, and the recent partnership with the Johnson and Johnson Foundation and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine to provide ‘skills and drills’ emergency obstetric and newborn care training for health-workers in Kwara State.
The WBFA’s work as a non-governmental civil society organisation has been recognised by the United Nations, as demonstrated by the awarding of special consultative status to the UN Economic and Social Affairs Council, while the WBFA also led Nigeria Health CSO’s recent Position Paper On Health, presented to The Presidential Transition Committee.
Former United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Strategic Planning, Dr. Robert C. Orr, has previously commended the Wellbeing Foundation for its life-saving interventions, writing “African philanthropy for women’s and children’s health is something that could catalyse much needed resources toward the issues that you have championed for nearly a decade in Nigeria, including the Personal Health Record (PHR) of Nigeria.”
Mrs Saraki has thanked her supporters, who had accompanied her to the meeting, for their peaceful presence. Additionally she categorically denies reports that supporters forced their way into the offices of the EFCC. A group of supporters and friends attended the meeting venue as a gesture of goodwill, speaking to her character as a philanthropist and global reputation as an advocate. They made themselves available should the enquiry process have necessitated any standard sureties – which were not called upon. Their presence was in no way intended as a tactic nor should it be interpreted as such.
Mrs Toyin Saraki remains positive about working with the EFCC, which asserts itself to be “a body operating to international standards” towards the prompt resolution, and satisfaction, of this enquiry. She hopes that the spirit of this enquiry will thus follow the global standards and principles of open democracy, transparency, and impartiality that the EFCC – and other similar organisations around the world – are founded upon, and in adherence to the Rule Of Law.
Mrs Saraki’s legal team requested some weeks ago that the EFCC fully disclose to her, the identity of a fraudulent female impostor who has been using a false likeness of Mrs Toyin Saraki’s name and identity.
This impostor has been known to the investigative body for a number of years, thus she is disappointed that she was not previously informed about this despite the risk to herself and her reputation from an individual of such apparently grievous criminality.
A response has not been received from the EFCC, regarding the above requests.
We thus caution the media to refrain, cease and desist from unfounded speculation, and politically influenced conjecture in order to preserve the principles of equity, dignity, fairness, and justice, in the interest all concerned parties to the presumed lawfulness and integrity, of this EFCC enquiry.
Her Excellency Toyin Saraki looks forward to drawing a line promptly under this matter and continues to focus on her consistent leadership of global advocacy on maternal, newborn and child health.
* Olagoke is Private Secretary to Mrs. Toyin Saraki, Founder – President, The Wellbeing Foundation Africa

#Video : Watch Sen Bukola Saraki play Basketball "In honour of D'Tigers Championship victory..."

http:///u42lUjjZHt

Saraki’s Peace Moves

29 Aug 2015
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Bukola Saraki, 


Zaiyanu Kabir Usman

If the report by the Punch newspaper of Sunday, August 23, 2015 that the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, had been reaching out to mend any broken fences with President Muhammadu Buhari and the former Governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is true, then it is something to be commended and encouraged.


Although one wonders what the report wanted to achieve with the title- “Saraki eats the humble pie, reaches out to Tinubu”, I think that whether it is Saraki that is reaching out to Tinubu or it is Tinubu that is reaching out to Saraki to ensure that Babatunde Fowler, the President’s nominee for the Federal Inland Revenue Service job, scales the Senate hurdle, fence-mending is a mature and godly imperative in the All Progressives Congress (APC) now. At least, that is how those of us that are no party men, but stand to benefit from good governance, see it.


The APC is in a situation where the more you point one finger at another, the more the remaining four fingers will point back at you, for there is enough blame pie to go round. Multiple mistakes have been made and to scapegoat a few persons would serve no purpose.
For instance, the party threw the race to the various National Assembly leadership positions open whereas it could have resolutely zoned them ab initio. That way, it would have been easier to, in good conscience, release the hammer on the heads of defaulters.
If President Buhari had also declared his preferred team for the positions, things could probably have been different. But, his official position was that he was very much prepared to work with whichever leadership team enthroned by the lawmakers.


It was a democratic and wise decision, no doubt. Leaderships enthroned by Members themselves have lasted, while those imposed from outside are often recipes for instability. They don’t often last. Count from 1999 to date. Nevertheless, it could have been politically correct at the same time to assert himself a bit, especially when things started getting out of hand. For instance, amidst walkout staged by Dogara’s camp and boycott by Senator Saraki’s supporters in protest of what they perceived as an ambush and predetermined straw poll, silence was the loud answer from the President because he didn’t want to be seen as meddlesome. But he alone had the weight and respect to call the errant party leaders and lawmakers to order and ensure that everyone was fairly treated and the processes transparent.


In fact, it would not have been a bad idea to stage a strong lobbying initiative or invite the aspirants to declare his preferences and then solicit the understanding and support of the rest aspirants. But the only intervention credited to him was the controversial meeting at the International Conference Centre in the morning of the inauguration of the 8th National Assembly, which many still insist was just a case of name-dropping.


Furthermore, but for the President’s body language in refusing to meet with Senator Saraki so far, the general feeling among PDP and some APC faithful was that the quest to foist Ahmad Lawan et al on the National Assembly was totally a Bola Tinubu project. Lawmakers, true to their nature, rose in defence of the independence of the legislature, especially considering how the Lagos State House of Assembly was used to cage Babatunde Fashola. Some Reps still say that Hon. Gbajabiamila could probably have won had he run as Femi Gbajabiamila, and not as Tinubu or anyone else’s acolyte.  As in Tambuwal’s case, they wanted a Speaker they could call their own.


The APC should also have known that they were just one of the parties represented at the National Assembly; that   the minority do not just have a constitutional say on who becomes the Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Speaker, and Deputy Speaker, but they also have the right to vie for any of the positions. This would have guided them in properly weighing the implications of their slim majority in the Senate and also in adopting more acceptable candidates.


Without prejudice, Ahmed Lawan’s candidacy had “K leg” from the outset. His views on national issues like the Petroleum Industry Bill and insurgency, etc. on the floor, during committee works, and media interviews portrayed him to his southern colleagues as a regional and religious bigot.  So, attempts by his foot soldiers in both the APC and PDP at selling his candidature to the PDP caucus where 32 of the 49 PDP Senators hail from South East and South South met a brick wall. Again, expecting the 32 Senators to vote for an all-north senate presidency of Senators Lawan and Akume was a big miscalculation. The propaganda that Senator Saraki was adopted by the PDP simply because he was a former member of the party is what it is- propaganda. Saraki was rather perceived as cosmopolitan and urbane.  Also, PDP is an opposition party; it could have been foolhardy for the APC to expect them to endorse candidates allegedly imposed by it. The elements that make up the APC did it with Tambuwal in 2011.


Indeed, the APC made and still appears to be making the mistake of not being magnanimous in victory, which is compelling either by choice or by the political exigencies of PDP’s number in the Senate. Otherwise, the current bi-partisan leadership scenario in the Senate should have been APC’s initiative to promote smooth governance, balance, and national reconciliation after a rancorous general election. Only a few like Senator Sani Umar seem to appreciate this point.


I stare in bewilderment each time some party leaders and Senators of the APC argue that part of the President’s grouse was that Senator Saraki emerged with PDP support, while Senator Ike Ekweremadu emerged as the Deputy Senate President. But, didn’t Senator Lawan   unsuccessfully seek PDP’s votes?


If the rumour is true, then those who have the President’s ears must have just been misadvising and regaling him with what they stand to lose as individuals rather than what his administration stands to gain with a PDP Deputy Senate President in a chamber where the APC leads with meagerly nine seats, and where APC caucus is in shambles.


Besides, quotable quotes of Buhari and the APC as recently reproduced by a columnist show that both Buhari and the APC are fans of bi-partisan leadership in the legislature before now. Buhari reacted to Tambuwal’s defection from PDP to APC this way: “We will like to thank Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal for what he did yesterday. We were overwhelmed. Taking such a remarkable risk and sending everybody on holidays till December is an achievement”.


Alhaji Lai Muhammed, the party’s National Publicity Secretary announced to the media: “I must say that this historic development means that our democracy is growing by the day and it is dynamic…. We think that having the head of the legislature from the opposition party makes for a balanced setting in government and it’s good for democracy. Those who are saying this has not happened before and that Tambuwal should step aside as Speaker do not have the backing of history and the constitution”.


Hon. Gbajabiamila who was the leader of the opposition in the House at the time concurred as follows: “We are proud to acknowledge that the Speaker remains not only a Member of the House of Representatives, but also it’s Speaker. This position is consistent with the law and practice in a presidential system of government and Nigeria is no different. For the avoidance of doubt, the Constitution requires only that the Speaker or Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives shall be elected by members of that House from among themselves”.


Integrity includes defending the principle you believe in, both when it favours you and when it doesn’t. And the whole world knows that President Buhari is a man of integrity.
Meanwhile, this piece is not about apportioning blames. It is rather about stating the obvious- that mistakes have been made by stakeholders and that it is in the interest of the APC and Nigeria for the warring parties to end the blame game and sheath their swords.   There is time for everything, say the Holy Scriptures- a time to tear down and a time to build… a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them… a time for war and a time for peace.


Therefore, although the Saraki media desk is yet to affirm or deny the report on the peace efforts by Senator Saraki, it is a move most imperative. Peace-building is not a sign of weakness. It takes real men. Thus, it rather portrays him as a man who can bend backwards in national interest.  Under some former Senate President between 1999 and 2007, the Senate would have instantly reciprocated Buhari’s alleged refusal to see its leaders by either sitting on or throwing out the President’s requests and nominations like the Service Chiefs. After all, it is an independent arm of government with financial autonomy. But, this Senate and its leadership wouldn’t do any such thing. Commendable.   


