Akpabio’s convoy, U.S. embassy’s car collide in Abuja

Former Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio yesterday spent hours at the National Hospital in Abuja after a car accident . He was discharged at about 5.10pm, accompanied out of the hospital by Governor Udom Emmanuel and Senator Theodore Orji.

They left in the governor’s official car.

Akpabio, who is also Senate Minority Leader, was said to be on his way to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, to catch a flight when the accident occurred.

He was rushed to the National Hospital in the city, where doctors described his condition as stable.

Akpabio’s car ran into a convoy of a U.S. diplomat.

A Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) personnel, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Akpabio may have suffered some injuries in the chest region “due to the way he held his chest after the incident”.

The FRSC operatives also said “from the look of things other occupants of the vehicles in the convoy and Akpabio’s driver did not seem to have sustained any injury”.

The officer said he was at the scene of the accident around 7.30 am near Bolingo Hotels on the Abuja Airport Road in the Central Business District of the Federal Capital territory (FCT).

It was learnt that Akpabio was on his way overseas to visit his family when the accident happened.

One of the early callers at the National Hospital was the Senate Deputy Minority Whip, Senator Biodun Olujimi.

Mrs. Olujimi said she was told by an official at the hospital that the Akwa Ibom North West lawmaker was in a stable condition.

Akwa Ibom State Governor  Udom Emmanuel, who was at the hospital, declined comments.

The hospital’s Chief Information Officer Hajia Rabiah Labaran, said Akpabio was brought to the hospital by some FRSC officers.

Labaran said: “He (Akpabio) was brought in this morning after he had a car crash as I learnt. He was brought in from the Bolingo Hotels junction where a vehicle crashed into his own vehicle from behind.

“Luckily enough when they brought him after the preliminary check –up, it was found that he did not have any serious injury.

”He was talking when he was brought in and the medical team that attended to him gave him necessary attention at the trauma unit.

“I learnt that as at this afternoon, (12:30pm), he had been taken to the private wing of the hospital for proper care but there was no serious injury.

“It is something he can get over in a few days. He is recuperating. He was with his driver but the driver did not sustain any injury.”

Last year, Akpabio’s convoy was arrested in Abuja by security operatives for driving against traffic. At the time, Akpabio was governor. The convoy was en route to the Three Arms Zone, the area of Abuja where the administrative offices of the executive, legislative and judicial arms of the federal government are located. The drivers encountered a mild traffic jam close to the Nigeria Police Headquarters and chose the one way.

Reports show that at the time of the incident, the then President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, was leaving Aso Rock Villa for the National Executive Council meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the Wadata House national secretariat of the party. Security operatives blocked the road as the presidential convoy moved towards Shehu Shagari Way. Other road users halted movement to make way for the presidential convoy, Akpabio’s convoy was unwilling to queue. They made a detour and speed against traffic at a high, blaring siren and swerving from side-to-side.

Heavily armed soldiers and police officers arrested the convoy. The convoy was released with a warning, after the intervention of security operatives attached to the then governor.

Credit: Nation

Fire guts Saraki’s Abuja residence

Part of the Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki’s private residence in Maitama, Abuja was yesterday destroyed by fire.

Part of the sprawling residence, located at 48 Lake Chad Crescent, witnesses said, was completely damaged.

Findings showed that the fire incident, which took place in the early hours of yesterday, began from the gymnasium located within the compound.

Saraki was said to have been informed about the fire incident while he was receiving a delegation led by the Emir of Kano, Lamido Muhammad Sanusi, who paid him a courtesy visit in his office.

It was learnt that operatives of the Nigeria Fire Service were quickly called to the house and the fire was immediately put under control.

No casualty was recorded, it was learnt.

Saraki: The dust this time

THE Senate is in the news again for the wrong reason, even as the dust raised by the emergence of Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki as Senate President in controversial circumstances on June 9 is yet to settle. This time, the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions has launched into a seemingly pre-determined investigation of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde’s alleged diversion of N1 trillion loot recovered by the agency.

