₦airaland Forum

Saraki: Efficient Tax collection will make up for shortfall in oil Revenue
Senate President Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, today advocated for greater focus on tax collection to boost the nation's revenue in view of the dwindling revenue from oil.
He added that an efficient tax collection system in the country is sine qua non to much needed economic revival at this time.
Saraki who spoke in Abuja after receiving a brief from the management of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) led by its Acting Chairman, Mr. Sunday Samuel Odugbesan, said an effective tax regime will not only help revive the economy but will help the government to fund its various development programmes and redistribute wealth among the various strata of the society.
Saraki said it was time to evolve a broad based system of tax administration which will be a more stable and reliable source of revenue as it does not depend on any external factor to achieve.
He added that the FIRS should come up with proposed laws and recommendations that can help to boost their operation in the area of adequate and efficient tax collection.
Saraki said: "The FIRS is one of the agencies that have requested to interact with the Senate and to show the importance that the 8th Senate places on performance, we decided to meet you as quickly as possible because we know that our country's dependence on oil as a large source of revenue is very fragile and it cannot be a way forward for a country like us.
"You have seen it even by your own presentation. The way forward for our country is really to look at the area of our taxes, because it is more stable, reliable and not dependent on other issues outside the country.
"As you know today, tax is only about six per cent of our Gross Domestic Product, GDP, which is scored low compared to other countries that are doing about 20 per cent. So, there is a lot of work for us to do. I think the success of our revenue going forward will depend on you as the Chairman and your team and that is the blunt truth.
"If we are going to be depending on the fluctuating fortune from oil, then, we are not planning for the future but we need to plan first on the non-oil revenue sector. I am happy you (FIRS boss) are a new person coming in, you have an opportunity to think out of the box, be creative and turn around things in the FIRS.
"I hope that we will be able to partner together. We must ensure that everybody begins to pay the right taxes due. When we talk about fighting corruption, it should start by ensuring that everybody pay the taxes that are due, everyone of us must be ready to do that. I know it is not going to be very easy but you can count on our support to make it happen", Saraki said.
The Senate President said the National Assembly would henceforth carry out stringent oversight on the tax agency aside from partnering with them with the FIRS to deliver on increased revenue.
He said: "For us in the 8th Senate, this is an agency we want to work very closely with and we want to be very stringent on our oversights because honestly if we do not get it right in the area of taxation, I don’t believe we are going to get it right going forward.
"If you look at all the challenges before us, if the price of oil is good, we can execute our development policies and programmes but the fluctuation in the prices does not allow us to plan. Our non-oil revenue has to be stable enough to be able to address those issues and I think that is the area we need to work", he said.
The Senate President added that it was time for the agency to address the concerns being raised by some states about lack of incentives in collecting the Value Added Tax (VAT).
He added that some new taxes that were introduced to shore up revenue towards the tail end of the last administration have not yielded required dividends.
He said: "I am happy you talked about some of these surcharges. You know those charges are just sensational issues, they are not sincere and we should stop deceiving Nigerians because they are not the issue.
"The issue to us today is how can we expand the net, how can we ensure that everybody is paying taxes and not saying that you are imposing charges that will just make headlines. That is not going to take us anywhere. Let us address how do you for example improve on company income taxes. You see a lot of companies today, when you look at their foreign exchange demand, some of them are bidding for $200 to $300 billion, yet they say they are making zero profit", he said.
Saraki directed the FIRS management to send a proposal to the Senate on areas where they need legislative support to strengthen their operations and make them more effective and efficient in revenue collection and enforcement of relevant laws.
Earlier in his remarks, the FIRS boss, Mr. Odugbesan, congratulated Saraki on his election and emergence as the Senate President.
He noted that the price of oil which is the nation's main income earner has been on the downward slide.
He said: "Oil and gas which is key to the economy has not been doing too well and this is as a result of many factors many of which are completely out of our control. The price of oil in the international market we all know has continued on the downward slide. Although in the last three months, it started gathering some momentum. As at today, I think it is average $59 and $62 but the average we have computed is about $59 and that is what obtainable today."
According to him, what is within the purview of the agency is to intervene to shore up the collection from non-oil sector.
He added: "As at the end of June, we have not actually got the total figures for June yet, it is just ended yesterday and JP Morgan that is assisting the Federal Government to collect foreign components of our collection will still be giving us a report even a week after the closure of the month.
"But so far we will say that Petroleum Profit Tax have given us N697.07bn for the first six months, that could go up a little bit.
"For the non-oil component, you have conflicting contracts which has brought in N778billion between January and June and Valued Added Tax N376billion", Odugbesan said.
Signed:
Yusuph Olaniyonu
Special Adviser (Media) to the Senate President

There Won't be Delay In Confirmation of Ministerial Nominees @Bukolasaraki

Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki today (Tuesday 30th of June 2015) gave assurance that there would be no delay in the confirmation of ministerial nominees once the list is sent to the legislature by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Senate President while receiving the French Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Denys Gaver, who paid him a courtesy visit in his office, said it was to ensure that the suspension of plenary does not disturb serious government business like the screening of ministers that he has continued to reiterate the fact that the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly will resume plenary when there is any urgent matter of national importance.

Responding to the comments by the French Envoy, the Senate President said that though the Senate is currently on break but “ we are working and we are ready to reconvene any time to attend to any national assignment, including the confirmation of President Muhammadu Buhari's ministerial nominees.".

He also pledged the cooperation of the National Assembly with the executive arm of government in accomplishing the programmes of the administration.

The Senate Presidency said bills from the executive arm of government would be treated with dispatch, as part of efforts to support the President to effect the positive change expected from his administration by Nigerians.

The senate president told the French delegation that the Senate has commenced work already with the setting up of the 18 man committee to formulate a realistic and progressive Legislative Agenda, which he said would address issues like poverty alleviation, law enforcement, national security, commercial disputes, eradication of corruption and investments in the Petroleum sector.

Saraki further said the National Assembly will partner with the French National Assembly in the area of capacity building for legislators, strengthening the bilateral relations between the two countries and ensuring that more French investments flow into Nigeria.

He specifically solicited the co-operation of the French government in tackling the security problems in the North-eastern part of Nigeria, particularly as Nigeria shares borders with French-speaking countries.

Earlier, the French envoy, who described the leadership tussle at the National Assembly as part of democracy, solicited for cooperation between the National Assembly and the President Buhari-led executive arm of government.

The French Envoy said that the expectation of the international community on Nigeria is high
He also called for cooperation between the private sector in Nigeria and its counterpart in France.

On security, Gaver said France is encouraging her former colonies in West Africa to cooperate with Nigeria in the onslaught against the Boko Haram insurgency.

Media Office of the Senate President

OIL BARONS NEVER SPONSORED ME
Press Statement: Another Refutal:
Again, the attention of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki has been drawn to a malicious, false and totally reprehensible news report, wherein it insinuated that the election of Dr. Bukola Saraki as the Senate President of the 8th Senate was facilitated by Nigerians associated with dubious claims in the infamous oil subsidy.
The news report went further to give a negative and dirty impression that the emergence of the President of the 8th Senate is aimed to sabotage the anti corruption posture of President Muhammadu Buhari led Federal Government as well as sabotage the 'Change agenda' of the All Progressive Congress (APC).
One of such desperate attempts to justify this blackmail and others was the story published in newspapers of Monday June 29 2015 as contained in a statement issued by the former Interim National Chairman of APC, Chief Bisi Akande.
Ordinarily, we would have ignored the report, but for the sole reason that some undiscerning readers might mistake the fiction for the facts.
We also wish to state unequivocally that it was wrong and mischievous for the statement by Chief Akande to link what happened on the floor of both chambers to some unnamed oil barons.
We dare say that the entire story was the figment of the imagination of the author.
We make bold to state that in the 7th Assembly, Senator Bukola Saraki was Chairman of the Senate Adhoc Committee which exposed the fraud and mismanagement in the oil sector.
Until Saraki's motion on the floor of the senate, no one was in the picture of the rot in the sector or took any action. Therefore, surely, Senator Saraki will be the last person the oil baron will want to see as Senate President.
No doubt, we make bold to state that Saraki is the last person to be so sponsored by the oil barons or cabals.
In that position, Saraki did not only lead his colleagues in exposing the rot in the scheme but made very strong recommendations on how the system could be reformed and made corrupt- free.
It is on records that through his motion on the floor of the Senate, the House of Representatives followed in what is to be known as Oil subsidy probe and to which Ministers of Finance and Petroleum summoned and at last over,N500 billion was saved. Certainly, Senator Saraki is the last person to be so sponsored by the oil barons or cabals.
Further to this, during the Senate hearing on the missing $20 Billion, for those who attended the public hearing, Senator Saraki led the onslaught of difficult questions to both the Minister of Finance, Minister of Petroleum and other federal agencies despite being in the ruling party then. To this effect, Senator Saraki refused to sign the final copy of the committee's report but rather put forward a minority report with a press statement that follow suit.
Saraki went further to oppose the inclusion of kerosene subsidy in the 2015 budget as well as his opposition to Petroleum Swop deal by NNPC.
Let it be known therefore that the Senate Presidency of Dr. Bukola Saraki would not in any way be a stumbling block against President Buhari’s posture against anti corruption.
Rather, the 8th Senate under him as the President would give all necessary legislative support to the administration to fight and reduce corruption as his previous actions and bold step taken against the so called oil barons indicates that Saraki is committed to anti corruption.
For avoidance of doubt, we want to make it abundantly clear that it is totally false, untrue and calculated mischief to suggest that Senator Saraki's emergence as Senate President was facilitated by oil barons. This is a case of calling the dog a bad name so as to hang it. Another blatant lies that can not fly. In any case, Senator Saraki was elected unoppose as the Senate President, therefore the lies that he was sponsored by the oil barons cannot hold.
Senator Bukola Saraki is determined and focused to achieve the Senate targeted legislative agenda and he is committed to support President Buhari to deliver on his promises to the people of Nigeria.

Extract from the interview granted to journalists by the Senate President Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki about NNAS crisis. Dated 27 June, 2015.
*First of all, as regards the meeting (at ICC), on the morning of the inauguration, I didn’t finish at a meeting until 4:00am of that day and I had got information that efforts would likely be made to make sure that I didn’t get access into the chamber.
*So, as early as 4:00am and 5:00am, I had made contingency plans that I must get into the National Assembly because the plan before was that senators-elect should go to Transcorp Hilton Hotel around 8:00clock and 9:00am to proceed to the National Assembly.
*But I was advised that it would not be safe or it would not be secure for me to do that because if some people made sure I didn’t get into the chamber, it would not be possible for me to be nominated, for the nomination to be seconded and for me to accept the nomination.
*I can tell you today that I was in the National Assembly Complex as early as 6:00 in the morning and I stayed in a car in the car park till quarter to 10:00am. That is the truth. I stayed there and I was there with no communication whatsoever.
*So, anybody who said he spoke to me to go to the ICC was not being truthful because I didn’t even know what was going on. All I was monitoring was how people were arriving the complex.
*It was just before 10:00 that I got information that the Clerk to the National Assembly had entered the chamber. So, I got out of the small car I was inside, stretched myself and put on my Babariga because I didn’t have it on before then.
*I walked from the car park into the chamber. That was why some of you would have seen that I looked very tired that morning.
*Even when I was in the chamber, I didn’t know what had transpired earlier. The only thing I observed was that it appeared that some of our senators were not in the chamber, but because the fact that my colleagues arrived in batches, I had the opinion that they were on the way and, by 10:00am, the programme started.
*Before I knew it, my election had come and gone. Even my people were worried; it was only when I got into the chamber that they were relieved.
*In my own view, and, in the view of some of those who worked closely with me, I worked hard for my election.
*On Ekweremadu’s emergency as the Deputy Senate President, “in my own view, and, in the view of some of those who worked closely with me, I worked hard for my election. I had direct contact with every single senator, one on one; weeks leading to the election, I did not rely on anybody. I worked hard; both in our party, the APC and out of it.
*At one of the meetings held at Transcorp Hilton which Senator Godswill Akpabio co-chaired with Senator Ibrahim Gobir and a few others, which had both APC and PDP members, if you heard most of them there, the position they took was that ‘this is the Senate President they want.
*Across party lines, that day they believed in me and that this is the Senate President that can lead us, there was no deal.
*I didn’t need any deal to win. I had penetrated, there was no deal; I didn’t need any deal in the first place.
*Across party lines, that day they believed in me and that this is the Senate President that can lead us, there was no deal.
*Never in our wildest imagination did we envisage that some senators would not be present on the day of the inauguration.
*It is unfortunate that we have a PDP man as deputy Senate President. It is painful. It is painful for every APC member.

