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6<br />

NEWS<br />

Tambuwal urges new legislators to<br />

make welfare of citizens priority<br />

PEAKER of the House of<br />

Representatives Aminu<br />

Tambuwal has said the Swelfare of the people should<br />

be the priority of the 8th National<br />

Assembly.<br />

According to him, this could<br />

only be achieved through people-oriented<br />

legislative responsibilities.<br />

Tambuwal spoke in Abuja on<br />

Sunday night at the induction<br />

of incoming federal legislators.<br />

He said the new members<br />

should strive to exceed the performance<br />

of the 7th Assembly,<br />

which passed 108 of the over<br />

481 Bills that were introduced<br />

on the floor of the House of<br />

Representatives since inauguration<br />

from June 2011.<br />

According to him, the House<br />

introduced a total of 825 motions<br />

of which 554 were referred<br />

to committees and another<br />

162 passed as resolutions.<br />

Saying that there was a huge<br />

challenge for the 8th Assembly<br />

to perform better than the<br />

outgoing Assembly, Tambuwal<br />

urged the lawmakers to aggressively<br />

pursue principles of<br />

good governance and work<br />

diligently to promote growth<br />

From Victor Oluwasegun<br />

and Dele Anofi, Abuja<br />

and development.<br />

He noted that the parliament<br />

was a critical component and<br />

necessary ingredient of democracy<br />

and good governance<br />

which requires the existence of<br />

a strong legislature.<br />

“It is time to promote national<br />

integration and participatory<br />

governance through inclusiveness,<br />

freedom, equality,<br />

Justice, transparency, accountability,<br />

the rule of law equitable<br />

use of the national resources<br />

and equal opportunities for<br />

all, in order to secure the maximum<br />

welfare, freedom and<br />

happiness of the citizenry.<br />

“These are core ingredients<br />

of good governance which every<br />

government, freely elected<br />

by the people, is expected<br />

to put into effect,” he added.<br />

In her remarks, the Director<br />

General, Nigerian Institute of<br />

Legislative Studies, Dr. Ladi<br />

Hamalai, said the induction<br />

course was to prepare the incoming<br />

legislators with the<br />

relevant tools required for the<br />

complex and daunting task of<br />

legislation and governance.<br />

NGE convention: Ajimobi, Kalu<br />

greet Adesina on re-election<br />

By Kelvin Osa-Okubor<br />

YO State Governor<br />

Abiola Ajimobi and<br />

former Abia State OGovernor Orji Kalu have described<br />

the re-election of Mr.<br />

Femi Adesina as the president<br />

of Nigeria Guild of Editors<br />

(NGE) as a reward for robust<br />

leadership and unwavering<br />

commitment to excellence in<br />

journalism.<br />

Ajimobi, in a congratulatory<br />

message in Ibadan yesterday<br />

by his Special Adviser on Media,<br />

Dr. Festus Adedayo, acknowledged<br />

that Adesina’s reelection<br />

was borne out of his<br />

noteworthy and commendable<br />

contributions to best journalism<br />

practice in the country in<br />

the last two years.<br />

“I am not surprised by Mr.<br />

Adesina’s re-election, having<br />

followed his activities and<br />

leadership style since he took<br />

up the mantle of leadership of<br />

the NGE two years ago.<br />

“He has exhibited uncommon<br />

commitment to the advancement<br />

of journalism and<br />

adherence to the ethics of the<br />

profession. Mr. Adesina has<br />

brought his gentlemanly personality<br />

and courteous approach<br />

to issues to his leadership,<br />

a feat that has paid off with<br />

his re-election,’’ the governor<br />

said.<br />

Ajimobi expressed the optimism<br />

that his leadership for<br />

another two years would further<br />

elevate journalism to an<br />

enviable standard and boost<br />

the image of the Guild.<br />

Kalu, who is the publisher of<br />

New Telegraph and The Sun, described<br />