However, peace thrives on reciprocity. The humble pie shouldn’t be for Senator Saraki alone, but for all the gladiators to eat, even if for the sake of the Nigerian masses. After all, these gladiators would never go hungry in their lifetime, whether or not there is peace in the APC and National Assembly. And what is mainly at stake are ego and political relevance. But, for the overwhelming majority of the Nigerians, what is at stake is their next meal, which they are unsure it would ever come or where it would come from.


Mr. President needs to be reminded that at the end of the day, the next four or eight years will only be referred to as President Muhammadu Buhari Administration. It is he, not those beating the drums of war that will take all the glory and all the blame.  We can see that the Jonathanians have vanished into the thin air with many defecting to the APC. The President must succeed.

SGF: HOW FASHOLA WAS SCHEMED OUT

President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to go outside the permutations of political enthusiasts to appoint key officers of the administration was a fallout of the endless squabbling and the fait accompli that was forced on him by political opponents of his favourite for the post, former Governor Tunde Fashola.

The disappointments by political stakeholders from the south nonetheless, the appointment of northern minorities and Christians into key positions by the Buhari administration is meanwhile receiving mixed welcome from the Northern minorities.

Buhari had on Thursday sidestepped the favourite nominees including Fashola and former Governor Ogbonnonya Onu to appoint Engr. David Lawal, the national vice-chairman, Northeast, of the All Progressives Congress, APC as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF.

Also appointed was the former newspaper editor and banker, Alhaji Abba Kyari as chief of staff while the taciturn disciplinarian and erstwhile chief of staff to Buhari, Col. Hammed Ali (retd.) was appointed as the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs Service.

Fashola had been widely touted for the position largely on account of his organisational acumen and strides in Lagos as governor. However, local political opponents of the former governor, especially within the All Progressives Congress, APC were said to have been largely uncomfortable with his possible emergence as chief of staff, a position they believed would have given him the impetus to dominate the Southwest APC political leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Though Tinubu has recently denied his personal involvement in the campaign against Fashola that was mounted through publication of allegedly inflated contract awards by his administration, his close associates were, however, known to have deployed other political schemes to knock Fashola out of contention for either the position of SGF or Chief of Staff.

The ultimate weapon that was used in neutralising Fashola, Saturday Vanguard learnt, was the nomination of a former commissioner in the Fashola administration as the Deputy Chief of Staff to the president but delegated to the office of the vice-president.

Mr. Ade Ipaye, SAN who worked as attorney general and commissioner for justice in the second term of the Fashola administration, it was gathered has been pencilled down as the deputy chief of staff to the president with responsibilities of working under the vice-president, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

The deployment of Mr. Ipaye, it was gathered, became the political masterstroke that was used in knocking Fashola out of reckoning in the stiff race for Chief of Staff.

Sources privy to the development disclosed that those against Fashola took advantage of the fact that Buhari is bent on operating a single presidency with only one chief of staff who would oversee the president’s affairs and a deputy chief of staff who would oversee the duties of the vice-president. Given that Ipaye was projected to work with Osinbajo, it became untenable to have another Lagosian in the person of Fashola work as chief of staff.

“You cannot have two of them from Lagos working as chief of staff and deputy chief of staff in the same government,” a source privy to the development disclosed.

Ipaye’s choice as deputy chief of staff was also logical given that before his appointment into the Fashola cabinet he had worked as special assistant to Osinbajo when the latter was commissioner for justice and attorney general in Lagos State in the Tinubu administration.

Meanwhile, despite mutterings in some sections of the country about perceived geopolitical lopsidedness in the appointments so far made by the president, the appointment of Mr. Lawal as SGF was at the weekend being welcomed as another elixir by Buhari to soothe the long cries of marginalisation by northern minorities.

Mr. Lawal from Adamawa State, a pastor and missionary, became the first Christian from the North to get the high profile position of SGF. His appointment sources said flowed from the comfort and confidence the president has in him arising from his long association with the president.

Lawal was a leading supporter of Buhari ahead of the presidential primaries and helped to ensure that Buhari defeated Atiku Abubakar in the APC presidential primaries in Adamawa State and the Northeast.

Besides his integrity and political capacity that recommended him for the office, Mr. Lawal’s emergence as SGF was at the weekend also receiving critical acclaim by northern minorities on account of the long history of marginalisation of Northern Christians into sensitive positions in the recent past.

However, one northern leader was not impressed yesterday saying that it was a move to lure the disenchanted northern minorities back to the agenda of one north.

“This is just a move to woo the northern minorities back to the Hausa Fulani agenda before they will again humiliate us after they have achieved their purpose,” the northern leader a former member of the National Assembly and presidential aide told Saturday Vanguard yesterday.

Some have alleged that it was part of the scheme to reintegrate the northern minorities into the One North philosophy that the Northwest through Governor Aminu Tambuwal gave rabid support for the emergence of Yakubu Dogara as speaker of the House of Representatives.

Apparently alluding to a deliberate effort to rebuild the relationship between the northern minorities and the Hausa Fulani when he received a delegation of Dogara’s Sayawa Community of Bogoro and Tafawa Balewa Local Government Areas of Bauchi State who paid him a thank you visit in appreciation of his role in the installation of Dogara as speaker, Tambuwal had said:

“The relationship between people of Sokoto and Bauchi States was amplified in the First Republic when the first Prime Minister of Nigeria, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa worked in harmony with the leader of his party and then Premier of Northern Nigeria, Sir Ahamdu Bello.”



http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/08/sgf-how-fashola-was-schemed-out/?utm_source=&utm_medium=twitter

@BUKOLASARAKI SENATE PRESIDENT-SHIP X-RAYED IN 3D, THE CROWN, THE CROSS AND THE PRICE.

By Lawal Sharafadeen.

@shewn007


Every action has its reaction, Nigeria is adjudged to be the country going through the toughest permutations in sub Sahara Africa and going by this, we can say that Nigeria houses the toughest sets of people and a pointer to this fact is the issue of our bond regardless of what we go through day in day out, we still find a means to remain as one.

It is seriously intriguing and mind bulging to analyse the series of events that has been happening post election which seem to have different dimensions and seems unending like a season film, the most prominent of all seems to be the national assembly crisis which has been on the top chat like a hot song from the Mavins. I remembered a Yoruba saying which says ‘if you hear them carrying it, help them carry it so that they won’t abandon it at your backyard’ the national assembly issues really must give all Nigerians some sense of deep thought on what the future of Nigeria looks like, this certainly is a road map for what Nigeria will become in the nearest future. Many references shall be made out of all these present happenings and history will never forget many players.

Time is ticking and Nigeria is begging for fixing and the politics is thickening and we have the masses at the center of it all.

The national assembly which has Senator Bukola Saraki sitting has the chairman playing the role of a servant leader who has been able to carry on with all knives, bombs and all sort of dangers carefully coded and directed at him with a simple but strong defensive antics .

Many will say that Senator Bukola Saraki his getting what he deserves but we might want to analyse the issue of the national assembly in 3 dimensions.

1.       THE LEADERSHIP OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY.

With all consciousness and sincerity, we all need to x-ray what really went down prior to the elections in the chambers without bias not prejudice. Politics is not for the wimp minded nor the weaklings, a good politician is driven by ideas but most importantly his passion for his ambition.

 

We see long days at the tribunals with resources flying right left and center, our president, Mohammed Buhari was a regular man at the tribunals before God eventually answered is prayers. These are examples of events driven by passion for ambition.

 

Before the election of the national assembly, the leadership of the APC tried playing a fatherly role by trying to field a single candidate for the position of senate president but it was a bad father role by its assumed preference for a particular candidate in person of Senator Ahmmed Lawan, as a progressive we all should condemn any group who won’t help us reach our full potentials. We saw a lot of people decamping to APC just because they won’t be allowed to reach their full potentials in their party, Vice president Atiku was said to have left PDP prior to 2007 elections because his potentials were being undermined by the PDP. Many people speculate that many big wigs would desert the APC before the 2015 election and we can recollect the shabby exit of Chief Tom Ikimi due to his allegations that the leadership position of the APC wasn’t open to all through a free and fair elections rather through a shady consensus.

 

It is absolutely and morally right to say that any association a man belongs to where his potentials are being undermined is an unjust association. The senate is a composition of men who are elder statesmen from their individual communities saddled with responsibilities to take care of this country after being voted for by their constituents, these men should at least be able to make sensible decision within themselves without interference from any quarters (Presidency or Party). If APC wishes to be a good father, it should have allowed the interested candidates’ slug it out through the right channel just as President Buhari advised.

 

2.       SENATOR BUKOLA SARAKI’S STRUGGLE FOR THE POSITION. THE CROWN, THE CROSS AND THE PRICE.

This second dimension x-rays the gains and troubles that came with the position of Senate president given the circumstances that made it possible for Senator Bukola Saraki to attain the position. Some had classified and labelled Saraki as over ambitions, greedy and a betrayal but if we once again check the fact available critically, we would see a selfless man whose selfless acts is almost a replica of the prophets’. No blasphemy intended but what we see in the actions of Prophet Noha who went through the troubles of building the ark and calling all species of different gender on board is nothing short of a selfless act that the senate president exhibits.

 

It would have been a crime for a man like Senator Bukola Saraki to allow a seemingly incompetence mare the progress of APC after-all Saraki was among the giants who fought through the thick of the last administration’s tide, also gave promises of glad tidings and a total change towards the business of government on campaign grounds. Saraki’s victory is not for him but for the masses, our headache should not be what goes on at the national headquarters of the APC but what the NASS is taking care of.