Less than two weeks to the inaugura­tion of the Eighth Senate, 70 sena­tors have reportedly queued behind Senator Bukola Saraki as the preferred candidate for Senate President.

The 70 senators are pushing forward a North central/North east ticket, zeroing in on the duo of Saraki and Ali Ndume as Senate President and Deputy Senate President respectively.

Feelers from the All Progressives Con­gress (APC) Senate caucus, however, in­dicate that members may insist on zon­ing the position of Senate President

Last week, former national chairman of the party, Bisi Akande, said the party may not zone the office of the Senate President but would allow zoning for other offices after the Senate President has emerged.

With 109 members, only 34 senators made it back to the chamber. Contend­ers for the Senate Presidency are now engaged in a frenzied lobby of 75 new members as their votes would largely decide who would be the next Senate President.

To actualise his ambition, Chairman of the Committee on Environment and Ecology, Senator Bukola Saraki has re­portedly secured more than two-thirds endorsements from the 59 APC sena­tors.

Out of the 59 APC senators, 20 are re­turning senators but their rank is now depleted by one with the death of Sena­tor Ahmed Khalifa Zannah on Saturday, May 16. Saraki, it was learnt, has also secured endorsement from more than two-thirds from the incoming senators.

Out of the 14 PDP returning senators, at least 8 of them have pledged to work for Saraki.

Across the six geo-political zones, Sara­ki is banking on the support of Sokoto State Governor and Senator-elect, Aliyu Wamakko to swing North west votes and in the North east, he has senator Danjuma Goje as his main campaigner.

In the South south and South east, Akwa Ibom State Governor and senator-elect, Godswill Akpabio and Sam Egwu, as well as returning senators of the PDP have all pledged support for Saraki.

It was gathered that members of the six regional APC caucuses are angry that the leadership of the party intends to make contenders go through a primary election.

To effectively seal standing agreements, Saraki has revived the old All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) political struc­ture of his father, late Senator Olusola Saraki.

The elder Saraki was initially in the ANPP before he moved to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the platform on which his son, Bukola, became gov­ernor in 2003.

Regardless, Sunday Sun checks indi­cate that in the Seventh Senate, 40 sena­tors set up an association called The Like Minds which intends to ensure the emergence of a brand new Senate which would enact legislations that would im­pact directly on Nigerians.

The group also seeks to ensure that, in the Eighth Senate, the affairs of the chamber, particularly its public image, was remarkably different from what it used to be.

Besides, The Like Minds has drawn its membership, not only from the APC but also, the PDP. As at the end of April, membership reportedly grew to 70 members, said a returning senator from the North west, who is a member of the group.

Membership of the group was extended to new senators, settling for senator-elect Dino Melaye from Kogi State to lead based specifically on his potential as “a great mobiliser. Besides, we didn’t want to discriminate by allowing a returning senator to lead,” the source within the group disclosed.

Thereafter, feelers from the party in­dicated that the Senate Presidency had earlier been zoned to the North central with Minority Leader George Akume as the preferred candidate.

“The only snag was that Akume is not a member of The Like Minds. With that initial zoning arrangement, Saraki be­came the sole candidate for the Senate Presidency.

“Thereafter, The Like Minds agreed that should the APC take a final decision that the North central should produce the Senate President, then, Saraki and Akume would be prevailed upon to sit down and agree on who should be the region’s candidate.

“The major agreement within the cau­cus was that the APC should go into the chamber on election day, which is also inauguration day, as one, united party.”

The entry of Chairman of the Com­mittee on Public Accounts changed the equation, it was gathered. “That was the beginning of the problem because it was perceived that Lawan was anointed by the National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

“When it was clear that the zoning ar­rangement would be jettisoned for La­wan, senators became resolute in choos­ing their leaders because we don’t want a situation where somebody from outside the chamber would anoint a leader for us…”

Another member of The Like Minds told Sunday Sun that, “we still believe the party would go ahead with the zon­ing arrangement for the post. Zoning has come to stay in Nigerian politics. You can’t wish it away now…it’s too late in the day.”

It was also gathered that there’s a break in the ranks of the North west caucus as 10 senators, out of 21, have declared sup­port for Saraki.

In the South west, some senators are pushing for a secret ballot as some of the senators from the zone are unhappy with the choice of Lawan. “We prefer se­cret ballot because it is only with secret ballot that we can elect the leader of our choice…”

A meeting was reportedly held two weeks ago in Transcorp Hilton in Abuja which was attended by the soon-to-be former governors, alongside senators-elect from their respective zones.

“One after the other, each senator-elect got up and pledged to vote for Saraki. The same promise was given by some of the senators from the South east…”

In a related development, it was gath­ered that there may be a split in the ranks of senators from the North central as for­mer Nasarawa State governor, Abdullahi Adamu, may soon declare for the Senate Presidency.

Senator Adamu, a first timer in the Sen­ate won a return to the chamber on May 28. “Senator Adamu has started consul­tations across party lines and very soon, we expect him to declare his intention,” said a high-ranking member of The Like Minds.

He did not, however, disclose whether Adamu is a member of the group. Be­sides Adamu, all contenders for the Sen­ate Presidency had, individually and at different times consulted with current Senate President, David Mark.

Meanwhile, it was learnt that the Seventh Senate will be dissolved on Thurs­day, June 4 while the Eighth Senate will be inaugurated on Tuesday, June 9.

There is no doubt that the AllProgressive Congress, APC’s victory in the last general election will take Nigeria in a different direction from the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, leadership of the past 16 years. In recent times, the only presidential contender that has attracted enormous public confidence in his ability to tackle plethora of problems confronting our nation is General Mohammed Buhari, the President -Elect.

The expectations are too high and the pressure for a quick-fix is already on. But we should all realise that the General does not have a magic wand to wave and solve all our problems in one day. What we expect from the good General and his party is to show us clearly that they are in the process of laying strong foundation for effective governance and good service delivery.

Ours to recommend and advice and wait for positive action. After all, like the popular Nigerian adage says “it is the same Alhaji that we are all tending the cattle for”. To this end, much is expected from APC in their choice for leadership of National Assembly and persons appointed into the Federal Executive Council to assist the President.

The most immediate of these decisions for the President-elect and APC is the matter of leadership of the National Assembly because of the strategic importance of the legislature in a democracy and the agenda of change that was used by APC to serenade Nigerians into handing an over whelming victory to an opposition party, the first time in the history of our country.

APC leadership should realise that Nigerians will start counting their sincerity and performance from the selection of leadership of National Assembly to the actual performance in office. A weak foundation would have been erected for anybody to hope for a scintillating performance in office if the party allows petty politics and naked show of power to drive their decision.

A situation where leadership of APC starts to campaign against zoning arrangement in deciding the issue of leadership of National Assembly bothers on cockiness and chicanery because the party used the same zoning to determine the position of office of President , Vice-president and its National chairman . Our legal lexicon has institutionalised Federal Character or Zoning to ensure inclusiveness and effective administration of our country.

So for a party whose major electoral asset is the credibility of its leaders to turn around to canvass against those core values that made it attractive to the populace is courting nothing but scorn.

Any objective person should easily agree that National balancing, strong character, integrity, experience/competence, leadership skill and equity are the core criteria the APC should seek, to determine who will head the 8th National Assembly. The lessons of leadership failure of the PDP should not be lost on the APC. Luckily for the party, the three contenders to the leadership of National Assembly are credible personalities but the party must choose the best to send a message that they are well equipped and ready for leadership.

However, I believe that Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki is better situated to discharge the functions of the office of the Senate President and Chairman of the National Assembly than the other two distinguished Senators- Dr. Ahmed Lawan and Chief George Akume. My reasons are as follows;

National balancing: The APC started National balancing when the Presidential and Vice-Presidential tickets were given to the North-West and South-West respectively. The Chairmanship of the party was zoned to South-South leading to the emergence of Chief John Oyegun. Recollect that Chief Bisi Akande was prevailed upon to step down as interim Chairman for the position to go to South-South.

The Chairman of Nigerian Governors Forum and Northern Governors Forum have gone to the North-West and North-East. The party initially zoned the position of Senate President to the North-central but later threw the contest open. The reason was not stated but it was speculated that the Godfathers of APC felt that zoning it to North central will make it easier for Dr. Saraki to emerge.

But for proper political balancing, the position should go to the zone because it is the zone that made it possible for APC to win when they changed their allegiance from PDP to APC. Dr. Saraki and Chief Akume are from this zone but fortunately for Dr. Saraki, Chief Akume is no longer in the contest.
Strong Character: one of the most endearing qualities of Dr. Saraki is his strength of character.

Strength of character is a necessity for an aspirant to such exalted and exacting office. Dr. Saraki showed his stuff when he disagreed with his father on the choice of his successor as the Governor of Kwara State. In a country struggling with nepotism, his insistence on power rotation in his state against his father’s desire to install his sister is a big plus for him.

It showed a man with character and class who cannot easily be swayed by base and mundane instincts. His strength of character was also put to test when he left the new PDP to APC at the time they disagreed with President Jonathan on the running of the party. A firm and discerning mind is needed to run the Senate and interface with the executive arm for good governance to become institutionalised in Nigeria.

Integrity: Today, Saraki is one of the most investigated public officer yet nothing has been found to tanish his reputation. A reformer who believes in positive change will always find himself at odds with the system. Some people will call it controversy but it is actually a progressive controversy when a top politician continually engages the system for a better society.

If it is not so, then I wonder what it was when Saraki alerted the nation on the rip off called fuel subsidy. His motion for a probe of fuel subsidy on the floor of the Senate brought another round of investigation of his tenure as Governor. A Governor who voluntarily waived his immunity and was given a clean bill of health by no less a person than the famous anti-fraud czar, Nuhu Ribadu, at the time almost all the Governors were indicted for corruption cannot be underestimated in matter of integrity .

Experience/Competence: Saraki has shown exceptional ability in this area. As a Governor, he managed his state excellently to enable him to install his successor. He turned Nigerian Governors Forum into an effective body to midwife a robust relationship between the Federal and States Governments. He epitomizes the Igbo adage which is translated to mean that “one cannot use a mirror to search for a golden bracelet worn on the wrist”.

Leadership skill: Many of these attributes have horned the leadership skill of Saraki to a point of excellence. Nigeria and APC need a person of such great ability to assist General Buhari in the onerous task of nation building. There is no gain saying the fact that every Senator is qualified to be a Senate President but it is only one person that can occupy the position at a time.

I believe that the time is ripe for Saraki to lead the National Assembly to join other arms of Government to take Nigeria to prosperity and development. The leadership of the National Assembly should be a bridge between the centripetal and centrifugal forces in National power game viz: APC and PDP, Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa/Fulani, Ijaw, Tiv, etc. Saraki’s support base cuts across these interest power blocs and he is in a better position to reconcile their conflicting demands by utilising his exceptional leadership skills.

