Category: News

Outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari, has conferred the National Honour of Grand Commander of Order of Federal Republic, (GCFR) on the incoming President of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

Buhari conferred the honour on Tinubu at the ongoing Investiture Ceremony in Abuja on Thursday.

The GCFR honour comes as part of the Investiture Ceremony for the President-Elect and his Vice, Kashim Shettima.

More details later…

Vanguard

In concurrence with the Senate, the House of Representatives, at plenary on Tuesday, passed a bill seeking to provide for independent candidacy in presidential, governorship, national and state assembly, as well as local government elections.

The lawmakers subsequently asked the Clerk of the National Assembly to transmit the bill to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent in line with the provisions of the Authentication Act.

The proposed legislation on independent candidacy was the constitution alteration bill No. 58.

The green chamber urged the Jigawa, Kebbi, Kwara, Plateau, and Taraba states Houses of Assembly that were yet to forward their resolutions on the bills, to do so in fulfilment of their constitutional legislative obligations to the constitution amendment process.

The House also urged the federal government to direct all tertiary institutions in Nigeria to accept students affected by the Sudan crisis to continue with their educational programmes.

The resolution on independent candidacy followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Deputy Speaker, Hon. Idris Wase, Minority Leader, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, Hon. Babajimi Benson, and 76 other lawmakers.

In the motion, the sponsors said, “Recall that on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, the Clerk to the National Assembly was directed to transmit the Constitution, 1999 (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 47 that has met the requirement of Section 9(2) of the Constitution to the President for assent.

“Also recall that the Houses of Assembly of Gombe, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kwara, Plateau and Taraba states that were yet to forward their resolutions were urged to do so in compliance with constitutional obligation.

“Aware that the Gombe State House of Assembly has accordingly forwarded its resolution. Convinced that with the approval of Gombe State House of Assembly, the Constitution, 1999 (Fifth Alteration) Bill Nos. 46 (Membership of the National Security Council to include Presiding Officers of the National Assembly), 2023 and 58 (Independent Candidacy), 2023 have met the provisions of Section 9(2) of the Constitution, for passage.”

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives urged the federal government to direct all tertiary institutions in Nigeria to accept students affected by the Sudan crisis to continue with their various educational programmes.

The resolution of the lawmakers followed the adoption of a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by Hon. Sada Soli, at plenary on Tuesday.

Moving the motion, Soli recalled that on April 15, crisis broke out in Sudan, resulting in the repatriation of students studying in various fields of learning in Sudan.

He expressed concerns that there was no end in sight to the crisis, which he said left the students in a state of confusion on the way forward with their various educational programmes.

He said there was need for swift intervention by the federal government through absorbing the students into tertiary institutions in the country in order to enable them continue with their various educational programmes.

Adopting the motion, the House mandated the Committee on Tertiary Education and Services to ensure compliance and report back within one week for further legislative action.

Arise News

The outgoing Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, SAN, yesterday told President Muhammadu Buhari that it was an aberration to appoint a minister of state.

Keyamo stated this in his speech at the valedictory session presided over by President Buhari to mark the end of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, under his (Buhari) administration, at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The Minister of State, who thanked President Buhari for enriching his curriculum vitae, through the appointment, noted that some other ministers of state had been grumbling and unable to be bold and speak out.

He said it would be difficult to assess the individual performances of the ministers of state since their discretion was shackled under that of the ministers as any original ideas developed by the minister of state was subject to clearance by another colleague in the cabinet before they could sail through for consideration by the council.

His prepared speech read: “Mr President, you first appointed me as Minister of State in the Ministry Niger Delta Affairs in August 2019 and you later redeployed me as Minister of State in the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

“Today, I cannot find the words to express the depth of my gratitude to you for finding me worthy, out of over two hundred million Nigerians, to be nominated and subsequently appointed to serve as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. My curriculum vitae has been greatly enhanced – forever.

“From my very humble beginnings in a small dusty town in Delta State where I was born and raised by my struggling parents, all the way to the Council Chambers at the Presidential Villa where I had the honour and privilege to participate weekly in decision-making for my country in the last four years, it has been like a fairy tale. I give God all the glory.

“What I am about to say, therefore, is not and should not be construed as an indication of ingratitude. Far from it. What I am about to say is just my own little contribution to our constitutional development as a relatively young democracy and to aid future governments to optimize the performance of those they appoint as Ministers.

