Senators to Buhari: You can’t force us to do your biddings

The leadership of the National Assembly has vowed to resist any form of intimidation from the executives, insisting that their interference would distract them from their constitutional obligations.
NASS leadership represented by Senators Solomon Olamilekan, Samuel Anyanwu and Abdufatai Buhari, confirmed their position when they addressed  protesters that stormed NASS complex in Abuja yesterday to protest what they termed “government unwarranted efforts to undermine the institution of the legislature.”
The protesters under the aegis of  the Coalition in Defence of Nigerian Democracy and Constitution, besieged the National Assembly not only to support the legislators over some key decisions it had taken in recent times but to also register their grievances against alleged attempts by the executive arm of government to undermine the legislature.
Led by Mr Ariyo-Dare Atoye, the youths said they were concerned over unfolding development regarding the relationship between the executive and the legislature, adding that the protest was meant to draw the attention of the world to the continued efforts by the executive arm of government to undermine the legislature.
“We are here to inform the world that democracy is under threat in Nigeria. We have seen some very wicked, satanic and devilish attempts to destroy the National Assembly by some people who have obnoxious proposition about the need to scrap the Senate or the National Assembly.
“We are not here to defend an individual senator or the leadership of the Senate, but we to defend the institution and independence of the National Assembly.
“We will not allow the likes of Prof. Itsey Sagay and Femi Falana to misinterpret what the constitution says. These people, when the DSS invaded the residences of our judges, came out to commend the DSS and insisted that the judges invaded should step down.
“But the same DSS report indicted the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu but the same people started blaming the National Assembly and saying Magu must remain on his seat. Where do we go from here?” he queried.
Meanwhile, the Senators have tasked Nigerians to believe in the legislature, saying it was firmed in its resolve to ensure Nigerians get their fair share of democratic dividends.
“Let me stand on behalf of the leadership of the National Assembly under Senator Bukola Saraki and the Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, to thank the people of this country for coming out in their number to reject executive interference in the activities of the legislature.
“We have listened to all that have been said and I want to tell you that there’s no way, and nobody can kill the legislature,” Olamilekan said.
Meanwhile, the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly Matters (Senate) Ita Enang, has said Nigerians should be worried if the executive and legislative work and in gloves.
He said for democracy to thrive, disagreement between the two arms of government was inevitable.
He, however, described the relationship  between executive and legislative as perfect, cordial, constitutional.
Enang who spoke to State House correspondents said the constant interractions between Senate President, Bukola Saraki and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, was a confirmation of the cordial relations between both arms.
Senate had last month suspended for two weeks, the consideration of 27 Resident Electoral Commissioner nominees (for the Independent National Electoral Commission), forwarded to it for confirmation by the President, until  the Acting Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, was sacked.
The Senate rejected Magu’s nomination  following a “security report” before it.
The Senate had also requested Buhari to  sack the Secretary to the Government of Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal over alleged N200 million contract scam in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp involving a firm in which he is believed to have  links.
The  Senate had also threatened to sack the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS),  Hameed Ali,  if he failed to obey its order on the suspension of the policy on the collection of duties on old vehicles and also appear before the Red Chambers in uniform.
The presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) chairman, Itse Sagay,  has also been at loggerheads with the Senate, as he said the upper chamber lacked the authority to summon him for expressing an opinion.
According to Enang, even though there appeared to be tension sometimes between the two arms, like  the screening of the ministerial and ambassadorial nominees, leading to some of them being dropped, it did not in anyway mean the executive and the legislature were at loggerheads.
He noted that the duty of the legislature was to screen nominees and their rejection of one or two was a demonstration of their being thorough on the job.
Enang said, “I am here to confirm to you that the relationship between the Executive and the Legislature is very cordial, constitutional, and in all manners, usual.”