Equity: In law, it is said that whoever comes to equity must go with clean hands because equity can only intervene when somebody is acting in good faith. There are five parties that merged to form APC namely: ACN, CPC, ANPP, PART OF APGA, AND NEW PDP. In the distribution of offices, CPC and ACN have got the President and Vice President respectively. APGA has the Chairman of Progressive Governors Forum while ANPP has the National Chairman of APC and is rumuored to be on the verge of emerging the SGF.

It means that it is only the new PDP that is left out in the sharing arrangement. Let’s not forget the fact that it was the new PDP that changed the game for APC when they entered the alliance with their five Governors. So for equity sake, the chairmanship of the National Assembly will be an adequate compensation to them through Saraki.

Finally, in life, there is time for everything and everyone. It is useless when mere mortals fight hopelessly to rearrange divine arrangement. In my humble opinion, there is an unseen hand that arranged the equation to favour Dr. Saraki and it is needless to fight it. In this period of Change, Let the Nation continue to crown who the cap fits.

Mr. Mike Nkwocha, a lawyer, wrote from Awka, Anambra State.

Senator Elect, Wakali publicly endorse Saraki for Senate President - Daily Times

The senator-elect representing Bauchi South, on the platform of All Progressive Congress (APC), Malam Ali Wakili, has said that the North-east region is the most poverty ravage zone in the country.


He, therefore, said the position of the Senate Deputy-President and the seat of the Speaker House of Representatives be allotted to the North east, as some form compensation for all it has suffered on account of insurgency.

Wakili who was speaking with journalists, in Bauchi, on Wednesday, endorsed the candidature of Senator Bukola Saraki for the Senate President in the 8th Assembly.



According to him: “The issue of National Assembly leadership is about integrity, competence, discipline and leadership skills and not about fixing of candidates just for mere horse-trading.

“Our stand is about electing a senator, who eventually becomes the chairman of National Assembly and relates with the executive on behalf of Nigerians, fellow Senators and the National Assembly as an institution.

OIL SUBSIDY SCAM: HOW I ARRIVED AT $32BN FIGURE – @BUKOLASARAKI

Former governor of Kwara State, Senator Bukola Saraki, who claimed Monday, that Nigeria was spending $32 billion on non-existing oil subsidy operators, has explained that he arrived at the figure from the monthly and yearly payments to the operators by the Petroleum Product Pricing and Regulatory Agency, PPPRA.

This came as the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) vowed to revoke the licence of any filling station that sells petroleum products above the stipulated price in spite of the current scarcity, saying the Federal Government has not increased the price of fuel.

Senator Saraki, who represents Kwara Central in the Senate, had argued on Monday that the fuel subsidy management in the country was a very big platform for fraud and, therefore, advocated removal of subsidy.

Defending his claim of the loss of $32bn to subsidy scam, he insisted that the figure he gave was authentic, telling those who cared to know more about his claim to contact the agency for the details. Speaking to Vanguard, yesterday, the former Kwara State governor simply said:

“I arrived at the amount from the calculations of the monthly and yearly payments by the PPPRA. The monthly and yearly payments by PPPRA will reflect that.” He said there was nothing he would say about the oil subsidy that will be different from what he has been saying since 2011.

According to him, “countries that are producing oil are not going through what we are going through, because when oil was $100 per barrel, they used the money effectively because it was clear a day like this would come. I have been saying it that the major issue confronting us has been the subsidy management.

We are talking about a minimum of over $32 billion over five to six years,” he insisted. Saraki, who regretted that the alleged fraud in the scheme was being allowed to fester by the Federal Government, urged the incoming administration of General Muhammadu Buhari to completely remove fuel subsidy and restore normalcy to the petroleum sector.

He accused the government of issuing import licenses to bogus companies totaling 82 which were being used by oil marketers and government officials to rip off the country on a yearly basis. He argued that it would be better to remove fuel subsidy and deliver the sector and the citizenry from the grip of racketeers in the industry, who would never allow things to work well because of their personal aggrandizement.

According to him, subsidy in itself was never a problem to the country but the bad management of it, which had been turned into a huge racket that is causing the lingering crisis in the oil sector. He said: “No matter what is happening now, If you go back and look at it, the major issue that swindled us was the subsidy management. We are talking of about minimum of over $32billion wasted on it over the last five to six years.

That is the difference between where we are now and that time. It has impacted on our exchange rate, it is going to impact on our infrastructure, there is no money for capital budgets. The latest template from the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, the body responsible for managing the subsidy regime indicates that a liter of petrol should ordinarily cost N143, but the price is brought down to N87 a litre allegedly as a result of government subsidy.

Components of the pricing regime include demurrage, freight, traders’ margin, lightening expenses (cost of transferring products from big tankers to lighter vessels), NPA fee, product fee, fee for discharging the fuel, depot charges, among others.

Marketers flout DPR’s warning Meanwhile, NOIPolls, yesterday, stated that kerosene is currently being sold at an average of N137 per litre across the country, with some regions buying as high as N166 per litre. This was in spite of subsidy on the product, with the Federal Government fixing the price at N50 per litre. NOIPolls, in its latest weekly poll results, stated that only three per cent of Nigerians buy kerosene at N50 per litre and less, while 97 per cent of Nigerians buy above N50 per litre. According to the poll, the North-East, North-West and South-West zones pay the highest average amount of N155 per litre for the purchase of kerosene, when compared to other zones in the country, while the South-West zone has the largest proportion of Nigerians who purchase kerosene from major marketers’ filling stations at an average price of N129 per litre.

Giving a breakdown of the findings, NOI Polls stated that in the North-Central, kerosene is sold at an average price of N141 per litre; North-East and North-West— N155 per litre; South-East — N166 per litre; South-South — N131 per litre and South-West — N129 per litre.

The report further noted that 96 per cent of Nigerians use kerosene for cooking, while only six per cent of the population use the commodity for lighting. The poll result also revealed that only 23 per cent of Nigerians are aware of the official pump price of N50 per litre of kerosene. “Almost eight in 10 adult Nigerians (77 per cent) are not aware of the N50 official pump price of kerosene. Nationwide average price of kerosene stands at N137 per litre,” NOIPolls stated.

The NOIPolls, had a few days ago, identified corruption and mismanagement of petroleum subsidy funds as the major factors hindering citizens from enjoying the full benefits of subsidy.

The polling agency had in one of its survey, revealed that about 52 per cent of Nigerians who purchase Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, are of the view that Nigerians have not enjoyed the full benefits of petroleum subsidy. Giving a breakdown by geo-political zones, 72 per cent of North-East respondents claimed Nigerians have enjoyed the full benefits of the petroleum subsidy, compared to 37 per cent of respondents in the South-South who shared similar view and 40 per cent in the South-West. In the North-Central, 42 per cent of respondents believed that Nigerians have enjoyed the benefits of petrol subsidy; 49 per cent and 50 per cent of South-East and North-West respondents respectively, share similar view.

This perception, according to the polling agency, may be guided by the fact that a larger proportion of Nigerians purchase petrol at a price above the subsidized rate of N87. The poll further revealed that majority of its respondents blame corruption as the key factor hindering Nigerians from enjoying the full benefits of petrol subsidy. Specifically, 66 per cent of the respondents identified corruption as the factor that has hindered Nigerians from enjoying the full benefits of petroleum subsidy; 39 per cent blamed it on poor management of petrol subsidy, while 18 per cent blamed it on inefficient regulatory authorities.

Furthermore, 12 per cent of the respondents blamed their inability to enjoy the full benefits of subsidy on difference in the cost of fuel importation; 12 per cent chose inefficiencies of petrol price control mechanisms, while four per cent blame it on bad government/leadership. DPR warns Responding to reports that marketers are selling petroleum products above official price, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in a statement, yesterday, said it will revoke the licences of marketers who flout the warning. DPR in a statement said while it is making every effort to ensure that fuel is available and reaches every part of the nation, “it is hereby emphasised that the Federal Government has not increased the price of fuel. “The price remains at eighty seven Naira per litre (N87.00).

Any station caught selling above the stipulated price, will have its licence revoked. “No station should sell in jerry cans as there is enough fuel and for safety reasons. Any station caught dispensing into jerry cans will be sealed.”

N-CENTRAL APC PRESENTS @BUKOLASARAKI FOR SENATE PRESIDENT

AS the contest for Senate Presidency heightens, Chairmen of the All Progressives Congress, APC in the North Central geopolitical zone, said they have adopted Senator Bukola Saraki as the zone’s sole candidate. [s][/s]

The APC State Chairmen in the North Central said that they will soon present the former Kwara State Governor and Chairman, Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology as their candidate for the Senate President in the 8th senate.

Announcing the adoption of Senator Saraki as the zone’s sole candidate, the APC Chairmen said that the choice of Saraki was as a result of the withdrawal of Senator George Akume who is also from the North Central and Senate Minority leader from the senate presidency race last week to settle down as the deputy to another contestant, Senator Ahmad Lawan from the North East

The APC Chairmen in a communiqué issued at the end of a crucial meeting held in Abuja, allegedly resolved and unanimously declared that they were only interested in the office of the Senate Presidency which had earlier been zoned to it by the National Working Committee of the party.

The Chairmen in the communiqué explained that due to the alleged personal decision of one of the contenders from the zone that he had withdrawn his aspiration and interest from contesting the position of the Senate President of the 8th Senate, they were left with no other obvious conclusion than Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki remains the sole candidate from the zone.

They also said that Saraki would be presented to the leadership of the party as the sole candidate for the position of Senate President of the 8th Assembly. According to them, “The sole endorsement of Senator Saraki was borne out of his unprecedented commitment to the growth and success of the party at all levels in the Zone and across the country. “Saraki’s commitment, sacrifices, sincerity and purposeful leadership that ensured the success of all the Senators, House of Representatives Members, House of Assembly Members as well as gubernatorial candidates in the affected states within the zone, have earned him our support.”

The communiqué read in part; “that we are resolute in our collective decision to produce a single candidate from the zone to the office of the Senate Presidency and we abide with same considering the fact that all our distinguished senators from the zone had equally maintained similar position in their earlier meetings”.

The chairmen who endorsed the Communiqué also said they have rejected an attempt by some individuals and a group within and outside the North Central making efforts to jeopardise the collective will of the people of the zone.

They also claimed that they had “vehemently opposed any alliance, horse trading and fixing of positions in a way that may sabotage the official position of the APC North Central Zone as such step runs contrary to the interest and yearnings of the people, the APC members and the zone on a larger scale.”

SENATOR @BUKOLASARAKI CALLS FOR REMOVAL OF PETROLEUM SUBSIDY

A federal lawmaker, Senator Bukola Saraki, has urged the Nigerian Government to completely remove fuel subsidy and restore normalcy to the sector.

Addressing reporters in Abuja on Monday after the Senate held a meeting with petroleum marketers, Senator Saraki claimed fuel subsidy had provided a platform for fraudulent activities to oil marketers and government officials.

The Senator said the subsidy was used to loot the national treasury on a yearly basis.

He argued that it would be better to remove fuel subsidy and deliver the sector and the citizenry from the grip of racketeers in the industry, who would never allow things to work well because of their selfish interest.

Senator Saraki’s comments were made in line with the fuel scarcity in Nigeria.

In most states of the oil-rich nation, the fuel scarcity is biting hard, causing hike in the cost of food items and transport fare.

Service stations are selling fuel far above the official price of 87 Naira per litre.

Few service stations that have the product sell above 300 Naira per litre.

Senator Saraki is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the incoming President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, who is also a member of the APC, had said he would look into the fuel subsidy implementation and address challenges in the oil and gas sector.

The situation has forced several businesses that are dependent on fuel for electricity generation to shut down.

