xtianengr:
I am worried too, I did mine on #570 to a pound currently it's on #535.69 can it reach #570 in the next 30 days.

Good evening house, pls what happens if the difference between the required POF and the money in the account is like 35k higher than the needed POF ?

Good evening house,

I am having an issue with my POF, oanda rate was 521 when I started it so I put 24m which amount to 536.4, as at today oanda rate is 536.024 and with this calculation, POF needed will be 23,980,105 and I am having 24m in the account, the POF will mature by December 12

I am ok or what do I need to do?

Good evening house,

I am having an issue with my POF, oanda rate was 521 when I started it so I put 24m which amount to 536.4, as at today oanda rate is 536.024 abs with this calculation, POF needed will be 23,980,105 and I am having 24m in the account, the POF will mature by December 12

I am ok or what do I need to do?

The attention of the Media Office of the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has been drawn to an online post that claims thousands of Kwarans lined up at the private residence of the Senate President to receive a small quantity of rice and unspecified amounts of money.
For the avoidance of doubt, the gathering in question did not happen at the residence of Dr. Saraki, and was not sponsored, organized, attended or endorsed in any way by the Senate President.

This reported gathering was sponsored, organized and attended by Honorable Moshood Mustapha, a Special Adviser on Special Duties to the President of the Senate — in his own capacity as a private citizen of Kwara State. Additionally, this gathering was held at Honorable Mustapha’s private residence, which is located several kilometers away from the residence of Dr. Saraki.

Finally, it is important to note that Honorable Mustapha, as the owner of one of Kwara State’s foremost hotels is a man of means. In this regard, the aforementioned gathering was organized entirely of his own accord.

Signed:
Bamikole Omishore
Special Assistant on New Media to the President of the Senate

Democracy is seen as one of the ultimate ideals that modern civilisations strive to create and preserve. The word democracy literally means rule by the people, taken from the Greek terms, demos (meaning ―people), and kratos (meaning ―rule). It is a political concept and form of government, where all people are supposed to have equal voices in shaping policy (typically expressed through a vote for representatives) and one thing is certain: no country can long have a workable democracy without a vibrant and meaningful legislature and legislative process.

In as much as the legislative arm of government is very important in any democratic state, the independence of this arm goes a long way in enhancing good governance. In Nigeria, the federal legislative arm, the National Assembly, is made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives. These two houses are charged with the sole responsibility of making laws that would impact on the people.

Since the inauguration of the 8th National Assembly under the leadership of Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, the legislative chamber has become more vibrant, with legislative processes that impact the lives of average Nigerians. Matching words with actions, Saraki in his inaugural speech promised that there would be a serious connection between the National Assembly and the Nigerian people. Since then, there have been steady updates of the plenary session to Nigerians via various social media networks. Because not every Nigerian can attend every single Senate plenary, the 8th Senate has made it easy of us all to follow its activities on the Red Chamber via Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

Another good point scored by the 8th senate was the huge success attained at the end of the Ministerial Screening exercise. The Senate screened President Muhammadu Buhari’s 36 ministerial nominees in an exercise that was both colourful and dramatic. The exercise also raised the issue of thoroughness as some of the nominees were hardly grilled as expected. Despite the threat shown by some of the PDP senators against some of the ministerial nominees, PDP senators vowed to make the screening exercise a hell for the likes of Rotimi Amaechi and Alhaji Lai Mohammed. However, Nigerians were amazed with the way Saraki handled the screening exercise. It is a known fact that the presidency under Buhari has not hidden his dislike for Saraki since his emergence on June 9, 2015. Nevertheless, the leadership of the 8th Senate was able to successfully screen all the ministerial nominees because of the political dexterity of Saraki.

Since the inception of democracy in Nigeria, we have not had a Senate that proposed a legislative agenda to Nigerians. However, this 8th Senate has a 18-member strong committee on the legislative agenda. According to Saraki, the committee has been would saddled with the responsibility of charting the course for the 8th Senate. The objectives and mission of the legislative agenda are geared towards increasing the institutional capacity of the Senate, building the legislative autonomy and strengthening the committee system, oversight functions, extensive representation and outreach, stakeholder and civil society involvement, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, reduction running cost, and effective legislative support system. With the legislative agenda Nigerians can always run a check on the Senate and always call the leadership of the senate to order whenever its about derailing from its legislative agenda.

The 8th Senate started on a shaky note, with the elections of the senate leadership causing a crisis both within the Senate and the ruling party, APC. Regardless of this, for the first time in a long time, the lawmakers in the Senate have a bi-partisan leadership with Senator Bukola Saraki from the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the Senate president while Senator Ike Ekweremadu as his Deputy from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Despite party and ideological differences among the senators, Saraki’s leadership of the Senate has been able to unite the lawmakers in the interest of Nigeria. As it stands, Saraki enjoys strong support of his colleagues thus making it easy for bills and motions to be passed.

The media is the link between the National Assembly and the Nigerian people. For the prompt, effective and efficient reporting of news, the Senate Press Corps has to be effective. On February 2nd, 2016, the Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki unveiled the newly renovated Press Centre of the Senate Press Corps. The Vice-Chairman of the Senate Press Centre while appreciating the entire senate for this great gesture, said that in the history of Nigerian Senate, no Senate President has ever recognised the Senate Press Corps like Bukola Saraki.

Though legislators do not govern, they provide the means by which a political system can maintain the balance between effectiveness and consent. In this regard, legislators stand between the needs of the government to be able to raise resources necessary to carry out a programme of public policy and to maintain the consent of the people. The 8th Senate has focused majorly on energizing every sector, particularly those that directly affect the masses such as power, security, infrastructure and economic growth. For example, the Senate recently directed the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission to stop the fixed charges on electricity, and the bulk-metering of rural communities.

There have been several unsuccessful campaigns in 2004, 2009, and 2010 to pass a bill aimed at encouraging the purchase of locally made products. If such a bill is passed, it is capable of jumpstarting the Nigerian economy. As it stands, the #BuyNaijaToGrowTheNaira initiative has taken a positive new dimension, as Senators from both sides of the political divide are driving this campaign to promote our domestic economy. Saraki has also mentioned that the Senate would be working on the review and amendment of the procurement act. This amendment would work to ensure that Made in Nigeria goods receive ‘first dibs’ by the government. Some parameters of this amendment, Saraki explained, would include provisions that would ensure that government agencies would only resort to imported goods when there are no domestic alternatives.

Finally, for the very first time in the history of the National Assembly, the joint-leadership of both Houses invited the general public to have an input in the budget debate process. The Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, and representatives of Speaker, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, met with civil society organizations (CSOs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to discuss the budget.The aim of this meeting was to afford civil society and non-governmental organizations an opportunity to contribute their ideas, perspectives, inputs and strategies to that of the National Assembly, in order to pass a budget that Nigerians can call their own. This meeting also signalled that the National Assembly under its current leadership is committed to a more open National Assembly.