 

In its rush for quick result, the committee sidetracked established Senate rules, raising more dust in the process. The probe, as would be expected, has thrown up a deluge of reactions. Some watchers of events at the Senate have dubbed the probe of the EFCC boss a mission impossible, while others labelled the investigation a scam orchestrated to cover other scams. Yet, some others are asking why now, especially with the obvious disregard of due process in the probe?

A huge gulf has already emerged in the upper chamber, creating as it were, a sharp division among the occupants of the chamber. Both APC and PDP senators are kicking. Some who are thrown off guard are gasping for breath. For them, the investigation is a fraud that must be halted.

Has Saraki shot himself in the foot again? Some say he is a man in love with shortcuts; one who detests procedural course , one who has little regard for due process. Saraki’s passion for the back door to achieve selfish results, they contend, is legendary, as he has amply demonstrated the trait a number of times without qualms.

When he became the Kwara State governor in 2003, one of his first actions which, ruffled feathers, was the transfer of the state’s account in the defunct Trade Bank, the state-owned bank, to the defunct Societie Generale Bank, where he was executive director before he became governor. The account was returned after a lot of dust was raised against the mindless shortcut.

Again, he had recently planned what amounted to a civilian version of a coup against his party – All Progressives Congress (APC) – to emerge Senate President. The party had zoned the position to the North East, casting its overwhelming lot for Senator Ahmed Lawan.

However, on the day the 8th National Assembly was to be inaugurated, while 51 APC senators, almost half of the 109-member Red Chamber, were waiting to meet President Muhammadu Buhari at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Abuja, elections were hastily conducted in which Saraki and Senator Ike Ekweremadu emerged as President and Deputy Senate President respectively. The dust raised by that brazen defiance is still simmering.

Now, seeing Saraki as the guiding hand behind Dr. George Uboh’s petition against the EFCC boss, observers believe that the Senate’s probe of the EFCC is Senate President’s show, which has further brought to fore his loathing for order. Others insist there is no way Saraki and his loyalists in the Senate can come clean that the investigation was not arranged to fight the EFCC boss for daring to call to question Saraki’s wife over alleged financial impropriety.

Although Saraki’s loyalists have dismissed the invitation and investigation of Toyin Saraki as politically motivated, those who disagree with the imputation of political motive into the probe are asking why the EFCC investigation is coming at a time the wife of the Senate President is undergoing interrogation before the anti-graft commission.

Mrs Saraki was grilled for hours in July 28, 2015 by the EFCC alongside the daughter of former President Umaru Yar’Adua and wife of former Kebbi State Governor, Saidu Dakingari, Zainab Dakingari. She (Saraki’s wife) was invited for questioning for alleged money laundering, what a source described as alleged “questionable inflow of funds into companies where she has interest.”

Not a few are also wondering why George Uboh’s petition was not presented to the Senate in plenary if there was no hidden agenda. They ask why the petition was forwarded to the Ethics committee directly, an infraction of the Senate’s standing rules.

More curious is the fact that Senator Peter Nwaobosi (Delta North), who received the petition, is an ally of former Delta State Governor, Chief James Ibori, a bosom friend of Saraki. Dino Melaye, a member of the Ethics Committee, and Nwaobosi were among the senators who accompanied Saraki’s wife to the EFCC when she was invited for questioning.

In a sense, observers see the whole thing as Saraki and Ibori fighting EFCC. Nwaobosi, a commissioner under Ibori, is fighting his master’s battle against EFCC. It would be recalled that Ibori waged a vicious war against EFCC’s former chairman, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, before the former’s extradition to UK where he was jailed for money laundering.

Not willing to be used to fight a personal battle, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus in the Senate rejected the probe by the senate committee.  The PDP senators expressed their position in a statement signed by the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio; his deputy, Emmanuel Bwacha; Minority Whip, Senator Philip Aduda and his deputy, Senator Biodun Olujimi.

The PDP caucus stated in the statement: “It has come to the notice of the PDP leadership in the Senate that the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions would begin a public hearing on Wednesday, 26th of August,  2015 and the committee has invited the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to appear before it.