Saraki and the Search for a New Senate President
With the battle to succeed the outgoing Senate President, David Mark, on its final lap, Anayo Okolie examines the chances of one of the major contenders, Senator Bukola Saraki

As the tussle for the Senate Presidency enters the final stretch, Nigerians are watching with keen interest to see the role the president-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, will play in the election of the National Assembly leadership. Though, Buhari’s disposition, according to his close associates, has been to give a free hand to the National Assembly members to elect their leaders without external interferences.

Saraki

The chairman, Senate Committee on Ecology and Environment, Senator Bukola Saraki from Kawara State is a major force in the battle. He represents Kwara Central in the Senate. He was elected senator in 2011 and re-elected at the last general election. Saraki, a trained medical doctor, was a two-term governor of Kwara State.
Saraki started his political career as special assistant to President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2000. In 2003, he was elected governor of Kwara State and was re-elected in 2007. During his time as governor, he also held the position of chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum. His tenure as NGF chairman was noted for strong collaboration between state governors across Nigeria and developing new platforms for sharing best practice between states.
The ambition of Saraki to become the next President of the Senate has received a tremendous boost in last few weeks. With endorsements from across the country, Saraki is no doubt cruising very high in the race.
The chairmen of the All Progressives Congress in the six states that make up the North-central zone recently announced a unanimous endorsement of Saraki’s candidacy. The APC state chairmen said Saraki was their preferred candidate for the office of the senate president. Their decision to endorse Saraki, they said, was borne out of his unprecedented commitment to the growth and success of the party at all levels in the zone and across the country.
The chairmen stated, “We, the party chairmen, who are the field officers can attest, without any contradiction that Saraki's unparalleled commitment to the party broke the hitherto political jinx in the zone where the PDP was holding sway and delivered the zone to All Progressives Congress (APC), a feat that was unprecedented in the history of the zone and, indeed, Nigerian political history.
"As the party leaders in our various states, we hereby unequivocally say that our people unanimously give their support to Saraki Senate Presidency without iota of doubt in his ability to make the zone and Nigeria proud in no distant future and deliver as he had done in other endeavours he had involved in the past.”
Other contenders for the post include Senator George Akume, a former governor of Benue State, and Senator Ahmed Lawan. But already, Saraki is enjoying the support of more senators. But for North-central to ensure they produce the next Senate President, political analysts believe that the zone must avoid fielding two candidates for the position (Saraki and Akume).
An APC Senator, who wanted anonymity, said the leader of the party initially endorsed Akume to scuttle Saraki’s ambition. “The calculation is simple. There are 18 senators from the North-central zone and if Saraki and Akume remain in the contest until the final day, they would eventually share the votes of the zone, which would push Lawan ahead of them,” he said, adding, “Saraki has all the qualities to lead the senate. He was governor for eight years, headed the NGF, has a mind of his own, and may not be easily influenced if elected Senate President and that is the kind of person we want as Senate President.”
To actualise the Saraki’s Senate presidency ambition, some Peoples Democratic Party senators-elect and their counterparts from the APC met with him recently. Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State, Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State, former Governor Sam Egwu of Ebonyi State, and 62 senators-elect were said to be among the people that attended the pro-Saraki meeting.
The pendulum seems to be swinging in favour of Saraki, but those who do not want him are doing everything possible to stop him. One senator who attended the pro-Saraki meeting said no amount of blackmail would frustrate Saraki’s senate presidency ambition. He said, “The fraud allegation against Saraki was investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Saraki was cleared.”
Many believe that the people against Saraki are only trying to exaggerate the matter.
Meanwhile, a letter signed by Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Mrs. O.O. Fatunde, disclosed that after a thorough consideration of the investigation report and the relevant laws applicable, the criminal allegations against Saraki were unfounded and manifestly unsupportable in law. This alone, the letter noted, does not constitute an offence under any law because it is within the discretion of the bank to grant or refuse any such loan application.
In exercising the discretion to grant loan, the statement said it is the duty of the bank and not the customer’s to ensure that the conditions of the bank are met.
The letter stated, “The customer should therefore not be made to take responsibility for the wrong exercise by the bank of its discretion unless the customer can be shown to have improperly or fraudulently induced such a decision or outcome, which is not the case here…
“Dr. Saraki and Mr. Pinheiro are alleged to be connected with the grant of the loans as promoter and Director, respectively, of the companies. By virtue of section 18 of the Act, a director or any other officer or partner of a company can only be held responsible in that capacity for the actions of the company if the company is guilty of an offence under the Act.
“Since the companies in this case cannot be held to have committed any offence under section 15(1)(a), it follows that Dr. Saraki and Mr. Pinheiro cannot also be held criminally responsible only on account of having acted as promoter and director of the companies in connection with the said loan.”

Akume

Among those jostling for the post of senate president is Senate Minority Leader, Senator George Akume from Benue. Akume served as the governor of Benue State from 1999 to 2007.

Lawan

Chairman, Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Senator Ahmed Lawan, is from Yobe State. Lawan represents Yobe North senatorial district. He became a senator in 2007. He enjoys Tinubu’s support. Governor Ibrahim Geidam of Yobe State believes that Lawan has all the qualities, which uniquely place him ahead in the 8th Senate. The governor was also pleased with Lawan’s endorsement by senators from the North-west part.

The Yoruba Youth Assembly has called on the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, to direct their representatives to elect Senator Bukola Saraki, as the next Senate President. The group’s position was contained in a statement on Thursday by its spokesperson, Mr. Rotimi Opeyeoluwa. It said the APC should make Nigerians proud by presenting to them the best person for the office of the Senate President. The group said, “The APC cannot afford not to give the nation the best from within its ranks for the post of the Senate President, and with due respect to other contestants, Saraki is the best man for the job. “Saraki represents an opportunity for the Senate to live true to its finest hour since the return of democracy in 1999. A natural leader with a flair for the welfare of the people, Saraki will make a definite mark in the annals of our country.

“It is time for a new generation of leaders to take charge of the Senate. Saraki is in that mould and to see him lead the Senate would be like watching a grand master in charge of an orchestra. “Several names are being bandied around but one that stands out on account of his level of preparedness is Senator Abubakar Saraki, the scion of the late strongman of Kwara politics, Dr. Olusola Saraki. “Given the majority status of the APC in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, it is expected that the party would, in line with the time-tested tradition of both chambers, elect one of its own as the Senate President and the Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives respectively. “For the Senate Presidency, one name that has remained a recurring decimal in all of the permutations is Senator Bukola Abubakar Saraki, a political giant by all standards.”

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday cleared a former Kwara State Governor, Bukola Saraki, of any wrongdoing in a bank loan being investigated by the Police Special Fraud Unit since 2012.
Delivering judgment in a fundamental human rights enforcement suit filed by Saraki, Justice Ahmed Mohammed, ordered the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, from further inviting or arresting the former governor over the alleged bank loan.

The court hinged its order granted on Wednesday on a legal opinion by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke, that the allegations of wrongdoing against the former governor was baseless.

The legal opinion of the Justice Minister was a response to the report submitted to him by the Inspector General of Police on Police findings in a complaint by Joy Petroleum Limited.

Justice Mohammed also barred the agents of the IGP especially the operatives in the Special Fraud Unit from harassing, intimidating and breaching the fundamental rights of the former governor and his aides.

The court held that any attempt to commence any further interrogation of Saraki over an issue already declared closed by the Minister of Justice would amount to a breach of his fundamental rights.

Justice Mohammed said it would be unfair for Saraki to be subjected to further interrogation by police having been cleared of any wrongdoing by the AGF in the report police submitted to the minister for legal advice.

The Judge said the court had no choice than to give effect to the legal opinion of the Minister of Justice that the complaints against Saraki were basless, unfounded and not supported with any shred of documentary evidence since he has no link with Joy Petroleum Limited, the complainant.

The court also held that the police ought to have stopped any further harassment of the plaintiff since the AGF had officially written to the Inspector General of Police to discontinue the matter.

Saraki had sued the Inspector General of Police before the court over series of letters of invitation extended to him to appear before the Special Fraud Unit for investigation on a bank loan resolved in his favour two years ago.
In the suit, Saraki complained of undue harassment and intimidation on the part of Police and sought for protection of his fundamental human rights to justice and fair-play.

The former governor sought court order to quash the invitation on the ground that he had two years ago been investigated and exonerated by the police report.

As activities of the 7th National Assembly gradually winds down, Nigerians are watching and anxiously waiting to see what shape the next National Assembly would take and how its principal officers would emerge. This is because, since the return of democracy in 1999, this is the first time the National Assembly, at both chambers of the parliament would be led by those who had been in the opposition parties. The leadership of the Red and Green Chambers has always come from the outgoing ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but following its defeat in the March 28th Presidential and National Assembly elections, the reverse is now the case.

While the in-coming ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) got 64 Senate seats, the PDP got 45 seats. Based on this, it is common sense that the party with the majority in the Red Chamber should produce the next Senate President and other principal officers. But then, the choice of who becomes the next Senate President will go a long way in ensuring stability in our politics as well as the growth of our fledgling democracy.

However, grapevine information has it that, the leadership of the APC has zoned the post of the Senate President to the North Central geopolitical zone. The states in this zone also known as the Middle Belt are: Kwara, Kogi, Benue, Plateau, Niger and Nassarawa. In this zone, apart from Niger and Nassarawa states that always pursue different political aspirations, Kwara and Kogi states have always moved in the same direction, while Benue and Plateau share similar visions. In lieu of this reality, political developments in Kwara normally determine the direction Kogi takes and vice versa.

For example, at the return of democracy in 1999, the defunct All Peoples Party (APP) was the dominant party in Kwara as it won the governorship seat in the state. While late Mohammed Lawal was the APP governor in Kwara, Prince Abubakar Audu was the APP governor in Kogi State. But in 2003, following the defection of the strong man of Kwara

politics, late Senator Olusola Saraki to PDP, the party produced the next governor for the state, while in Kogi, PDP produced the next governor in the state, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris. That was how PDP became the dominant party in the two states before the recent �Broom revolution� in the entire North Central zone and Nigeria at large.

Accordingly, the political alliance between Kwara and Kogi states dates back to 1979, when late Adamu Atta, an Ebira man from the present day Kogi State was elected the first executive governor of Kwara State with the support of the Second Republic Senate Leader, late Senator Olusola Saraki.

Similarly, Benue and Plateau always followed the same path politically. Apart from being Benue/Plateau State before Benue State was created in 1976 by late General Murtala Mohammed, the two states had always forged their own political alliances since 1999. The PDP has been the ruling party in the states before porting for APC this year.

Following the political realities in the country today, it is Kwara State and Benue State that have ranking Senators that meet Rule 97 of the National Assembly, which is a prerequisite for producing the next Senate President.

Based on the foregoing, the Benue axis has produced Senator Iyorchia Ayu as Senate President. He ruled from 1992� 1993. It also produced Senator Ameh Ebute as Senate President. He ruled from 1993 till the late Military Head of State, General Sani Abacha took over power. The last Senate President produced by the same Benue axis is the outgoing Senate President, David Mark, who started his reign in 2007 till date. But, Kwara axis has not produced any Senate President in Nigeria�s history. Where is Federal Character here? Hence, injustice is when equals are not treated equally.

Furthermore, the current APC is made up of two groups; there are the Legacy group and the Equity group. The legacy group is made up of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressives Change (CPC), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and some factions of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), which metamorphosed to the current All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2013. While the Equity group are former PDP governors, Senators and party members who joined the APC later. Now, the two major contenders for the post of the Senate President are Senator George Akume from Benue axis. He belongs to the Legacy group because he was elected Senate Minority Leader under (ACN), while Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki from Kwara axis belongs to the Equity group.

The Legacy group has produced the number one and two citizens of the country. There are General Muhammadu Buhari, the president-elect and Professor Yemi Osibanjo, the vice president-elect. The question is, should the number three position�the Senate President still go to the Legacy group? If that happens, what will be left for the Equity group?

