National Assembly adopts confab report for constitution review
•Gives insight into constituency projects
•Senate threatens AGF with arrest
•Presidential aide faults summons
The House of Representatives has given a tacit endorsement to the 2014 National Conference Report as it adopts the document for the amendment of the 1999 Constitution.
But yesterday, the Senate was silent on its own plans, though it emerged that the upper chamber had adopted the report of the fourth alteration on the Constitution which former President Goodluck Jonathan did not sign into law before leaving office.
Efforts to reach the Chairman of the Adhoc Committee on review of the Constitution and Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu yesterday, were futile as he did not pick calls placed to his two lines.
Meanwhile, the face-off between the Presidency and the Senate over the trial of Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu for alleged forgery of Senate Rules has deteriorated.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) David Babachir Lawal, had described the last confab as a “job for the boys, a remark which the Deputy Chairman of the Conference, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, took a serious exception to.
Several sources noted yesterday that the federal lawmakers made the adoption following their conviction that the document contained useful suggestions that could move the country forward on the path of greatness.
“It therefore means that the proponents and opponents of the report can now come to the National Assembly and do business with lawmakers who are true representatives of the people. It is an endorsement of the work of the elders and patriots who were paid from the national coffers to sit and discuss our common project,” a source said yesterday.
Another statement from the Office of the Deputy Speaker, Sulaimon Lasun Yusuf, confirmed the development yesterday.
According to the statement by his spokesman, Mr. Wole Oladimeji, the decision to adopt the confab report was taken at a working session/retreat of the committee recently in Abuja
“The meeting was presided over by the chairman of the committee who doubles as the Deputy Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Sulaimon Lasun Yussuff,” he added.
Also, yesterday, the chamber insisted that constituency projects were for the benefit of constituents, saying they are not personal projects of members.
In a statement, the House’s spokesman, Abdulrazak Namdas, remarked that the idea was mooted in a bid to ensure equitable development in the polity.
“All monies budgeted for constituency projects are domiciled in respective ministries, departments and agencies. It is the executive that awards the contracts and executes them in the same manner as all other projects,” he clarified.
Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, who was invited to appear before the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters yesterday to answer questions on the prosecution of the two presiding officers, did not honour the invitation.
Consequently, the upper chamber is threatening to issue a warrant of arrest to compel him to appear.
But the Presidency was quick to declare that the Senate had no right to invite the AGF to answer questions on a matter in which it is an interested party.
The Special Assistant on Public Prosecution to the President, Okoi Obono-Obla, who stood in for the AGF but was walked out by committee, however noted that it was wrong for the Senate to have invited the AGF on a matter pending in court.
Justifying the action of the committee in refusing to listen to the presidential aide, chairman of the committee, David Umar, said: “It is the AGF the committee invited. We did not invite the President and since he is not here, it means he did not respond to our invitation. The AGF was only invited to provide explanation on the issue. The best we will do now is to report to plenary and Senate at plenary will take the last decision.”
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2 Comments
OYA, COME BEGIN……
What the House needs to do, while the Senate is too busy, groveling in its death-bound self inflicted wounds, is:
TO BEGIN SERIOUS DISCUSSION ON CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS, CLARIFY ISSUES, TAKE DECISIONS BASED ON THEIR BEST JUDGEMENT, AND PASS ON TO THE SENATE.
Then we shall know on which door next to knock.
But we need to get something moving now, in case the present panacea designed by current power holders does not work.
THEY SSHOULD READ THIS OVER AND OVER especially My B. D. Lawal – the SGF! No harm in advising them to have ‘DEVOLUTION’ for Nigeria as the Secretary, so that people can develop their God given potentials than attempting to stifle such natural ‘gifts’ as they achieved in it in Singapore and in Malaysia, folks!
All things strange and dangerous you find that Nigerian make them all! What a Mickey to take-on the NASS members if Umar or is not closely related to the Presidency? You people are just jokers having to be seen to be carrying on in this fashion – you continue with this kind of behaviour and World observers will think all Nigerian are the same – what a despicable show of irresponsibility going on in Nigeria! It tells about that lack of like-minds talked about in politics as a result of how they all got to the Assembly house – by cross carpet and by decting and botht Prof. A Jega and the Judiciary looked on – behold nothing has been done to the section in the Constitution and we may have more defections before 2019 – and that will be it, folks! Whoever is advising now – like the children in a staccato play – “I pass here no way and I pass her no way, and I pass there no, then she tries to break through the cuddle. chain – what is it folks, what is happening – jor kilo dey elaio? And the youths are also watching and will be thinking – Don’t mind these opportunists nobody to draw good examples from going by the trappings! Don’t we have Nigerian statesmen and ladies that can remind you people that what you’re doing is not proper for the psychology of the ordinary NIGERIANS! ‘Course the positions of the supposed statesmen and women/ladies have been hitherto made worthless (compromised) by the kind of Electoral Act and laws so it is now about if you win you dictate what is going to happen in in Nigeria without any opposition – Nigeria, is by the Constitutional provisions, a ‘fiefdom’; from my observation and the applications of the provisions of the Constitution, it obviously implies (managed under) a DESPOTIC system, folks! And Alhaji Davud B. Lawal, and Mr. Abubakar Malami – those supposed to act as the bridge builders between the two arms of government, can get away with insulting the House members any time!
You must see what is happening in Nigeria through this perspective (periscope) otherwise you can never understand the trend therefore to don something about the amendment! It is typical of lack of that ‘like minds’ talked about in politics which makes possible for country’s early arrive at that level (status) of nationhood! Your system is based largely on vendetta, vindictive thinking and or ideology with the bias to cheat the system if you can! In a country where public officers and politicians can take or covet public funds for their use at will and when they die you don’t have records where the loots are lodged – in total contrast to the squirrels’ characteristics! But nature provides them with natural ‘radar’ to tract down their nuts where they are buried/ hidden! Even their children can trace the buried nuts even if their parents are no more, very surprising – I wonder how many of you know this fact? And you pilfer the public funds with reckless abandon in Nigeria even though you are told what or how to get over the problem but nobody cares!
For goodness sake if you have decided to look into the Confab recommendations after the dithering and the SGF tried to insult everybody – a senior citizen of Nigeria acting like a child unashamedly, try and see what my new political leadership portends for you people in Nigeria! I bet there is no way you could have resolved that kind of solution/ system for Nigeria – i.e. if you want peace in that country with the growth and the needs of your population! I must remind here as usual, that you’re using part of the solution -Option A-4 already and it is working if you can only do what is required of the INEC to do early! My new solution is meant to bring the whole advantages of election procedure for political leadership in Nigeria to full circle, and without cost for that matter, folks!
I wonder how many in Nigeria (men and ladies) have stopped to ponder about this issue; Who is (are) really to be regarded as good or capable political leaders in Nigeria after the founding fathers and therefore should be representing them , as a matter of fact – how many of you can point fingers to qualified or those capable in this field, folks? Look round and tell me somebody and if you decide on or find any the next question is; where has the terms and conditions of the Nigerian Electoral Act placed such persons? So, this is part of the crux of the political leadership problem in Nigeria unless you can resolve this matter early, you’re not going anywhere – it will be much about here today and gone tomorrow! It is therefore the solution expounded in my new leadership suggestion that you may be able to find such capable persons in men and women to be returned to the NASS both at State and Federal levels – a pity you haven’t got such persons participating in the set ups! It is obvious and sadly part of the canny machinations about Nigeria political setting!
We will review and take appropriate action.