The saying: "He who must come to equity must come with clean hands" has eventually caught up with Danladi Umar who has running from pillar to post to cover up his transgressions since the news of his 10Million Naira bribery scandal broke out.


The guiding principle in the anti-corruption fight will be totally lost if the “almighty arbiter” in a corruption case is found enmeshed in corrupt practices and yet, wants to prosecute other corrupt persons.

The Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) as an establishment of the government is not new to the system, but sincerely speaking, their activities in lately suggests the reasons they've been in the news time and again.

The popularity of CCT was only made more noticeable when they opened an allegation against the Senate President, Bukola Saraki on false declaration of assets while he was governor of Kwara state in 2003. Although, there are doubts if the allegation came on the ground of altruism, because majority knew the proceedings began when the leadership of the Senate asked questions about some unremitted money from the EFCC’s account into the Federation account under the leadership of Ibrahim Lamorde the erstwhile Chairman.

However, the plots and innuendos above call for some logical questions to be asked. What relationship exists between Lamorde and Danladi Umar? Why Umar was hurriedly (fresh after he was suspended) opened a case against the Senate President, who instituted a probe into the alleged corruption against Lamorde? The morality question on Danladi Umar's personality is also another talking point.

Danladi Yakubu Umar has been swimming in an ocean of accusations relating to corrupt practices, official impropriety and victimization of junior staff under his watch.


In a twist to the corruption allegations hovering around Umar, his personal assistant, Ali Abdullahi Gambo, was docked by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, before an FCT High Court on charges of conspiracy, bribery and abuse of office

Gambo’s arrest and subsequent arraignment followed a petition that he received a bribe of N1.8m on behalf of the tribunal chairman ostensibly to quash a case before the CCT.

Investigations showed that the EFCC did invite Umar on March 18, 2013 over an allegation of illegally demanding the sum of N10m from one Taiwo Rasheed, a retired comptroller of customs, who was being prosecuted at the time by the CCT for failing to declare his assets while in office

The retired customs officer had discreetly reported Umar to the police who had advised him to play along by paying part of the bribe money. Rasheed subsequently paid the sum of N1.8m into account of the personal assistant of the CCT chairman

However, aggrieved former staff members at the CCT say the illegal actions of Umar go beyond corrupt enrichment, Danladi is equally accused of victimization of some staff who subtly or openly condemned his corrupt acts.

On May 3, 2013, three members of staff of the tribunal – the accountant, Shotunde Adeyinka, and two other administrative staff, Johnson Owopetu and Lucky Eronlan – were transferred to Ondo, Katsina and Bauchi states respectively for allegedly opposing some of the corrupt actions of the CCT boss

One of the three claimed that they were victimized for calling the attention of the chairman to irregularities in the spending pattern of the tribunal, a move that angered him

Umar was also accused of awarding contracts without following laid down guidelines, issuing full contract payment to contractors rather than the legal process of issuing mobilization fees first. Other allegations against him are lopsided appointments, transfers and promotions without board approval and with total disregard for federal character.

Mr. Umar was equally accused of awarding contracts for already completed projects and collection of bribes to facilitate such approvals and also using proxies to corner juicy contracts. Danladi was particularly accused of diverting monies amounting to about N76.53m for various contracts between February and May, 2011

After thorough investigations into his behavioural pattern and character strength, it was found out that Umar is a chronic and an incurable borrower of funds. In 2010, he is alleged to have borrowed N 370,000 from the zonal coordinator of the Tribunal and wouldn’t pay, which almost went off ugly.

With the crime committed by both the CCT Chairman and his aide, Umar should be made to face the law in compliance with the recommendations of the former Attorney General of the Federation Mohammed Adoke, who recommended the two persons to be arrested and investigated for alleged corruption. One person was arrested and prosecuted while the other person, who is the current chairman of the CCT, has subtly evaded arrest and prosecution, with the support of his highly placed ‘bosses’, perhaps.


CCT is an important establishment in the country and requires man of honour and integrity to guard its sanctity. It cannot afford to be manned by someone who is entangled in a web of accusation of corrupt practices.

No doubt, one of the beauties of democracy anywhere in the world is its accommodation and recognition of freedom of speech; but of course, not without attaching strict punishment to slander, libel and sedition. In this part of the world however, the act of slandering and lashing people of integrity with false accusations without verification is often allowed to go on without restraints, to the point where it has become part of life.

Without a doubt, society grows with the full effect and complementary functions of the three arms of government and in such a way that one’s role doesn’t affect the other. The Judiciary as the third arm of government, after the Executive and Legislature, is seen as the last hope of the common man. To this end, such important arm shouldn’t be dragged into any form of political chicanery that will rubbish its important activities.

It is important to note that the Judiciary does not exist on mere theoretical grandstand, without the inputs of men and women of integrity who have, through their commitment and judicial sagacity, given the arm the independence, inviolability and integrity it currently enjoys. To say the least, such men and women shouldn’t be dragged in the mud, to score cheap political points. That said, there is no gainsaying the fact that Retired Justice Alfa Belgore, a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, is one of these great men.

To set the records straight, Justice Alfa Belgore remains a man of high reputation who has put in several years of service in the judiciary, and without any accusation of judicial manipulation against his person before, during or after his tenure as CJN. He is exemplary and known for his consistently unwavering contributions towards revamping Nigeria's judicial system since the beginning of his career.

Nevertheless, Sahara Reporters, a politically sponsored online platform who has unashamedly sold its soul to the devil, apparently has never relented in its pursuit of spreading falsehoods. This platform has left a lot of Nigerians spoon-fed with erroneous submissions and lies in recent times, as tools to protect the interest of its sponsors.

How on earth could this politically sponsored online medium drag Justice Belgore to the political war between the Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Bukola Saraki and Bola Tinubu? Nigerians are aware of the politics of “pull him down” being bandied around by the enemies of progress against the Senate President since his emergence on June 9, 2015 against the will of some cabals in the APC setup.

The ongoing political monkeyshines is well understood by many and with the dimension it has taken right from the beginning, we cannot be cajoled into sympathizing with those who are ready to bring shame to the judiciary by running helter-skelter to buy the judiciary to persecute the Senate President so that Nigerians will think it is a war on corruption.

Sahara Reporters planned to preempt the outcome of the judgment in the Saraki case at the appellate court, where he challenged the jurisdiction of the Code of Conduction Tribunal to try him without following due processes, by saying Alfa Belgore tried to influence the judges involved in the trial. How else can that claim be described other than crass?



