₦airaland Forum

NIGERIA’S Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, and the National Assembly are heading for a major showdown, following the former’s refusal to sign four bills earlier passed by the latter into law.


Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo.


Osinbajo had written to Senate President, Bukola Saraki, informung him of his decision to withhold assent to the National Lottery Amendment Bill, Dangerous Drug Amendment Bill; Agriculture Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund and Currency Conversion Bill, earlier passed by the National Assembly.
He said his action was in “pursuant to 68 (4) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended.”

Following this, federal lawmakers have said they may invoke their constitutional power and override the acting president’s veto. If they do this, the bills will become laws, on the approval of two-third majority of the National Assembly.



The acting president, in one of the letters read by Saraki, rejected the National Lottery Amendment Bill on the grounds that there was a pending legal case in court. He questioned the competence of the National Assembly to legislate on the matter.

He wrote: “The rationale for withholding assent to the bill is the existence of pending legal challenge to the competence of the National Assembly to legislate on the subject matter.”

On the Dangerous Drug Amendment Bill, the acting president said he withheld his assent as a result of certain words and phrases that may be inconsistent with the spirit behind the amendment. “The rationale for withholding assent to the bill are the concerns, regarding certain words and phrases utilised in the draft bill that may be inconsistent with the principal act and the spirit behind the proposed amendments,” Osinbajo wrote in the letter.

Osinbajo noted that he rejected the bill on Agriculture Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund, as a result of funding concerns and composition of the board.

He noted: “The reasons for withholding assent to the bill are the concerns surrounding board composition, funding arrangements, limitation of liability of funds and proposal to increase levels of uncollateralised loans from N5,000 to N250,000.”

He gave a similar reason for rejecting the Currency Conversion Bill, thus: “The rationale for withholding assent to the bill is the concern, regarding the modalities for the communication of asset forfeiture orders.”

In a point-of-order, Senator Dino Melaye, who sponsored the National Lottery Amendment Bill, quoted extensively from the 1999 Constitution. He claimed the acting president and the executive branch of government do not have the powers to reject bills passed by the National Assembly.

“The role of the executive is to carry out its traditional role by signing any bills passed by the National Assembly,” Melaye claimed.

The senator said the action of the acting president, if allowed to stand, would signal a grave danger to democracy in the country. He said it would also undermine the powers of the parliament.

Saraki, who read the four letters, said the decision of the acting president would be examined by the legal team of the Senate, which would revert to the Senate immediately.

He said the four bills were too important to let go, adding that once the legal team was done with the review, the Senate will decide on the way forward, as to whether or not to override the acting president.

He said: “I think we will refer this to our legal department to give us advice on the interpretation of some of the things that you (Melaye) have said for us to be properly guided.

“But I agree with you that it is a matter that we must take seriously because it goes down to the issue of separation of powers. We will get the opinion of the legal department,”

Meanwhile, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, yesterday hinted to the possibility of the National Assembly overriding the veto of the president if it discovers that the reasons listed by Osinbajo for withholding assents on the bills were not compelling enough.



Dogara, who informed members of the House on the acting president’s refusal to assent to the bills, mandated the House Committee on Justice and other relevant committees to scrutinise the basis for Osinbajo’s decision.

He observed that the House would be left with no option but to rally the required support to override the acting president on the bills, if the need arises.

Speaking on the issue, House Majority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, advised that the House read through the acting president’s observation before taking a final stand on the bills.

Also speaking during the weekly briefing of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, chairman of the committee, Abdulrazak Namdas, commended the acting president for taking time to explain the reasons behind his refusal to assent to the four bills. “The House will look at the reasons given by the acting president for not assenting to the bills. If they are genuine, there is no problem, but if we discover that there are other reasons that we must override the veto, we will take decision on that.”

sekundosekundo:
Show me the number on the phone screen before I go gree.

Lucy001:
When he goes to war, he will know himself!!

THE Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has described factional National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, as “a general without soldiers.”



Fayose challenged Sheriff to go for a popularity test with his main contender, Senator Ahmed Markafi, who is also chairman of the party’s Caretaker Committee.

Speaking on a television programme, yesterday, the governor said apart from Markafi having more members, the calibre of people posing as Sheriff’s supporters are political nonentities.



In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, Fayose noted that the who-is-who in the PDP are solidly behind Markafi.

“Senator Sheriff is a general without soldiers, not to talk of having a battalion. If he is sure of his stand and strength, let him go for a popularity contest with Senator Markafi. Apart from the fact that most of the PDP members are with Markafi, let Nigerians check out the calibre of people supporting them.