the Adesina as a seasoned<br />

media professional,<br />

who has contributed immensely<br />

to journalism in Nigeria.<br />

He noted that the re-election<br />

of the managing director and<br />

Editor-in-Chief of The Sun as<br />

president of NGE was a testimony<br />

to the goodwill he had<br />

built among his colleagues and<br />

other stakeholders in the media<br />

industry.<br />

In a goodwill message by his<br />

Special Adviser, Kunle<br />

Oyewumi, Kalu said: “I extend<br />

my special regards to my colleague,<br />

Mr. Femi Adesina,<br />

who returned as NGE President<br />

unopposed. It is a clear<br />

indication that since he assumed<br />

office two years ago, he<br />

has been able to consolidate on<br />

the achievements of his predecessor<br />

in the interest of the association.<br />

I have no doubt that<br />

Mr. Adesina will continue to<br />

steer the ship of the body without<br />

bias so as to take the body<br />

to the promised land.”<br />

Makarfi backs Buhari on missing $20b<br />

HE Chairman of Senate<br />

Committee on Finance,<br />

Ahmed Mohammed TMakarfi, has supported the<br />

plan by the President-elect,<br />

Muhammadu Buhari, to investigate<br />

alleged missing $20 billion<br />

from the Nigerian National<br />

Petroleum Corporation<br />

(NNPC).<br />

Makarfi, who spoke with<br />

The Nation in Abuja yesterday,<br />

said the National Assembly<br />

has been kept in the dark over<br />

the forensic report undertaken<br />

by the PriceWaterHouse-<br />

Coopers on the missing oil<br />

money.<br />

According to him, following<br />

the release of the forensic report,<br />

the Senate Committee<br />

on Finance wrote the Auditor<br />

General of the Federation, the<br />

From Blessing Olaifa,<br />

Assistant Editor, Abuja<br />

Ministries of Finance and Petroleum<br />

to make the report<br />

available to the National Assembly.<br />

He said to the chagrin of the<br />

National Assembly members,<br />

the Ministries of Finance and<br />

Petroleum ignored the letters.<br />

He said it was regrettably<br />

that only the Auditor-General,<br />

Ukura Samuel, replied the<br />

letter by saying that he could<br />

only furnish the National Assembly<br />

with the report on the<br />

instruction of President Goodluck<br />

Jonathan or that the National<br />

Assembly, through the<br />

committee, should itself write<br />

the President requesting for a<br />

copy.<br />

HE Senate Minority<br />

Leader Senator George<br />

Akume said yesterday Tthat his concern is how to<br />

evolve a very strong and stable<br />

Senate.<br />

Also yesterday, Chairman<br />

Senate Committee on Public<br />

Accounts, Senator Ahmad Lawan<br />

(Yobe North), said the<br />

Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB)<br />

may not be passed soon due<br />

to some of its controversial<br />

contents.<br />

Akume, who spoke with reporters<br />

in Abuja, said the Senate<br />

could not afford to fail in<br />

view of the enormous expectation<br />

of the people.<br />

He said he would not comment<br />

on his ambition to be<br />

Senate President in the 8th<br />

Senate, but would rather allow<br />

the will of God to be<br />

done.<br />

When asked to react to the<br />

fact that people were seeing<br />

him as the possible next Senate<br />

President, Akume said:<br />

“Basically, my concern is to<br />

work along with my colleagues<br />

for the purpose of<br />

having a very stable legislature<br />

- a legislature that is<br />

strong and independent<br />

enough and that is prepared<br />

to work for the benefit of the<br />

people.<br />

“Much is expected from us<br />

THE NATION TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015<br />

•Front row: President-elect Muhammadu Buhari (third right); Nasarawa State Governor Umaru Al-Makura (second left); Emir of Lafia<br />

Dr. Isa Mustafa (left), and others when the Nasarawa delegation visited the president-elect in Abuja...yesterday. PHOTO: NAN<br />