Of course, with the show of shame by the Appeal Court President, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, who acted unprofessionally to adjourn indefinitely a case of international interest based on speculation by an online platform in the hand of politicians who are indeed the enemies of this nation, one could join other discerning Nigerians to believe that Bola Tinubu has more than half of federal justices on his payroll, Justice Zainab being one.



The manner of the adjournment was not only unethical, as Judges did not appear despite their earlier promises to speed up the judgment, but also suspicious as CCT’s lawyers did not show up in Court; to further allude to the fact that they had privy information.



With this, it is safe to state the obvious that Sahara Reporters is a platform with absolute disrespect for staunch patriots like the former CJN whose entire breathing upholds the sanctity of the court and sanity of judicial processes. The question remains how Sahara Reporters came across the outcome of the case that’s awaiting the judges’ pronouncement? There should be more to it than meet the eyes.



The other question that comes to mind, whose answer is not far-fetched anyway, is why there always exist bias and fabrications of falsehood in Sahara Reporters’ news on the Senate President? Case in point is the forged “Olybukola Saraki” International Passport which the UK authority have investigated and confirmed it was indeed forged.



Definitely the rumour that circulated that Tinubu, who said he would never regard Saraki as Senate President, has specially contracted one of his bankrolled sons and owner of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore is nearing accuracy. Since the inauguration of the 8th Senate that saw Saraki emerge the Senate President, Sahara Reporters have been found cooking up one lie or the other against him.



One thing Sowore and his sponsors have failed to realize is that the more they lash out at him, the stronger he becomes politically as their perpetual slandering and seditious antics have given them away as paid agent. The fact remains that the Senate is a no-go area with the Vote of Confidence on his leadership.



With the diversionary approach in the scheme of their attack strategy, Sahara Reporters should and must specifically apologize to the symbol of justice and icon of fairness, former Chief Justice of the Federation, Retired Justice Alfa Belgore, for attempting to malign and drag his hard-earned reputation in the mud where they belong. The unreserved apology should also be addressed to all Nigerians for the uncountable lies against their paymasters’ perceived political enemies like Senator Bukola Saraki.



It is a known fact that the platform is used as a medium to undermine Nigeria's political system. They have been known for being bereft of basic media ethics and professionalism, for which Nigerians are now aware.



On this basis therefore it is advised, for moral reasons, that people should disregard “news” from them.

Bashir Akanbi writes from Lagos

Qsbashirakanbi@gmail.com

HOW EL-RUFAI’S MEDIA AIDE, MUYIWA ADEKEYE USED SAHARAREPORTERS TO SUBVERT JUSTICE



‘’Pray there ain’t any more surprises’’ was a classic back in the days from the series named ‘’Make Me a Stone’’ which ranks as one my favourite movie series of all time with characters like Malcolm, Kaylee and Simon.



It was indeed a suspense filled movie; everyone had a hidden talent none knew about and the complicated discoveries within the chapters were fairly exhausting to the point that one would pray that there were no more surprises.

The drama that ensued today at the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja to determine the legal validity of the Code of Conduct Tribunal’s false declaration probe against the Senate President - from his first gubernatorial bid in 2003 - just brought to light the memories of that wonderful piece of comic drama that I l could not resist watching while I was growing up.

For once, I was seated so close to the pulpit of justice in readiness for the proceedings of day. We were expecting the Chief Justice to walk in and begin reading the valuable points submitted by the plaintiff and representatives of the federal government in order to ensure a fair hearing that would eventually lead to the final judgement. Alas, my naive colleagues and I, who were anxiously expecting justice to be served were quickly reminded that they were on a goose chase engulfed in phantom fantasies as the case was flagrantly adjourned indefinitely without any official reason for such actions.     

Obviously, I was not surprised at the turn of events; I was only moved by the uneasiness of the court clerk as he walked in to announce that there would be no sitting on that day. He was restive, and one could tell that he was seconds away from purging on the spot.  At this point, my angst was relived; I could recall the insiders intel from a credible source intimating me of Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai’s through his media aide- Muyiwa Adekeye had pledged to compensate the judges should they succeed in ruling against Senator Bukola Saraki or delay the long arm of justice for as long as possible in order to allow the Code of Conduct Tribunal enjoy a fun-filled day at the detriment to the sacredness of the rule of law.

By their calculation, they are expected to provide evidences and testify against Bukola Saraki just to nail him at all cost for not bowing to the wishes of the political godfathers within his party.

However, the barrage of media tantrums being peddled, and coordinated by Yele Sowore (Founder, Saharareporters) and Mr Muyiwa Adekeye in my opinion remain petty, even though Saharareporters has been used as the anchorage platform for their hatchet job; they scored a new low today with their hurriedly assembled article which was published a few hours to the Court of Appeal ruling to pre-empt the outcome of the ruling to douse any suspicion of their collaborations with the bribed judges and the eventual outcome of the ruling.

The ruling was clear enough; the judgement was to be read in favour of Senator Bukola Saraki but they are conmen and would not give up until they achieve their selfish aims. Little wonder, the chief counsel to the federal government Mr Rotimi Jacobs was conspicuously missing at the court having been pre-informed that the court would not rule today.  His new romance with the Chairman of the Code Of Conduct Tribunal Danladi Umar- who was a former Personal Assistant to Mallam El-Rufai explains the re-ignition of mischief maker running a ring to achieve the same purpose.          

The way and manner Senator Bukola Saraki has carried on with his duties as the leader of the 8th Assembly without according his detractors the much craved attention will only aggravate them until they burn out completely.

Unknown to them, the more the godfathers stay awoken to plot Saraki’s fall, the more successes he achieves, thus increasing his popularity.

So after this, are you still praying that there ain’t any more surprises? The times ahead promise to be drama filled. The dangerous trend, however, is the use of the law by the powerful forces as cloak to evade justice. Is this is the sort of politically motivated justice that Nigerians were promised? Time will tell.



Kuddi Haastrup writes from Lagos.

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

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

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

We will keep you updated on more developments.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Over the years, despite its constitutional and statutory authority to screen and confirm the nominees of the President, the Senate has been derelict to its responsibility of properly vetting candidates. For example, prior to the 2015 general elections, despite the overwhelming public outrage over former Lagos State Senator, Musiliu Obanikoro’s role in the Ekiti rigging scandal, the 7th Senate, under the leadership of then-Senate President David Mark, approved his appointment as the Minister of State (II) for Foreign Affairs. Many considered this politically insensitive, morally contentious, and purely partisan development as an affront to the sensibilities of everyday Nigerians.

Since taking office, the President of the 8th Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has promised Nigerians that this time around, the ‘Red Chambers’ will strive to change the status quo and be alive to its constitutional responsibilities. Saraki, given his previous experience as the former Governor of Kwara State, and Chairman of the Nigerian Governor’s Forum, has since proven to be someone who is up to the task of steering the upper legislative chambers down previously unexplored legislative precedents – namely, the proper vetting of appointees.

