https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcHWm0ng7yY


The Senate has indicted the Nigeria Police Force for allegedly killing a final year student of the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Chinedu Obi, and mandated the police authorities to pay to his family N10m as compensation.

Obi, who was arrested on July 19, 2019 after a disagreement with a female phone seller for alleged assault, died in controversial circumstances in police custody, after being denied access to family members and medical care.

In a petition to the Senate by the counsel to the family, Omemiroro Ogedegbe, disclosed that the deceased went to Otta, Ogun State to visit his friend when he met his untimely death.

While testifying before the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petition, Ogedegbe said the deceased did not resist arrest contrary to police officer’s claim.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Ogbadu Aliyu, claimed that the deceased was arrested, detained and later granted bail and that after his release, he went back to the woman and started beating her and even tried to throw her from a story building.

Aliyu said the deceased, who was rearrested, became violent and tried to demobilise an officer, who shot him on his buttock instead of his legs.

But Ogedegbe, who disagreed with the presentation, stated that the deceased was shot from behind in the right buttock, “which meant that it was not the officer that shot him from behind.

“That all entreaties by the deceased who was in the pool of his own blood to speak with his father were rebuffed by the officers of the NPF who allowed him to die before taking him to Otta General Hospital.

“That the police officers lied as the deceased neither committed an offence, resisted arrest, nor armed at the point of his arrest.”

In the report presented to plenary, Chairman, Senate Committee, Ayo Akinyelure (Ondo Central), said the offence of assault alleged by the phone seller was not a capital offence and should not have led to the suspect’s arrest and handcuff.

He said: “The police officers did not handle the matter professionally and therefore, the force is culpable in the death of Obi.”

The Senate condemned the action of the police for the unprofessional manner it handled the civil matter between the phone seller and the late Obi.

At a session presided over by Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege, the lawmakers urged the police to arrest the police officer who shot the late Obi to for prosecution, according to the laws of the land.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtR3fTZQGzg

The Senate on Tuesday, passed for second reading, a bill to allow banks recover loans from defaulters, place them on watchlist and eventually blacklist them without recourse to the borrowers.

The bill sponsored by Senator Sani Musa, is seeking an Act to establish a unified scheme for a sound financial system that will facilitate and improve credit repayment culture by empowering creditors bank to track loan defaulters.

Musa said the creditor banks would be able to do so through the means of the defaulters’ Bank Verification Number.

He said the bill would empower the creditor banks to recover the said loans from other accounts operated by the defaulters without recourse to the loan borrowers.

He also said the bill would provide penalties for breaches and violation of obligations and enhance loan recovery across banking sectors in Nigeria.

Musa noted that the core of financial system of any country is the commercial banks because they have the potential to apply the full weight of credit facilities for the development and growth of the country’s economy.

He said credit is seen as the bloodstream of the banking business, which oils the wheels of development.

He said, “The situation of Nigeria today demands an injection of healthy bank credit and recovery system that will effectively fasten the pace of the growth.

“However, every lending institution finds itself from time to time with loans of which the risk is loss is greater than anticipated.

“Lest we forget, before the deregulation of our banking system, the ability of our banks to recover loans has been the reason behind the collapse of many commercial banks.

“The principles behind this bill is to facilitate and improve credit repayment culture, streamline loan recovery and as well as watchlist frequent loan defaulters with a view to track and blacklist them.”

The Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege, who presided over the plenary, referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions, for second reading.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBglgsQeIZw


Former Senate President Bukola Saraki has cautioned the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, against interfering in the party’s current reconciliation efforts.

Saraki warned that he and other members in the reconciliation committee, which he chairs, would not hesitate to resign if Secondus and his colleagues in the National Working Committee (NWC) disallowed the committee from having a free hand to operate.

He said: “We are, however, very clear that our most important partner in this assignment is the NWC. Therefore, we seek your support and cooperation to ensure the success of this committee on its Herculean assignment.

“As members of this committee, we have decided to do only what is right. We do not have any personal interest and will not allow any interest other than of the party and what represents the truth, equity, objectivity, unity and peace to influence what we will do.

“The NWC must also give us a free hand to operate. I want to make it very clear that we will put in our best. That is why we seek the cooperation of the NWC.

“However, if we see any sign that the NWC is working to undermine us or that we are not working in sync in the performance of this assignment, with all sense of responsibility, we will not hesitate to tender our resignation…”

Saraki spoke on Wednesday in Abuja after Secondus inaugurated the reconciliation committee.

Members of the committee include former Katsina State Governor Ibrahim Shema; former Gombe State Governor Ibrahim Dankwabo and former Cross River State Governor Liyel Imoke.

Others are: former Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim and a former House of Representatives Majority Leader Mulikat Akande.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmY8TV1Fn64

Senate President, Ahmad Lawan and Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, yesterday, traded tackles over the authenticity of votes from the North East during the conduct of the 2019 presidential election.

The duo clashed when the Senate confirmed Professor Mahmood Yakubu as chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for a second term.

Abaribe, had while making a case for a strong electoral system, questioned how INEC conducted elections in the North East in 2019 with huge turnout of voters and electoral victory for the All Progressives Congress (APC) despite the ongoing insurgency war.

He said: “We’re happy that innovations have been brought and INEC has conducted some elections we can say were fair. We want to see more in the coming months. But I’m worried. I’m worried and want to know how INEC conducted elections in Boko Haram infested North East, particularly Borno and came up with the number we saw whereas, there was an insurgency war there.”

Abaribe was interjected by Lawan, who cautioned Abaribe. He said results from the North East were not allocated as being rumoured in many quarters. He said it was unfair to conclude that the people didn’t vote.

Meanwhile, the Senate has confirmed Professor Yakubu. Despite initial setbacks and plans to detail the confirmation, senators who took their turns to speak, said Yakubu has done well and should therefore be confirmed.

The senators drawn from the two political parties, however, called for more concerted efforts from INEC boss to ensure 2023 general elections do not have challenges.