 

To wear the crown you must carry the cross, if the masses are indeed to be considered, the leadership of the APC should allow the NASS perform to her full capacity, deed had been done as we all know it and what amazes me so far is the responsible leadership the Senate has been able to deliver amidst the blackmails, police cases, distractions et all that Saraki has been going through since he assumed office and I can’t but wonder how effective he will be if he was allowed to focus on the Nigeria fixing project but one will expect that the masses who stands to be the victim in this whole NASS crisis help Saraki reduce the burden of the cross by being objective and ask where the primary interest of the national leadership of the APC lies, destroying Saraki or elevating the lives of the masses?

 

Senator Bukola Saraki so far has been pro-masses going by his visit to the IDP, the NERC bulk bill reduction, rice waiver, PDP unanimous support for president Buhari amongst other and these are enough reasons for the leaders of APC to adopt and move along with him if indeed the betterment of the masses is the priority here.

 

Furthermore, I do have the conviction that the initially proposed candidate by the APC for the SP position would have made a worst Senate President and reason is that he has not been productive to a single degree and still feel battered grossly undermining the general welfare of the Nigeria masses going by his rejection to be a member of a committee set up by the senate president to visit the IDPs, a true leader considers the masses first before his personal self.

 

3.       WHO GAINS MORE FROM SENATOR SARAKI’S MOVE? THE MASSES PERSPECTIVE

The argument in the APC about the NASS seems to be proving that the leaders of APC are suffering from power syndrome with the way the issue is being handled.

 

One should ask why APC leadership seem to forget that Senator Bukola Saraki worked tirelessly for the success of the party pre election.

One also should ask why APC seem to forget that any senator duly elected is worthy of being a principal officer at the NASS.

We should also ask what could have been done better than how Saraki has been handling matters at the national assembly?

 

One other question pertinent is the usefulness of the senate in regards to the yearnings and cries of the common man on the street. The directive to review NERC Bulk billing  by the senate is indeed pro masses after-all, a larger percentage of the masses are the main victims directly concerned on the subject matter.

Did we not all call for an independent NASS?

Did we not all worked tirelessly to abolish a controlled and rubber stamp NASS?

Did we not call for #OpenNass?

 

Why then do we want to throw our answered prayers away through blind bitterness instead of looking inward and stop fighting a war we know nothing about neither concerning us?

 

We all at this junction need to send out a message to all as concerned that the bigger picture of fixing this nation should be on everyone’s page.

 

The common Nigerian must ask why 81 senators representing almost 80% of Nigeria went ahead in endorsing the leadership of the National Assembly, we also must ask what the leadership of the NASS has done accredit-able as anti masses.

 

It’s time to play our part by providing the most constructive criticism and voicing out our problems just like the NERC bulk billing and forget about the politics at least till the leadership of the NASS under Senator Bukola Saraki falls short of a responsible representation.

God bless.

TINUBU LOBBIES SARAKI, Senators Over Fowler 


Culled from Thisday 



Following the nomination of Mr. Babatunde Fowler by President Muhammadu Buhari as the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the stage has been set for a leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to contend with the leadership of the Senate with whom he has been at loggerheads since its emergence last June.


As required by law, Fowler would have to be confirmed by the Senate before he can head the FIRS. Should his nomination be rejected by the Senate, Buhari would either have submit another name to replace him or allow the current acting chairman Samuel Olugbesan to continue in the capacity.


But with the nomination of Fowler, a well known associate and protégé of Tinubu who served for nine years as the Chairman of the Lagos Board of Inland Revenue (LBIR), the former Lagos State governor would have to come face-to-face with Senate President Bukola Saraki and his deputy Ike Ekweremadu.


There has been no love lost between the Senate President and Tinubu since the former defied the dictates of the ruling party by contesting and clinching the Senate Presidency.


Tinubu had backed Senator Ahmed Lawan for the post but lost out when a meeting was set up at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, between several APC senators and Buhari, to coincide with the inauguration of the Eighth Senate.


Their absence from the Senate chamber on the day of the inauguration paved the way for Saraki and Ekweremadu to win the election unchallenged.


Ever since, the Senate has been polarised between Saraki’s loyalists under the auspices of Senators of Like Minds and Ahmed’s supporters known as the Unity Forum.


Ahead of the submission of Fowler's name for Senate screening, THISDAY learnt that Tinubu has started reaching out to senators, particularly those in the Senators of Like Minds group loyal to Saraki and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).


Until Fowler’s nomination, the position was vacant because the last nominee whose name was sent to the Senate by former President Goodluck Jonathan, Mrs. Mfon Akpan from Akwa Ibom State following a recruitment exercise, was rejected by the lawmakers.


Concerns that Fowler may suffer the same fate as Akpan has galvanised Tinubu and compelled him to reach out to key senators who are close to Saraki with a view to both resolving the crisis in the Senate in which he is believed to be the sponsor of the Lawan group, and to ensure that the long-drawn out feud in the Senate does not affect other close associates who may be sent to the upper chamber for confirmation for top executive positions.


A source said depending on how Tinubu plays his cards, his overture to the senators could either help to resolve the contending issues between the two groups or deepen the division in the Senate.
But many pro-Saraki senators, particularly the 81 who signed the vote of confidence on the Senate President on July 28 are already spoiling for a fight.


“This is payback time for Asiwaju for all his machinations against the Senate since he could not get his candidate to become Senate President. This is an opportunity to force Tinubu to the table and mend bridges or break them further,” said a senator close to Saraki.


The pro-Saraki senators are also angling to move against Fowler because they believe Tinubu is scheming to take control of the country’s finances under the Buhari administration without the president realising the game plan.


According to a senator from Bauchi State, the plot by the former governor of Lagos State is to get Fowler into FIRS and also make another of his protégés, Mr. Olawale Edun, who served as his Commissioner for Economic Development, to become the Minister of Finance, thereby seizing control of the economic machinery of the government.


Edun, according to the senator who preferred not to be named, will be presented as the ministerial nominee from Ogun State, a development which has pitted Tinubu against Governor Ibikunle Amosun


Amosun is said to have insisted that Edun has never associated with Ogun State and could not be expected to take the biggest federal appointment due to the state.


Many of the senators close to Saraki are said to be getting ready to ensure they use the rejection of Fowler’s nomination as a clear signal that the crisis in the Senate has not been due to the protection of any party supremacy but the political interest of Tinubu.
Sources also disclosed that one other reason that compelled the former Lagos governor to reach out to Saraki’s loyalists is the Babatunde Fashola issue.


While Tinubu does not want his successor to be nominated as minister, Buhari’s body language indicates that he is still not convinced by the ongoing campaign to denigrate Fashola and project him as one who is not good enough for the administration.


Tinubu’s plan, alleged a source, is to stop Fashola during the Senate confirmation hearing in the event Buhari nominates the immediate past governor of Lagos by getting the three senators from the state – Oluremi Tinubu, Gbenga Ashafa and Olamilekan Adeola – to oppose his candidacy.


“He is however afraid that that plan will only work if the Senate President buys into the plan, as Saraki can overrule the objection of the three senators and get majority of the senators to clear Fashola like they did a few months ago for Musiliu Obanikoro when Senator David Mark was Senate President.


“Tinubu particularly believes that Saraki has a soft spot for Fashola and that the two men are associates. The fact that though the Senate President is abroad, he sent his deputy chief of staff, Gbenga Makanjuola, to attend last week’s book launch in honour of Fashola also lends credence to the fear that no plan to stop Fashola will succeed in the Senate except Saraki and his loyalists buy into it,” a senator from Zamfara said.


“There must be a trade-off as we get to the period of ministerial nominations and confirmation hearings. What we do not like is this idea of running with the hare and hunting with the hounds.


“Those who need us for their own interests, different from the interest of President Buhari are now making it look like we need them. They have continued to create enmity between the Senate and the presidency. Now, they are playing a different game,” a senator from Delta State said.

@BUKOLASARAKI'S RECONCILATORY MOVE WITH @ASIWAJU_TINUBU: A COMPORTMENT OF TRUE NATIONALIST

By @BashirAkanbi

Politics de facto, is a game of wit which qualifies some of its triumphant players into crackerjack while those at the losing ends remain amateur in the eyes of the public. I ordinarily would not have revisited some of the political twists that were at the front burner before and after June 9 National Assembly Inauguration which nearly shattered the change which our angelic party represents, since majority of the aggrieved lawmakers are now in a smooth rapport with the Senate President and Chairman of the 8th National Assembly. As a patriotic Nigerian, it is high time one told ill informed that a nation filled with perpetual politicking or games of wit will either be in moribund or decline in Progress. So that forms the basis for my short tutorial for the wailers wailing over a black-eying news on Punch Newspaper and other anti-Saraki platforms claiming Saraki is begging some of his antagonists. Peace reigning is apparently, one of the reasons why the fearless and independent Senate President, Sen. Saraki sounded a reconciliatory melody to former Governor of Lagos state and a national leader of APC, Sen. Bola Tinubu popularly called, who was the strongest antagonist to Saraki's senate presidential ambition.

To put the record straight, Saraki has always been an overpass architect as far as our Nigeria politics is concerned. Senator Bukola Saraki's pedigree and antecedents on this harmonious step, speak volumes for him. Verily, his move towards Jagaban in this milieu, couldn't have been as an antic of cowardice but somewhat should be viewed from the angle of his being a decent, civilised and nationalistic person who has the love of the Nation at heart and is ready to do everything possible at all times, to move Nigeria forward. He is has demonstrated that he is a true Nationalist who after being a victor in his ambition, is lower himself for the powers that be so that Nigeria can work as expected by Nigerians. Begging as they referred to it as, amused me when i saw it flying media this morning. The questions i asked myself were, is Tinubu a Senator? Haven't Unity Forum Senators that supported Lawan been lobbying and accepting Committees and leadership positions? Will Tinubu ask his nominees for ministerial appointments and others like the newly appointed acting FIRS boss, Fowler, not to be screened and bow before Saraki as constitution provided? May be until the answers to those questions tuned 'YES', the word 'Begging' can then be aptly used.