“The PDP leadership in the Senate is not against any committee of the Senate performing its oversight duties and or functions but we feel that this is not the appropriate time to embark on the most important assignment, particularly since the same action was mooted and had failed at previous plenary session.

“We therefore urge the committee to suspend its public hearing on this particular matter until further notice. The PDP Senate leadership reassures the Nigerian public of its support for the war against corruption by the Federal Government of Nigeria but hastens to add that such fight against corruption should be total and not selective.

“Nigerians need peace at this period of economic challenges precipitated by the falling of oil prices and actions that will overheat the polity and generate unnecessary friction between the executive and the legislature should be avoided.”

The Senate Unity Forum, a group of APC senators who detailed the violation of the Senate rules in the investigation, in its own case, did not hesitate to dismiss the Ethics, Privileges and Public Petition Committee’s investigation of the EFCC chairman as illegal.

The Forum has taken time out to educate those who are wont to rush into nailing the EFCC boss that in standard parliamentary practice, a petition is routed through either a Senator or a member of the House of Representatives.

“Upon receipt of such petition,” the Forum said, “the representative will inform the presiding officer of the chamber and, thereafter, present the petition in plenary. Upon presentation in plenary, the presiding officer will invite the Senator/House of Representatives member to lay the petition, which automatically becomes a public document.

“Thereafter, the presiding officer will refer the petition to the appropriate committee for consideration, after which it would be returned to the Senate in plenary. In this regard, nothing of the sort happened.

“The Senate proceeded on recess on August 13 and it is not on record that the petition of Mr. George Uboh, accusing Lamorde of diverting over N1 trillion recovered from some corrupt Nigerians, including former governor of Bayelsa State, DSP Alamieyesigha, and the former Inspector General of Police, Tafa Balogun, was presented to Senate in Plenary.”

The Forum, therefore, declared its support for the position earlier adopted by some senators that the Lamorde probe should be halted because it did not follow due parliamentary process.

It added: “For the avoidance of doubt, Rule 41(1-3) of the Senate Standing Orders specifically spelt out how petitions are handled in the parliament.

“Rule 41(1-3) states: (1) A petition must only be presented to the Senate by a Senator, who shall affix his name at the beginning thereof.

“(2) A senator presenting a petition shall confine himself to a brief statement of the parties from whom it came, the number of signatures attached to it and material allegations contained in it and to reading the prayers of such petitions.

“(3) All petitions shall be ordered, without question being put, to lie upon the table. Such petition shall be referred to the Public Petitions Committee.

“It is after these steps have been taken that the presiding officer would refer the petition to the aforementioned committee.

“It should be noted that in this case, none of these laid-down procedures were followed before the ‘Senate Unity Forum’ read in the newspapers that the Senator Samuel Anywanu-led Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions Committee would on Wednesday, August 26, commence the probe of EFCC chairman

“We stand against this probe. It is illegal and unconstitutional because it did not follow our rules.”

Four members of the Senate Unity Forum endorsed the statement, including Senators Ahmed Lawan, George Akume, Barnabas Gemade and Abu Ibrahim.

Senate Leader, Mohammed Ali Ndume, a core Saraki loyalist, has also joined the fray. Ndume admitted “a procedural error” in the probe, aligning with the position of the PDP Senate caucus which distanced its members from the investigation.

The EFCC, on its part, says it has no confidence in the probe of the Senate Committee. The commission stated that the committee lacked objectivity and that it was not likely to get a fair hearing, especially after a delegation it sent to observe the proceedings was walked out by the members of the committee on the pretext that the commission had earlier written that it would not be present at the hearing.

Although the Senate and its handlers are busy burning all available cables, the probe of the EFCC under questionable circumstances speaks volume about what Nigerians are to expect from the 8th Senate.

Credit: Nation

Corruption: Senate begins power sector’s probe

The stage appeared set for a comprehensive probe of the nation’s power sector as the Senate declared on Friday that officials of the Federal Ministry of Power, its departments and agencies and other key players within the sector would soon appear before it.

The Chairman, Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Power, Senator Abubakar Kyari, stated this when the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, inaugurated the 14-member fact-finding panel at the National Assembly Complex.