As an independent branch of the legislature, and the institution tasked with the role of ensuring that capable candidates with unquestionable characters are chosen to guide Nigeria’s affairs, the Senate needs to be aware that screening exercises are not inconsequential activities. Additionally, although the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has a clear majority in the Senate, the Senators should understand that the selection of qualified hands to steer our ship of state is not a partisan or nepotistic affair. In view of this, the Senate must move to ensure that it tests the intellectual capacity and investigates the moral and ethical records of all nominees before approving their appointments.

Additionally, as a President that campaigned on a promise of ‘Change,’ President Muhammadu Buhari must ensure that in line with this promise, he nominates competent individuals who have demonstrated to have characters devoid of unethical blemishes.

As a case in point, the thorough screening of the Service Chiefs by the 8th Senate was indeed a welcome development, as it was not conducted as a formality as usual. The Senate, on the day of that screening, set aside all other business to rigorously vet the President’s appointees – despite their impressive and intimidating credentials. This is the sort of change that Nigerians want to see.

As we continue on in the early stages of this political dispensation, many Nigerians are hopeful that the new posture of intensive and extensive scrutiny by the Senate will continue to be comprehensive, exhaustive and unbiased. This will help Nigerians to know that the best hands are truly being nominated to run the nation, and it will help us all believe that we can rely on the decisions that they make – as these decisions affect our lives and livelihoods every day.

Nigerians over the years have been battled with power supply. Additionally, while many of us have enjoyed limited electricity in our homes, we have still been hurled random bills on a monthly basis due to the practice of Bulk Billing. This practice, which was endorsed by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), worked by placing fixed charges and energy charges on power supply to consumers, despite the poor power supply. However, on Monday, August 17th, this practice finally came to an end…

Ever since the inauguration of the 8th National Assembly on June 9, 2015, the 8th Senate under the leadership of Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki has taken its oversight duties seriously. The Senators, on Tuesday, August 11, 2015, directed NERC to immediately abolish fixed charges on electricity consumption and bulk metering of communities.

Initially, in a press conference held a week after the Senate query, NERC, under the leadership of its Chairman, Dr. Sam Amadi, attempted to defy the directive of the Upper Legislative body. However, in a swift turnaround, the commission released a statement on Monday, 17th August, 2015, stating that customers who do not receive power will henceforth be exempted from paying fixed charges. Additionally, the commission agreed with the Senate’s position on the need to eliminate the practice of bulk billing, and replace this practice with individual metering and billing.

Reacting to the development, the Senate President on Friday, August 21st, expressed his delight, stating that he was glad that NERC finally agreed with the position of the Senate. The Senate President, further urged Nigerians to see the NERC development as a clear departure from business as usual, and reminded them that the Chamber will continue to “represent the best interest of Nigerians, regardless of whose ox is gored.”

Visibly passionate about the issue, Dr. Saraki, continued to tweet that Nigerians should take advantage of communication channels that will soon be opened to the general public – urging them to inform their Senators of any “anti-people policies” that currently exist in the country.

In line with this, another aspect that the 8th Senate has to pay critical attention to is the exorbitant charges by Multichoice Nigeria Limited – a South African owned pay-media service.

MultiChoice, owners of DStv and GOtv, earlier this year announced a 20% price hike for all their satellite television bouquets in Nigeria. This policy, which took effect from April 1, 2015, sees the DStv Premium Service rise to N13,980 from N11,650, a N2,330 increase; while the DStv Family bouquet rises from N3,000 to N3,600, a N600 increase. Other increases include the fact that DStv Compact Plus subscribers will now pay N9,420 instead of N7,850; while DStv Compact users will pay N6,000 per month, up from N5,000.

The questions that Nigerians need to ask is: why is it that Nigerians are being forced to pay more for the exact same services that were rendered in the past, when our African counterparts get to enjoy the same services at outrageously cheaper prices?

Now that the cat has been let out of the bag with the NERC bulk billing decision, Nigerians who were passionate about this issue of Multichoice ripping Nigerians off, must now speak out in one voice against this policy.

On Friday last week, news reports started circulating in the media that Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Babatunde Raji Fashola, both key members of the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), were embroiled in a fresh cold war. Supporters of both parties were said to be drawing up battle plans against each other, as Tinubu’s allies accused Fashola of mismanagement of public funds on a personal website, and Fashola responding saying that he would not engage in a ‘dirty’ fight with ‘pigs.’ Many political commentators have attributed the source of this beef to the upcoming publication of
President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministerial list, where Fashola is said to be a prime contender to occupy the Lagos state slot – against the wishes of his erstwhile godfather and political mentor, Tinubu.

Many will remember, that two months ago, during the Senate leadership crisis that also played out on a daily basis in the national papers, Tinubu played a major role in fueling the crisis by attempting to railroad his preferred candidate, Ahmed Lawan, into the Senate President’s chair using the party apparatus. This development did not play well with the current Senate President, DR ABUBAKAR BUKOLA SARAKI, who was forced to defy a compromised APC National Working Committee, in his bid to ensure that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, not the arbitrary and ever-evolving rules of the Tinubu-controlled APC National Working Committee were followed. Since SARAKI emerged as Senate President uncontested, Tinubu has since vowed that he will never recognise SARAKI as the Senate President of Nigeria – demonstrating that to him, it is either “my way, or the highway.”
- See more at: http://www.naijaqueenolofofo.com/2015/08/tinubus-war-with-fashola-and-BUKOLA.html#sthash.zQP7Cf9G.dpuf At this point, it is necessary to ask why anytime Tinubu sees younger men with national political futures like Fashola and SARAKI ascending based on their competency, he begins to use his media machinery to attempt to set public opinion against them. Back in June, Tinubu attacked SARAKI’s credibility using the press. Now, in August, it is Fashola’s turn. Back in June, Tinubu made SARAKI seem like an over-ambitious demon. Now, in August, he is attempting to paint Fashola as a womanizing, money-mismanaging degenerate. Is it that Tinubu has a complex when it comes to men that have been recognized by the public as the next breed of leaders? Or, is it that he just wants to ensure that all important decisions and positions in both the ruling party and the Federal Republic of Nigeria need to first have his blessing? What does Tinubu want?

