Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, on Monday offered to pay examination fees for Internally Displaced Persons in a camp at Uhogua village, Ovia North East local government area of Edo State.
The Speaker, who praised Governor Adams Oshiomhole for providing educational support for the IDPs, said lack of adequate education caused the problem of Boko Haram in the northeast.
He spoke at the camp where he attended church service and provided relief materials to the IDPs.
Dogara said he was paying for WAEC, NECO and JAMB examinations from his purse to enable the children get university education.
The Speaker called for an international donor conference to help deal with Boko Haram insurgency and resettle the IDPs.
He expressed hope that the IDPs would soon return home after adequate security has been provided and situations that drove them away tackled.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has written the National Assembly accusing the lawmakers of corruption, impunity, greed and of repeatedly breaking the nation’s laws.
Olusegun Obasanjo
In a letter dated January 13 and addressed to the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, the former president specifically accused the lawmakers of fixing and earning salaries and allowances far above what the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission approved for them.
He also alleged that most of the 109 senators and 369 members of the House of Representatives were receiving constituency allowances without maintaining constituency offices as the laws required of them.
Mr. Obasanjo was president between 1999 and 2007.
In the letter, exclusively obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, the former president said on a few occasion, both in and out of office as president, he had agonised over the massive corruption and lawlessness at the National Assembly and other arms and tiers of government.
He said he had reflected and expressed, outspokenly at times, his views on the practice in the National Assembly “which detracts from “distinguishness” and “honourability” because it is shrouded in opaqueness and absolute lack of transparency and could not be regarded as normal, good and decent practice in a democracy that is supposed to be exemplary.”
While referring to the issue of budgets and finances of the federal legislature, Mr. Obasanjo said the present economic situation that the country has found itself in is the climax of the steady erosion of good financial and economic management which grew from bad to worse in the last six years or so.
According to him, the executive and the legislative arms of government must accept and share responsibility in this regard and that if there will be a redress of the situation as early as possible, the two arms must also bear the responsibility proportionally.
“The two arms ran the affairs of the country unmindful of the rainy day,” he said. “The rainy day is now here. It would not work that the two arms should stand side by side with one arm pulling and without the support of the other one for good and efficient management of the economy.”
The former president argued that the purpose of election into the Legislative Assembly particularly at the national level was to give service to the nation and not for the personal service and interest of members at the expense of the nation which seemed to have been the mentality, psychology, mindset and practice within the National Assembly since the beginning of this present democratic dispensation.
He asked pointedly, “Where is patriotism? Where is commitment? Where is service?”
He stated further, “The beginning of good governance which is the responsibility of all arms and all the tiers of government is openness and transparency.
“It does not matter what else we try to do, as long as one arm of government shrouds its financial administration and management in opaqueness and practices rife with corruption, only very little, if anything at all, can be achieved in putting Nigeria on the path of sustainable and enduring democratic system, development and progress. Governance without transparency will be a mockery of democracy.”
Going more specific, Mr. Obasanjo noted that a situation where our national budget was predicated on $38 per barrel of oil with estimated two million barrels per day and before the budget was presented, the price of oil had gone down to $34 per barrel and now hovering around $30 and the country has no assurance of producing two million barrels and if it could, it would have no assurance of finding market for it, definitely calls for caution.
He added that if production and price projected in the budget stand, the country would have to borrow almost one third of the N6 trillion budget.
He stressed, “Now beginning with the reality of the budget, there is need for sober reflection and sacrifice with innovation at the level of executive and legislative arms of government. The soberness, the sacrifice and seriousness must be patient and apparent.
“It must not be seen and said that those who, as leaders, call for sacrifice from the citizenry are living in obscene opulence. It will not only be insensitive but callously so. It would seem that it is becoming a culture that election into the legislative arm of government at the national level in particular is a licence for financial misconduct and that should not be.
“The National Assembly now has a unique opportunity of presenting a new image of itself. It will help to strengthen, deepen, widen and sustain our democracy.”
Mr. Obasanjo said going by the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, RMAFC is charged with the responsibility of fixing emoluments of the three arms of government: executive, legislature and judiciary.
He said the Commission did its job but that “by different disingenuous ways and devices, the legislature had overturned the recommendation of the Commission and hiked up for themselves that which they are unwilling to spell out in detail, though they would want to defend it by force of arm if necessary. What is that?”