Despite severe distractions orchestrated by external and influential politicians from APC since his in-house NASS poll triumph, he has demonstrated several rare qualities by the way and manner he was able to run the Senate, such that within a short period of his assumption of the leadership of the Senate, he was able to get hold of over two third of majority votes of the Senators in the vote of confidence passed by the 81 Members. In fact, it was that vote of confidence that vindicated Saraki as his proclaimed 35 APC supporting Senators later surfaced out of the 81 remaining 46 PDP Senators. So, the anti-Saraki advocates who make the ground seems hot for him to the outside world should know that they are holding the wrong end of the stick. Meanwhile, the Senate is fully at work and some giant and monumental achievements like electricity fixed charge regulation, NorthEast mayhem's oversight function and federal government agencies' regulations among others are made already, in spite of President Buhari's hold-up of Cabinets and Executive setting till perhaps later this year. To some of the chief ignorant Nigerians who spite gibberish on NASS's recesses, they should now learn easily that apart from lawmaking, Legislators also check executive not civil servants headed by permanent secretaries, as we have now.

Nonetheless, it is hoped that with the hands of brotherhood Saraki is extending to Tinubu, he should rather take it as a courageous act from a humble and descent man who would like to make peace with him, despite all the precedent calumnious campaigns and instigated oppositions from different digs against him by Asiwaju Tinubu, his paid dogs and others paid by Saraki's perceived opponents to blackmail him. It will be of Nigeria's interest for Tinubu to accept the Senate President's overtures and agree to support and cooperate with him henceforth, in his zeal to lead National Assembly, in partnership with President Muhammad Buhari and the APC to move Nigeria forward towards copious prosperity. If this harmonious move by Saraki is not curtailed by Tinubu and Co and Nigeria is free of politicking for dominance of all times, perhaps we have an excellently working Nigeria under president Buhari and Saraki.

read in punch newspapers that Saraki is begging Tinubu, even tho all Nigerians want peace. Tinubu is not a Senator and therefore I see no basis for anyone to claim Saraki is begging Tinubu. there is no doubt peace is already in sight as members of unity forum have started accepting committees and leadership position and Tinubu needs the Senate under Saraki to pass his nominees that will be nominated by President Buhari since he has said he will follow due process to send all nominees to nass

FALSIFICATION OF LEGISLATIVE DUTIES: MODIBBO KAWU AS CASE STUDY

August 20, 2015OPINION06


 

It is unfathomable that at the threshold of the 8th session of the National Assembly  a piece like the one dished by Modibbo Kawu  titled “Bukola Saraki : Tentative First Steps for 2019 Presidency ” in the Vanguard newspaper ofAugust 6, 2019 and Blueprint newspaper of August 7,2019 could be authored and published.

Rather than cast false innuendo on the visitation of the Senate committee led by the Senate President Dr Bukola Saraki  to insurgency -ravaged Maiduguri and the North East region of Nigeria, he should have carefully bothered to gaze into the horizon and considered at least the victims including the Chibok girls who got onto the line of trouble because of their desire to break into the elite class.

Instead of pontificating in the red chamber the Senate had gone to do the needful in consonance with section 88 of the constitution which provides that
(1) Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, each House of the National Assembly shall have power by resolution published in its journal or in the Official Gazette of the Government of the Federation to direct or cause to be directed investigation into – (a) any matter or thing with respect to which it has power to make laws, and (b) the conduct of affairs of any person, authority, ministry or government department charged, or intended to be charged, with the duty of or responsibility for – (i) executing or administering laws enacted by National Assembly, and (ii) disbursing or administering moneys appropriated or to be appropriated by the National Assembly. (2) The powers conferred on the National Assembly under the provisions of this section are exercisable only for the purpose of enabling it to – (a) make laws with respect to any matter within its legislative competence and correct any defects in existing laws; and (b) expose corruption, inefficiency or waste in the execution or administration of laws within its legislative competence and in the disbursement or administration of funds appropriated by it”. Therefore the Senate President and his team were no ‘busy -bodies’ , their task was cut out for them consequent on the mandate given.

Other than for the wrong reasons there was no direct correlation in  the Senate oversight to Maiduguri led by the Senate President Dr Bukola Saraki and his  imputation of political undertone and allegation that it  was to prepare a ground for 2019 presidential launch.

It is important to  articulate it in our consciousness that the legislature is the least developed arm of government in Nigeria. It  is by choice and not a mistake that each time the military torpedoed the civilian constitutional government  the first broadcast  was usually to suspend the constitution and the effective casualty is the first arm of government-legislature which is the only one of the tripod  that is sacked.

The executive often subsists when the military junta constitute the Council of Ministers. And  the judiciary stays as the courts continue to do their business.If for once since 1960 we have a leader of men in war and peacetime in President Muhammadu Buhari who sought the job and got it, it would not be fair on his demonstrated capacity to deny him a legislature that has to make his task easy to accomplish.

The level we are today as a nation is not far from where US was in the 19th century. And just as mother luck blessed them with  Henry Clay , an excellent negotiator and statesman  that helped them navigate the difficult terrain of forging a nation and putting it on good pedestal that has it metamorphosed today as the most powerful country on earth, so do we have a Senate President  that aptly realises  that a layback legislature will pull down the momentum that PMB has embarked upon. Therefore for Modibbo Kawu to have deliberately slanted his observation upon the visit of the Senate team  is uncharitable.
I hope he had opportunity to watch the visit of Edo state Governor Adams Oshiomhole who went to Edo state IDPs camp propelled by the God’s Miracle Crusaders of Pastor Folorunsho with his immaculate new wife, well decked in beautiful attire suited for such occasion. Oshio Baba must also be eyeing 2019, abi in the imagination of Modibbo.
Thank God it was a senate tour of duty. Only God knows what  would have been painted if SP went with his wife, whom we know does have an NGO-the Wellbeing foundation that ministers, especially to children and the women who bear the heaviest burden of Boko Haram craze.

If Hunter Clay was in the past what about flair and charisma of Speaker US House of Representatives , Newt Gingrich in the recent. He was an Associate Professor with all the carriage that goes with such background.                                                                                     Certainly if Modibbo  has to do a warped analysis of the legitimate duty tour of the SP then he has to contend with the Governor of Borno State Alhaji Ibrahim Shettima who was exhilarated and described the oversight visit as breathtaking, relieving,novel and indicative that the country has not forgotten them in the corner that God posted them. He regretted that it was the first visitation of its kind since insurgency began 6 years ago.

As chairman 7th Senate committee on Environment was the Senate President  also working on 2019 when he visited Zamfara at the height of the lead poisoning which saved the lives of many of our citizens ? Was he preparing for 2019 when he tackled oil spillage in the Niger Delta when many of his predecessors baited in their comfort zone and got Shell Petroleum to pay 93m dollars to the victims. When he raised the ante against felling of trees while our God given gas is being flared endlessly and the Jonathan government lattched onto that  to award contract for the cookstove programme for the economic benefit of the nation, stop deforestation and bring relief to the womenfolk. Was the SP  also preparing for 2019. WHEN he and Governor Ibikunle Amosun  accompanied President- in- waiting  Muhammadu Buhari to the Chatham House   in London prelude to his inauguration, was he also preparing for 2019? WHEN he raised the red flag on the oil subsidy scam and oil theft which has been the pinnacle of national  debate till date, was he also preparing for 2019.

It is sad to play the ostrich for Modibbo Kawu to now pretend as President Buhari -lover and more catholic than the  Pope. With his heart, his voice and his pen which is generally acknowledged as being mightier than the sword he fiercely participated in organising PDP in Kwara when he addressed them at a seminar devoted to stopping APC, the platform that brought the President back to power. Is his romance over and 360degree back to PMB. Another shot over the bar was his allegation that SP would join PDP. Ahhhaa it is not fair to think that the SP would jump ship. Can he prove  where and when the SP held consultation to move ?

Modibbo Kawu should pick a compass in the famous word of late US President Thomas Jefferson that “the care of human life and happiness and not their destruction, is the first and only legitimate object of good government “. This is the creed upon which the Senate President anchors his programme at every level he has found himself. In order to signal his mission ‎ this time around he  has engaged a number of public institutions including but not limited to ICPC, CBN, Code of Conduct Bureau etc and he has received a number of Heads of missions in the country including UK, US, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, South Korea, India among others. What runs through is his commitment to nationhood.

ACCORDING to him “these engagements are intended not only to open the space for popular participation in the legislative process  but also to reflect our commitment to the issues of citizens rights. Our general commitment is to ensure that our legislation is updated to block avenues for revenue leakages, facilitate and support investments, protect legal agreements and make it easier for genuine investors to thrive”. The fruits of this initiative would manifest soon.

Afterall when he was invited to address a session of the UN on the consequences of deforestation and flaring of gas small minds did not fathom how  Nigerians would be the ultimate beneficiary until a team from UN came, Shell was penalised and free cookstoves were distributed. It takes the deep to call to the deep.  Namo dat quo non habet(what you don’t have you cannot give). When the benefit of his recent consultation starts rolling, I pray Modibbo  shall  the courage to acknowledge it and give him the credit.

It is instructive to accept generally in life, it is not a gargantuan position that makes a little man soar high , it is rather the gargantuan man that makes small position huge. That  Jose Mourinho won the UEFA Champions cup first in FC Porto of Portugal, then Inter Milan FC of Italy and he won the Premier league and FA cup a number of times with Chelsea FC of England  and Real Madrid of Spain as well, was not necessarily because the teams were superlative but he is simply the icon that made the difference. A star is star even if he is working among liliputians.