Taking Fashola’s accomplishments as an example, as the governor of Lagos State, he left a lasting mark in the hearts of many Lagosians through his numerous achievements. During his administration, his largest achievement was his management of the ebola saga. Using his administrative acumen, he successfully turned an impending national disaster into a public health and public relations success. Additionally, seeing that long-term development would be crucial to the success of the state, Fashola did not leave the educational sector untouched. His administration gave education in Lagos State the attention that it deserved by creating and refurbishing blocks of classrooms.
He further implemented a Teachers’ Salary Scale (TSS) for teachers in Lagos state public schools to ensure that the people that were responsible for imparting knowledge to the future generation are adequately compensated. The Fashola administration also saw to the successes recorded in many rural areas of the state, as over 110 rural development projects were finished under the rural water and sanitation scheme. Additionally, towards achieving security as one of the most important pre-conditions for human existence, the Fashola government not only turned most hide-outs and joints that previously served as bases for impostors and armed robbers into beautiful environments – it also established the Lagos State Security Trust Fund to effectively fund the security needs of the state on a sustainable basis.

In this regard, it is again important to ask why Babatunde Raji Fashola, who has clearly demonstrated his capacity as a high-performer in Lagos State, be attacked by Tinubu now that it is so close to the release of the ministerial list? Let us not also forget that under DR SARAKI’s administration as Governor, Kwara became the first state to complete a Nigerian Independent Power Project. DR SARAKI went further to introduce new health programmes, a range of reforms on agriculture to increase the commercial viability of farming, and also led a number of significant and state-wide infrastructural developments – including improvements at the Ilorin International Airport Cargo Terminal. This is just to mention a few. As a first time senator, DR SARAKI moved a motion in 2011 to investigate the fuel subsidy management considering the challenges it posed to the implementation of the 2011 budget. Later on in 2013, SENATOR SARAKI stood out during the struggle to save Bagega in Zamfara State from lead poisoning. As the Chairman of the Committee on Environment, DR SARAKI was a regular tweeter on the#SaveBagega issue, and his work contributed toward rescuing the people of the distraught villages.

The fact remains, that whether or not one loves or hates Tinubu’s political dexterity and sagacity, in recent times, perhaps fueled by Buhari’s ascension to the highest seat in the land, Tinubu has become overbearing in the both the APC, and the country as a whole. From what we have seen in recent times, if anyone that wants to progress on the national stage, does not kiss Tinubu’s ‘Godfather’ ring – that individual will have to suffer the consequence of being lambasted by the Tinubu-controlled media. At this point, it is important to end this article with this much-underrated quote: “If the head is in a state of quagmire, who will call the rest of the body to order?” Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the self-proclaimed political godfather of the APC needs to know and understand that his role as a political elder statesman, should be to serve as the pillar that holds the party and every other politician under him together.

He should be able to call anyone who errs to order as a father would, and he should be able to hold the fort when necessary to avoid the recurring embarrassing public displays of disunity within the ranks of the APC. However, these days, instead of Tinubu to be a lasting example to future political ‘Godfathers’ everywhere, it is clear that truly, for the sake of others not to progress, the once-great Asiwaju is truly ready to do battle in the mud to ensure that others do not.

Over the years, as our collective national purse has gotten smaller, Nigerians home and abroad have been clamouring for a reduction of the National Assembly’s budget. These calls for reduction have also been accompanied with parallel calls for more transparency in the funding of the National Assembly. As it stands, the Senate – under the leadership of the Senate President, DR BUKOLA SARAKI, seems to have finally taken heed of Nigerians’ request, as the Senator James Manager-led committee, has submitted its recommendations on Senate budget reductions.

If the report of the Manager committee, is implemented, it will show that truly, the 8th Senate is paying attention to the vast majority of Nigerian, and it will set this class of Senators apart as a group that care more about fixing Nigeria, than lining their pockets.
On his part, Dr. Saraki, who has carefully towed the line on this issue since his inauguration as Senate President, has said it on several occasions to both national and international audiences that the 8th senate will be transparent, open, and will work to comply with international best practices.

Nigerians voted for change, and one of the prominent accessories to this change, was a promised fight against corruption. Former President Goodluck Jonathan, who handed over power to President Muhammadu Buhari, was said to have led a government that was marred with incessant levels of corruption. Such corruption, which has been said to be a primary bane towards Nigeria’s development, has been accompanied by frivolous spending of institutions like the National Assembly, and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). As it stands, it seems like the Senate, is ready to work to ensure that on its part, the Upper Legislative Chamber will no longer contribute to the declining national purse by inordinate spending.

The Manager Committee, which was tasked to work in line with the transparency and openness promised by Saraki in his inaugural speech, is set to bring to the floor of the Senate, details of the finances of the upper legislative house. If the findings and recommendations of the committee are approved by the Senate, it will automatically trigger budget reductions, transparency, accountability in the funding of the Senate, which will in turn, force the House of Representatives to adopt similar measures.

At this critical time, when states are unable to pay workers salaries, the slashing of the remuneration of members of National Assembly to reduce the cost of governance and bail the country out of economic distress will serve as a welcome development. This will demonstrate the commitment of the 8th Senate towards building the new Nigeria that the All Progressives Congress (APC) promised during the last elections.
If Saraki’s leadership of the 8th Senate, can muster the required votes, and willpower to pass the adoption of the Manager Committee report, it will be another first scored by the 8th Senate, particularly, coming on the heels of the widely applauded and successful trip by the Senate delegation to the North-east that is currently being ravaged by the Boko Haram insurgency.
For now, we shall watch and wait…

On Thursday, August 6th, 2015, SaharaReporters published a totally fabricated report entitled: "Nigeria's Senate President Saraki Lied In His Official Election Forms" on its website. In that dubious and utterly false report, SR alleged that the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, is not a Nigerian citizen. The article went further, based solely on suppositions to infer that Dr. Saraki intentionally avoided question 10 on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) form for candidates contesting National Assembly elections and by so doing must have sworn to an oath of allegiance to another country, such as United Kingdom, the report concluded. The article also suggested that the Senate President avoided stating his place of birth on the INEC form, and that he is intentionally concealing his UK citizenship to avoid being disqualified in any way from political office.

One is not unminful of the obvious fact that freedom of expression may be absolutely basic human right, but it is pertinent to state that it is not without limits. This obvious fact has brought to bear, what is the essence of journalism which is meant to educate, orientate and bring out the truth to ensure justice, equity and fairness in every human endeavor. Unfortunately, it seems the tenets of professional journalism means nothing to Sahara Reporters.

As it stands, a detailed perusal of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, clearly indicates that the point Sahara Reporters is attempting to raise is moot – especially with regards to holding UK citizenship. The ready question at hand to ask is; why Sahara Reporter has intentionally remained silent and avoided to look into the constitutional Provisions of right to hold dual citizenship, especially where the party in question holds Nigerian citizenship by birth. The second relevant question is, if in fact, the purpose of such a publication was for public interest, has Sahara Reporters carried out diligent investigation on the authenticity of its report before publication? If the answers to the above questions are in the negative, then the rationale behind the report is for obvious reasons.