The former president added, “Mr. President of the Senate and Hon. Speaker of the House, you know that your emolument which the Commission had recommended for you takes care of all your legitimate requirements: basic salary, car, housing, staff, constituency allowance.
“Although the constituency allowance is paid to all members of the National Assembly, many of them have no constituency offices which the allowance is partly meant to cater for. And yet other allowances and payments have been added by the National Assembly for the National Assembly members’ emoluments. Surely, strictly speaking, it is unconstitutional.
“There is no valid argument for this except to see it for what it is – law-breaking and impunity by lawmakers. The lawmakers can return to the path of honour, distinguishness, sensitivity and responsibility.
“The National Assembly should have the courage to publish its recurrent budgets for the years 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015. That is what transparency demands.
“With the number of legislators not changing, comparison can be made. Comparisons in emoluments can also be made with countries like Ghana, Kenya, Senegal and even Malaysia and Indonesia who are richer and more developed than we are.”
Mr. Obasanjo recounted that while in office as president, he was threatened with impeachment by the members of the National Assembly for not releasing some money they had appropriated for themselves which were odious and for which there were no incomes to support.
On the plan by the legislature to buy new cars for its committees, the former president said it is unnecessary.
According to him, “The recent issue of cars for legislators would fall into the same category. Whatever name it is disguised as, it is unnecessary and insensitive.
“A pool of a few cars for each Chamber will suffice for any Committee Chairman or members for any specific duty. The waste that has gone into cars, furniture, housing renovation in the past was mind-boggling and these were veritable sources of waste and corruption. That was why they were abolished. Bringing them back is inimical to the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians.”
Mr. Obasanjo expressed hope that the National Assembly would reconsider its plan and do what is right not only in making its own budget transparent but in all matters of financial administration and management including audit of its accounts by external outside auditor from 1999 to date.
“This, if it is done, will bring a new dawn to democracy in Nigeria and a new and better image for the National Assembly and it will surely avoid the Presidency and the National Assembly going into face-off all the time on budgets and financial matters,” he said.
Below is Mr. Obasanjo’s letter:
January 13, 2016
Distinguished Senator Bukola Saraki,
President of the Senate,
Federal Republic of Nigeria,
Senate Chambers,
Abuja. Honourable Yakubu Dogara,
Speaker, House of Representatives,
National Assembly Complex,
Abuja.
It is appropriate to begin this letter, which I am sending to all members of the Senate and the House of Representatives through both of you at this auspicious and critical time, with wishes of Happy New Year to you all.
On a few occasions in the past, both in and out of office as the President of Nigeria, I have agonised on certain issues within the arms of government at the national level and among the tiers of government as well. Not least, I have reflected and expressed, outspokenly at times, my views on the practice in the National Assembly which detracts from distinguishness and honourability because it is shrouded in opaqueness and absolute lack of transparency and could not be regarded as normal, good and decent practice in a democracy that is supposed to be exemplary. I am, of course, referring to the issue of budgets and finances of the National Assembly.
The present economic situation that the country has found itself in is the climax of the steady erosion of good financial and economic management which grew from bad to worse in the last six years or so. The executive and the legislative arms of government must accept and share responsibility in this regard. And if there will be a redress of the situation as early as possible, the two arms must also bear the responsibility proportionally. The two arms ran the affairs of the country unmindful of the rainy day. The rainy day is now here. It would not work that the two arms should stand side by side with one arm pulling and without the support of the other one for good and efficient management of the economy.
The purpose of election into the Legislative Assembly particularly at the national level is to give service to the nation and not for the personal service and interest of members at the expense of the nation which seemed to have been the mentality, psychology, mindset and practice within the National Assembly since the beginning of this present democratic dispensation. Where is patriotism? Where is commitment? Where is service?
The beginning of good governance which is the responsibility of all arms and all the tiers of government is openness and transparency. It does not matter what else we try to do, as long as one arm of government shrouds its financial administration and management in opaqueness and practices rife with corruption, only very little, if anything at all, can be achieved in putting Nigeria on the path of sustainable and enduring democratic system, development and progress. Governance without transparency will be a mockery of democracy.