Also, Nigerians should not be in a hurry to forget the patriotic role played by Senator Saraki when he was the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF). It was the time the country faced constitutional crisis occasioned by the ill health of former President Umaru Yar�Adua as well as his inability to transmit a written note to the then vice president, Good Luck Jonathan to preside over the affairs of the country in acting capacity. It was the NGF under Saraki that threw it�s full weight behind the famous �Doctrine of necessity�, a novel idea introduced to the nation�s constitution to save the country from the constitutional crisis it faced.

Secondly, Senator Saraki is the one that exposed the popular subsidy scam that prompted the various probes in the National Assembly, even at a great personal cost. With these track records, I think Saraki should be the country�s next Senate President, if not for the sake of competence, then for the sake of equity and justice.

- See more at: http://www.ilorin.info/fullnews.php?id=13392#.dpuf

AYO OYALOWO: IF COMPETENCE IS THE NAME OF THE GAME, SARAKI SHOULD GET THE SENATE PRESIDENT POST
Source: Ekekeee
By Agency Reporter
Tuesday May 19, 2015
Let me quickly state that I am not a fan of zoning. The PDP as a party brought zoning into our consciousness and while it may appear laudable, in the sense that it allows for so called regional balancing, zoning is counter-productive. The danger of zoning is that it may prevent brilliant and capable minds from contributing to national development simply because a particular office has not been zoned to their region.

The case of the current speaker of the National Assembly, Hon Aminu Tambuwal comes to mind. Nigeria would have lost the brilliance and vibrancy his leadership offered the outgoing House of Representatives if he and other nationalistic members of the house hadn’t taken the bull by the horn and ignored the PDP zoning arrangement.

Having said that, I write as an interested Nigerian to support the candidacy of SENATOR BUKOLA SARAKI as he vies for the position of the Senate President in the Nigerian National Assembly. Senator BUKOLA has won me and many other youths over owing to his sagacity, youthfulness and willingness to make himself available to not only discuss burning national issues, but he’s also gone on record as a man who walks the talk.

Let me remind my readers of an issue that caused massive uproar online some time ago. Bagega!

According to Wikipedia “An annual immunization programme in Northern Nigeria led to the discovery of a high number of child deaths in the area. An investigation showed that they had been digging for gold at the times of their deaths, in an area where lead is prevalent. It was thought by the villagers that all the children had contracted malaria but Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) found unusually high levels of lead in the blood during tests. The BBC suggested the contamination of water may have contributed to the high mortality rate. Blacksmith Institute was called in by the Nigerian authorities to assist in the removal of toxic lead.

It is thought that the poisonings were caused by the illegal extraction of ore by villagers, who take crushed rock home with them to extract. This results in the soil being contaminated from lead which then poisons people through hand-to-mouth contamination. Others have been contaminated by contact with contaminated tools and water.”

By January 2013, the problem had become endemic leading to many deaths and unexplained sicknesses. The Nigerian authority turned a blind eye to the devastation and slow wiping out of an entire generation of Bagega children until the problem was picked up online.

A hashtag, #SaveBagega was born and for days Nigerians in the social media space made it a burning issue until it got to the attention of SENATOR BUKOLA SARAKI. Within days he took it up, went on an assessment trip to Bagega and used his office as the Chairman senate Committee on Environment and Ecology to ensure funds were released immediately for remediation.

This episode struck a chord with me. BUKOLA SARAKI is not perfect and which human is? But one thing was clear, here is a man who will do what he believes is right and on time too. Another factor I consider is his accessibility. We have raised so many questions online in the past, with little or no result, but SARAKI has shown that he is a man that can be reached and be relied on to act whenever his attention is needed.

Senator SARAKI also was the first lawmaker to move a motion on the oil industry and the fuel subsidy. It was this motion that finally led to the ongoing scrutiny of the Nigerian oil sector, revealing the rot and monumental scam inherent in both the NNPC and ministry of petroleum.

SARAKI has shown that he is a man who will do the needful as at when due without caring whose ox is gored. It was clear from the onset that his motion on the fuel subsidy and general rot in the oil industry might affect some of his friends and political associates, but a man on a mission that he is, SARAKIwould do what is needed to be done.

As Governor, he delivered a series of reforms to vital state services such as health and power. This included increasing power generation and extending local electrification and the installation of new transformers in rural communities; wide-ranging reform of primary health care services designed to reduce maternal and child mortality; as well as the implementation of a state-wide programme of hospital development. In reforming health care in Kwara, Dr SARAKI has worked closely with a range of international organisations such as WHO and UNICEF.

During this time, he also held the position of Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Nigeria’s national body for state governors. His Chairmanship was noted for its success in strengthening collaboration between state governors across Nigeria and developing new platforms for sharing best practice between states. Dr SARAKI has worked closely with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to deliver the Immunisation Leadership Challenge, which was a radical programme designed to reward states that made significant improvements in polio and routine immunization.

During his Chairmanship, the Forum also successfully signed a range of Memoranda of Understanding with international bodies such as the World Bank, the UK Department for International Development, UNICEF and UNDP.

Recently re-elected to a second term as Senator for Kwara State Central, Dr SARAKI has campaigned extensively on health, food security, education and the environment.

If competence and “can do” spirit is what we seek, SENATOR BUKOLA SARAKI is one man whose leadership the Nigerian Senate will benefit immensely from.

Senate Presidency: Aide alleges plan to tarnish Saraki’s image

The Special Assistant to Senator Bukola Saraki on Media Affairs, Mr. Bankole Omishore, raised a fresh alarm on Sunday over an alleged plan to tarnish Saraki’s image by some politicians who are opposed to his emergence as the next Senate President.

Specifically, Omishore, who spoke with our correspondent in Abuja said the detractors have started misleading members of the public with false information that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had perfected plans to re-open fresh fraud cases against his boss.

He insisted that the political enemies, who he did not mention, were always coming up with allegation of financial fraud against Saraki, either whenever he is contesting elections or whenever he exposes the fraudulent activities of powerful individuals, using his position as senator.

He described as immaterial and belated, the latest false information that the EFCC was allegedly planning to reopen fresh fraud cases against the senator.

He said relevant authorities had since vindicated Saraki over the case allegedly involving him as a director of the defunct Société Générale Bank and the frivolous petition against him on his tenure as Kwara State Governor from 2003 to 2011.

Omishore claimed that the Police and the office of the Solicitor – General of the Federation had since, 2012, absolved his boss of any criminal allegation.

He also said there was no case currently involving him and any anti-graft agency in Nigeria before any court of law.

He noted that the allegation of financial fraud being played up against Saraki by detractors started since 2003, few years into his first tenure as governor of Kwara State.

He said Saraki had to waive his immunity as governor then, and allowed the EFCC officials to investigate the politically motivated allegations and petitions against him.

Omishore said the anti graft agency found the petitions to be lacking in merit or substance after it concluded its investigation.

PDP chieftain rallies support for Saraki’s Senate President bid


A leader of the Peo­ples Democratic Party (PDP) and former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN), Chief Abiola Ogundokun, has drummed up support for the aspiration of the Senator representing Kwara Central, Dr. Bukola Saraki, to become the next Senate President.

In a statement made available to journalists on Friday, Ogundokun said Saraki, who is a two-term governor of Kwara State, has intimidating credentials that place him far ahead of other contestants for the Senate top job.

Bukola SarakiA leader of the Peo­ples Democratic Party (PDP) and former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN), Chief Abiola Ogundokun, has drummed up support for the aspiration of the Senator representing Kwara Central, Dr. Bukola Saraki, to become the next Senate President.

In a statement made available to journalists on Friday, Ogundokun said Saraki, who is a two-term governor of Kwara State, has intimidating credentials that place him far ahead of other contestants for the Senate top job.



He particularly referred to how Senator Saraki was able to hold the people of Kwara together and lead the state for two terms of eight years as governor af­ter gathering a formidable professional experience in the nation’s banking indus­try.

Ogundokun also said the upper chamber of the National Assembly needed the former governor’s political expo­sure and maturity to bring members with diverse as­pirations for their various constituents together in the overall interest of the na­tion.

According to him: “Sen­ator Bukola Saraki is test­ed, trusted and reliable. He has proved his capability in public service by show­ing tremendous capacity in building on his late father’s legacies.

“The leadership of Bu­kola Saraki will not only help to stabilize and create much more support for the president-elect Gen. Mu­hammadu Buhari, Bukola is an asset for national uni­ty because of his national unity acceptance as apostle of politics without bitter­ness.

“He laid a good founda­tion for the All Progres­sives Congress campaign rallies with the debut hold­ing in Ilorin, the capital city of Kwara State. The rally was a huge success. He threw all he had into it to ensure the party holds a firm grip on the state”.

Ogundokun described Saraki as a political bridge builder, working with other APC leaders with open­ness and sincerity to en­sure all geo-political zones are united and in peace for rapid national development and growth.

Many a follower of the happenings in the nation’s political process would agree that the major crux at the moment is the determination of the next occupier of the seat of the Senate President.

Having concluded the 2015 general elections which has produced the next set of players in the executive and legislative arms of government, the onus now lies on the two arms to carefully and without undue bias, determine the ascendant of the nation’s third position in a manner that would engender fair play and equity to guarantee the smooth running of legislative duties at the upper legislative chamber.

Without an expected duel of wits between the two major political parties comprising the National Assembly and a tendency of cross carpeting by aggrieved members, one can be sure that the All Progressives’ Congress (APC) stands tall to determine who the next Senate President would be.

Based on the assumption that the usual process which appreciates the majority should favour the incoming administration of the APC to produce the next Senate President because the incoming 8th National Assembly would comprise 64 APC members and 45 from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the two major contenders for the position from the North Central geopolitical zone are the former two-term governors of Benue and Kwara States who presently are returning Senators, in the persons of George Akume and Bukola Saraki respectively.

The candidature of Akume and Saraki were effected by the strong probability that the Upper Chamber’s leadership would be zoned to the North Central geopolitical zone comprising Kwara, Kogi, Benue, Plateau, Niger and Nassarawa States.

An interplay of a number of factors, if perceived as crucial and adequately considered, should place Kwara State in a favourable position to clinch the exalted office because they are open and readable facts which authenticity could be easily evaluated.

These factors which I consider germane are serially contained in the subsequent delivery.

First: The political party that is set to take over power come Friday, 29th May, this year, that is the APC, had its origin through a number of politicians referred to as the Legacy Group, with a later complimentary inclusion of another referred to as the Equity Group. The former was composed of the initial and original set of politicians that formed the APC, parading former members of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the Congress for Progressive Change(CPC), the All Nigeria Peoples’ Party (ANPP) and a few others from less formidable arms while the latter comprised mainly the later defecting former PDP governors, National Assembly members and other new party faithfuls.

It is imperative to appreciate, at this juncture, that there would not have been much ado by the Legacy Group towards strengthening the newly constituted opposition party and ultimately clinching power if not for the level of aggressiveness and painstaking by the later incoming of the Equity Group to which Saraki belonged. This does not imply that the Legacy Group failed to draw sustainable motions to ensure its success in its mission to take over power! A compound of fairness should encourage the emergence of the Senate President from the Equity Group, especially as the next President and Vice President are by definition, members of the Legacy Group.

Second: If ultimately, the seat of Senate President is zoned to the North Central geopolitical zone and the emergence of Akume and Saraki as major contenders remains a reality, it would also not be unfair to favourably consider Saraki for the position on the premise that Benue State had produced two former Senate Presidents in persons of Iyorchia Ayu and Ameh Ebute, not forgetting the outgoing David Mark. As a matter of fact, Kwara has never produced a Senate President since the independence of the entity called Nigeria and it should be remembered that the highest position ever attained by a Kwaran in the Nigerian scheme was of the Senate Majority Leader by Late Senator Olusola Saraki who coincidentally was Bukola Saraki’s father, an attainment that earned the late sage no portfolio.