There had been a couple of Chairmen of the Governors Forum,but when God bestowed it on then Governor Bukola Saraki of Kwara state,  he bolstered it to a glittering height yet to be attained till date. A golden fish has no hiding place- he shall be unravelled.
IN conclusion  we shall admonish Modibbo Kawu to take heed in the legendary words of Jeffrey Archer in his classic book Kane and Abel: “Never seek the wind in the field , it  is useless to try and find what is gone”.  Bukola ti gun oke odo kafara to ja meaning that “Bukola has crossed the bridge of antagonists before the bridge collapsed”.

Credits: ABS Mandate Constituency Office, Ilorin.

What does Tinubu want?

In NEWS
August 19, 2015
TODAY

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Lagos State Governor.
On Friday last week, news reports started circulating in the media that Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Babatunde Raji Fashola, both key members of the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), were embroiled in a fresh cold war. Supporters of both parties were said to be drawing up battle plans against each other, as Tinubu’s allies accused Fashola of mismanagement of public funds on a personal website, and Fashola responding saying that he would not engage in a ‘dirty’ fight with ‘pigs.’

Many political commentators have attributed the source of this beef to the upcoming publication of President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministerial list, where Fashola is said to be a prime contender to occupy the Lagos state slot – against the wishes of his erstwhile godfather and political mentor, Tinubu.

Many will remember, that two months ago, during the Senate leadership crisis that also played out on a daily basis in the national papers, Tinubu played a major role in fueling the crisis by attempting to railroad his preferred candidate, Ahmed Lawan, into the Senate President’s chair using the party apparatus. This development did not play well with the current Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, who was forced to defy a compromised APC National Working Committee, in his bid to ensure that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, not the arbitrary and ever-evolving rules of the Tinubu-controlled APC National Working Committee were followed.

Since Saraki emerged as Senate President uncontested, Tinubu has since vowed that he will never recognise Saraki as the Senate President of Nigeria – demonstrating that to him, it is either “my way, or the highway.”

At this point, it is necessary to ask why anytime Tinubu sees younger men with national political futures like Fashola and Saraki ascending based on their competency, he begins to use his media machinery to attempt to set public opinion against them. Back in June, Tinubu attacked Saraki’s credibility using the press. Now, in August, it is Fashola’s turn. Back in June, Tinubu made Saraki seem like an over-ambitious demon. Now, in August, he is attempting to paint Fashola as a womanizing, money-mismanaging degenerate. Is it that Tinubu has a complex when it comes to men that have been recognized by the public as the next breed of leaders? Or, is it that he just wants to ensure that all important decisions and positions in both the ruling party and the Federal Republic of Nigeria need to first have his blessing? What does Tinubu want?

Taking Fashola’s accomplishments as an example, as the governor of Lagos State, he left a lasting mark in the hearts of many Lagosians through his numerous achievements. During his administration, his largest achievement was his management of the ebola saga. Using his administrative acumen, he successfully turned an impending national disaster into a public health and public relations success.

Additionally, seeing that long-term development would be crucial to the success of the state, Fashola did not leave the educational sector untouched. His administration gave education in Lagos State the attention that it deserved by creating and refurbishing blocks of classrooms. He further implemented a Teachers’ Salary Scale (TSS) for teachers in Lagos state public schools to ensure that the people that were responsible for imparting knowledge to the future generation are adequately compensated.



The Fashola administration also saw to the successes recorded in many rural areas of the state, as over 110 rural development projects were finished under the rural water and sanitation scheme. Additionally, towards achieving security as one of the most important pre-conditions for human existence, the Fashola government not only turned most hide-outs and joints that previously served as bases for impostors and armed robbers into beautiful environments – it also established the Lagos State Security Trust Fund to effectively fund the security needs of the state on a sustainable basis.

In this regard, it is again important to ask why Babatunde Raji Fashola, who has clearly demonstrated his capacity as a high-performer in Lagos State, be attacked by Tinubu now that it is so close to the release of the ministerial list?

Let us not also forget that under Dr. Saraki’s administration as Governor, Kwara became the first state to complete a Nigerian Independent Power Project. Dr. Saraki went further to introduce new health programmes, a range of reforms on agriculture to increase the commercial viability of farming, and also led a number of significant and state-wide infrastructural developments – including improvements at the Ilorin International Airport Cargo Terminal. This is just to mention a few.

As a first time senator, Dr. Saraki moved a motion in 2011 to investigate the fuel subsidy management considering the challenges it posed to the implementation of the 2011 budget. Later on in 2013, Senator Saraki stood out during the struggle to save Bagega in Zamfara State from lead poisoning. As the Chairman of the Committee on Environment, Dr. Saraki was a regular tweeter on the#SaveBagega issue, and his work contributed toward rescuing the people of the distraught villages.

The fact remains, that whether or not one loves or hates Tinubu’s political dexterity and sagacity, in recent times, perhaps fueled by Buhari’s ascension to the highest seat in the land, Tinubu has become overbearing in the both the APC, and the country as a whole. From what we have seen in recent times, if anyone that wants to progress on the national stage, does not kiss Tinubu’s ‘Godfather’ ring – that individual will have to suffer the consequence of being lambasted by the Tinubu-controlled media.

At this point, it is important to end this article with this much-underrated quote: “If the head is in a state of quagmire, who will call the rest of the body to order?” Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the self-proclaimed political godfather of the APC needs to know and understand that his role as a political elder statesman, should be to serve as the pillar that holds the party and every other politician under him together. He should be able to call anyone who errs to order as a father would, and he should be able to hold the fort when necessary to avoid the recurring embarrassing public displays of disunity within the ranks of the APC.

However, these days, instead of Tinubu to be a lasting example to future political ‘Godfathers’ everywhere, it is clear that truly, for the sake of others not to progress, the once-great Asiwaju is truly ready to do battle in the mud to ensure that others do not.

Written by Chima Chime.

VIDEO from Monday, 3rd of August 2015, when Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki led a delegation on a spot assessment of the situation on ground in Maiduguri, Borno State.

The delegation, the first of its kind by the leadership of the Senate since the insurgency began over 6 years ago, assured the people of Borno State and North East Nigeria in general, that the Senate will pass legislation to help restore normalcy in the zone.

The visit was mainly to enable the lawmakers to make on the spot assessments of the effects of the insurgency, empathize with the people, and reassure them that the rest of Nigeria is firmly behind them in these difficult times.

The Senate President said that the delegation will go back and brief the entire Senate and then initiate moves on what can be done to provide succour, rehabilitation, and reconstruction for the people and areas affected by the insurgency.

The Senate President also noted that a quick resolution of the insurgency would aid in getting the economic activity of the North East back on track, and the people of the region back to work.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svPHCpgl6ac&sns=tw via @youtubehttps://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10153590007774962&id=53942489961&fs=0

WHO IS AFRAID OF BUKOLA SARAKI?

I am moved to write this piece after reading an article in the VANGUARD of Thursday, August 6, 2015 by  Is’haq  ModibboKawu titled, “  Bukola  Saraki  in Maiduguri: Tentative first steps for 2019 Presidency”. It is evident that the article reeks of hate and seems aimed at either getting President  Buhari  to regard Saraki  his enemy, or fortifying whatever grievances might exist, if that is the case.

 

Senator Saraki

That is sad, because in no way does that motive contribute to nation-building, and in no way does it help Buhari whom history will ultimately hold responsible for what becomes of Nigeria from May 29, 2015. It is true we are in a democracy and people should have freedom of communication, but I believe we should exercise some self-control in the enjoyment of the freedom. I do not know the author in person or even by reputation, but I bet he seems to have some personal ‘agro’ against  Saraki.

 

I met  Saraki  sometime in 2011 after he became Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Environment. I as well as others in the civil society engaged with environmental issues in Nigeria were pleasantly surprised to be invited by that Committee for interaction.

Saraki sat through the meetings with a note book in which he took copious notes as people made contributions. He also enriched the conversations by asking poignant questions. He was very civilized and we had the impression that he is educated in the real sense.

It was this very positive impression that   Saraki  made upon my colleagues and I that encouraged my organization and others to take a closer look at the state he had just left  as  governor. About that time, some international organizations asked us to  advise  on states towards which they could direct their interest in development activities. From our analysis,  Kwara  was highly recommended. The points that counted for  Kwara  included accessibility by air from Lagos/Ibadan and Abuja, having minimal security challenges, and a very positive civil service and receptive government.

 

I am not sure how much of these were put in place by the governments before   Saraki  became governor of  Kwara State. We subsequently took specific projects into rural communities in the state. Before doing that we approached his  office in the Senate, and were introduced to an officer who took responsibility to lead us into   Kwara. The government of that state received us in a very professional manner.  Kwara  was one of six states in which we unveiled the National Adaptation Strategy on Climate  Change.  During this period, Saraki’s  name resonated so much in urban as well as rural areas of the state.

 

With respect to the article I read which I consider unfair, there are some specific observations to make and I itemize few out of the lot of them as they appear in that article.

 

The first is the title of the article: “Bukola  Saraki  in Maiduguri: Tentative first steps for 2019 Presidency”. My reaction would be that if truly Saraki’s Maiduguri trip is part of his seed planting towards the 2019 presidency of Nigeria, then it is commendable. Nigeria can ill-afford a reluctant President in 2019, or whatever other year for that matter. We’d rather an aspirant that has his sleeves rolled up and is tirelessly working towards actualizing his dream than one that suddenly wakes up one morning in 2019 to tell us that he is running for presidency in response to pressures from his people.   Better to have presidential aspirants with hunger in their bellies and fire in their eyes which are fixed on a faraway goal than have 2019 overnight microwave presidential aspirants that treat the race to our much-cherished  Aso  Rock Presidential Villa like an after-thought.

 

The author had complained about the fact that “…most newspapers carried a syndicated picture of the ‘august visitor’ waving to the IDPs.” To that I ask, is that strange? Isn’t that what you see in governments including more mature democracies? What is wrong with this, one dares ask?