Let us be more direct and specific so that action can be taken where it is urgently necessary. A situation where our national budget was predicated on $38 per barrel of oil with estimated 2 million barrels per day and before the budget was presented, the price of oil had gone down to $34 per barrel and now hovering around $30 and we have no assurance of producing 2 million barrels and if we can, we have no assurance of finding market for it, definitely calls for caution. If production and price projected in the budget stand, we would have to borrow almost one third of the 6 trillion naira budget. Now beginning with the reality of the budget, there is need for sober reflection and sacrifice with innovation at the level of executive and legislative arms of government. The soberness, the sacrifice and seriousness must be patient and apparent.
It must not be seen and said that those who, as leaders, call for sacrifice from the citizenry are living in obscene opulence. It will not only be insensitive but callously so. It would seem that it is becoming a culture that election into the legislative arm of government at the national level in particular is a licence for financial misconduct and that should not be. The National Assembly now has a unique opportunity of presenting a new image of itself. It will help to strengthen, deepen, widen and sustain our democracy.
By our Constitution, the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission is charged with the responsibility of fixing emoluments of the three arms of government: executive, legislature and judiciary. The Commission did its job but by different disingenuous ways and devices, the legislature had overturned the recommendation of the Commission and hiked up for themselves that which they are unwilling to spell out in detail, though they would want to defend it by force of arm if necessary. What is that?
Mr. President of the Senate and Hon. Speaker of the House, you know that your emolument which the Commission had recommended for you takes care of all your legitimate requirements: basic salary, car, housing, staff, constituency allowance. Although the constituency allowance is paid to all members of the National Assembly, many of them have no constituency offices which the allowance is partly meant to cater for. And yet other allowances and payments have been added by the National Assembly for the National Assembly members’ emoluments. Surely, strictly speaking, it is unconstitutional. There is no valid argument for this except to see it for what it is – law-breaking and impunity by lawmakers. The lawmakers can return to the path of honour, distinguishness, sensitivity and responsibility. The National Assembly should have the courage to publish its recurrent budgets for the years 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015. That is what transparency demands. With the number of legislators not changing, comparison can be made. Comparisons in emoluments can also be made with countries like Ghana, Kenya, Senegal and even Malaysia and Indonesia who are richer and more developed than we are.
The budget is a proposal and only an estimate of income and expenditure. Where income is inadequate, expenditure will not be made. While in government, I was threatened with impeachment by the members of the National Assembly for not releasing some money they had appropriated for themselves which were odious and for which there were no incomes to support. The recent issue of cars for legislators would fall into the same category. Whatever name it is disguised as, it is unnecessary and insensitive. A pool of a few cars for each Chamber will suffice for any Committee Chairman or members for any specific duty. The waste that has gone into cars, furniture, housing renovation in the past was mind-boggling and these were veritable sources of waste and corruption. That was why they were abolished. Bringing them back is inimical to the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians.
The way of proposing budget should be for the executive to discuss every detail of the budget, in preparation, with different Committees and sub-Committees of the National Assembly and the National Assembly to discuss its budget with the Ministry of Finance. Then, the budget should be brought together as consolidated budget and formally presented to the National Assembly, to be deliberated and debated upon and passed into law. It would then be implemented as revenues are available. Where budget proposals are extremely ambitious like the current budget and revenue sources are so uncertain, more borrowing may have to be embarked upon, almost up to 50% of the budget or the budget may be grossly unimplementable and unimplemented. Neither is a choice as both are bad. Management of the economy is one of the key responsibilities of the President as prescribed in the Constitution. He cannot do so if he does not have his hands on the budget. Management of the economy is shared responsibility where the Presidency has the lion share of the responsibility. But if the National Assembly becomes a cog in the wheel, the executive efforts will not yield much reward or progress. The two have to work synchronisingly together to provide the impetus and the conducive environment for the private sector to play its active vanguard role. Management of the budget is the first step to manage the economy. It will be interesting if the National Assembly will be honourable enough and begin the process of transparency, responsibility and realism by publishing its recurrent budgets for 2016 as it should normally be done.
Hopefully, the National Assembly will take a step back and do what is right not only in making its own budget transparent but in all matters of financial administration and management including audit of its accounts by external outside auditor from 1999 to date. This, if it is done, will bring a new dawn to democracy in Nigeria and a new and better image for the National Assembly and it will surely avoid the Presidency and the National Assembly going into face-off all the time on budgets and financial matters.