“Without any gain saying, Markafi is high above Sheriff. Markafi has the state governors supporting him. The National Assembly caucus are backing Markafi. Former ministers, former governors, former members of the National Assembly are also in support of Markafi.

“In quantity and quality of support, Markafi is shoulder high above Sheriff, who is only deluding himself with the rent-a-crowd politicians he goes to town with. All the organs of the party, including the Board of Trustees, are firmly behind Markafi,” he said.

Reacting to a question on last week’s Court of Appeal judgment that favoured Sheriff in the leadership tussle, Fayose said truth will prevail at the end of the day.

“The court cannot chose our chairman for us. This issue is about democracy and the people. It is the PDP members that can decide who their leaders are. This they have demonstrated in the Port Harcourt convention that was done in accordance with the constitution of the party.

“The party’s leadership is the national caretaker committee headed by Senator Markafi and it shall remain so until we convene our convention to elect our leaders,” he added.

On the possibility of working with Sheriff, Fayose reiterated he woujld not.

Clarifying his initial support for Sheriff, the governor said he backed out of supporting him when he discovered Sheriff’s ulterior motives.


[i]
“I didn’t regret supporting him ab initio, but, when we discovered his discrepancies, I backed out.

“Sheriff is an agent of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He is a mole being used by the Federal Government to weaken and destabilise the PDP so that APC will not have any virile opposition,” [/i]the governor alleged.

He, however, gave assurances that such tricks will not work in Ekiti state.

Lalasticlala, mynd44

THE House of Representatives has expressed shock on Tuesday that the Presidential Committee on North- East Initiative budgeted N60m to award contracts to cut grasses in communities ravaged by Boko Haram insurgents this year .


The development is coming while the controversy generated by a similar contract worth over N200m awarded by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation , Mr. Babachir David- Lawal , has yet to abate .

The N60m in the 2017 budget of PCNI is to cover contracts to cut “shrubs , grasses and trees” along the Maiduguri - Mama Road alone.

Lawmakers picked out the figure when the PCNI appeared before the House Committee on Internally Displaced Persons to defend its N45 bn on humanitarian assistance, rehabilitation and resettlement of displaced villagers .

The Chairman of the committee , Mr. Sani Zoro , and other members were alarmed over the allocation .

“ You can ’t travel this same way ( awarding contracts on grasses) again ; it is not acceptable .

“ Why can ’t you assign this duty to the military to do it for you ?

“ They can use their personnel to clear the grasses and you can drop this idea of awarding contracts with N 60 m .”

Members were also worried that most provisions in the N45 bn budget were for “ security ” and procurement of equipment for military services as against providing shelter , food, hospitals and schools for displaced persons .

“ Your duty, from what we understand , is to provide succour for the displaced persons . These people are traumatised and they need urgent basic amenities as they return home . Rehabilitation has to do with their survival as human beings first ,” Zoro added .

Members said several provisions appeared questionable .

Zoro noted , “ Maybe, you must first give us the mandate of the PCNI . You have N184 m for screening programme for humanitarian activities .

What does that mean ?

“ There is N150 m on advocacy and early warning system and N165 m for conflict management .

“ You are going to deliver security equipment for N200 m . What type of security equipment? Then another N 2 . 5 bn for security outfits .

“ Are you telling us that part of your role is to fund the operations of the military in the North- East ? The military have their own budget already .

“ Why are you not talking about food, shelter , medical care and schools for these IDPs?

[NAN]

Lalasticlala, mynd44

​THE leader of the Biafra Zionist Federation (BZF), Barrister Benjamin Onwuka, who has just been released from prison has declared that the south-east would become independent on March 15, 2017.

On that day, he said, the Republic of Biafra would be born.

Onwuka had been in detention for three years following his arrest midway into his live broadcast to declare the Biafran independence at the Enugu Broadcasting Service which he stormed and took over.

He added that this stand was strengthened by the diplomatic relations the BZF had established with America, the Great Britain and other western powers.

Daily Post quotes him as saying: “The state of Biafra will be announced on March 15, 2017 by the Zionist Federation. I, Ikedi Benjamin Onwuka will be leading Biafra. I will be the president of Biafra.

“The work we have done underground permits that America will endorse the Independent state of Biafra in March 15, 2017; we expect that this will come with the endorsement of President Donald Trump.”

Claiming that former President Barrack Obama of the United States of America had approved the policy for an independent state of Biafra on October 15, 2014, he added that current President Donald Trump would have to implement the action since a sitting president in America usually do not ignore foreign policies established by their predecessors.
He was further quoted as saying: “My confidence on President Donald Trump endorsing the restoration of an Independent state of Biafra hinges on the fact that ex-President Barack Obama made the approval.