Third: I wish to recall the gallant strides of Saraki as Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, especially his outstanding and mediating role during the reign of Late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua when the “Doctrine of Necessity” was introduced to save Nigeria from the constitutional crisis occasioned by the latter’s illhealth and also his applied wits that unfolded the subsidy scam that would have plunged the country into economic darkness.

Fourth: The manner in which an overwhelming majority of Kwarans roused themselves to accepting the leadership of the APC and its flag bearer, Retired General Muhammad Buhari cannot be overemphasised. Kwara was one of the states of the federation where the campaign for Buhari’s ascension to power was very vigorous.

The call for a Buhari presidency was so intense in the state that even some top notchers of the state’s opposition organised underground campaigns in favour of the retired General. The efforts of the duo of Governor Abdul Fatah Ahmed and Senator Bukola Saraki in this regard were also distinctive, a stride that only the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation was able to surpass. At every stop and moment during their campaigns for return, Ahmed and Saraki took considerable time to seek their people’s votes for Buhari.

The popularity gained by the two leaders among their constituents, exemplified by goodwill and performance in office must have appreciably aided the attraction of Kwarans to the incoming ruling party.

Based on the forgone and unbarring the elements of justice, equity and fairplay, it would be a doing of honour if the leadership of the APC could employ its leverage in decision making to determine who the cap of the Senate President fits.

‘Segun ‘Bambo Ojomo, a Media Communication Specialist wrote from Lagos via segoj64@gmail.com.

Sixty five Senators from the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party have reportedly expressed their support for the bid of a former Governor of Kwara State, Dr. Bukola Saraki, to become the Senate President in the forthcoming 8th National Assembly.

The endorsement of Saraki was said to have taken place during a meeting held at Transcorp Hilton, convened by a group called ‘Like-minded Senators’, spearheaded by Kogi West Senator-Elect, Dino Melaye.

Speaking with journalists on Wednesday in Abuja, Melaye, who chaired the meeting, said Saraki had the experience and expertise to lead the Senate to the Promised Land.

The meeting was said to have been attended by old and new incoming members of the Senate, including Sabo Nakudu, Mohammed Gobil, Ali Ndume, Danjuma Goje, Binta Garba, Andy Ubah, Sam Egwu, Shehu Sani‎, Governors Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State and Aliyu Wammako of Sokoto State.

Melaye added, “The meeting was a mixture of PDP and APC Senators: 40 APC and 25 PDP Senators in attendance. We resolved that we have to produce a senator that is made by Senators and by no matter everything, Saraki has the capacity and capability to stabilise and hold the Senate together.

“Our resolve is that no matter any circumstance, we are committed to making Saraki the next Senate President.
Eighty per cent of Senators from Ahmed Lawal’s North-East zone attended the meeting and endorsed Saraki.”

The President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, on Wednesday denied report that he had given his nod to the ambition of Senator Ahmed Lawan (Yobe, North-East)‎ to be Senate President.

Apart from Lawan and Saraki, former Benue State Governor, Senator George Akume is also vying for the Senate top job.

Since the dust settled on the March 28 political tsunami that ended PDP’s 16 year occupation of Aso Rock, Nigeria has been faced with the realities of an equally important change in the leadership of the National Assembly. For the first time in 8 years, a new Senate President is set to emerge after May 29. Going by Nigeria’s unwritten zoning formula, that office should be occupied by a Senator from the South-East or South-South. However, the two zones failed to align their representation with current political realities.
Muhammadu Buhari’s governance inheritance is not an enviable one. Nigeria’s oil-dependent economy is struggling to cope with dwindling oil revenue. This coupled with widespread corruption witnessed under the outgoing administration has resulted in high debts, depleted reserves, and a litany of uncompleted and abandoned capital projects. Government is struggling to pay salaries, the Naira is at its weakest, and there is insurgency to tackle in the North East. The people, quite rightly, want stable power, clean water, good roads, standard schools, functional hospitals and other basic amenities.
Serious reforms have to be implemented to correct the decay and rot in Nigeria’s soci0-economic and political landscape, and this makes the leadership of the National Assembly, and especially the Senate, very critical. Nigeria needs a Senate President who shares Buhari’s sentiments on corruption, social welfare, economic reforms and other key issues. Based on his sterling performance in the 7th Senate, especially in fighting corruption in the oil sector, pushing for people-oriented budgets, advocacy for a clean and green environment and clamour for transparency and accountability in governance, Bukola Saraki is the man for that crucial job.
What happened in Nigeria on March 28, 2015 is a revolution through the ballot, as the people rose against what is perhaps the most corrupt government in the nation’s history. The seed of this revolution however was sown in September 2011 when Senator Bukola Saraki sponsored a motion for transparency and accountability in fuel subsidy management. In that motion, Saraki opened the lid on how the Jonathan government had spent over N1.2 trillion on fuel subsidy payments as against the N240 billion budgeted in the 2011 Appropriation Bill. That singular act exposed what has become the biggest corruption case in the history of Nigeria.
In his presentation, Senator Saraki accused the Jonathan government of using the fuel subsidy scheme to endanger the economy and impoverish the Nigerian masses. The N1.2 trillion spent on petroleum subsidy as at that time was 14 times the 2011 capital budget for the power sector, 24 times education and health capital budget, and more alarming 4 times defence and security budget. That moment opened the eyes of all Nigerians to the monumental corruption and massive stealing going on in the oil sector, and how they were being short-changed by their own leaders.
“The matter before us goes to the root of our mandate – the reason for our being here, to protect the interest of our people and to ensure that their scarce resources are utilized efficiently. Presently, now how can a single item expense line budgeted for N240 billion increase to N1.5 trillion? Over N1.3 trillion above budget. How can we fund that? So all of us pledged to work for FGN to see this transformation of our country must defend and shout, this is anti-people. To keep quiet will amount to abetting this inefficiency.”
New Year’s Day of 2012, Mr Jonathan removed petroleum subsidy in an attempt to cover up the hole in the nation’s finances created by the fraud Saraki exposed. Armed with facts and figures, Nigerians trooped to the streets in protest, for two weeks, to demand not just for the reversal of that policy, but also for accountability and transparency in the nation’s oil sector. The subsidy was partially restored. Panels and committees were raised to look into the case, reports were discredited, nobody was punished. About N2.5 trillion was eventually spent on fuel subsidy that year, as against the budgeted figure of N240 billion.
As a member of the Senate Committee on Finance, Saraki raised the issue of dwindling oil revenue in 2014 and the need for government to proactively put measures in place to mitigate the effects of likely drop in crude oil prices. He explained that with foreign reserves depleted considerably from $58 billion in 2008 to $39 billion, the country might not be able to withstand the consequences of over 25% drop in revenues, as it did in 2008. He stated that this lack of foresight was bound to impact negatively on capital expenditure, leading to more poverty, unemployment and social imbalance.
“This is not the time to paint over the rust, discussions and the choices we make now must be based on economics not politics. There is no better time to give full disclosure of the state of the economy and tell the Nigerian people the truth. We have a problem on our hands but not one that cannot be surmounted with the right political will.”
He was right. Oil prices started crashing in late 2014, and the federal government was found wanting. In what was has been a lacklustre Senate, Saraki has exceled as a voice of reason, accountability, prudence and service to the people. In a 2012 interview with popular blogger Japheth Omojuwa, Saraki perhaps became the first Senator to agree that the N150 billion National Assembly budget is too much and signed up for a possible reduction in the salaries and allowance of all legislators.
Bukola Saraki sponsored the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency Amendment Bill 2012, as part of efforts at cleaning up the mess of extensive oil spill and the ensuing environmental degradation in the Niger Delta. Describing the level of degradation in Ogoniland as “unprintable, wicked and embarrassing,” he has been at the forefront of the struggle to make the Federal Government and Shell implement the recommendations of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). In his capacity as Chairman of Senate Committee on Environment & Ecology, he has championed other environmental issues such as the Lead Poisoning incident in Bagega, Zamfara State, which endangered the lives of over 1,500 children.
Senator Saraki gives a damn about the law. He has declared his assets before and after every political office held since 2003. This explains his support for with Buhari’s position that political office holders under the new administration must declare their assets. Moreover, as a lawmaker he knows this in itself is not enough to curb corruption and is canvassing for a comprehensive policy of transparency and accountability that will affect even the civil service. Saraki set Kwara on the path of economic prosperity through his agricultural policies during his time as Governor. The Shonga Farm Project initiated then now has capacity for 12 million broilers per annum, 10,000 frozen chicken per day and 50,000 litres of milk per day. The farm supplies chicken to fast food company KFC, raw milk to WAMCO, and bananas to retail giant ShopRite, providing employment for more than 3,000 indigenes of Kwara State.
A Senate led by Bukola Saraki means the calls for a slash in National Assembly budget and the jumbo pay of federal legislators will attract the attention of a listening ear and willing heart. Saraki as Senate President means greater accountability and transparency in the nation’s finances through better legislative oversight, a more thorough budget review and passage process, zero tolerance for corruption in the Senate, among other things. His presence on social media also means he will be accessible and in tune with the pulse of the nation on government policies and action.
If Nigeria is to return to the path of greatness, voting out a corrupt and irresponsible government as we have done on March 28 is only the first step out of a thousand. A step that should be followed by ensuring credible and capable men like Bukola Saraki lead an integral arm of government, like the Senate.

SARAKI SEEKS COMMUNITY BASED CONFLICT RESOLUTION

FORMER Governor of Kwara State, Bukola Saraki, has canvassed a virile community-based conflict resolution mechanism towards prompt prevention of violence in the society.
Saraki said it was only when people’s emotions are bottled up that they would resort to violence, noting that no democratic era should promote hostility.

He spoke yesterday in Ilorin during a condolence visit to Mogaji Are of Ilorin, Alhaji Aremu Zubir, who was among the victims of the recent violent crisis in some parts of the town, leading to the death of three people and wanton destruction of property valued at millions of naira.

According to him, “we are surprised at the records of the unfortunate crisis in Ilorin, the town of peace and harmony. We are therefore using this medium to appeal to all our youths to always take their grievances to elders rather than taking laws into their hands. If we follow this method, we will have lesser crises among ourselves.”

Saraki, the senator representing Kwara Central added, “the state government must be commended for the swift action it has taken. Since I arrived yesterday (Saturday) I have noticed some calmness and peace. We are very hopeful that such a thing will not occur again and the kind of atmosphere we are experiencing now is the wish of the people and that of the state government.

“I think on the basis of that, whatever needs to be done, either law or executive action, I am sure the state will do that. We will support anything that will ensure the sustainability of this level of peace and tranquillity.”

He added, “I believe that the level of violence perpetrated by the hoodlums is totally unacceptable in any society. The challenges of unemployment are still not an excuse for this kind of behaviour. Our community is known for peace. We must continue to protect that image; that is the image we inherited from our forefathers.

“It is the responsibility of parents to ensure our children understand that Kwara State is a peace loving environment. We are not accustomed to violence. It is the responsibility of all parents, community and government to ensure peace.”

Zubir thanked the senator and pledged continuous supports for peaceful co-existence in the town just as he believed that all the parties in the crises had since learnt their lessons.

SARAKI SEEKS COMMUNITY BASED CONFLICT RESOLUTION

FORMER Governor of Kwara State, Bukola Saraki, has canvassed a virile community-based conflict resolution mechanism towards prompt prevention of violence in the society.
Saraki said it was only when people’s emotions are bottled up that they would resort to violence, noting that no democratic era should promote hostility.