Kyari said stakeholders in the sector from 1999 till date would be asked to provide information in order to achieve the committee’s laudable objectives.

He added that the committee would beam its searchlight on the unbundling of the power sector facilitated by the Bureau of Public Enterprises.

According to Kyari, the committee will seek inputs from the establishment on the process of privatisation as it relates to funds committed to the exercise, funds generated and the settlement of laid off staff of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria.

Apart from this, Kyari stressed that the committee would verify the claims of the successful bidders, their companies’ financial profiles and why they were already asking for bail out/loan facilities from the Central Bank of Nigeria.

He noted that a close look at the entire power value chain (generation, transmission and distribution) called for review of Nigeria’s policies in order to obtain optimum performances across the board.

Kyari said, “The abysmal performance of the generation segment is no longer news in view of the current deteriorating power supply which hovers around 4,600MW for a population of over 170 million people, despite the huge resources committed into it.

“The committee will beam its searchlight in this direction to put things in proper perspectives, and having realised that the transmission segment is the major linkage between the generation and distribution fronts, increasing our capacity in this direction is also very necessary, since power produced must be utilised immediately.

Kyari added that the committee would seek explanations from the management of Transmission Company of Nigeria on the terms of its management contract with the Federal Government as it relates to assets inherited, funds injected into the company and the achievement recorded.

On the distribution segment, the senator said the committee was desirous of ascertaining the level of funds committed into it before privatisation since the segment was currently solely private sector driven.

He stressed the need for vigilance as successor companies were expected to bring in investments to improve the quality of services.

However, he added that signals emanating from their activities showed that excessive profiteering had been the major determinant of their decisions.

He also said that it was on record that some of the distribution companies reject power load allocations to reduce cost.

He said their metering system of the distribution companies calls for a fundamental review, since the emphasis had been on estimated billings and imposition of fixed charges for services not rendered.

Kyari said, “There have been a lot of unwholesome practices by some of these companies, the committee has to get down to the root of these problems especially where provisions have been made in the past through appropriation, prior to privatisation and funds were not properly utilised.

“We must find out what has brought us to this sorry state. The National Integrated Power Project was designed to fast-track the improvement of electricity supply nationwide, hence it was involved in project implementation across the gamut of the power chain.

“However, some of the power plants built have not been able to contribute meaningfully to the power generation through the National Grid.

“The resources committed to these projects are enormous and the committee, in keeping with its mandate, would be seeking answers in order to chart the way forward.”

However, Saraki asked the committee to work towards the resolution of all the challenges currently facing the sector, stressing that the country’s economic woes could only be addressed when the power sector was fully functional.

He said the immediate concern of the 8th Senate was to use every legislative instrument at its disposal to ensure that “light replaces the darkness” in the country.

Saraki said, “Our economy cannot be prosperous without addressing the problems of the power sector. The power sector is a key driver of the economy.”

Copyright PUNCH.

“Amuwo Odofin Is Suffering From Infrastructural Decline” – Hon. Egoh

A frontline lawmaker in the House of Representatives representing Amuwo Odofin Federal Constituency from Lagos state Hon. Oghene Egoh has decried the infrastructural decline of his area as a result of long years of neglect by successive federal and state governments leading to dilapidated housing estates, broken down roads, busted water mains and abandoned public primary and secondary schools including run down maternity and health care centres which has thoroughly depreciated the socio econiomic index of the communities and citizens at large. Hon. Egoh after appraising the dismal state of affairs of his constituency signaled his determination to turn the fortunes of his constituents for the better during his four year stint in the 8^th National Assembly.

According to Hon. Egoh “Despite that daunting task ahead, I will viogorously lobby the MDAs in charge of effecting repairs in my constituency including FERMA and FHA to immediately begin the process of rehabilitation, reconstruction, rebuilding and other maintenance works in the area so as to alleviate the deplorable plight of millions of people residing there. “I will leave no stone unturned in order to ensure that the infrastructural facilities of Amuwo Odofin receive an appreciable facelift that is long overdue “He posited.