“Since 2015, Biafra has been accepted worldwide due to diplomatic groundwork. Without America’s support, there will be no Biafra. Now that we have gotten America’s support, Biafra Independence is realizable.”
Concerning the friction that exists among the secessionist groups in Igboland, he said: “There will never be a day when all the pro Biafra groups will agree on every issue but the ‘Zionists’ have taken the upper hand because we established diplomatic ties with America, Great Britain and other world powers.

“The MASSOB, the IPOB and others are under the zionists; the IPOB for instance has never gone beyond River Niger.

"All that Nnamdi Kanu is doing is to be insulting everybody through his radio; he is not even sparing America and Britain. So, you can even see that his actions are inimical to the Biafra dream.

“The mistake our leaders made in 1967 was based on the fact that they failed to establish diplomatic relations with Russia, America and Great Britain.‎ Nnamdi Kanu is still toeing the same line.”

According to him, the new Biafran territory stretches beyond Igbo land and Niger Delta regions as it includes Kogi, Benue, Nasarrawa states and most parts of the middle belt.

“Also the maligned and maltreated people of Southern Kaduna, several enclaves within the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, including Seme Boarder in Lagos state to parts of Cameroon are part of us.

“It is going to be a Biafra nation for all. The Igbo tribe will not dominate the Ijaw or Igala tribe. There will be no discrimination.

“It will be a government of all. No person or region will have an upper hand. There will be free press. It is the bedrock of democracy.

“All those who died in the struggle will not be forgotten. Those who laid down their lives in the Biafra struggle paid the highest price. We would look for their families and take care of them,” Onwuka reportedly said.

venai:
what is clueless about this? They are only sacking those that were employed through the back doors.

A former Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida, and a former Vice President Atiku Abubakar have met in Minna, the Niger State capital, Tuesday.


Paul Ibe, Mr. Abubakar’s spokesman, said his principal paid a courtesy call on Mr. Babangida to check on his health.


Mr. Babangida returned to Nigeria penultimate Sunday after seven weeks on medical vacation in Switzerland.

Mr. Abubakar had to pay him a visit to check on him and see how his recovery had been, Mr. Ibeh said.

“Don’t forget, he visited the families of Abdulkadir Kure when he died a few weeks back,” Mr. Ibe said.

“But IBB was not around then so he had to return to Minna now that the former leader is back from medical trip.”

Mr. Kure was a former governor of Niger State who died on January 8 at 60.



Mr. Ibe said Nigerians should not read any further meanings to the courtesy call.

ABUJA, the capital city of Nigeria is frequently visited for business and government functions, meetings and related activities. The Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport receives about 5000 travelers on a daily basis from domestic and international flights. The government, Ministry of Transportation and management of the Abuja Airport have however announced closure of the Airport for 6 weeks starting from March the 8th. This isn’t good news for many. From airline operators to travelers. Many who have scheduled trips ahead that fall within this period of airport closure are distraught with disappointment. Aside from being helplessly caught in what seems like a good thing with such bad timing, here is how business travelers can cope with the closure of the International Airport in Abuja.


Rent a Chopper

Hiring a Helicopter is a good way to get to Abuja despite the maintenance work going on in the airport. Helicopters do not need a runway to land, most high rise buildings and hotels have a landing area for helicopters. This is especially useful if you have an entire team heading out to this important business meeting that cannot afford to be postponed.



Make the Trip to Abuja Now

Or at least before the scheduled shut down of the airport. Bring forward appointments that can be brought forward, or otherwise enjoy a feel of the city up until your conference, meeting, or business parley is due. Don’t ask me who would pay for it. Where is your sense of adventure?

Fly to Kaduna, Get to Abuja by Road

A distance of a little over 200 km, Abuja can be reached by road in two hours if you first make a trip to Kaduna. International flights do not connect to Kaduna at the moment so you would have to make Lagos your destination and then take a domestic flight to Kaduna where you would then proceed to Abuja by road. This could get a little bit exhausting, but then if you are visiting for the first time, it could be an exciting travel experience.

Hotels with Business Facilities

So you have landed in Lagos and realized that you can’t fly to Abuja for your intended business appointment, that’s okay. 5 star hotels in Lagos provide excellent business center facilities ranging from fax, scanning, photocopying to internet enabled rooms. They also have conference rooms where a group can host a meeting and relay via Skype for example.