For the avoidance of doubt and for record purposes, Section 25(1)(c) of the Nigerian Constitution discredit Sahara Reporters' argument that Dr. Saraki is ineligible for public office. The section clearly stipulates that “every person born outside Nigeria either of whose parents is a citizen of Nigeria” are considered “citizens of Nigeria by birth.” What this means is that even if the Senate President were born in the UK, he will qualify as a citizen of Nigeria by birth under S.25(1c) – citizen by birth through parentage.

Also, there has always been a flawed misconception on the issue of dual citizenship vis-a-vis a holder of public office in Nigeria. S.28 of the 1999 Constitution (as (amended) deals with this wherein it highlights the fact that only those who are Nigerians by registration or naturalization shall forfeit their citizenship if they acquire the citizenship of another country. It is important to state at this juncture that the requirement to forfeit Nigerian nationality/citizenship upon acquisition of the nationality/citizenship of another country, does not apply to persons who are Nigerians by birth within the definition of Section 25 of the Constitution. This section also acknowledges and protects the right to hold citizenship by birth of another country – as citizenship by birth is an inalienable right under the Constitution

Furthermore, to put this particular issue to rest, the import of S.66(1)(a) of the Constitution can not be underestimated. The section clearly states that: "Subject to S.28 of the Constitution, any body who has voluntarily acquired the citizenship of another country must be disqualified. The key word here is ‘voluntarily’, and is subject to the provisions of S.28, which protect the right to hold the citizenship of another country if such citizenship is acquired by birth.

In other words, Section 28 states clearly that dual citizenship is allowable where one qualifies as a Nigerian by Birth as contained in Section 25 (1) (a), (b) and (c) of the Constitution. The only instance in which forfeiture of citizenship becomes applicable under the Constitution is by holders of: i) citizenship by registration under Section 26; and ii) citizenship by naturalization, under Section 27 of the Constitution.

The Court of Appeal decision in the case of Dr. Willie Ogebide v. Mr. Arigbe Osula {2004} 12 NWLR Part 886 pp 127 paragraphs D-G says it all. Adeniji JCA reading the lead judgment held that:
Holding the citizenship of another country does not preclude, disqualify or nullify a person from having, acquiring or retaining Nigerian citizenship by birth. This is even more prevalent where such citizenship has been acquired by birth. Furthermore, there is no requirement for a dual citizen of Nigeria (by birth) and another country to renounce either citizenship.

In view of the above, holding dual citizenship does not mean that a public office holder, like the Senate President had earlier changed his nationality in the past; it simply means he has held both citizenships simultaneously without the need to acquire one after the other. As both were acquired by birth, the Senate President automatically had both citizenships ‘bestowed’ on him from the moment of his birth.

To this end, citizens of a country by birth do not need to swear to an oath of allegiance to that country; it is only citizenship acquired through naturalization and registration that have the requirement to take an oath of allegiance. Above all, there is no evidence that Dr. Saraki took an oath of allegiance or intentionally attempted to conceal his UK citizenship – especially as he has never denied holding the citizenship in question.

One is however uncomprensible, as it beats ordinary sense of imagination of how Sahara Reporters went to extent of producing and pasting fake UK passport claiming it to be that of Senator Bukola Saraki. What on earth would Sahara Reporters benefit from such "pull him down at all cost" syndrome? This is an indication that the online media outfit is out to tarnish the image of the President of the Senate. It is a confirmation of the fact that Sahara Reporters is doing the bidding of its pay masters which is well known to all and sundry as the man behind the scene will soon be exposed and brought to the public domain.

It is also of importance to state categorically here that Senator Saraki's UK passport as posted on the website of Sahara Reporters is a forged document that deserve thorough investigation by the UK Home and passport Office. Senator Saraki on the 19th of July 2015, has instructed his Solicitors in UK to write the UK Home Office to commence immediate investigation into this act of criminality .There is no doubt that this is a typical criminal offence against the State and also an act of defamation of character against the President of the Senate and whoever is found responsible should be prosecuted. The question that needs to be unravelled thereof by the UK Home and passport Office, among other things; where did Sahara Reporters get a forged or fake UK passport which it claims it belongs to Senator Saraki and decided to post same on its website?.

To this end, it is no longer shocking, based on the antecedents of Sahara Reporters, the extent to which Sahara Reporters and its sponsors are willing to go to malign the person of Senator Saraki; passing off a forged/fake document as authentic is no doubt a criminal offence in every jurisdiction. Now that the entire public has clarity on Sahara Reporters and it's criminal indulgence, Sahara Reporters needs to explain the source of this fake document to the UK Home Office. Sahara Reporters, its cronies, allies and sponsors must be ready to face the full course of law upon conclusion of the investigation by the UK Authorities. We hereby urge the public to remain vigilant and be watchful of reports and and stories published by Sahara Reporters as they may be laced with blatant lies, deceit and criminality devoid of any iota of truth. We shall make public, the outcome of the investigation by the UK Home office and passport office.

Before the emergence of Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki as the President of the 8th National Assembly it was a strict contest between Senator Bukola Saraki and Senator Ahmad Lawan, a Senator representing Yobe North Federal Constituency of Yobe State. The election was conducted on the floor of senate on June 9, 2015 and Senator Bukola Saraki emerged as the Senate president of the 8th Assembly.

At this dire time, Nigeria needs a National Assembly that is capable of making laws that will change our old ways of governance. Our new leaders in the National Assembly are expected to make laws that will reinvent good governance, through probity, accountability, rule of law and respect for human rights. Hence, the emergence of Bukola Saraki as the Senate President of the 8th National Assembly was as a result of his optimum competency for the job. Saraki’s positive criticisms and contributions towards the 7thAssembly paved way for him as law maker in the upper chamber, because many of his colleagues believed that he was competent enough to saddle the affairs of the 8th National Assembly.

The Boko Haram insurgency, which began in 2009, when the rebel group started an armed rebellion against the government of Nigeria has claimed the lives of thousands. The violence escalated dramatically in 2014, leaving Maiduguri in Borno state is the epicenter of Boko Haram’s activities.

Over the years, Boko Haram has spread and caused a lot of damage and carnage in the North Eastern part of Nigeria, which has left several thousands of people displaced, abducted, kidnapped, wounded, orphaned, sexually abused, or forced into marriages. Former President Goodluck Jonathan did all he could to curb the menace, however his administration was unable to fight the insurgency to a standstill.

On Monday, the 3rd of August 2015, the Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki led a Senate delegation to Maiduguri in Borno State. Several IDP camps were visited on that day, as the primary aim of the visit was to bring hope to the people of Maiduguri, and report back to the Senate that urgent legislative action needed to be taken.

During the visit, Saraki said: “We have come to feel your pains and hear what you have been going through firsthand. We have come to try to understand the severe bloody struggle that you have had to endure and go through emotionally, physically, financially and in many other ways which can hardly be put in words.”