 

The author further  inveighed  that Saraki’s ultimate goal “remains presidency and he can’t even wait for 2019 before beginning to show his hands”. To this I say only a fool interested in 2019 presidency will wait till 2019 to start showing his hands. Is the office of the President of Nigeria not serious enough to warrant long-term thought and work? President  Buhari  provides a good and recent example of a long-distance runner in the presidency race and if, as the writer of that article tried to portray, Saraki’s Maiduguri trip was indeed his first step in a four-year marathon, then it should be a plus, not a minus as the writer inveighed.   People with political ambitions should be encouraged to show their hands early. That way, the society gets them to act with a greater sense of responsibility than might have otherwise been the case.

 

Another difficult assertion to accept is to the effect that the distinguished senator “is fighting a battle against public perception because in many quarters in Nigeria, he has not been able to live down the feeling that he betrayed his party”. To this I say perhaps “many quarters” but certainly not majority of Nigerians share this sentiment. I believe majority of Nigerians prefer inclusive broad-based  governance that reflects the country’s diversity, rather than governments that are highly skewed and based on an ideology of exclusion of sections of the country.

The writer’s anger was revealed the more when he stated that Saraki  “remains defiant and continues to ignore the APC and PMB’s openly expressed preference that APC senators bow to party supremacy; he fills positions with members of his own group, daring the party and PMB to do the worst!” I see this as simply meant to incite. Sensible Nigerians remember President  Buhari’s  statement after the election of the Senate President and Speaker House of Representatives on June 9, 2015. Our much respected President took the view that a constitutional process occurred. He accepted those elected, and said that he did not have any preferred candidates for the Senate and the House of Representatives leadership, and that he was willing to work with whomever the lawmakers elected. The Presidency is a serious office and cannot issue public statements that are meant for nothing. It is an  honourable  office and Nigerians want to believe it ended with that. If the President goes on after that date and that statement to antagonize  Saraki, that is a minus for  Buhari  among  honourable  people. I refuse to believe the hidden insinuation of that writer that our President who is noted point above is another vexatious one which stated that   Buhari  publicly ignored the Senate President at the Abuja  Eid  praying ground. To this I wail, the Nigerian President publicly ignoring the Nigerian Senate President elected within the laws of Nigeria as acknowledged by the Nigerian President! Who loses? Who becomes a smaller man by that, if that was really the case?  Anyway, I doubt that it’s fact.

 

He further asserted that  Saraki  missed the photo-op with President Barack Obama by not accompanying Buhari  to the United States. This can’t be serious. How many times have we seen Senate Presidents going on foreign trips with a country’s President?

That “…Bukola  Saraki, unable to secure an audience with PMB, was corralling the Emir of Ilorin to service to find every opportunity for him to get to see the President.” This is commendable.  He who seeks peace means well.

 

That “…he nevertheless continues to defy the same President and party in respect of the extant problems arising from his demarche on June 9.” Shaking my head in disbelief, I ask: But where is the  proof of defiance to the President? Has Buhari  asked  Saraki  to resign as Senate President? Or is this suggestive of a possibility that the statement issued after the election of  Saraki  as Senate President was not with the knowledge of the President? Is there a crack in the Presidency?

The apparently angry writer complained that  OlisaMetuh  of the PDP had asserted that they were working for  Saraki’s  return to the PDP. Now, I wonder what is strange about that. I would expect PDP to work for the return of not only their former members, but other senior APC members as well. Recall that APC lured them away from PDP.   What is wrong with PDP doing the same?

The writer also accused   Saraki  of “… embarking on the next chapter of his own personal agenda for presidency…” But who, among the big names in Nigerian politics, does not have a personal agenda? Is it  Buhari,  Tinubu,  Atiku, or who? What is peculiar with  Saraki  having a personal agenda?

 

The following comment in the article is perplexing:  “…instead of working to further enhance the North-Southwest alliance, these shortsighted and opportunistic Northern  politicians who  bought into  Bukola  Saraki’s  anti-Tinubupropaganda endanger PMB’s CHANGE Agenda and willy-nilly, have become as disruptive as  Bukola  Saraki  and are working for his personal agenda NOT the interest of Northern Nigeria or those of our country, in the long run.”  This, to say the least, is scandalous. Is  Mr  Kawu  by any means implying that the whole essence of  Buhari’s  government is to exclude two of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones? Federal Character and inclusiveness are products of Nigeria’s political history, and Constitution which the President swore to uphold. Is he stating that Buhari  is implementing a policy of exclusion? That frightful comment forces one to compare what PDP did for geopolitical zones in which they did not do well in presidential elections with what the author appears to certify the APC as doing now. Is it possible that a trend has emerged with two contending visions/ideologies – those who want an inclusive Nigeria (PDP and APC elements like  Saraki  and  Dogara), versus the APC apostles of exclusion?

The writer had asserted that, in his own words,   “By getting Ike  Ekweremadu  into the loop as Deputy Senate President, and contrary to the norms of Senate in respect of ranking, also making  Godswill  Akpabio  Minority leader,  BukolaSaraki  will claim his political IOU in 2019”, Not done yet, he added that Saraki  will “posture as having given the South-East and the South-South recognition and platforms of relevance, when they ordinarily would have lost out in 2015, for voting against the APC and PMB.” This line of writing and, particularly, the reasoning that produced it are as unfair as they are scary. If that writer represents the view of the anti-Saraki APC, then it is saddening to note that APC still has not appreciated that the votes secured by former President  Goodluck Jonathan in South-East and  South-South  could have been higher if it were not for the  hardwork  and determination of APC leaders and members in those zones. Now these valiant men and women who fought for their convictions appear to have been made to lose their voices by the emerging scenario in their otherwise beloved APC. People are asking what  Ogbonnaya  Onu,  Rochas Okorocha, Chris  Ngige,  Rotimi  Amechi, and others who were very vocal in asking the South-East and  South-South  to come along with the APC have to offer as explanation for what is happening. What sin has the South-East, the  South-South  and  Saraki  committed? If the elements of the Change Agenda of the current government is good for all Nigeria, why the fear of persons from the South-East and  South-South  being  around even in minor positions?

 

A curious accusation against Saraki  in the writing is that he “… has been appointing legislative aides from different parts of the North and beyond…” If that is the case, then he is a new generation Nigerian leader indeed. A multi-ethnic, multi-everything country such as Nigeria can no longer afford political office appointments that are skewed in clear favor of one group to the exclusion of others.

 

The writer’s vituperation to the effect that Saraki’s  trip to Maiduguri was presented as a humanitarian trip to give succor to people displaced as a result of the  Boko  Haram insurgency was curiously meant to reduce the person of Saraki. To the contrary, it has ended up improving the person and persona. A politician must be known for something. Buhari brand appeal is in his anti-corruption posture. If Saraki’s  is humanitarianism, then that is desirable in the hard times Nigerians all over the country are in.

 

The simple conclusion to this is encapsulated in the question we employed as the title of this piece: Who is afraid of Bukola Saraki? It has to be fear of the man that is generating the level of antagonism contained in that article. Once again, that has no place in national development.

To receive updates on activities of the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, join his Blackberry Channel by adding: C0034EC54. Be the first to get up to the minute update on the Senate President's activities.

You can also view updates on www.abubakarbukolasaraki.com

North Nigeria, Not Nigeria? Bukola Saraki’s Approach, Best Way To Go! By Lawal Sharafadeen
OPINIONAug 13, 2015
Northern Nigeria is an autonomous division within Nigeria, a zone sitting geographically on 719,435 Square Kilometers of land or 79% of Nigeria’s landmass and has around 392 numbers of ethnic groups (North West 54 North Central 123 North East 205) and almost 75 million or 53.6% of Nigeria’s population is no doubt the biggest zone in Nigeria.
So far the zone has gone through the thick and tides of time posing a big treat to its optimal capacity and overall survival.