Travel by Road

If you absolutely have to be in Abuja for your meeting, taking a road trip to Abuja isn’t exactly a bad idea. It is great even. Several transport companies can provide you and your team, with a charter service in comfortable buses. You would get to enjoy the scenery of the landscape of several towns, cities and villages. And you would have seen Nigeria much more than simply flying over it.

Lalasticlala

49 boxes containing 661 pieces of Pump Action Rifles found inside the container seized in Lagos on Monday by the Nigerian Customs Service.

PRESIDENT Muhammad Buhari enjoying his dinner last night with Governor Ibikunle Amosun at Abuja House, Kensington London.

durubrian:
he must provide the person that called him o....

Herdsmen wants to kill him, so his members should kill for him...

All those against my comments on this issue, how would you feel if an influential individual incites the public to kill your people, have you ever taught about the innocent Fulani Herdsmen that could be killed because of his statement?

He should be ready to face the law, the fact that (he said) others did something similar and weren't detained is not the case here... The fight against "incitement and attempt to cause public disorder" starts somewhere


I await another round of mentions...

durubrian:
he must provide the person that called him o....

Herdsmen wants to kill him, so his members should kill for him...

All those against my comments on this issue, how would you feel if an influential individual incites the public to kill your people, have you ever taught about the innocent Fulani Herdsmen that could be killed because of his statement?

He should be ready to face the law, the fact that (he said) others did something similar and weren't detained is not the case here... The fight against "incitement and attempt to cause public disorder" starts somewhere

THE invitation of Apostle Johnson Suleman of the Omega Fire Ministry by the Department of State Services to its Headquarters in Abuja has caused tension in the Christian Community in the country.


Social Times had reported that the DSS extended the invitation to Suleman following his recent assertion that any Fulani herdsman seen in his church should be killed.

Speaking in the controversial video, God’s Oracle, as Suleman is fondly called had said, “Somebody called me and told me that there is a plan to send Fulani herdsmen after you and I said okay and the person said I should be careful and I said careful of what? He said the herdsmen are just going to run into the road like herdsmen and begin to cause confusion and while your security men clear them and you come out, they will open fire.

“I said okay. After about a week, he called me and said please, if you don’t do that, they might bring them to come around church premises. I said its okay. And I told my people, any Fulani herdsman you see around you, kill him. I have told them in the church here, that any Fulani herdsman that just entered by mistake, Kill him, Kill Him. Cut his head. If they are busy killing Christians and nothing is happening, we will kill them and nothing will happen,” he said.

Following his alleged inciting comment, the DSS attempted to pick him up few days ago in Ekiti but was foiled by Governor Ayo Fayose.

Suleman is expected to appear at the DSS headquarters today.

As at 8am on Monday, Many Nigerians have gathered at the Unity Fountain to follow the man of God to the DSS headquarters, a correspondent of AIT reported.

Speaking to news men, leader of the group, Abel Ebere said they would follow the man of God to the DSS headquarters.

“We are ready to die with Apostle Suleman. It is clear that the FG is determined to wipe out Christianity from Nigeria,” the group leader said.

Another member of the group who gave his name as Osa, noted that they would resist every attempt to arrest Suleman.

“They can’t arrest Suleman. That is why we are here to follow our daddy,” Osa said.

Mr. Suleman, who is expected to arrive the venue with over 30 lawyers Social Times learnt, flew in to the FCT last night with his entourage.

THE Invitation of the General Overseer ‎of Omega Fire Ministries ‎Worldwide , Apostle Johnson ‎Suleman , by the Department of ‎State Services over inciting comment was in order‎, an official of Nigeria’s Presidency has said on Sunday.

The official said the DSS did not have to wait for a presidential directive as being alleged in the social media before carrying out its duties.



The Presidency official told journalists this on the condition of anonymity .

He said for openly calling for the killing of Fulani herdsmen , all religious leaders be it Christian, Islamic or traditional ought to condemn the call and bring the
pastor back to order.

“ The decision of the DSS to invite the said preacher for talks this week over the statements he is
reported to have made is in clear demonstration of the agency ’ s duty that does not require any kind of
presidential directive as is being speculated on the Social Media.

“ Anyone , especially leaders, who engages in such questionable conduct, ought to at least be asked
a few questions. We just hope religious leaders will also at least call on the said pastor to behave in a Christ-like manner , ” he said .

The official said while the government understood the
emotional reactions arising from a breakout of violence , the country does not need a religious leader calling for more violence .

“Is CAN aware of this kind of statement ? Is it in line with
Christian conduct? Why haven ’ t there been a condemnation of this kind of criminal conduct? There is
some understandable outrage about cases of violence in Southern Kaduna , yet this coming from a religious leader is certainly even more outrageous , ” he said.