Mark faults Fed Govt over court action<br />

ENATE President David<br />

Mark yesterday criticised<br />

the Federal Gov- Sernment for taking the National<br />

Assembly before the Supreme<br />

Court over some sections<br />

of the Constitution<br />

Amendment Bill.<br />

The Federal Government<br />

had invoked the original jurisdiction<br />

of the Supreme Court<br />

to scuttle the ongoing amendment<br />

process of the 1999 Constitution<br />

by the National Assembly.<br />

The government claimed<br />

that the National Assembly did<br />

not comply with the constitutional<br />

procedure of altering the<br />

constitution before transmitting<br />

it to President Goodluck<br />

Jonathan for assent.<br />

Mark, who spoke while answering<br />

questions from reporters<br />

at the induction course for<br />

elected and returning federal<br />

lawmakers in Abuja, said he<br />

could not understand the rationale<br />

for the said suit.<br />

•Ekweremadu: we’ve not been served<br />

From Onyedi Ojiabor,<br />

Assistant Editor and Sanni<br />

Onogu, Abuja<br />

Mark said: “The President has<br />

taken a bill to the court and you<br />

heard people saying it is a bill<br />

at the moment, unless it is<br />

signed. I really don’t see why<br />

they are in court. But anybody<br />

can go to court. So, I can’t stop<br />

you from going to court, can<br />

I?”<br />

But, the Deputy Senate President,<br />

Ike Ekweremadu, said the<br />

National Assembly was not<br />

aware that the Presidency has<br />

taken the legislature to court<br />

over the Fourth Alteration to<br />

the constitution.<br />

Ekweremadu, who is the<br />

chairman, Senate Committee<br />

on the Review of the 1999 Constitution,<br />

said the National Assembly<br />

has not been served any<br />

court process regarding the<br />

constitution alteration.<br />

My concern for the Senate, by Akume<br />

•Lawan: why PIB may not be passed soon<br />

From Onyedi Ojiabor,<br />

Assistant Editor and Sanni<br />

Onogu, Abuja<br />

and we cannot afford to fail. I<br />

am not talking about the Senate’s<br />

presidency now. I just<br />

want to say that each senator<br />

is capable of presiding over<br />

affairs of the legislature.<br />

“I am a senator first and<br />

foremost and I know that anything<br />

can follow if it is the<br />

will of God.”<br />

Lawan said the PIB might<br />

not be passed soon unless its<br />

controversial provisions are<br />

removed.<br />

He said: “The PIB was left<br />

pending in the 6th and 7th Assembly<br />

and it will be left<br />

pending in the 8th Assembly,<br />

if it is not drafted properly.<br />

“There are so many contentious<br />

provisions or clauses in<br />

the PIB in the 7th Senate and<br />

we argued against the passage<br />

of the Bill provided those<br />

clauses remain in the Bill. I<br />

think the new government<br />

will have an opportunity to<br />

take a holistic look at the provisions<br />

and maybe achieve a<br />

compromise after horse-trading<br />

or make it a more pan-<br />

Nigerian bill, so that every<br />

Also yesterday, EKweremadu<br />

advised the Executive<br />

not to interfere in the election<br />

of presiding officers for both<br />

chambers of the National Assembly.<br />

He noted that all past efforts<br />

at imposing leadership on any<br />

arm of the National Assembly<br />

backfired.<br />

He urged newly elected<br />

lawmakers to respect the principle<br />

of ranking already established<br />

in both chambers as it<br />

would ultimately benefit<br />

them.<br />

Ekweremadu said: “The concept<br />

of leadership is the same<br />

everywhere and it is about<br />

positive influence, transformation<br />

and goal actualisation.<br />

Even within families and animals<br />

like ants, when they are<br />

moving, there is always a leader.<br />

“In the past, some Nigerians<br />

part of Nigeria will feel accommodated.<br />

“In the bill, so much power<br />

was given to the Minister of<br />

Petroleum Resources. We are<br />

not going to give the Minister<br />

of Petroleum such powers<br />

than the President has.<br />

“So, there are so many<br />

things against the bill. No<br />

matter what someone would<br />

say, we represent constituencies<br />

and senatorial districts. I<br />

account for my actions here<br />

in my senatorial district in<br />

Yobe and there is no way I<br />

can be part of the passage of<br />

PIB without getting some of<br />

these clauses that are controversial,<br />

that are anti my people<br />

reworked.<br />

“But I believe this time<br />

around because the All Progressives<br />

Congress (APC) is<br />

in control, there would be justice<br />

for everyone.”<br />

A senator-elect, Ben Murray<br />

Bruce, yesterday said there<br />

was need for the incoming<br />

government of the APC to<br />

begin a movement to protect<br />

the poor.<br />

He insisted that the major<br />

challenge in the polity is that<br />

people seek public office to<br />

enrich themselves.<br />

tried to impose principal officers<br />

on the NASS. We recall that<br />

when Ghali Na’Abba was having<br />

issues in the House, they<br />

were able to resolve it because<br />

there was no external influence,<br />

but we had a running<br />

battle with the Executive when<br />

Patricia Etteh was Speaker because<br />

of the support of the Executive<br />

and we saw what happened.<br />

“So, it is advisable to allow<br />

the legislators to elect their<br />

principal officers without interference.<br />

“In the NASS, we have laiddown<br />

provisions for principal<br />

officers and one is the issue of<br />

ranking. As a new legislator,<br />

you have to accept this<br />

provision that ranking officers<br />

are elected because tomorrow<br />

you may be a beneficiary, so it<br />

is good for this provision to be<br />

sacrosanct.”<br />

He added: “That must stop.<br />

When you seek public office<br />

you must care about the poor<br />

people who voted you into<br />

office.<br />

“The people who voted me<br />

into office live under the tree.<br />

The people who voted some<br />

of my colleagues into office<br />

live in the desert. Some live<br />

under the bridge like in Lagos<br />

and other cities.<br />

“So, they are poor they live<br />

on two dollars or one dollar<br />

a day. So, when we seek public<br />

office, our main concern is<br />

to protect, give them hope<br />

and make it possible for them<br />

to live.<br />

“When we come into office<br />

and we live this exorbitant<br />

lifestyle, then we have failed<br />

them.”<br />

On her part, Speaker of the<br />

Oyo State House of Assembly<br />

and Senator-elect, Monsurat<br />

Sunmonu, said she would<br />

champion issues concerning<br />

women empowerment during<br />

her stay in the Senate<br />

among others.<br />

She called for more opportunities<br />

for Nigerian women<br />

so they can perform like renowned<br />

women in other<br />

climes.

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