Several studies carried out to seek an understanding of the numerous challenges ravaging the zone ranging from high illiteracy lever standing at 70%, largest handicap, children immunization against dangerous childhood disease just around 10% and the Boko Haram insurgency.
The Boko Haram insurgency might indeed be termed to be political in its design but the fact that it is been hosted in the North is a big treat. Question coming to mind is why will the people of the north allow the Boko Haram infest so deep within their habitats? This is simply the result of high illiteracy level in the north. The north is thought religious but the happenings points to an opposite direction. It is really shocking that a region that had produced wonderful Nigeria leader in the past, leaders like Sir Tafa Balewa, Umaru Dikko, Shehu Shagari, Sadauna and many more, so what went wrong to have bestowed such a faith on this region?
Looking deep into the current situation in the north, a careful observer will see a degradation and fallout of gross negligence of some sort by prominent statesman who had allowed the aggressive nature of an average Hausa man escalate too far.
Other regions also play host to some civil unrest such as the Ife and Modakeke fiasco, Offa and Erin-Ile battle and Okene unrest to mention a few but the point of interest in these civil unrest is that all prominent persons such as traditional rulers and politicians whose region were affected immediately starts a cleanup program so that such events are never to be witnessed ever again in the future, they don’t leave things in the hands of faith and pure negligence unlike most northern counterparts.
Series of war has broken out in the northern part of Nigeria, am sure we will remember
-The 2000 Kaduna riots of 21 February-23 May, where around 2,000 –5,000 died and reason is said to be Religious riots between Christians and Muslims over the introduction of sharia law in Kaduna State, start of the religious riots phase of the Sharia Conflict in Nigeria.
-Yelwa massacre of February-May 2004, Yelwa, Shendam and Kano where 975 were reported dead and reason was religiously motivated killings between Christians and Muslims.
2013 Baga massacre of 19-20 April 2013, Baga, Borno and a total of 228 were killed, although Identity of the perpetrators remains unclear; some blame the Nigerian military while others blame the Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram
Kaje civil unrest and many other more but after all these civil unrest, there has never been an orientation program or rehabilitation of the victims and the participants, a young boy who saw killings of tens of people in his presence grows up to become a wild animal and worst of it is if he actually participated in the killing.
We shouldn’t have been here if these northern youth had not been exposed to a wild life right from the start of their lives, a visit to the north will amaze once sense of what responsible parenting means in the north, one will see a pack of boys in their early teens popularly called ‘alumagiri’ savaging around all for the purpose of surviving without any close understanding to what ‘good life‘really means nor entails.
Who do we fault for the sorrowful and meaningless life these kids are subjected to? A young boy of age 14 from the north would already had visited 20 state in the country by following truck loads of goods without any real life expectancy.
August 12, 2015 is the World Youth Day and I ask what would the northern youths be celebrating?
Is it the unproductive life they have inherited or the shamble environment they now live in?
The move by the Senate President Bukola Saraki in identifying with the people of the north by his recent visit to the zone and the call on international community to help rebuild the north is a step in the right direction which all stakeholders must take a cue from.
The north needs massive infrastructural development but most importantly mental rehabilitation to guide against another brutal killing sect in the future, we must be ready to capture the traumatized youths and re-orientate them. The negligence of the past is exactly what led to the situation we are in right now.
Why has the north been so marginalized and dusted to the background of mental capacity building where training of highly educated and prosperous youths is energized and channeled to helping their respective environment? This is another area the government must look into by making sure that northern youths are trained to understand the beauty in staying alive and being purposeful and at the same time be productive.
Sadly the north that had once been the economic hub of this great nation is now been ravage by war, poverty illiteracy, diseases, high infant mortality and if the current happenings are not adequately managed to capture the victims, the north might just be a breeding place for a more sophisticated killing machine.
I beg to ask why kids from north shouldn’t adequately be able to compete with kids from the west, south, and east?
IS NORTH NOT NIGERIA?
Lawal Sharafadeen
twitter:- @shewn007

Saraki: Ooni's Transition A National Loss
Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has described the passing on to glory of Oba Okunade Sijuade, the Ooni of Ife, as the end of an era in Yorubaland.
Saraki in a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary, Sanni Onogu said he was particularly saddened by the fact that the Ooni departed at a time when the country is in dire need of his wise counsel, respected interventions and patriotic stand on issues of national significance.
While describing the transition of Oba Sijuwade as a "national loss", the Senate President commiserated with members of the Olubuse royal family, people of Ile Ife, Government and people of Osun State and the entire Yorubaland over the demise of a "king who represents the best of Yoruba traditions and customs".
He described the late Ooni as a royal father who will remain dear to his heart for a long time due to his deliberate efforts to promote Yoruba culture and tradition.
He noted that as a way of promoting national unity, the Ooni gave chieftaincy titles to many Nigerians from other parts of the country.
"On behalf of my family and the National Assembly, I convey my most heartfelt and sincere condolences to the royal family, people and Government of Osun State, the entire Yoruba race and Nigerians as a whole on the departure of the foremost traditional ruler, the Arole Oodua", Saraki stated.

Wetin concern Saraki to be suggested to be Probed amongst the People like Obasanjo, IBB etc? If The President is not careful,we will make him probe Probe, and Probe through out his four years without bin able to point at anything meaningful

"I join you all in celebrating your industry, perseverance and courage base on the theme of #IYD2015"~ Sen @Bukolasaraki "

"Every young person in Nigeria must continue his/her commitment to civic engagement as we celebrate #IYD2015 "~ @bukolasaraki

"When you as young people succeed, politically, socially, and economically, we all succeed as a Nation."~ Sen @Bukolasaraki #IYD2015

Electricity Consumers Hail Senate’s Directive On Abolishment Of Fixed Charges http:///e27LTzypCa


Education, Energy And Engagement; Celebrating Youth ~ Toyin Ojora Saraki ~ http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/7972416

NMA TO HONOUR SARAKI AT NEC MEETING IN ILORIN
Source: Dailytimes, Naijalately
By Agency Reporter
Tuesday August 11, 2015
The Nigerian Medical Association will honor the Senate President,DR BUKOLA SARAKI as part of activities marking its six-day National Executive Council Meeting in Ilorin, Kwara state .

The association’s NEC meeting will hold between August 25 and 30,2015.

The Senate President is billed to be honoured on August 29 at a dinner to round off the week long NEC meeting.

The chairman, Kwara state branch of the NMA, Dr Abubakar Ayinla made this known during an interactive session with newsmen in Ilorin yesterday.

Ayinla said the formal opening ceremony of the event will take place on Thursday,August 27, at the Banquet Hall, opposite Government House, Ilorin.

According to him Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara state is expected to be the special guest of honour, while the keynote speaker would be the Registrar, National Post Graduate Medical College of Nigeria, Professor Wole Atoyebi.

He added that the event with the theme ‘National Health Agenda:Purpose, Means and Targets’ is expected to have the Emir of

Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari and the Emir of Shonga, Alhaji Haliru Ndanusa Yahaya as the royal fathers of the event.

“The formal opening is however to be preceded by a Medical Mission on Tuesday at Malete in Moro local government area of the state.

“The first NEC meeting will hold on Friday at the Banquet Hall, followed by a special Jumat service same day.

“The closing ceremony and dinner of the six-day long event which has been dedicated to honour the Senate President, Senator (Dr.) ABUBAKAR BUKOLA SARAKI, would take place on Saturday, August 29″, he stated

IN DEFENSE OF THE TRUTH: SAHARA REPORTERS SUSPICIOUS MOTIVES FOR ATTACKING DR. SARAKI
On Thursday, August 6th, 2015, SaharaReporters published a totally fabricated report entitled: "Nigeria's Senate President Saraki Lied In His Official Election Forms" on its website. In that dubious and utterly false report, SR alleged that the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, is not a Nigerian citizen. The article went further, based solely on suppositions to infer that Dr. Saraki intentionally avoided question 10 on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) form for candidates contesting National Assembly elections and by so doing must have sworn to an oath of allegiance to another country, such as United Kingdom, the report concluded. The article also suggested that the Senate President avoided stating his place of birth on the INEC form, and that he is intentionally concealing his UK citizenship to avoid being disqualified in any way from political office.
One is not unminful of the obvious fact that freedom of expression may be absolutely basic human right, but it is pertinent to state that it is not without limits. This obvious fact has brought to bear, what is the essence of journalism which is meant to educate, orientate and bring out the truth to ensure justice, equity and fairness in every human endeavor. Unfortunately, it seems the tenets of professional journalism means nothing to Sahara Reporters.

As it stands, a detailed perusal of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, clearly indicates that the point Sahara Reporters is attempting to raise is moot – especially with regards to holding UK citizenship. The ready question at hand to ask is; why Sahara Reporter has intentionally remained silent and avoided to look into the constitutional Provisions of right to hold dual citizenship, especially where the party in question holds Nigerian citizenship by birth. The second relevant question is, if in fact, the purpose of such a publication was for public interest, has Sahara Reporters carried out diligent investigation on the authenticity of its report before publication? If the answers to the above questions are in the negative, then the rationale behind the report is for obvious reasons.
For the avoidance of doubt and for record purposes, Section 25(1)(c) of the Nigerian Constitution discredit Sahara Reporters' argument that Dr. Saraki is ineligible for public office. The section clearly stipulates that “every person born outside Nigeria either of whose parents is a citizen of Nigeria” are considered “citizens of Nigeria by birth.” What this means is that even if the Senate President were born in the UK, he will qualify as a citizen of Nigeria by birth under S.25(1c) – citizen by birth through parentage.
Also, there has always been a flawed misconception on the issue of dual citizenship vis-a-vis a holder of public office in Nigeria. S.28 of the 1999 Constitution (as (amended) deals with this wherein it highlights the fact that only those who are Nigerians by registration or naturalization shall forfeit their citizenship if they acquire the citizenship of another country. It is important to state at this juncture that the requirement to forfeit Nigerian nationality/citizenship upon acquisition of the nationality/citizenship of another country, does not apply to persons who are Nigerians by birth within the definition of Section 25 of the Constitution. This section also acknowledges and protects the right to hold citizenship by birth of another country – as citizenship by birth is an inalienable right under the Constitution
Furthermore, to put this particular issue to rest, the import of S.66(1)(a) of the Constitution can not be underestimated. The section clearly states that: "Subject to S.28 of the Constitution, any body who has voluntarily acquired the citizenship of another country must be disqualified. The key word here is ‘voluntarily’, and is subject to the provisions of S.28, which protect the right to hold the citizenship of another country if such citizenship is acquired by birth.
In other words, Section 28 states clearly that dual citizenship is allowable where one qualifies as a Nigerian by Birth as contained in Section 25 (1) (a), (b) and (c) of the Constitution. The only instance in which forfeiture of citizenship becomes applicable under the Constitution is by holders of: i) citizenship by registration under Section 26; and ii) citizenship by naturalization, under Section 27 of the Constitution.
The Court of Appeal decision in the case of Dr. Willie Ogebide v. Mr. Arigbe Osula {2004} 12 NWLR Part 886 pp 127 paragraphs D-G says it all. Adeniji JCA reading the lead judgment held that:
Holding the citizenship of another country does not preclude, disqualify or nullify a person from having, acquiring or retaining Nigerian citizenship by birth. This is even more prevalent where such citizenship has been acquired by birth. Furthermore, there is no requirement for a dual citizen of Nigeria (by birth) and another country to renounce either citizenship.
In view of the above, holding dual citizenship does not mean that a public office holder, like the Senate President had earlier changed his nationality in the past; it simply means he has held both citizenships simultaneously without the need to acquire one after the other. As both were acquired by birth, the Senate President automatically had both citizenships ‘bestowed’ on him from the moment of his birth.
To this end, citizens of a country by birth do not need to swear to an oath of allegiance to that country; it is only citizenship acquired through naturalization and registration that have the requirement to take an oath of allegiance. Above all, there is no evidence that Dr. Saraki took an oath of allegiance or intentionally attempted to conceal his UK citizenship – especially as he has never denied holding the citizenship in question.
One is however uncomprensible, as it beats ordinary sense of imagination of how Sahara Reporters went to extent of producing and pasting fake UK passport claiming it to be that of Senator Bukola Saraki. What on earth would Sahara Reporters benefit from such "pull him down at all cost" syndrome? This is an indication that the online media outfit is out to tarnish the image of the President of the Senate. It is a confirmation of the fact that Sahara Reporters is doing the bidding of its pay masters which is well known to all and sundry as the man behind the scene will soon be exposed and brought to the public domain.
It is also of importance to state categorically here that Senator Saraki's UK passport as posted on the website of Sahara Reporters is a forged document that deserve thorough investigation by the UK Home and passport Office. Senator Saraki on the 19th of July 2015, has instructed his Solicitors in UK to write the UK Home Office to commence immediate investigation into this act of criminality .There is no doubt that this is a typical criminal offence against the State and also an act of defamation of character against the President of the Senate and whoever is found responsible should be prosecuted. The question that needs to be unravelled thereof by the UK Home and passport Office, among other things; where did Sahara Reporters get a forged or fake UK passport which it claims it belongs to Senator Saraki and decided to post same on its website?.
To this end, it is no longer shocking, based on the antecedents of Sahara Reporters, the extent to which Sahara Reporters and its sponsors are willing to go to malign the person of Senator Saraki; passing off a forged/fake document as authentic is no doubt a criminal offence in every jurisdiction. Now that the entire public has clarity on Sahara Reporters and it's criminal indulgence, Sahara Reporters needs to explain the source of this fake document to the UK Home Office. Sahara Reporters, its cronies, allies and sponsors must be ready to face the full course of law upon conclusion of the investigation by the UK Authorities. We hereby urge the public to remain vigilant and be watchful of reports and and stories published by Sahara Reporters as they may be laced with blatant lies, deceit and criminality devoid of any iota of truth. We shall make public, the outcome of the investigation by the UK Home office and passport office.
Bamikole Omishore
Special Assistant on New Media
Office of The Senate President