He spoke yesterday in Ilorin during a condolence visit to Mogaji Are of Ilorin, Alhaji Aremu Zubir, who was among the victims of the recent violent crisis in some parts of the town, leading to the death of three people and wanton destruction of property valued at millions of naira.

According to him, “we are surprised at the records of the unfortunate crisis in Ilorin, the town of peace and harmony. We are therefore using this medium to appeal to all our youths to always take their grievances to elders rather than taking laws into their hands. If we follow this method, we will have lesser crises among ourselves.”

Saraki, the senator representing Kwara Central added, “the state government must be commended for the swift action it has taken. Since I arrived yesterday (Saturday) I have noticed some calmness and peace. We are very hopeful that such a thing will not occur again and the kind of atmosphere we are experiencing now is the wish of the people and that of the state government.

“I think on the basis of that, whatever needs to be done, either law or executive action, I am sure the state will do that. We will support anything that will ensure the sustainability of this level of peace and tranquillity.”

He added, “I believe that the level of violence perpetrated by the hoodlums is totally unacceptable in any society. The challenges of unemployment are still not an excuse for this kind of behaviour. Our community is known for peace. We must continue to protect that image; that is the image we inherited from our forefathers.

“It is the responsibility of parents to ensure our children understand that Kwara State is a peace loving environment. We are not accustomed to violence. It is the responsibility of all parents, community and government to ensure peace.”

Zubir thanked the senator and pledged continuous supports for peaceful co-existence in the town just as he believed that all the parties in the crises had since learnt their lessons.

The Chairman of Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara, Alhaji Luqman Owolewa, has joined other Nigerians to give support to Sen. Bukola Saraki’s senate president bid.

Owolewa, in a statement in Omu-Aran on Sunday, said that Saraki’s aspiration deserves the full support of Nigerians.


According to him, Saraki possesses wealth of political experience to occupy the exotic seat of the senate presidency.

“His ability to secure victory for his party in Kwara State in the last general elections is a good pointer to his capability to steer the ship of the 8th Senatorial Assembly successfully.

“His contribution to the unity, growth and success of his party, at the local and national level, cannot be over emphasised,” he said.

Owolewa said that Saraki had by his dedication and promotion of the party’s core values, showed his capability to bring about the desired change devoid of rancour and acrimony.

“It is on good record that elections into all the elective offices were all convincingly won by the APC in Kwara state.

“This is a feat that clearly demonstrates Saraki’s wide acceptance and popularity among the people he has chosen to represent.

“He is a former state governor, a former chairman of the Governor’s Forum, the incumbent Chairman of the senate Committee on Ecology and has been re-elected for another term in the Senate.
“He is no doubt the most qualified and experienced to occupy the seat of the senate president.
“I believe he deserves the full support of party supporters, party leaders, senators-elect and the generality of Nigerians to occupy the seat,” Owolewa said.

According to him, Saraki’s tenure as senate president, if given the chance, would definitely help to foster the needed change, peace, effective synergy and socio-economic development of the country.
He described the seat of the senate president as very crucial life wire of entrenching true democratic governance, especially at this critical period of the country’s life.

“It is within this context that a highly detribalised and politically inclined Nigerian with high integrity, such as Sen. Bukola Saraki, is needed to drive the senate’s affairs effectively,” Owolewa said.

This is illogical, how could you put up to write about odds with baseless facts?
Saraki support asset declaration but he stated it clearly that Assets declaration alone can't doom corruption.
The antagonists who are willing to block Saraki candidacy for the office of the senate presidency fears nothing but his leadership experience, they see saraki has one who need no godfather before setting things to norms if he become the SP.
Saraki track records in PDP shows how patriotic he is; the only senator who expose the fuel subsidy scam and call for transparency and accountability. When Nigeria started saving from this subsidy scam which saraki fought for while everybody keep saying saraki didn't like PGEJ his name was never mentioned that he was the one who stood for accountability which bring about such savings.
Saraki's pension as former Governor is less than 2million and he uses this money to support the less-privilege ones' across kwara state.
If we must talk about credibility Senator Bukola Saraki is the best candidate for the senate president because the only government Saraki can work with is a competent government. His role and intervention into governance when he was the chairman of NGF recorded a great development to the nation.
Saraki as a Senator is the only senator to support pay cut of National Assembly members.
Whenever Saraki whistle any big issue at which this present government needed to attend to, the FG led will tell EFCC to go and probe Saraki and all EFCC allegation/case against him, none has never been charged to court because there was never a case against saraki but witch hunting.
The 8th assembly requires a strong man as the Senate President, and Are we going to support the candidate who has his personal influence and experience to move the country forward OR we will support those one's hand picked by the godfathers who can't do things on their own but to consult their Godfather before getting things done?
Let us think wisely. The change we voted for must reign. #SarakimySP

Senator Bukola Saraki representing Kwara central senatorial district at the National Assembly has been endored for Senate Presidency by the chairmen of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the six states that made up the north-central zone of the country. The states are Benue, Kwara, Kogi, Nasarawa, Plateau and Niger.

According to a statement signed by issued after the end of their meeting in Ilorin yesterday, the Chairmen said they have no doubt in their minds as to Saraki being the best man for the job.

The statement which was signed by Hon. Ishola Balogun- Fulani, and his Kogi state’s counterpart, Mr. Haddi Ameto, who is the secretary of the forum read “We, the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmen from the North-central Geo- political Zone met at the weekend and unanimously endorsed Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki as our preferred candidate as the Senate President for the 8th National Assembly.

“Our decision to endorse Senator Saraki, representing Kwara Central Senatorial District at the upper chamber of the National Assembly was borne out of his unprecedented commitment to the growth and success of ‎ the party at all levels in the Zone and across the country.

“We, the party chairmen, who are the field officers can attest, without any contradiction that Saraki’s unparalleled commitment to the party broke the hitherto political Jinx in the zone where the PDP was holding sway and delivered the zone to All Progressives Congress (APC) a feat that was unprecedented in the history of the zone and indeed Nigerian political history.

“As the party leaders in our various states we hereby unequivocally say that our people unanimously give their support to Saraki Senate Presidency without iota of doubt in his ability to make the zone and Nigeria proud in no distance future and as well deliver as he had done in other endeavors he had involved in the past.”

Prince Saheed Popoola is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State. He spoke with KEHINDE AKINPELU on national issues. Excerpts:
How do you see the recent general election won by your party?
When I was the only Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) chairman in the whole 16 local government areas of the state, we did our best for the council and we ensured that we were focused. Instead of us jumping from one party to the other, we remained in the defunct ACN. We believed that one day opposition party would wrest power from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and that is what has actually happened.
Thank God the likes of the state leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bukola Saraki and Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed joined APC. I was the first person in the whole federation to be on the platform of APC to contest election. We started victory for APC in the whole country. Thank God for the people of Offa, Offa local government area that stood by us and they are still standing by us. I want to also say that if not for the coming of Senator Saraki and the governor of the state to APC, we couldn’t have attained the level the party is today in the state.
Bukola Saraki as senate president, your take on it?
The good thing is that our party the APC knows the quality and the stuff that the likes of Senator Saraki is made up. I remember very well when I had problems with them in the state, I went to our national leader, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu and he told me frankly that he has great respect for the Sarakis. He said the late Olusola Saraki assisted him in 1991 when he had problems. That it was when he came out of the problem in 1991 he was elected in the Senate in 1993.
History is not far-fetched. The role that the late Dr Olusola Saraki played in the history of Nigeria cannot be down-played. Look at what his son, Senator Bukola Saraki has done starting from when he was the chairman of the Governors’ Forum. The APC should appreciate that if not for the coming of Senator Saraki, Governors Kwankwaso and Chibuke Amaechi of Kano and Rivers states what APC is calling victory today wouldn’t have been. If Kano and other states had voted against us, we would be singing a different song now. Remember that the gap between Buhari and Jonathan is just three million. When Bukola Saraki was the chairman of the governors’ forum then PDP led Buhari in the 2011 elections with about 12 million votes. I want to tell you and prophesying that APC will not break. I want to say that Senator Saraki is the most qualified person for the senate presidency of the country. He has a lot of wisdom; he is experienced. So he should be given the chance.
I want to advise our party to treat the issue with tact. The PDP with its 48 members in the senate is waiting for us. We are 61 and PDP is waiting for us not to be united. We should just concentrate on one person and move forward. As a rooted member of defunct Action Congress (AC), ACN and now APC, I want to suggest that our party should not make any mistake.
Even if APC does not support Bukola Saraki in this matter, he might still get it because many of the senators in PDP love him. Even in our party, he has a lot of people he sponsored to the senate.
Asiwaju Tinubu is a very brilliant politician. Other politicians in the country should go and tap from his political sagacity. Either anybody likes it or not, today, Tinubu is the greatest Yoruba politician. There is no Yoruba politician that has for now surpassed his record. Late Obafemi Awolowo and late Moshood Abiola started the race but they couldn’t finish it. Tinubu has finished the job. It is not that he should become president but he did a good work for us in the Yoruba nation.
Asiwaju that did not dictate to Governor Babatunde Fashola as a civilian will never dictate the President-elect, Gen Muhammadu Buhari who is a military man.

Saraki Donates N3m To Victims Of Ilorin Violence, Says Perpetrators Won’t Go Unpunished

Bukola -Saraki-The Senator representing Kwara Central, Dr. Bukola Saraki, on Tuesday said the recent mayhem unleashed on Ilorin residents was caused by “acrimony and animosity” of some miscreants.

It would be recalled that three people died while property worth millions of naira were razed, destroyed or damaged during the mayhem penultimate Friday at Agbarere and Ita-Ajia areas of Ilorin, the state capital.



The state police command has arrested no fewer than 140 suspects in connection with the fracas.

Saraki, who is Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ecology and Environment, spoke when he donated N3m to some victims, whose houses were razed in the violence.

The senator noted that the mayhem had unleashed untold hardships on the victims.

He warned the perpetrators to be ready to face justice, adding that the government would continue to prioritise the well-being of the people of the state.

The former governor, who was represented by a team of the Mandate campaign office, led by Alhaji Oba Olabintan, also rendered financial assistance to the Magaji-Are of Ilorin, Alh. Aremu Subair, whose vehicle was also vandalised by the miscreants.

Saraki donates N3m to victims of Ilorin violence, says perpetrators won’t go unpunished.

The Senator representing Kwara Central, Dr. Bukola Saraki, on Tuesday said the recent mayhem unleashed on Ilorin residents was caused by “acrimony and animosity” of some miscreants.

It would be recalled that three people died while property worth millions of naira were razed, destroyed or damaged during the mayhem penultimate Friday at Agbarere and Ita-Ajia areas of Ilorin, the state capital.

The state police command has arrested no fewer than 140 suspects in connection with the fracas.

Saraki, who is Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ecology and Environment, spoke when he donated N3m to some victims, whose houses were razed in the violence.

The senator noted that the mayhem had unleashed untold hardships on the victims.

He warned the perpetrators to be ready to face justice, adding that the government would continue to prioritise the well-being of the people of the state.

The former governor, who was represented by a team of the Mandate campaign office, led by Alhaji Oba Olabintan, also rendered financial assistance to the Magaji-Are of Ilorin, Alh. Aremu Subair, whose vehicle was also vandalised by the miscreants.

A political group called Concerned APC of North Central Geo Political zone has joined other Nigerians in appealing to the entire APC leadership to consider the Senator Bukola Saraki as the 8th Senate President of the National Assembly.

The group who staged a walk tagged “endurance trek for change” across some major parts of Ilorin metropolis during the weekend said the APC leader should be given chance because of his wealth of experience.

According to the Chairman of the group in his remarks, Alhaji Garba Okoye, “we give our support to Senator Saraki because he is responsive, responsible and reliable.