While I thank you for your patience and understanding, please accept, Dear Senate President and Honourable Speaker of the House, the assurances of my highest consideration.
ENUGU – The Speaker,House of Representatives,Hon. Yakubu Dogara, yesterday, lamented that he joined the All Progressives Congress, APC,without dragging Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State along with him.
Yakubu Dogara
Dogara who spoke with nostalgia at the grand reception organized by Senator Chuka Utazi representing Enugu-North senatorial district on behalf of Nsukka Cultural zone at the Government Field Nsukka, revealed that Ugwuanyi’s pedigree as a ‘Progressive’ while at the House Representative will serve as a tonic that will boost governance in Enugu State.
This is even as Senator Utazi noted that destiny has beckoned on Ugwuanyi at this time to shoulder the heavy responsibilities of leadership in Enugu State.
According to the Speaker,”For us in the House of Representatives,the governor is our Ambassador. The fact that am here today attests to the kind of leadership Ugwuanyi provided during his stay at the National Assembly. I have no doubt that Ugwuanyi’s pedigree will be brought to bare in Enugu State.
“I will hold him(Ugwuani)accountable if he does not bring those developmental goals we discuss to Enugu State. He was a Progressive mind at the House of Rep. One of my regrets is that i did not cross over to APC with him”.
In a welcome address,Senator Utazi noted that,”We are confident” that the governor’s,” pedigree and inscrutable focus shall move our people many years ahead. You are carrying the aggregate of the hopes of a people. We know you will be a leading light of this generation in terms of the quality of leadership you would demonstrate.
While addressing the mammoth crowd that thronged the venue to witness the conferment of chieftaincy title on him,Governor Ugwuanyi urged the people to remain steadfast in their prayers and support his administration to achieve more for the people.
Dignitaries who graced the events includes; Deputy Senate President,Ike Ekeremadu,Governor Ibrahim Dankwanbo of Gombe State,former Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State,former Secretary to the Government of the Federation,Senator Anyim Pius Anyim,Chief Authur Eze,Peoples Democratic Party,PDP,Publicity Secretary,Olis Metuh,former Minister of Information,Chief Nnaia Nwodo among others.
ABUJA — The agitation by the nation’s federal lawmakers for supremacy and juicy committee positions boiled over, yesterday, when two members of the House of Representatives exchanged blows minutes before the day’s plenary session.
Femi Gbajabiamila
The exchange of blows caused the legislators to defer sitting and resort to caucuses during which a resolution was taken by the mainstream of the House to bring sanctions on House Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila and his 23 loyalists who boycotted Monday’s inauguration of the House Committees.
That decision was, however, tempered following pleas at a closed door session between Gbajabiamila and some principal officers of the House in the speaker’s office.
Also yesterday in the Senate, muttering over the sharing of committee positions again reopened the fault lines as supporters of the Senate Presidency bid of Senator Ahmad Lawan accused Senate President Bukola Saraki of surrendering the chambers to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
The melee in the House was upon the bad blood that followed the boycott of the inauguration of the 96 standing committees by House Leader, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, and his close loyalists.
Exchange of blows
It was gathered that trouble started when the newly inaugurated Chairman of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Rep Herman Hembe, representing APC, Konshisha/Vandekiya, Benue State, a close loyalist of the speaker, engaged Rep. Magaji Aliyu, APC, Birnin-Kudu/Buji, Jigawa State, a supporter of Gbajabiamila, over the sharing of the committees.
A slap was said to have followed when one of the two men could no longer control his emotion and the situation was said to have been quickly brought under control by the intervention of the Deputy Speaker, Yussuff Lasun.
Tempers also overflowed on account of alleged moves by allies of Speaker Yakubu Dogara and those of Gbajabiamila to effect sanctions upon the other.
At the closed door session of the APC caucus, it was gathered that members resolved to remove Gbajabiamila as House Leader and refer his 23 loyalists who boycotted the Monday inauguration of the committees to the Privileges Committee of the House.
That move was, however, rescinded after a peace meeting between Gbajabiamila and the speaker attended by some principal officers of the House.
Yakubu Dogara
Sources privy to the development said Gbajabiamila had entered the speaker’s office and requested for a one-on-one meeting with the speaker but the other principal officers present were said to have refused and insisted on partaking in the meeting.
Among the principal officers present at the meeting were Deputy Speaker, Yusuf Lashun; Minority Leader, Leo Ogor and Chief Whip, Ado Doguwa.