Hon. Oghene gave an insight into upset victory as a PDP candidate in an APC controlled Lagos state. “All I can say is that the people were tired of the ruling APC who took them for granted and thought that they will remain in power for ever. The Amuwo Odofin people were weary of the nonchalance and nonperformance of the APC and voted for a decisive change in their fortunes and wellbeing for the better” Hon. Egor concluded.

‘BUHARI IS DIVINELY MANDATED TO SAVE NIGERIA’ -HON AYUBA BELLO

A frontline federal Lawmaker representing Jere federal constituency of Borno state, Hon Ayuba Mohammed Bello has described the election of President Muhammadu Bello as divinely sanctioned in order to save Nigeria from social, political and economic collapse. According to Hon Bello: ‘Looking at the anti-corruption war and other policies of this administration, all Nigerians must admit whether we like it or not, that President Muhammadu Buhari was sent by the Almighty God to save Nigeria from total collapse, economically, politically and otherwise. If President Buhari had not been elected, Nigeria would have been brought to its knees some months ago. The single biggest problem we have in this country is corruption as it gives birth to other problems like poverty, hunger, illiteracy, underdevelopment and anti-social crimes like armed robbery, kidnapping etc. It is indeed a vicious circle and until we tackle the hydra-headed monster called corruption, we will not get anywhere and I am very confident that President Buhari will effectively checkmate and neutralize corruption and its related vices. Also the president is renowned for his transparency and impartiality, he is not for anybody and he is for everybody, He does not believe in party or individuals, he is not sectional or sectarian, he is for all Nigerians’.

On the thorny issue of IDPs relocation, Hon Bello observed that contrary to certain insinuations raised by some members: ‘the situation is not ripe for the return of IDPs to their original homes or the re-opening of schools as the security situation is still precarious in most parts of the state apart from Maiduguri Metropolitan. Even the security agencies are asking people to leave the Sambisa Forest area so that they can continue mopping up operations against the insurgents. So how can you ask people to return to a zone still engaged in war. I don’t think it is appropriate’ – Hon Ayuba concluded.

‘PRESIDENT BUHARI’ S WAR AGAINST CORRUPTION WILL PUT THE COUNTRY ON THE RIGHT TRACK AGAIN’- HON NGAMDU INTERVIEW WITH HON. MOHAMMED NGAMDU REPRESENTING KAGA/MAGUMERI/GUBIO FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY OF BORNO STATE

As a prominent lawmaker from the North eastern region, do you feel the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps located in some schools should be disbanded so that the schools can re-open even though some people argue that the security situation is not safe for such schools to re-open because of the Boko Haram insurgency?

I am not just a lawmaker from the North-east region, I am from Borno State, the most troubled and traumatised state in the region which has suffered a lot as a result of the Boko Haram menace. When a motion was raised in the House that the IDPs should vacate the schools they occupied in order for the schools to resume, some members objected to the motion but in my own opinion, there are some areas where it is safe for the schools to re-open like the state capital, Maiduguri Metropolitan (MM) and some other local governments. The security situation has improved so much in those areas that I believe it will be safe for the students to resume their classes there. Even in Chibok, where the female students were abducted, people are residing there, talk less of other local governments where the Boko Haram insurgency was not so severe. So in essence what we are saying is that in some relatively peaceful areas, the schools should re-open like MM and my local government, Kaga. The problem is that many people have relocated from many areas because of the fear of Boko Haram and are now residing in MM, with their children and it will be difficult to convince them to go back now. If not, those areas are secure enough for schools to re-open, because the Boko Haram terrorists have been dislodged by the recent military operations and are on the run from the Nigerian Army and Air Force. In fact I believe that even before the end of December, the Boko Haram menace will soon be a thing of the past.

In the face of the Boko Haram menace, how do you assess the performance of your governor, His Excellency, Alhaji Shettima Ibrahim?