“Mr. President, the concept or designation of “Minister of State” is a constitutional aberration and is practically not working for many so appointed. Successive governments have come and gone and many who were appointed as Ministers of State have not spoken out at a forum such as this because of the risk of sounding ungrateful to the Presidents who appointed them. However, like I said earlier, this is not ingratitude.

“As a private citizen, I am on record to have gone to court a number of times to challenge unconstitutional acts of governments for the sake of advancing our constitutional democracy, so it will be out of character for me to have gone through government and be carried away by the pomp of public office and forget my role as a member of the inner bar and my self-imposed role over the years as a crusader for democracy and constitutionalism.”

Supporting his position with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Keyamo said: “Mr. President, I crave your indulgence to explain this constitutional conundrum of “Minister of State”. Sections 147 and 148 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), deal with the appointments and responsibilities of Ministers of the Federation. The said sections state as follows:

Section 147

“(1) There shall be such offices of Ministers of the Government of the Federation as may be established by the President.

(2) Any appointment to the office of Minister of the Government of the Federation shall, if the nomination of any person to such office is confirmed by the Senate, be made by the President.

(3) Any appointment under subsection (2) of this section by the President shall be in conformity with the provisions of section 14(3) of this Constitution:- provided that in giving effect to the provisions aforesaid the President shall appoint at least one Minister from each State, who shall be an indigene of such State.”

Section 148

“(1) The President may, in his discretion, assign to the Vice-President or any Minister of the Government of the Federation responsibility for any business of the Government of the Federation, including the administration of any department of government.”

“Furthermore, the 7th Schedule to the 1999 Constitution provides for the Oath of Office to which each Minister must subscribe. There are no different Oaths for “Minister” and “Ministers of State”. They all take the same Oath of Office.”

“In addition to the above, the Ministers-designate appear before the Senate and are grilled and cleared as ministers, not as ministers in some instances and Ministers of State in some other instances. It is at the point of assignment of portfolios that successive Presidents then reclassified some as “Ministers of State.”

He contended that though the President had the constitutional powers to assign portfolios to his appointees, such appointments must be in line with constitutional provision.

He said, “Some may want to justify this by saying the President is given the discretion by the Constitution to assign whatever responsibility(ies) he likes to Ministers. Yes, I concede Mr President can do that, but not by a designation different from that prescribed by the Constitution.

“Simply put, it is akin to the President assigning responsibilities to the office of the Vice-President and re-designating that office as “Deputy President” under our present Constitution. That is clearly impossible. Why then should that of the Ministers be different?’’

Vanguard

President Muhammadu Buhari has asked his ministers to remain in office till the last day of his administration.

Buhari will hand over to President-elect Bola Tinubu on May 29, 2023.

There have been reports that the president has dissolved his cabinet at the valedictory Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting of his administration.

But speaking with reporters after FEC meeting, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture, said all ministers had been directed by President Buhari to return to their office and continue with their duties.

Mohammed said, “the news that the Federal Executive Council has been dissolved is not correct. We have been directed by the President that we should all go back and return to our offices. So, it is not true that the Federal Executive Council has been dissolved, it is still very much alive.

“The fake news that is circulating that the Federal Executive Council has been dissolved, it is not true. It has not been dissolved, we have all been directed to go back to our offices and I’m sure that we’re going to work up till 29th of May. So please ignore the fake news.”

Daily Trust

Ahead of the inauguration of Enugu State Governor-elect, Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah and the Deputy Governor-elect, Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai, on May 29, 2023, the Inauguration Committee has released details of programmes scheduled for the event.

In a statement by the Secretary of the Inauguration Committee, Dr. Sam Ogbu-Nwobodo, the activities will start with Jumaat Prayer at the Central Mosque, Owerri Road, Enugu, on Friday, May 26, 2023, at 1:30pm.

According to the statement, there will be a Transition Thanksgiving Mass on Sunday, May 28, 2023, at Holy Ghost Cathedral, Ogui, Enugu, at 10am.

During the Mass, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State and his deputy, Hon. Mrs. Cecilia Ezeilo will offer thanksgiving to God for the successful completion of their eight years tenure, while Dr. Mbah and Barr. Ossai will also thank God for their emergence to serve the people of the state.

The Committee stated that the Inauguration Parade/Swearing-in Ceremony will take place on Monday, May 29, at Michael Okpara Square, Independence Layout, Enugu, at 9am.