At the end of the interaction, the speaker was said to have promised to prevail on his supporters not to apply the sanctions as canvassed by the mainstream of the House against Gbajabiamila and his loyalists.
Gbajabiamila in an SMS response to Vanguard on the development said last night:“The Speaker and I, both know we will both look bad and no one will be the winner if there is ever another fight on the floor. The numbers are simply not there to remove any principal officer.”
It was a meeting
for APC family
Doguwa who briefed newsmen on the outcome of the APC caucus meeting said yesterday: “This was a meeting for the APC family, a meeting we intended to address ourselves that enough is enough of the misunderstanding among the APC family.
“I want to tell you precisely that by what we did yesterday, the flight of the 8th House of Representatives has taken off, it has not only taken off, it has taken off very successfully and it is a flight that is a four-year bound air flight, with Dogara as the pilot.
“I want to tell that we have maintained the status quo for now and Femi (Gbajabiamila) is our leader in the House of Representatives and even the speculations made earlier on that there is a move to remove Femi as our leader is unfounded and it is not from the leadership of the House or the APC.
“I also want to tell you that this morning I had a very close consultations with the leaders of the party, specifically Senator Lawali Shuaibu, who is the deputy leader of the APC in Nigeria and we have told them that there is no cause for alarm in the House of Representatives and we are moving as one.
“There is no two way about unity, this party was founded on the basis of unity and the House of Representatives as it is today is very much poised and ready to work with Mr. President, Muhammadu Buhari, to deliver the change mantra we have promised Nigerians.”
Gbajabiamila camp denies plot to remove Dogara
Associates of Gbajabiamila were also quick to denounce alleged plots against Speaker Dogara, particularly an alleged meeting in Atlanta, United States of America.
“No such meeting was held in the US. Rather, the leader (Gbajabiamila) visited Brazil where he met his family. I repeat there is no plan to remove Dogara by Gbajabiamila men,” an associate of Dogara said yesterday.
“It was a concoction of Dogara’s men to get juicy committees. They have built a garrison around Dogara that only those close to him can advise him. In short, they have caged him.
However, a member of the House, Rep Mustapha Bala Dawaki, has denounced agitations for committee positions, saying that committee chairmanship is a privilege and not the right of any lawmaker.
He said “the primary responsibility of any lawmaker here in the 8th Assembly is to adequately represent his constituency not committee chairmanship.”
Dawaki, who represents Dawakin Kudu/Warawa, APC, Kano, described the move as in bad taste “as no lawmaker was elected by his people to come here to fight for committee chairmanship or the so-called elusive juicy committees.”
Saraki asked to apologise to Nigerians
Meanwhile, anger among loyalists of Senator Lawan in the Senate over the composition of the committees also boiled over at a press conference in the Senate building, yesterday.
Speaking under the aegis of Senate Unity Forum, spokesman of the group, Senator Kabiru Marafa, APC, Zamfara Central, however, shied away from saying any member of his group would resign from the committee positions assigned to him.
Affirming that tyranny had taken over the Senate, he urged Senate President Saraki to apologise to Nigerians for “abuse of the Constitution” and for increasing number of committees beyond the statutory provisions.
Trouble started shortly after Votes and Proceedings of the last Wednesday’s sitting was approved by the Senate. Senator Marafa, who cited a number of Constitutional Orders and the Senate Standing Order submitted that the constitution of the committees should be reversed as they failed to meet the benchmark.
According to Senator Marafa, the Senate Selection Committee chaired by the Senate President, was not duly constituted, in accordance with provisions of the Standing Order, saying as such, the committees they put together were null and void.
He also asserted that failure of the Senate President to comply with Section 100 of the Senate Standing Rules, which provides for Senate approval of the committees before they can go into operation, saying such development had also nullified the efforts of the Senate Selection Committee.
He insisted that the committees were not subject to the approval of all senators in plenary. He said that the Selection Committee was not properly constituted in that it was made up mainly of new senators, flouting the standing order, which specified that it should be constituted based on ranking.
Legislative tyranny
Hear him: “What we are witnessing today in the National Assembly and the Senate in particular is legislative tyranny, where impunity wants to be the order of the day.
“Laws are meant to be respected and if we can treat our Order with impunity, then we have no business being here.