The cardinal principle of politics which our able governor has so admirably displayed is to always be with your people at all times whether in times of peace or in times of trouble and this shows that Alhaji Shettima is a democrat to the core, and also very courageous to remain with them no matter the amount of crisis or turbulence at hand. Also Alhaji Shettima has embarked on numerous people - oriented projects like free feeding for all students in primary and secondary institutions, free transport, free accomodation and free uniforms for all of them. He has made life easier for the IDPs by providing them with free housing with the construction of over 2,500 housing units at Legacy Houses, Teachers Village, Damboa Housing Estate etc. Without those free houses, life would have been so much harder for the IDPs and their families. So we are very happy and confident with the leadership style and focus of Governor Shettima and we urge him not to relent in his dynamic and grassroots - oriented policies.

How would you describe the late deputy governor of Borno State

“BUHARI’S ANTI-CORRUPTION WAR SHOULD BE HOLISTIC AND NOT SELECTIVE” - INTERVIEW WITH HON. ANAYO EDWIN REPRESENTATING EZZA NORTH/ISHIELU FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY OF EBONYI STATE

What are the priority areas of your legislative agenda as regards law making and infrastructural projects?

During my election campaign, I made quite a number of promises to my people regarding infrastructural development due to the fact that there is a glaring need to site critical projects in my constituency to ensure that the people’s welfare and well being are taken to the next level. These critical infrastructure is needed in the area of rural electrification, provision of water boreholes and good road networks. We need access roads to the villages so that farmers can bring their farm produce easily to the market without undue stress bearing in mind that the vast majority of my constituents are farmers. So one of my main priorities is the construction of internal roads to the hinterland to make the movement of people, goods, farm produce and animals to the commecial centres faster and more convenient in order to boost economic activity in my area.

As for the law making aspect, I believe that far more important than the enactment and amendment of laws is the implementation and enforcement of our laws and the Nigerian constitution. We already have quite a number of laws in this country but you find out that very few agencies of government obey those laws which are meant to protect the common man. However if those laws are implemented to the letter, the country will be far better off. So my main priority is to make sure that our existing laws are implemented to the letter and any individual or agency that fails to follow the law should be duly sanctioned.

How do you assess the efforts made so far by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara to reconcile the various factions in the House?

It is indeed a welcome develoment because when there is peace there is unity and I believe the whole House has come together in the last 2 weeks bringing all the various rival factions to work in harmony, co-operation and mutual dialogue in order to move the nation forward. The present atmosphere of peace and fraternity is a welcome development that must be appreciated by all right thinking Nigerians as no progress or development can be achieved in an atmosphere of rancour, bitterness or acrimony. Also, it will help the House to carry out their daily legislative business as well as assure Nigerians that the House is indeed committed to the progress of the nation and its citizens. As I said it is a welcome development and I am sure it will continue for a long time to come and also help in advancing the unity and peace of the country at large.

The executive governor of Ebonyi State, Engr. Dave Umahi will soon be marking his 100 days in office, how do you assess his performances so far?

I feel that the first  100 days in office of any leader is not enough for such a leader to achieve a lot, rather it allows that leader to study the terrain, analyse inherent challenges in governance and set the pace and direction of government in order to fast track social, economic and infrastructural development for the betterment of the welfare of the people. Indeed his excellency, Engr. Dave Umahi has studied the terrain meticulously and he has started to perform wonders, for the first time in history, an express flyover is being constructed in the state, numerous construction projects are on going and any second time visitor to Ebonyi will tell you that there is a great difference between the old and new Ebonyi State. The governor is embarking on cleaning up Ebonyi State and it has assumed a new look, very neat and sparkling unlike the heaps of refuse and garbage of the past. Without doubt, our able and dynamic govenror has hit the ground running and we believe that the best is yet to come.

The PDP has been saying that will it support the present anti-corruption war by the Buhari administration, as far as the war is holistic and not selective, can you elaborate further?

Actually, what my party the, PDP has said and which I totally agree with, is that we support the present anti-corruption agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari and are willing to co-operate with him so long as it is holistic and not a selective witchunt targeted against a particular party or group of individuals. As a lawmaker, I am fully behind the anti-corruption war being waged by Mr. President and when he said he will probe the Jonathan administration, I said O.K. fine, do it but also extend the probe to all past administrations not just Jonathan’s administration. So if Buhari probes all other past administrations, that is a welcome development and we will support him but if he is selective and is only out to witchunt a particular administration, party or group of persons, this mouth will not shut up or keep quiet. They will hear my voice. Thank you.