The epoch-making event will be followed immediately with a post-inauguration luncheon at 2pm at the Banquet Hall, Governor’s Lodge, Government House, Enugu, while the Inauguration Dinner/Gala Night will take place the same day at 6pm, at the Banquet Hall, Old Government Lodge, GRA, Enugu.

Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State has emerged the new Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF).

He replaced Sokoto State governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal whose tenure of office would elapse on May 29.

This was contained in a communiqué signed by Tambuwal at the end of the 7th emergency meeting of the state governors held on Tuesday night in Abuja.

According to the communiqué, Abdulrazaq emerged through consensus while Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde was chosen as vice chairman of the forum.

The communiqué reads in part, ” On the leadership of the Forum, the Governor of Kwara State, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, emerged the new Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum through a consensus, and the

Governor of Oyo State Seyi Makinde is now the vice chairman.

“Members expressed satisfaction with the success of the just concluded induction for new and returning governors that took place between 14th and 19th of May, 2023.

“Members committed to sustained collaboration among the states through enhanced peer review, learning at the sub-national level and deepening the relationship with the federal government and other institutions.

“Finally, members were briefed by the Chairman of the Forum that the Hon. Minister of Finance has granted the request of the Forum to immediately stop further deductions from

the accounts of states to meet Local Government Councils London Paris Club obligations and the monies so far deducted be paid back to the states.”

Daily Trust

President Muhammadu Buhari has written to the Senate, seeking approval for a request to pay the judgement debt in the sum of $566,754,584, £98,526 and N226 billion.

Channels Television reports that the monies were owed by the Federal Government through the issuance of promissory notes.

The President’s letter of request was read at plenary by Senate President Ahmad Lawan during plenary on Wednesday, four months after 648 cases were brought against the President and other Federal Government parastatals.

“In view of the foregoing, I wish to request the Senate to kindly consider and approve, through its resolution, the settlement of a top priority judgement debts and general judgement debts incurred by the federal MDAs in the sum of $566,754,584, GB98,526 and N226,281,801,881,” the letter read.

“The Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and the Honourable Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning shall provide any information that may be required by the Senate for the consideration of this request.”

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN), revealed that Buhari’s regime had secured a conviction in 397 terrorism cases while 7,000 crime and anti-corruption cases had been successfully prosecuted by the government in eight years.

According to the AGF, the secured conviction was out of 3,000 terrorism-profiled charges, of which 1,500 were filed.

Channels TV

The United Kingdom has officially banned Nigerian and other international students from bringing in dependants into the UK.

The ban which is aimed at reducing migration into the UK will take effect from January 2024, Home Secretary Suella Braverman disclosed in a statement on Tuesday.

With this move the UK hopes to crack down on “unscrupulous education agents who make use of inappropriate applications to sell immigration, not education”, while blocking international students from “misuse of visa system” – switching from student route to work routes.

Only international students on postgraduate courses regarded as research programmes will be allowed to bring in their dependants.

Ms Braverman said, “this package strikes the right balance between acting decisively on tackling net migration and protecting the economic benefits that students can bring to the UK.”

“Now is the time for us to make these changes to ensure an impact on net migration as soon as possible. We expect this package to have a tangible impact on net migration. Taken together with the easing of temporary factors, we expect net migration to fall to pre-pandemic levels in the medium term.”

Foreign students brought 135,788 relatives to the UK in 2022, nine times as many as in 2019. More than 59,000 Nigerian students arrived in 2022 with about 61,000 family members.

Peoples Gazette

The Forum of National Assembly Legislative Aides from North-West has urged lawmakers-elect contesting for principal officers to respect the choices made by the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress.

The forum made the call in Abuja on Tuesday while addressing a news conference.

The NWC of APC had, in its zoning arrangements for the leadership of the 10th National Assembly, anointed Godswill Akpabio (South-South) as Senate president and Jibrin Barau (North-West) as deputy Senate president.

The party also anointed Tajudeen Abbas (North-West) as the House of Representatives speaker and Benjamin Kalu (South-East) as deputy speaker.

But some APC lawmakers-elect had gone ahead to signify interest in contesting for various principal officers against the decision of the NWC.

Zonal leader of the forum, Abdulrazaq Dunkawa, while supporting the decision of the NWC said the North-West deserved the two presiding officers’ positions.

According to him, the North-West contributed the highest number of votes to the APC in the presidential and federal parliamentary elections.