The Senate President further highlighted the fact that he could not in good conscience sit back in Abuja, while claiming to understand the level of work that needed to be done. He further promised that this new Senate, under the leadership of the Buhari-led federal government, would rather come to see things for themselves, in order to proffer a lasting solution to the menace and rehabilitation efforts.

Over the years that the insurgency has spread across the North East region, past senate leaderships never even tried to pay formal visits to the North Eastern region – this is because of the security risks involved. In this regard, Bukola Saraki’s giant step in leading a delegation of other Senators to Maiduguri is commendable, as this will go a long way in bringing hope to the internally displaced people.

Although negative opinion writers have claimed that Saraki’s visit to Maiduguri is as a preparation to make himself a potential presidential candidate in 2019. Bukola Saraki’s visit to Maiduguri did not connote anything political, but showed that its all about striving to understand a problem, before attempting to solve it.

In 2013, as the Chairman Senate committee on Environment and Ecology, Bukola Saraki visited Zamfara for #savebagega – when the entire Bagega area and all the other villages of Zamfara state. Since that visit, following the work of his committee, the area which had been ravaged by lead poisoning has now become fully remediated.

Additionally, Saraki went to Ogoniland on the issue of the cleanup of extensive oil spillages, to ensure that the environmental degradation in the Niger Delta was dealt with. All these visitations was to get job done and not politically inclined.

All in all, the visit by the Senate President and his delegation to Maiduguri cannot go unmentioned as it represents that Senator Saraki and his colleagues are willing to use their capacity as lawmakers to make positive impacts in the life of the people – regardless of ethnic, religious and gender considerations.

Indeed, the step by Senator Saraki and the entire delegation is a step in the right direction. This has shown that the APC-led 8th Senate, is definitely making great moves on proffering lasting solutions to the Boko Haram menace which has been the plight of the people in the North East.

Before the emergence of Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki as the President of the 8th National Assembly it was a strict contest between Senator Bukola Saraki and Senator Ahmad Lawan, a Senator representing Yobe North Federal Constituency of Yobe State. The election was conducted on the floor of senate on June 9, 2015 and Senator Bukola Saraki emerged as the Senate president of the 8th Assembly.

At this dire time, Nigeria needs a National Assembly that is capable of making laws that will change our old ways of governance. Our new leaders in the National Assembly are expected to make laws that will reinvent good governance, through probity, accountability, rule of law and respect for human rights. Hence, the emergence of Bukola Saraki as the Senate President of the 8th National Assembly was as a result of his optimum competency for the job. Saraki’s positive criticisms and contributions towards the 7thAssembly paved way for him as law maker in the upper chamber, because many of his colleagues believed that he was competent enough to saddle the affairs of the 8th National Assembly.

The Boko Haram insurgency, which began in 2009, when the rebel group started an armed rebellion against the government of Nigeria has claimed the lives of thousands. The violence escalated dramatically in 2014, leaving Maiduguri in Borno state is the epicenter of Boko Haram’s activities.

Over the years, Boko Haram has spread and caused a lot of damage and carnage in the North Eastern part of Nigeria, which has left several thousands of people displaced, abducted, kidnapped, wounded, orphaned, sexually abused, or forced into marriages. Former President Goodluck Jonathan did all he could to curb the menace, however his administration was unable to fight the insurgency to a standstill.

On Monday, the 3rd of August 2015, the Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki led a Senate delegation to Maiduguri in Borno State. Several IDP camps were visited on that day, as the primary aim of the visit was to bring hope to the people of Maiduguri, and report back to the Senate that urgent legislative action needed to be taken.

During the visit, Saraki said: “We have come to feel your pains and hear what you have been going through firsthand. We have come to try to understand the severe bloody struggle that you have had to endure and go through emotionally, physically, financially and in many other ways which can hardly be put in words.”

The Senate President further highlighted the fact that he could not in good conscience sit back in Abuja, while claiming to understand the level of work that needed to be done. He further promised that this new Senate, under the leadership of the Buhari-led federal government, would rather come to see things for themselves, in order to proffer a lasting solution to the menace and rehabilitation efforts.

Over the years that the insurgency has spread across the North East region, past senate leaderships never even tried to pay formal visits to the North Eastern region - this is because of the security risks involved. In this regard, Bukola Saraki’s giant step in leading a delegation of other Senators to Maiduguri is commendable, as this will go a long way in bringing hope to the internally displaced people.

Although negative opinion writers have claimed that Saraki’s visit to Maiduguri is as a preparation to make himself a potential presidential candidate in 2019. Bukola Saraki’s visit to Maiduguri did not connote anything political, but showed that its all about striving to understand a problem, before attempting to solve it.

In 2013, as the Chairman Senate committee on Environment and Ecology, Bukola Saraki visited Zamfara for #savebagega - when the entire Bagega area and all the other villages of Zamfara state. Since that visit, following the work of his committee, the area which had been ravaged by lead poisoning has now become fully remediated.

Additionally, Saraki went to Ogoniland on the issue of the cleanup of extensive oil spillages, to ensure that the environmental degradation in the Niger Delta was dealt with. All these visitations was to get job done and not politically inclined.

All in all, the visit by the Senate President and his delegation to Maiduguri cannot go unmentioned as it represents that Senator Saraki and his colleagues are willing to use their capacity as lawmakers to make positive impacts in the life of the people – regardless of ethnic, religious and gender considerations.

Indeed the step by Senator Saraki and the entire delegation is a step in the right direction. This has shown that the APC-led 8th Senate, is definitely making great moves on proffering lasting solutions to the Boko Haram menace which has been the plight of the people in the North East.

HOW NASS CLERK STALLED PLOT TO STOP SARAKI AS SENATE PRESIDENT

IT emerged in Abuja, on Sunday, that the Clerk to the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa, rejected plot by some politicians to stall the inauguration of the National Assembly on June 9.

The clerk also stalled the bid to stop the election of Senate President, DR BUKOLA SARAKI, after rejecting a proposal to call off the sitting of the Senate at 10.00 a.m. on June 9.

Sources in the National Assembly had told the Nigerian Tribune that following the rejection of the proposal to send reminder text messages to all senators and members of the House of Representatives for a meeting at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, by the APC national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, leaders of the party behind the push resorted to the national secretary.

It was also gathered that the leaders sent three ranking senators to Maikasuwa to convey to him the need to keep the sitting of the Senate in abeyance.

Sources said the lawmakers told Maikasuwa that the Unity Forum, favoured by the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Senate leadership positions, could not win the election on the floor if SARAKI was allowed to gain entry and get nominated.

The emissaries were also said to have told the clerk that the only option open to the party was to drag SARAKI and others before President Muhammadu Buhari, so that the president could appeal to the Kwara senator to withdraw from the race.