Senators, Reps want SAN title

Senators, House of Representatives members and members of other legislative houses in the country who are lawyers, on Monday intensified their desire to be conferred with the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN.

The desire also affects all lawyers working in legislative houses in various capacities.

Besides claiming that they worked harder than judicial officers, the lawmakers argued that regular lawyers and other legal practitioners were not better qualified for the rank than the legislators.

The members pressed for the recognition during the inaugural meeting of “The Forum of Lawyers in the Nigerian Legislature”, held at the National Assembly in Abuja.

Convener of the forum, Senator Ita Enang, while speaking for the group, said since the lawyers in the legislature participated in passing all the laws used for legal practice in the country, they were qualified for the rank of SAN.

Enang, a former Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business, stated that it was an “insult” to say somebody who made a law was not qualified to become a SAN, while another person who practised it could become one.

He spoke more, “It is an insult not to make legislature lawyers SANs.

“They make laws that the magistrate interprets and makes his way to the Supreme Court. Yet, you say that a lawmaker is not qualified to be honoured with the rank of SAN.

“The legislator is not qualified but the lawyer who practises the law passed by the legislature is qualified.

“Legislative practice is an arm of legal practice and should be recognised as such.

“It is the legislature and the legislator that know the laws more than the practitioners because they draft the laws.

“All the laws that practitioners practise and they are celebrated and honoured are passed by the legislature, but you say that same legislator is not qualified to be a SAN.”

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, told the session that the aim of the forum was to promote the productivity of lawyers in the legislature through capacity-building programmes.

Dogara, who is a lawyer, was represented by another member and lawyer from Abia State, Mr. Uzoma Nkem-Abonta.

He added, “The association is to promote cooperation, networking and interaction among its members.

“Develop legislative practice as an enviable area of legal practice in Nigeria.”

The speaker said having been informed that there were about 200 lawyers at the National Assembly, he was convinced that the forum should transit “to a well established association.”

Copyright PUNCH.

N1tn petition: Senate rumbles, splits over Lamorde probe

A fresh crisis looms in the Senate.

Members on Monday appeared divided over the planned probe of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Lamorde, over alleged diversion of stolen funds recovered from looters.

While the Senate leadership said the probe would proceed as scheduled on Wednesday (tomorrow), members of the Peoples Democratic Party in the upper federal legislative chamber kicked against the probe.

The EFCC boss, according to a petition before the Senate, has been accused of diverting N1tn said to have been recovered from a former Governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha; and a former Inspector-General of Police, Tafa Balogun.

The petitioner, Dr. George Uboh, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Panic Alert Security Systems, had petitioned the Senate through the senator representing his Delta North constituency, Peter Nwaoboshi, alleging that Lamorde, in connivance with other EFCC officials, short-changed the Federal Government in the remittance of funds and properties recovered from Alamieyeseigha and Balogun.

The probe of the EFCC boss by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions has been scheduled to begin on Wednesday (tomorrow).

After an earlier arguments over the propriety of the investigation by the Senate, the PDP senators later in a statement signed by the Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio; his deputy, Emmanuel Bwacha; Minority Whip, Philip Aduda; and his deputy, Biodun Olujimi, rejected the planned probe.

The PDP senators’ statement, issued late on Monday, partly read, “It has come to the notice of the PDP leadership in the Senate that the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions would begin a public hearing on Wednesday, August 26, 2015 and the committee has invited the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to appear before it.

“The PDP leadership in the Senate is not against any committee of the Senate performing its oversight duties and or functions but we feel that this is not the appropriate time to embark on the most important assignment, particularly since the same action was mooted and had failed at previous plenary session.

“We therefore urge the committee to suspend its public hearing on this particular matter until further notice.

“The PDP senate leadership reassures the Nigerian public of its support for the war against corruption by the Federal Government of Nigeria but hastens to add that such fight against corruption should be total and not selective.