“Since he assumed the mantle of leadership in the state, his leadership has adopted all-inclusive style of leadership”.
Representatives of other states that made up North Central geopolitical zone like Niger, Kogi, Nassarawa, Benue, Plateau and Kwara said they were solidly behind Senator Saraki to emerge as the next Senate President.

According to them, “Nigeria has regained her pride in the comity of nations as a democratic and progressive nation and a leader of the African continent.

The recent statement by the Nigerian population on effecting their desired change for a possible future with the emergence of a highly reputed and respected peoples’ choice General Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) in a non-violent election, has rekindled a new hope and dream for the people.
“Nigeria has demonstrated her desire for a progressive future with the quality of the elected members of the national assembly.

These new foundations have given Nigerian youths a new possibility for achieving a prosperous, united and developed nation.
“What therefore needs to be done is to have energetic, vibrant, innovative and progressive driven leadership of the National Assembly to complement the executive in the provision of sustainable and enduring development for the country. Nigeria is fortunate to have array of intellectuals, intelligentsia and experienced members in the 8th Assembly that can deliver on the new direction.

“Therefore, a very unique, experienced, result-oriented and visionary leader is required to lead this special Assembly and our submission fully recognised that Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki is the best choice for this assignment”, they concluded

Sometime around October of 2011, Sen. Bukola Saraki, representing Kwara Central moved a motion seeking an inquest into how some N240 billion budgeted for fuel subsidy was expended.

That motion began the opening of a pandora box. Sleaze that smelled to high heavens. Although N240 billion had been budgeted for fuel subsidy for the entire year, more than N800 billion had already been spent. And the year was still in its first quarter. There was more to follow. By the time the National Assembly could dig halfway into the the subsidy rot, it was discovered that although we consumed just about 35 million litres per day (which we never ever got), our government was paying fuel importers for 58 million litres, for fuel not brought in. We’d been swindled some $6.8 billion. It was the biggest racket of all time. All the big men and oil companies and top government functionaries, and their fronts, were caught with their hands right inside the pie. Of course, Saraki, having stepped on very big toes with his motion and subsequent crusade to ensure the country got to the bottom of the matter, had to pay a price. The EFCC was literally deployed to Ilorin on a scavenge mission. The brief was simple: Dig up every murk possible on the former Kwara State governor. They too did not have to dig too deep before they stumbled on several forgotten corruption allegations, many of which had been investigated and dismissed for lack of substance. But the mere fact that such allegations existed was more than enough to prosecute a politically motivated anti-graft war. They went after him, rather than address the issues he raised in the subsidy scandal. Today, while the last may not have been heard of the subsidy scam (going by what the audit of NNPC recently revealed), Saraki is yet to emerge from the backlash of the subsidy mafia’s fight-back. Today, it’s still those bogus allegations that some people (including even in the APC, which has turned out to be the biggest beneficiary of Saraki’s revelations) are using to tarnish his image. And the reason? Saraki’s name came up in the permutations for who becomes the next President of the Senate. Shame! But, must the APC seek to diminish one of its leading lights in order to share political office? Now, they would force Saraki’s supporters to also fight back, by looking for what dirt they can dig up on Senators George Akume, Adamu Abdullahi, Danjuma Goje or whoever else his name pops up in the permutation for Senate President. In the end, the APC would be the loser for it, giving that the names coming up are some of the party’s bests. Very soon, the APC, in a bid to scheme some of its own people out of plum office, would, on its own, expose all of its leaders as candidates for scrutiny in the much trumpeted anti-graft war Buhari is coming to wage. Come to think of it, which of our former office holders, especially politicians, would survive a thorough EFCC probe? How much did we pay them in office? How come they all came out billionaires several times over? Let’s not go there! But must APC repeat every self-destructing mistake the PDP made? Is APC, like the PDP, going to form the government and also constitute the biggest opposition to its own government? As the schemings for Senate Presidency gathers momentum, some people within the party have even tried to sell the story of how Tinubu is backing the candidacy of one senator and not supporting the aspiration of the other. How the party leadership had endorsed one candidate and not another. Of course, I’m dismissing everything as rumour. But one thing is very sure: Very soon, they will so polarise the party this solid house Tinubu painstakingly built, over 16 years, would come crashing on all of them. And when it does, the bang would be louder than what we heard on March 28 (when Jonathan crashed) and April 11 (when the clay-footed deities that were his PDP governors came tumbling after him). In fact, if this trend is not nipped in the bud right now, sooner or later, some people within the party would begin to question even the leadership and preeminence of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Yes, they would begin to question why he should be the clearing house for everything and every appointment. The same people who did not complain, or question how Tinubu had, had to singlehandedly shoulder the enormous weight of sustaining a rag-tag opposition army and turning it into a formidable political force that has now seized power at the centre, would suddenly find their voice to challenge him now that, as the Yoruba would say, the food is done. In fact, this is already happening. Only last week, I learnt that some two or three erstwhile allies of the Jagaban had begun clandestinely worming their way to Buhari through other contacts and desperately trying to keep the national leader out of the picture of what they’re doing. But that’s story for another day. Back to the presidency of the Eighth Senate, I feel that rather than insisting of why Saraki should get it or why Goje, Abdullahi or Akume should not get it, the question every Nigerian (lawmaker or kingmaker) should be asking is: What should we be looking for in the next senate president? We need a senate president, who can galvanise the various interests in the Senate (and the National Assembly in general) to achieve harmony and deliver on the APC promise of change. A senate president, who would not only help to achieve stability in the Senate and prevent a return of the legendary banana peels, but also help Buhari to stabilise his government. The next senate president should be a politician, technocrat, thinker, philosopher, visionary rolled in one. He has to be a true agent, not just because he’s chanting “Change… Change” and waving the Buhari name like a talisman.

We must not forget that some people sacrificed their own presidential ambition to ensure that the APC had the rancour-free primaries that produced the Buhari candidacy. Some others contributed immensely to knocking together the intellectual framework of the “Change manifesto”. Some were even the arrowheads of the nPDP that sounded the death knell for PDP, and dealt the ruling party that killer blow it never recovered from? As the search gathers steam, over-bloated ego and selfishness must be made to take the back seat, to clear the way for national interest to take pre-eminence. I don’t believe the question of religion has a place in this equation. If we’ve said it over and over that we do not mind a Muslim/Muslim or Christian/Christian ticket for presidential candidate and running mate, why must we begin to make a mountain out of a molehill over the faith of the president and senate president? Whoever complained that both Jonathan and David Mark were Christians? If the president and senate president were Christians in the outgoing administration, why can’t both be Muslims in the incoming regime? And, come to think of it, is the senate president a preserve of Christians and Speaker of the House reserved for Muslims? But, jokes apart, how many of our politicians are genuine Christians or Muslims? Yes, we can score Buhari and Vice President-elect, Yemi Osinbajo, above average, but can we honestly score the others so generously? How come we are calling for balance and equity on religion, but are silent on other issues that equally need balancing – like, for instance, the fact that one of the front runners is from the same state as the outgoing senate president? Truth is: Majority Party status apart, APC probably has the best candidates for presidency of the Eighth Senate. If merit, and not party affiliation, were to be used in picking the Senate president for the incoming senate, five, out of a shortlist of six prospects, would ordinarily be APC senators. The party, therefore, does not have to destroy itself, or dance naked in the market place, to produce one. So, the APC should stop this desperation to inherit the curse of PDP. For the challenge ahead is more serious than just choosing a senate president, even when it is also clear that its choice of leadership for the National Assembly could be decisive on how the Buhari administration ultimately performs. But the danger is; if APC does not play its card right and fair, the table could so turn that the few PDP senators in the chamber would end up determining who becomes APC president of the senate. In fact, if they play their card well, they could even snatch the presidency from APC. After all, anti-party balloting is not unheard of in APC, nor in the National Assembly for that matter. If you’re in doubt, ask PDP and Tambuwal. Painfully, after the National Assembly war, the new ruling party is still going to face another war, as it tries to knock together a cabinet. My fear is that the war ahead of APC, which is basically a battle over the sharing of the booty of electoral victory, may turn out to be deadlier than the battle to wrest power from PDP. I just don’t like the thought of it. For sure, the battle to install the next Senate president reminds me of a local analogy I grew up with. It is the analogy of a polygamous family where the father and breadwinner suddenly died, interstate. That is what the post-2015 election scenario looks like. Nigeria is now like a polygamous home where the father suddenly died interstate. APC, all children of the same mother, have battled the PDP, and other children of their mother’s rival wives and concubines. They have equally landed a chunky part of the late man’s estate. Now, it is time for these children of the same mom to fight an even bigger war, as they try to re-share their mother’s share of the estate. Oftentimes, the ensuing war turns out to be deadlier than the first fight with their half-siblings. PDP as opposition party A few days ago, I listened to PDP’s game-changer chairman – the same man who changed the ruling party in Nigeria to a whimpering opposition party – reassuring that the party would provide the needed opposition to Buhari’s presidency. In other words, that the PDP would do to the APC, exactly what the APC did while PDP was in power. He would not be the first PDP chieftain to so threaten. The likes of Doyin Okupe and Olisa Metuh had said similar things in different ways, with one of them, threatening to actually make things “ungovernable” for Buhari. It was a poor rehash of that infamous statement of the Buhari camp on losing the 2011 elections. But I don’t think that threat should make Buhari or anybody in APC uncomfortable. The PDP does not have what it takes to bring that about. For one, they have not even gone to Lai Mohammed to take the crash course in opposition politicking, which Alhaji has so generously offered to give them. Besides, having hounded out most of those who helped to found and fund the party when it was not in government (people like members of the G-13, Atiku Abubakar, Orji Kalu and many others) and pushed several others who helped deliver the votes to the party into APC, it would take a major re-engineering for PDP to continue to survive, let alone challenge anybody. I think it was Dr. Alex Ekwueme, who once said that the only thing that held PDP together was the fact that it had government patronage to share. Now that they have shared all the money, everyone is bound to disperse. So, where will the opposition now come from? Is it these same PDP people who were so greedy that they pocketed money released to them for their party’s campaign into their private pockets, that would now use their own private money to fund opposition politics? I dey laugh o! They should go ask Tinubu, Atiku, Kalu what it takes to really fund party and politics without government purse. My prediction is that by this time next year, many of those now threatening to give APC hell would be in APC. PDP would eventually be rebuilt by those from whom it was taken away by today’s political soldiers of fortune.

Muhammadu Buhari Legacy Foundation, a group, on Saturday urged Senators-elect to elect Sen. Bukola Saraki as the President of the Senate for the 8th National Assembly.
This is contained in a statement signed by the Coordinator of the North Central Zone of the association, Mr Bode Towoju, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
NAN reports that the next National Assembly will be inaugurated on June 4.
The statement said Saraki had the necessary skills and intellectual capacity to pilot the affairs of both the Senate and the National Assembly.
According to the statement, Saraki will help to stabilise the parliament for efficient and effective performance.
It said that Saraki’s leadership was needed at this critical time when the country was yearning for true independence of the legislature.
“We are soliciting the cooperation of all Senators-elect and the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to ensure the emergence of the former Kwara State Governor as the President of the Senate.
“Saraki will not be a rubber stamp President of the Senate where no robust debate will be allowed.
“Saraki has got all the nationalistic qualities and cognate experience to be trusted with the position,’’ it said.
It said that the country also needed a President of the Senate that would stabilise the country without undue confrontation with the President.
On the victory of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari in the March 28, presidential election, the group called on all Nigerians, irrespective of their political leanings, to support him to move the country forward.
The statement urged the President-elect to brace up for the challenges of governance, adding that the citizenry reposed much confidence in his ability to deliver true dividends of democracy.
It said the people had yearned for quality political leadership to ensure transparency and good governance.
“Nigerians have found those qualities in Buhari and therefore, the President-elect must not disappoint the people,’’ the statement said.