Sources, however, told the Nigerian Tribune that the clerk said he had prepared for the inauguration of the National Assembly, armed with the constitution and the Rule Book, adding that if the APC senators failed to appear at the sitting, the senators of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who are 49 in number, could form the quorum 40 inaugurate the House.

The ranking senator that led the delegation to Maikasuwa was said to have told the clerk that all APC senators were to stay away from the sitting.

But the clerk was said to have insisted that the PDP senators alone would form quorum in the Senate chamber that day.

The clerk was also said to have told the APC senators that the proclamation already issued by the president was more or less a law binding on him to conduct the sitting of the Senate at 10.00 a.m.

He was also said to have told his guests that the proclamation could only be issued once in the lifetime of a National Assembly, meaning that the one issued could not be withdrawn.

The clerk was said to have studied the aide memoir prepared by his predecessors while preparing the Rule Books of the Current Senate and the House of Representatives in 1998, ahead of the inauguration of the Fourth Republic in 1999.

Sources further said the leaders of the APC then got message to security agencies to block the entrance of the National Assembly and stop anyone from gaining entrance and that by so doing, the sitting could be frustrated.

Sources said words, however, later got to the presidency that the gates of the National Assembly had been blocked, prompting the Villa to get words across to the Inspector-General of Police to immediately ensure that gates of the National Assembly complex were thrown open.

The message enabled the pro-SARAKI senators and PDP lawmakers to gain access to the complex and enabled Maikasuwa to conduct the election of presiding officers of the Senate that day.

Sen Bukola Saraki remains the most qualified for that seat, I support Sen Bukola Saraki for Senate President

The 8th assembly is very pertinent to the CHANGE we are all clamoring for, it definitely demands an efficient leadership to compliments efforts
by the president elect to move Nigeria to a country we all have been hoping and praying for, nominating a candidate for this position should go beyond personal sentiments, political differences. Competency should be the major yardstick in nominating candidate for this very important position

At this dire time of political recovery, a docile Senate President isn't what Nigeria needs to move the country to a greater height, What we need is an energetic, young vibrant mind that will strengthen the nation’s unity for progress, peace and bring about economic and political stability in the country.

Contenders jostling for the leadership of the 8th National Assembly are Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki from North central,Senator George Akume from North Central and senator Ahmed Lawan from North East, judging from their antecedents we should be able to come out with a candidate whom the cap fits to steer the leadership of the 8th National Assembly

Senator Bukola saraki's style of leadership is unique, the people comes first in his decision making, this makes kwarans rally more support for him,

As regards the issue of pension as a former governor of Kwara State, Sen. Bukola Saraki never received a dine as pension from the State government, sometimes last year he dedicated his accrued pension to a scholarship scheme tagged Abubakar Bukola Saraki Students Foundation (ABSSF) in order to assist the less privileged students both indigene and non indigene in Kwara

Saraki has been a very upright leader bold enough to tweak the vision envisaged by our founding fathers by raising the motion on transparency and accountability in fuel subsidy management. This led to the probe of the downstream sector and reduced wastage on subsidy payment to unlicensed oil marketers, a feat applauded by Nigerians back home and in the diaspora.

Saraki took some bold and risky steps which I wont expect him to get a hug from the Federal Government, in order to dent is image SFU, EFCC was used against him, anytime he is invited he always honour their invitation

A larger percentage of both the newly elected senators and serving senators has endorsed the senate presidency of Bukola Saraki, Their reason is hinged on his cognate legislative experience and the impact he has brought to the chamber despite being his first legislative tenure. The task for the Senate Presidency requires a candidate that can communicate effectively, perform well under pressure and build a trustworthy team that can function with minimal interferences. Bukola Saraki has demonstrated these traits at every given opportunity; hence the right man to lead the 8th assembly post may 29th 2015.

For an effective leadership of the 8th national assembly I urge APC to bank more on candidate's track records in nominating a candidate for this great post, Truth be told, there are a couple of legislators in their third or fourth terms with little or nothing to show for the confidence reposed in them by their people; they ride on the back of their party’s popularity to win elections without any impact on their constituency.

Bukola Saraki’s first term as a Senator will be enough a guide to the doubting Thomas in extrapolating his leadership qualities when compared to his contemporaries. In his four years in the senate, Bukola Saraki validated his legislative experience in key areas such as Environment, Finance, Health and Agriculture. He has championed the passage of many bills in favour of the masses such as the Anti-tobacco bill, the Nosdra amendment bill for tougher sanction on oil spillage despite the fact that the assembly receives about one hundred and fifty bills yearly and a host of several interventions to ensure safety of lives and the environment.

I SUPPORT SENATOR BUKOLA SARAKI FOR SENATE PRESIDENT

The 8th assembly is very pertinent to the CHANGE we are all clamoring for, it definitely demands an efficient leadership to compliments efforts
by the president elect to move Nigeria to a country we all have been hoping and praying for, nominating a candidate for this position should go beyond personal sentiments, political differences. Competency should be the major yardstick in nominating candidate for this very important position

At this dire time of political recovery, a docile Senate President isn't what Nigeria needs to move the country to a greater height, What we need is an energetic, young vibrant mind that will strengthen the nation’s unity for progress, peace and bring about economic and political stability in the country.

Contenders jostling for the leadership of the 8th National Assembly are Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki from North central,Senator George Akume from North Central and senator Ahmed Lawan from North East, judging from their antecedents we should be able to come out with a candidate whom the cap fits to steer the leadership of the 8th National Assembly


Senator Bukola saraki's style of leadership is unique, the people comes first in his decision making, this makes kwarans rally more support for him,

As regards the issue of pension as a former governor of Kwara State, Sen. Bukola Saraki never received a dine as pension from the State government, sometimes last year he dedicated his accrued pension to a scholarship scheme tagged Abubakar Bukola Saraki Students Foundation (ABSSF) in order to assist the less privileged students both indigene and non indigene in Kwara

Saraki has been a very upright leader bold enough to tweak the vision envisaged by our founding fathers by raising the motion on transparency and accountability in fuel subsidy management. This led to the probe of the downstream sector and reduced wastage on subsidy payment to unlicensed oil marketers, a feat applauded by Nigerians back home and in the diaspora.

Saraki took some bold and risky steps which I wont expect him to get a hug from the Federal Government, in order to dent is image SFU, EFCC was used against him, anytime he is invited he always honour their invitation

A larger percentage of both the newly elected senators and serving senators has endorsed the senate presidency of Bukola Saraki, Their reason is hinged on his cognate legislative experience and the impact he has brought to the chamber despite being his first legislative tenure. The task for the Senate Presidency requires a candidate that can communicate effectively, perform well under pressure and build a trustworthy team that can function with minimal interferences. Bukola Saraki has demonstrated these traits at every given opportunity; hence the right man to lead the 8th assembly post may 29th 2015