“There is no committee. They are not legally constituted and they cannot function. Any further action is unacceptable to Nigerians and I have discharged that responsibility.”
Speaking in the same vein, Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi, APC, Kaduna North, said there were procedures for constituting standing committees.
Hunkuyi, who was appointed Vice Chairman, Federal Character Commission and Inter-Governmental Affairs, said there was no resolution on the committees at plenary.
But reacting to the allegations, Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Abdullahi Sabi, said the committees were approved during the adoption of votes and proceedings.
According to him, no lawmaker had the power to declare any proceeding in the House null and void because they were not judges.
ABUJA — The 96 new standing committees of the House of Representatives were yesterday inaugurated at a session boycotted by the House leader, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila.
Reflective of the continuing schism in the House, Gbajabiamila’s loyalists turned up at the national headquarters of the All Progressives Congress, APC where they accused Speaker Yakubu Dogara of mortgaging the interest of the party to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and of being in cahoots with the opposition party to derail the change mantra that brought the APC to power.
Yakubu Dogara
They fumed that besides splitting the leadership of the committees with the opposition PDP, Dogara allowed opposition House members to take control of sensitive House committees.
Loyalists of the speaker rebuffed the claim yesterday as they gave note of their readiness to frontally dismiss the insinuations today.
Speaker Dogara who side-stepped the rebellion from the House leader at the inauguration ceremony, nevertheless frontally addressed other criticisms arising from the increase in the number of the committees. Present at the joint inauguration of the committees were Senate President, Bukola Saraki, former principal and presiding officers, Head of Service, Service Chiefs, Civil Society Organisations as well as traditional rulers.
Saraki, in a goodwill message at the ceremony affirmed that the National Assembly would not allow itself to be a platform for the promotion of interests against the common good.
Dogara who vowed that any under-performing committee official would be removed said the joint inauguration of the 96 committees was to enable them to hit the ground running. He also dismissed insinuations that some committees termed juicy were of more material benefit.
He said: “The decision to formally inaugurate all the Committees at once is borne out of the need for them to hit the ground running. It is also informed by the need to save cost and reduce legislative time that may be spent in inaugurating each Committee independently.
“Some commentators have decried the large number of Committees as being unwieldy and non cost effective. This criticism, though apparently well intentioned, misses the point.
“Experience gained from the operation of committees since 1999, shows that some committees’ functions and mandates are very wide indeed and cannot be effectively supervised and oversighted by a single committee.
“For instance, the House split the Committee on Education into two, namely: Basic Education and Services and Tertiary Education and Services.”
He said that the old Committee on Education had a mandate to oversight the budget and policy issues of 104 unity schools, 22 federal colleges of education, 36 federal universities and 24 federal polytechnics. Stressing that the committee also had 25 other government agencies and all aspects of education in Nigeria, he further explained,
“There is no way a single committee can adequately oversight all these agencies with House members also attending to other issues in plenary sessions, like law-making and other representational responsibilities.”
He said the Standing Orders of the House enjoined Special and Standing Committees, to create Sub–Committees as may be required and to appoint Sub- Committee Chairmen, in consultation with the Speaker.
He said this had led to friction between chairmen of substantive committees and chairmen of sub-committees and that in order to avoid gridlock, even though the committees were still expected to have sub-committees, effort had been made to create substantive committees where necessary in order to devote more attention to issues of priority to the House.
“Undoubtedly, the legislature remains the only institution with appropriate constitutional and statutory powers to check the executive branch and ensure that it discharges its mandate to the full benefit of all Nigerians.
“It is important to note that the Change promised Nigerians can only endure and outlive any government that introduced it only when it is anchored on legislation and not mere policy. Policy can easily be changed by an incoming government.
“Change itself must be regulated, so that our people would not face the dangers of unregulated change. That is why the legislative institution is central to the future we seek as a people.
“It is necessary to point out that the splitting of committees has not resulted in increased cost of running the house. The committee clerks and other staff of the committees are sourced from the existing pool of staff that are paid salaries and allowances already by the National Assembly.
“The committee members are already paid salaries also by the National Assembly. No person gets an increased remuneration by virtue of appointment as a committee member or chairman.The National Assembly budget has not been increased as a result.
“The situation in the Legislature is slightly different from the situation in the executive branch where creating a new agency or ministry may lead to increased costs of running the offices.”