Source: The Sun

IPOB: Court fixes April 25 to rule on secret trial

Justice Binta Nyako has fixed  April 25 to deliver ruling in the application of leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, seeking a variation of the order of court on protection of witnesses in his trial.
Kanu, in the said application asked the court to set aside the order made on December 13, 2016 for the protection of witnesses.
Lead defence counsel, Ifeanyi Ejiofor with  Inalegwu Adoga, E.I Esene and Chukwuma Ozougwu argued that having been acquitted of the charges of terrorism and importation of weapons, the defendant cannot be tried with the identities of witnesses based on section 36(6) of the 1999 Constitution.
But counsel to the Federal Government, Suleiman Labaran urged the court to dismiss the application as it was a ploy to delay the trial.
Also, former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi has called on the Federal Government to embrace dialogue  and consultations as the only way to quell the agitations in the country including  agitating for the independent state of Biafra.
This was just as he said leaders of the South East, regardless of their political affiliations must work together and to speak with one voice in order to confront the perceived marginalization of the zone.
Obi who stated this  yesterday in  Government  House, Owerri after a closed-door meeting with Governor Rochas Okorocha pointed out that in any democratic dispensation, the only way to quell agitations and disaffection in the system was through dialogue and consultations. Meanwhile, IPOB has commended elders, monarchs, women, youths, businessmen and other well meaning Biafrans who stormed the Federal Court, Abuja, yesterday, to show solidarity for its leader.
The group noted that the gesture touched on the ethos of IPOB which shows brotherhood (onuru ube nwanne agbala oso) as well as love, determination and dedication the people have towards its leader and others standing trial with him.
This is even as General Overseer of Mount Zion Faith Global Liberation Ministries,  Bishop Udeh Abraham Chris urged South East governors requesting the release of the leader of IPOB, Kanu, to also ask the Muhammadu Buhari administration to grant the people in Biafran land their demand for self-determination.

SOURCE: THE SUN

BREAKING: Court unfreezes Patience Jonathan’s $5.9m account

Reports reaching us now indicate that a Federal High Court in Lagos has unfrozen former first lady Patience Jonathan’s account containing $5.9 million.

It was gathered that the court premises was again besieged by supporters of the wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Pictures from the court premises showed large number of women waiting for the judgment that eventually returned Patience’s millions of dollars back to her.

Source: The Sun

Nigerian lawmakers ask JAMB to extend 2017 UTME registration deadline

The House of Representatives has urged the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB to extend the one month deadline given to applicants for the 2017 UTME exercise by at least another month to create more space for prospective applicants.
The call was contained in a motion on Tuesday raised by Danburan Nuhu (Kano-APC)
Mr. Nuhu said during the 2016 UTME exercise, about 1.6 million applicants registered out of which about one million passed while the 2017 exercise might reach 2million across the country given the growing number of applicants.
“Some of the approved centres are registering 250 applicants at a time and most of them are not spacious, do not have adequate number of computers,” he said.
He urged the examination body to specify the requirements including safety measures, which qualify any centre to participate in the conduct of UTME Computer Based Test.
He also urged JAMB to deploy safety equipment to each centre to forestall any incidence of stampede due to overcrowding.
The motion was unanimously adopted by the House and the committee on basic education was mandated to direct JAMB to comply with the resolutions.
The JAMB has repeatedly said it has no plans of extending the April 19 registration deadline for the UTME.
On Monday, the agency said it had registered about 600,000 applicants already.

SOURCE: Premium Times

If we break Nigeria into components, Northern Nigeria will be the poorest – Sanusi

Muhammadu Sanusi II, Emir of Kano, in his key note address during the opening ceremony of Kaduna state's investment programme titled 'Promoting Investment Amidst Economic Challenges' says northern Nigeria will be the poorest if the country is broken into components.

The Emir made the disclosure at the second edition of the Kaduna Investment Forum, Kadinvest 2.0 in the state.

He says the North east and west are the most poorest in the country and even in the world.

The Emir urged the region not to use the oil rich Niger delta, commercially viable Lagos and business oriented south east to mirror the living standard of the North.