“Nigerians need peace at this period of economic challenges precipitated by the falling of oil prices and actions that will overheat the polity and generate unnecessary friction between the executive and the legislature should be avoided.”

Our correspondent learnt that there had been a heated argument among senators earlier on Monday with the senior lawmakers divided on the scheduled investigation of Uboh’s petition against Lamorde.

Some members of the committee to probe the EFCC boss were said to have disagreed sharply over the investigation, though the anti-graft commission released a statement to say that the commission under Lamorde feared no probe.

The commission, in a statement by its spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, described Uboh’s petition as mischievous and intended to smear Lamorde.

The statement read in part, “The EFCC as an agency that is founded on transparency is not afraid of any ‘probe’ or request for information regarding its activities by individuals, groups or organs of government; so far as such requests followed due process of law.

“Even if the EFCC had not returned a kobo of recovered assets in its 12 years existence in addition to the yearly appropriated funds from the Federation Account, it will be nowhere near a trillion naira.

“It (the petition) was sent, not to the Senate but to a member, Senate Peter Nwaoboshi, a first-term senator from Delta North.

“Under the Senate rules, petitions meant for consideration by the red chamber are sent to the Senate, not to a member of the Senate.

“Also, petitions meant for the Senate are tabled at the plenary, before they are referred to the relevant committees for further consideration. In this instance, the Senate has been on recess and there is no evidence that the so-called petition was considered at plenary and referred to any committee.”

According to the commission, the   EFCC under Lamorde did not need the prompting of anyone when it commissioned KPMG, an audit firm, to carry out comprehensive audit of exhibits and forfeited assets of the Commission from 2003 to date.

It said that the report of the audit would be made public once it is ready.

The statement added, “Were the Commission to be jittery about its records, it would not have embarked on such audit.

“The EFCC however warns that those who peddle false information with the intent to mislead should be reminded that there is a subsisting law on false information and the consequence for violation is grave.”

Attempts to speak with Akpabio, as of the time of filing this report, were futile as calls made to his mobile phones did not connect while the text message sent to him was also not acknowledged.

A member of the committee, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the issue, explained to one of our correspondents that a motion was sponsored on financial crimes earlier in the month, seeking, among others, the invitation of Lamorde to appear before the Senate.

The senator said that one of the prayers in the motion as it specifically affected Lamorde’s invitation was rejected by the majority of the senators during plenary and that the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, had no option but to rule it out.

He said, “We were however surprised that the probe was channelled through the back door in form of a petition. We had discussed it in our meeting and some of us believe that we should allow the petitioner to seek redress in a court of law.

“If the chairman (of the ethics committee) still decides to go ahead with the invitation of the EFCC chairman, we will have no choice but to write our own minority report at the end of the exercise because we believe it is an issue that could be settled in court.”

But the Chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, told one of our correspondents on the telephone on Monday that there was no disagreement among the committee members and that the probe would go on as scheduled.

He said, “There is no confusion anywhere, we are inviting the EFCC chairman and the man that wrote a petition against him. This is different from the decision taken on the floor of the Senate over a motion.

“Our committee is intact and there is no dissenting voice, we will go ahead with the probe on Wednesday by the grace of God. We have the mandate of Nigerians to discharge our lawful functions as lawmakers; hence we will treat the petition on its merit.”

Also, when contacted, the Senate spokesperson, Dino Melaye, said he was not aware of the disagreement among members of the committee over Lamorde and that the probe had nothing to do with the rejection of an earlier prayer in a motion seeking his invitation by the Senate.

Melaye said, “The rule of the Senate permits its Committee on Ethics and Public Petitions to invite anybody indicted in a petition. It has nothing to do with any resolution of the entire house.

“I am aware that the committee will proceed with the invitation of the EFCC boss as scheduled on Wednesday. A formal letter had been sent to him in that regard.”

The offences alleged against Larmode were said to have been committed when he was the Director of Operations of the EFCC between 2003 and 2007, as well as an acting Chairman of the commission between June 2007 and May 2008.

Copyright PUNCH.