News
Motion to immortalize ex-INEC boss, Humphrey Nwosu shut down amid fireworks in Senate
The Nigerian Senate Wednesday shut down a motion to immortalize the late Prof. Humphrey Nwosu.
Nwosu, as Chairman of the National Electoral Commission, presided over the June 12 1993 election that was annulled by former military dictator, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida.
The motion which was raised by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe representing Abia South, was declined during a plenary presided by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Jibrin Barau.
Abaribe rose under Order 41 and 51 which border on personal explanation to draw the attention of the chamber to the need to immortalize the late INEC boss.
The development was contrary to the provision in the Senate Standing Order as the Senate leader, Michael Bamidele Opeyemi contended that the order raised by Abaribe was inappropriate and the plenary had gone beyond the privilege Abaribe would have enjoyed to make senators consider it.
Earlier, the Deputy Senate President declared the point of order as controversial and expressed skepticism of its approval before allowing Abaribe to speak to the order.
Reacting to the Senate Leader’s submission, Senator representing Kebbi North, Yahaya Abubakar Abdullahi insisted that Abaribe should be allowed to speak on the matter despite not getting the order correct.
Abaribe at this point insisted on consideration of his order, while he read a relevant provision of the Standing Order, saying: “In all cases not provided for in the standing order or by the sectional or other orders of practice of the Senate, the Senate shall by resolution, regulate its procedure so even if the Senate leader says that it doesn’t follow by the fact that a Senator wants to make a personal explanation you must give that Senator a chance to make that personal explanation.
“We are not under a dictatorship, Mr President. That is why I’m using Order 1(b) though this is at your discretion.”
Reacting, Barau said: “We are all experienced legislators here. Those who are grounded in our rules and I refer you to Order 42 once again. Order 42, by the indulgence of the Senate and the leave of the President of the Senate, the senator will make a personal explanation as though there is no question before the Senate, but no controversial matter may be brought forward nor may debate arise from the explanation.
“When we came this morning let me be frank, I’m a frank person. When we came this morning you approached me in respect of your desire to bring forward this motion under Order 41 and 51.
You never told me you were bringing it under Order 42 and when it came under Order 41 and 51, it was defeated.
“Now you change your mind to bring it under Order 42. We know we respect you very well. That wasn’t discussed. When the Senate Leader came in, I called him and I said Senator Abaribe is bringing a motion under Order 41 and 51.
And we agreed, normally I have to consult with the leadership, and we agreed that it was going to go forward.
“But, leader, did I tell you that he’s going to bring a motion under Order 42? So you didn’t approach me, you didn’t tell me, and I just want to be transparent and plain.
You didn’t tell me. If you had told me, there’s no way I would have stopped you. If you have told us that you are going to bring this motion under Order 42, we will”
Abaribe insisted that the motion to immortalize late Nwosu wasn’t a controversial one as posited by the Deputy Senate President.
He said: “Mr President, I don’t know what is controversial in immortalizing Humphrey Nwosu on June 12th. What is controversial there? What is our problem? What is controversial? It’s not controversial. Mr. President, just one more time, I will refer to our rules.
”Abaribe’s motion was overruled and he was told to bring it up through a motion on another legislative day.
News
Zamfara LG Chairman Abduction: Security operatives intensify rescue efforts
Security forces are currently conducting deliberate operations at the suspected location of the terrorists, aimed at safely rescuing the abducted Chairman.
• Family of the abducted Zamfara LG Chairman
Aliyu Danjal, Lieutenant Colonel Media Information Officer Joint Task Force (North West) Operation FANSAN YAMMA, disclosed that on hearing gunshots, troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA responded immediately and swiftly moved to the scene where they engaged in hot pursuit of the terrorists leading to a fierce exchange of fire.
News
IGP Disu orders officers to shoot anyone carrying illegal firearms
Disu explained that the directive was backed by Force Order 237, which empowers police officers to respond immediately to armed threats without waiting for approval from superior officers.
The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has directed police officers across the country to shoot on sight anyone found carrying illegal firearms, as part of intensified efforts to curb insecurity.
Disu issued the directive on Friday during a stakeholders’ meeting at the Government House in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, saying the move followed President Bola Tinubu’s instruction that the lingering security crisis in the state must be brought to an end.
The police chief maintained that only authorised security personnel are legally permitted to carry firearms, warning that law enforcement agencies would no longer tolerate the unlawful possession of weapons.
” You cannot move around freely carrying arms as if there is no law and order in this country. It will not be tolerated,” he said.
Disu explained that the directive was backed by Force Order 237, which empowers police officers to respond immediately to armed threats without waiting for approval from superior officers.
News
PFIPC N1.32bn allocation: “No Kobo was released by Budget Office”, says DG
The committee chairman, Rep. Yusuf Gagdi, defended the Budget Office’s actions, saying the evidence before lawmakers showed the office acted on approvals issued by the relevant government agencies.
• PFIPC DG Adeyemi
The Budget Office of the Federation on Friday defended the agency’s role in the controversial budgetary allocation to the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), insisting that despite provisions made in the 2026 Appropriation Act, not a single kobo was released to the fake agency.
The Director-General,Tanimu Yakubu, disclosed this during an appearance before the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee investigating the alleged unlawful establishment and funding of the council.
The DG maintained that the Budget Office neither created the council nor approved its establishment, recruitment or salaries.
He told the lawmakers that the office merely carried out its constitutional responsibility of assessing the fiscal implications of approvals issued by other government institutions.
The DG explained that while the council requested N3.8 billion as personnel cost, the Budget Office rejected the estimate and independently calculated a much lower figure of N802.98 million based on the approved establishment and applicable public service salary structure.
He stressed, however, that the personnel provision never translated into actual spending because the office withheld the mandatory financial clearance.
According to him, financial clearance is the final legal approval required before recruitment, payroll enrolment and salary payments can commence.
“There was therefore no financial clearance. There was no lawful recruitment. There was no payroll enrolment. There was no salary payment,” he said.
The committee chairman, Rep. Yusuf Gagdi, defended the Budget Office’s actions, saying the evidence before lawmakers showed the office acted on approvals issued by the relevant government agencies.He said the investigation had already established that the documents relied upon by those agencies were later discovered to be forged.
“The question is whether the Budget Office allocated budget to this agency without the agency satisfying the requirements. The answer, based on the documents before us, is no. I repeat, no,” he said.
Nigeria’s Enang Presents Credentials to German President Steinmeier (Images)
Zamfara LG Chairman Abduction: Security operatives intensify rescue efforts
IGP Disu orders officers to shoot anyone carrying illegal firearms
Tech Expert, Zuckerberg trains with UFC champions, Adesanya, Alexander
Organ Trafficking: Ekweremadu bags 10 years in UK prison
SAINT OBI: Between his marriage and his death
-
Business2 days agoNaira Exchange Rates Thursday, 23 July
-
Sports2 days agoNigeria’s NSC Chiefs Lead Team to 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow
-
News2 days ago311 lawmakers say “YES!” to establish state police
-
Crime3 days agoBREAKING: DSS, Zamfara Forces Rescue 4 Kidnapped Students
-
Politics2 days agoFashola declares, “I’m not interested in becoming President of Nigeria”
-
Politics2 days agoTimi Frank says Trump’s letter not political ‘endorsement’ of Tinubu
-
Business1 day agoNaira Exchange Rates Across Black Market, CBN, Commercial Banks Friday, July 24
-
News2 days agoSoludo’s daughter bags First Class from UK university