“We, Legislative Aides from the North-West, will like to place it on record that the geopolitical zone contributed the highest number of votes to the APC in the Presidential and National Assembly elections,” the group stated. “Results from the elections show that North-West played a crucial role in keeping APC in power by securing the majority of honourable members and distinguished senators in both chambers.”

The group added, “The zone no doubt rightly deserves the zoning made by the party as far as leadership of the 10th National Assembly is concerned.”

The forum called on other contestants to allow party supremacy to establish discipline, order and legislative democracy to thrive in the 10th National Assembly.

(NAN)

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday commissioned the Second Niger Bridge in the South-East, six days to the end of his administration.

The Special Adviser to the President, Femi Adesina, disclosed this in a statement, saying the President also commissioned seven legacy projects completed by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing across the country.

The Second Niger Bridge was conceptualised in 2005. In 2014, there was an attempt to begin the project through Public Private Partnership (PPP) but this was not successful. The construction began in 2016 with the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF).

Also commissioned were the Loko-Oweto Bridge across River Benue to link Benue to Nasarawa State and the Ikom Bridge in Cross River State. The road project is the completed section of the over 200 kilometres of Kano-Kaduna Dual Carriage Expressway and three new Federal Secretariats.

“The first of the Federal Secretariats at Awka is located at Executive Business District Layout, Awka South Local Government Area, Anambra State and is situated on 5.106 Hectares of land. The project was first awarded on 9th December, 2011 but was practically completed and taken over by the Ministry of Works and Housing on 14th July, 2022,” the statement read.

“The Secretariat has a total of 498 Office Spaces, a Conference Hall, four Committee Rooms, an Exhibition Hall, a Banking Hall, a Post Office and befitting Reception. In addition, the Secretariat has lift facilities, well laid out parking spaces and drainage, staff canteen, fire hydrants and other vital facilities.

“The second, Federal Secretariat Gusau, Zamfara State is located at Unguwan Dan Lawan, off Sokoto By-Pass Road, Gusau, Zamfara State. The project is situated on 7.5 Hectares of land and was awarded also on the 9th but was practically completed and taken over by the Ministry on 30th November 2022.”

The commissioning Second Niger Bridge was widely lauded with some officials referring to it as the “Muhammadu Buhari Bridge”.

The Special Assistant to the President on Digital Communications, Bashir Ahmad, in a tweet on Tuesday, said, “The Second Niger Bridge is to officially be called/known as Buhari Second Niger Bridge. The Muhammadu Buhari Bridge is officially commissioned today, by President Muhammadu Buhari.”

Similarly, the Special Assistant to the President on Digital/New Media, Tolu Ogunlesi, tweeted that the decision to rename the bridge was taken by the five governors of the eastern region.

“Following consultations, the Governors of the South-East have agreed that the Second Niger Bridge shall be named the Muhammadu Buhari Second Niger Bridge,” his tweet read.

Channels TV

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has directed all political appointees in the state to hand over on or before May 26, 2023 ahead of the expiration of the second tenure of his administration on May 29.

Governor Ugwuanyi’s directive was conveyed through the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Simon Uchenna Ortuanya, when the SSG met with Heads of Boards, Parastatals, Agencies and Commissions in his office in Abuja Building, Government House, Enugu, on Tuesday.

Prof. Ortuanya listed the affected political appointees to include all Commissioners of Ministries, Special Advisers (SPAs) to the Governor, Chief Executive Officers of Government-owned Companies, Senior Special Assistants (SSAs) to the Governor and Special Assistants (SAs) to the Governor.

Others were Technical Assistants to the Governor, Technical Assistants to Commissioners, Technical Assistants to Special Advisers, Technical Assistants to Enugu State House of Assembly Members, Board Chairmen and Board Members of Government-owned Companies, Executive Secretaries of Parastatals or Government-owned Companies, and State Project Coordinators of World Bank-Assisted Projects.

The SSG said “the above mentioned political appointees are to hand over their affairs to the Permanent Secretary or Director of Administration or Director of Personnel Management, as the case may be.”

The state government also directed all civil servants holding political positions to return to their parent ministries.

Prof. Ortuanya explained that the decision was in line with established procedure, as the second tenure of Governor Ugwuanyi expires on May 29, 2023.

“Enugu State Government expresses gratitude and sincere appreciation for the contributions you have rendered towards the development of the state. The state wishes you well in your future endeavours,” he added.