Going further, he urged Muslims to imbibe education and stop using religion and culture to set the region backward.

“Other Muslim nations have put forward girl education. Other Muslim countries have pushed on. We are fighting culture, we are fighting civilization. You tell me that you should not write love book in northern Nigerian.

He also says it is wrong to burn books of science based on religion. “What is the crime of those books?” he asks.

Going further, he questioned the right of people in having more children in the region without having the resource to take care of them.

“Of what benefit is it to the north, having 3 million children roaming about?” he asks.

UNIBEN loses a 300l student

Tragedy struck in the University of Benin as a 300 level student of the Department of Linguistics Studies, Segun Arowolo, was confirmed dead.

Segun was said to have collapsed in his hostel after writing his final paper in the just concluded first semester examination.

However, the actual cause of his death has not been confirmed but a report has it that he died of an 'undisclosed aliment' which is believed to be hepatitis.

May is soul rest in perfect peace.

JAMB introduces new process of purchasing PIN

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has said that eligible candidates for its 2017 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, can now purchase the pin for registration using the Remita mode.
The board said  yesterday the development came on the heels of the reported challenges the candidates faced in an attempt to acquire the pins from NIPOST and designated banks.
The Head of Information of JAMB, Fabian Benjamin, said the board had noted the many headaches of prospective candidates from various parts of the country, including Lagos, adding that candidates had lamented the difficulties involved in obtaining the pins from designated banks on the payment of N5,500 and the subsequent hassles in getting registered.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the registration of candidates for the examination started on March 20.
It was also reported that the candidates had described the process as cumbersome and frustrating as they had to queue as early as 2 or 3 a.m. in some cases in banks just to acquire pins.
They had also said that often times, they spent the entire day waiting endlessly without results as the bank officials tell them that they could not access the site for the pins.
They also said the development normally forced them to spend almost an entire week trying and that even when they succeeded, they start facing the task of registration at overcrowded centres.
According to Mr. Benjamin, candidates are advised not to panic as every eligible candidate desirous of registering will do so before the closing date of April 19.
“We appreciate the fact that the sales of the UTME for 2017 which is hitherto set to last for six weeks has been reduced to one month.
“This was done in the interest of the candidates as it was to ensure that the challenges candidates are going through are resolved,” he said.
“To further cushion the effect of these challenges, we have decided to bring the Remitta mode on board.
“Candidates can now purchase the pin for registration from the comfort of their homes.
“So, aside the banks and NIPOST, candidates can now purchase the pins through Remita,” Mr. Benjamin said in a statement.
The statement explained why the board banned cyber cafes from registering candidates for the examination, noting that activities in the cafes damaged records and statistics of candidates.
“In as much as we want to be inclusive, we cannot look the other way while students’ records and national statistics are mutilated.
“Ours is an examination, so we cannot be guided by primordial consideration over quality and standard,” it said.
According to the statement, most problems associated with candidates’ registration such as wrong spellings of names, wrongful placement of passport photograph and others emanates from the business centres at registration points.
“Don’t forget, it is virtually impossible to regulate the activities of these business centres as their mode of operations did not provide necessary details about them.
“These problems created by cafes make information gathering, processing and administration of examination cumbersome as records and data of candidates are distorted.
“The accreditation centres are on the board’s website for easy identification cohesion and smooth operation,” it explained.
He added that the board would continue to expand the frontiers and channels of the sales of the pins in virtually all the banks, with a view to bringing the services to the door step of every Nigerian child desirous of qualitative tertiary education.
According to the statement, examination is a serious business and it cannot be left open the way some people want it to be.
“We again urge Nigerians particularly anxious candidates not to fall prey to unsuspecting and dubious individuals who parade themselves as agents of JAMB with the intention to defraud them.
“The board’s e-brochures and syllabus are on the CD to be given out to candidates and it is free and available as a guide to candidates to have a hitch-free registration exercise,” the statement said.

SOURCE: VANGUARD