8TH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY UNDER THE LEADERSHHIP OF SENATOR BUKOLA SARAKI; THE JOURNEY SO FAR BY @BABAIDRIS090
(babaidris090@gmail.com)


Since Nigeria got her independence in 1960, we have witnessed eras and reigns of different political titans and military dictators who have helped forge the Nigeria that we see today. The Nigeria that we see today, has been the effort of the many successes and failiures of our leaders – dead or alive.
We have witnessed military coups before the stability of our democracy in 1999, when Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar handed over to Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. This handover laid the foundation of a new democratic system of government which is why we have been able to sustain our democracy till date.

The 1999 democratic foundation has given birth to many historical tales as we have witnessed several political games of chess - where ascending or descending of any political stalwart is dependent on how far one can think, while the other players on the board are making their next moves.
We have also witnessed the sane and insane maneuvers in our national game of thrones, but most importantly, we have seen our own common sense revolution in the just concluded general elections and, the June 9 National Assembly and House of Representative elections that produced President Muhammadu Buhari as the President of Nigeria, Sen. Abubakar Bukola Saraki as Senate President, and the Rt. Honourable, Yakubu Dogara as the Speaker
These elections were undeniably triumphs favored by the common sense revolution of the Nigerian people, who had been pegged against an era of political impunity and cabalism that worked to decay our national progression.

All Nigerians today, can be proud that we are living witnesses of a new era that will ultimately be characterized by a shared commonwealth, as opposed to the carelessness exhibited in past – especially by the past members of Nigerian legislative arm, who spent carelessly at the expense of destitute Nigerians. Surprisingly, what we are witnessing in the 8th Assembly today is the confirmation of this commonsensical way of solving problems.
Barely three months into the emergence of Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki as the President of the Senate and Chairman of the 8th Assembly, we have begun to see radical changes and depatures from business-as-usual, despite all the traumatic pre-election and post-election collisions that he had with some lawmakers in his party.
Dr. Saraki who is widely known as a detribalized leader, and a dogged advocate of justice and equity, and a living epitome of service to humanity, has worked assiduously to ensure that the principle of federal character which allows for an even representation of each Geo-political zone at the central is kept in place.
Needless to say, Nigeria under President Muhammadu Buhari, has experienced a positive jolt in the issues of governance. Additionally, it is clear that the current Senate under Dr. Saraki, in the few days that he has in office as the Senate President cannot be written off when compared to the Senate Presidents we have had in the past. This is because Dr. Saraki is giving meaning to leadership of the Senate, and showing us what leadership entails by not just sitting down in office to legislate but taking the time to be part of issues to be legislated upon. To many Nigerians, including myself, Dr. Saraki has seen days like today coming, and as such, has been duly prepared for it.
In the past, Dr. Saraki has worked to be a responsive and responsible Senator, who has never gone incommunicado from his constituents and the Nigerian people. He has created an accessible means of communication on social media long, and the effectiveness of his twitter handle and timely updates after every plenary has made him the first Nigerian Senator to be verified by twitter. Apart from all these, many people oriented bills and initiatives like the ‪#‎SaveBagega‬ campaign and the ‪#‎CleanCookStoves‬ initiatives have been sponsored and co-cosponsored.
Despite the in-house political Drama that marred the election of the 8th Assembly, Dr. Saraki has shown the capacity of being a true leader by leaving the past behind to embrace peace and focus on the legislative matters for the benefit of Nigerians. This has reflected in his leadership style in all the committees recently constituted to satisfy all factions in the interest of Nigerians. Notably, Sen. Babajide Omoworare, who represents Osun East Senatorial district, who was a strong supporter of Sen. Lawan has been appointed as the Chairman Senate Committee on Rules and Business. This appointment has fostered unity and restored the yearning peace in the Senate.
Unfortunately, I was disappointed like every other Nigerian that, Sen. Lawan turned down his nomination as part of the delegation set up by the Senate President to visit the troubled Northeast to show solidarity to the internally displaced people in their various camps .
For example, in the heat of the insurgency in Nigeria, we have hardly found leaders that have summed up the courage to visit the affected areas, not to talk of donating cash or kind to victims. However, to our surprise, the Senate President of the 8th Assembly led delegates to the North East a few days ago to make the people of Boko-Haram ravaged parts feel they are not alone in the fate that has befallen them.
Conclusively, the patriotism and competency which has favored the rise success of Senator Saraki, has manifested in his track record so far. He is a perfect compliment in the legislature to President Buhari’s ‘Change’-centered agenda. These men, are leading by example, and setting examples by leading. This is despite the fact that the naysayers have been loud and boisterous, yet, they (Buhari and Saraki) still demonstrate their positive change through their actions.

Sen Bukolasaraki’s Historical Visit To IDP Camps And Matters Arising By Wale Bakare 
OPINION Aug 7, 2015

When the Senate president of the federal republic of Nigeria, Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki touched down in Maiduguri the Borno State capital, not many envisaged that this will be more than the ‘usual’ visit with its characteristic political glamour often used to score cheap points at the expense of the unsuspecting host.

This visit was different, at the announcement of the trip to Borno many senators who were already fed up with the drama that engulfed the chambers for weeks were eager to get on the list to kick-start their legislative duties but unfortunately, Senator Bukola Saraki had to constitute an 8-man senate committee with priority given to Senators from the troubled states indicating an end of the previous era where issues on Northeast insurgency’s were treated with kids gloves by its leadership.



The Senate delegation were warmly received by the people of Borno and immediately, they proceeded to the Internally Displaced People’s camp across the state capital and the outcome was a renewed hope. The visit soon turned out remarkable being the first by the leadership of the senate since the Boko haram insurgency broke out in the northern part of the country in 2009.

Interestingly, the atmosphere was unusually electric as the sleepy town of Maiduguri once again came to live. The children numbering over 4,000 camped across various IDPs were displaced from their original habitat majorly from the neighboring countries as a result of the expanding activities of the terrorist sect. This historical visit became one of such these children were desirous of and denied by past government whose premises upon their long neglect holds no water.

Bukola Saraki and his delegation gave the children a renewed hope, the type that will bring an end to their plight while given them a sense of belonging in the larger society. The smiles on the adults and children’s faces, never seen before symbolises a flick of tranquility; they were at peace with themselves and wished that moment never came to an end. The video clips of the IDPs camp visit sums up the death of all fears; a pure delight to watch displaced children, grown men and mothers reunite in raw happiness.

While the visit may have ended, the true significant of the trip has started to yield much dividends. Asides the 10million naira  donated personally by the Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki to some IDPs, there are already plans underway to enact laws that will assist the government and people of Borno State in the quest to crush the Boko Haram uprising. For many people, this will be seen as a first major genuine effort by the leadership of the green chamber to fully support the federal government to combat terror.  It will be recalled that previous efforts by the past government to effectively fight boko haram were futile with cases of high profile corruption among the service chiefs.
As it stands, the population in IDP’s camp is exploding as more areas in the northeast becomes vulnerable to boko haram attacks thereby leading to an increase in out-of-school children who are within the schooling age.  The move by the Senate presidency to support the welfare of displaced people is a major lifeline in the scheme of events, while more of such concerted efforts are being required by organizations and international bodies to help eliminate growing cases of abuse within the camps by co-displaced persons and security agents.

Wale Bakare writes from Lagos
07030052445.