On the issue of juicy and non-juicy committees, Speaker Dogara said:
“Let me use this opportunity to restate that there is nothing like juicy committee or non-juicy committee. I personally do not understand what is meant by that. If it means opportunity to contribute, we can assure you that every member of a committee would enjoy ample and equal opportunity.
“Every committee of the House is very important and is designed to handle specific functions for the House and on behalf of the Nigerian people who elected us.”
Inauguration unique, says Saraki
In his goodwill message, Senator Saraki said the inauguration was unique as it signposts the readiness and commitment of the National Assembly comprising the House and the Senate to innovative lawmaking.
He said, “It will be recalled that for the first time in the history of the National Assembly the two chambers of the House and the Senate separately forged and adopted legislative agenda to guide its activities in order to give the 8th National Assembly ambition, direction and a national goal towards socio-economic and political reforms.
“To all Nigerians I say this, as your representatives, we owe you not only our hard-work, but our judgment. This National Assembly will not be a parliament of ambassadors from different and hostile interests; which interests we maintain as agents and advocates against one another in perpetual conflict.
“Rather, the 8th National Assembly will remain a united, deliberative assembly of one nation, with one interest, that of the whole nation, not local prejudices or affiliations but working for the public good with collective purpose.”
While Rep. Austine Chukwukere representing Ideato Federal Constituency commended the Speaker for carrying everybody along irrespective of tribe or political affiliation, the Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Media and Publicity, Hon. Jonathan Gaza could not provide explanations for the absence of the Majority Leader, especially as he was scheduled on the order paper.
Gaza while reacting to questions on why Gbajabiamila was not present at the inauguration, said, “I do not know why he was absent, but I believe it was for a good cause.”
He described as unfortunate, reports that some aggrieved members boycotted the inauguration, stating that Nigeria should be bigger than any individual.
He said: “Time has been wasted on several things…when you walk into that chamber, it’s not about parties anymore. We swore allegiance to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, not to our respective parties; it is therefore about the progress of Nigeria. The wheel of governance is spinning and Nigeria would begin its upward move.”
In a lecture at the inauguration, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chibudom Nwuche declared that standing committees of the National Assembly enhance the efficiency and performance of the legislature in the discharge of its constitutional responsibilities.
Speaking on the theme: “The role of committees in a presidential system of government,” he said globally, parliaments were relying more on committees to discharge their functions and to operate more efficiently.
Meanwhile, Dogara’s loyalists stormed the national secretariat just as the inauguration got underway to protest what they claimed as the plot by the speaker to devalue the APC brand in the House.
Following a closed door meeting with members of the National Working Committee, NWC of the party at the national secretariat in Abuja, the lawmakers who operated under the aegis of “APC House Loyal Members”, affirmed that it was against democratic principles to share committees equally with the opposition.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is mobilizing its members in the House of Representatives for a possible showdown with the ruling All Progressives Party (APC) over moves by the APC national Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun to intervene in the crisis sparked by the recent constitution of the House standing committees.
Yakubu Dogara
House Leader Femi Gbajabiamila and his supporters claim they and the APC were short changed by Speaker Yakubu Dogara in the appointment of chairmen and vice chairmen for the committees.
Dogara, according to them, conceded too many positions to the PDP, and therefore want a redress.
The matter has already reached Odigie-Oyegun who, according to party sources, is disposed to intervening in the matter.
This, it was gathered, is now generating concern among PDP Reps who are crying external interference in the business of the Green Chamber of the National Assembly.
The APC National Chairman has reportedly met separately with Dogara and Gbajabiamila to discuss the bad blood caused by the sharing of the committee positions although no settlement has been reached yet.
Of the 96 Standing Committee chairmen and their deputies appointed, the APC got 48 to PDP’s 45. The APC also got 55 Deputy chairmen while the PDP caucus was given 39.
The Speaker has consistently rejected calls to review the list of committee heads in a way that gives the APC a comfortable hold on the leadership House.
It was gathered that the APC national chairman had parleyed with Dogara and his deputy, Yussuf Lasun, hours after he earlier met and discussed at length with the Majority Leader at his Abuja residence. Both meetings, according to reliable sources, centered on possible ways of resolving the lingering crisis.
One of the sources said: “It is very correct that the national chairman hosted and discussed with the Speaker and his Deputy. The duo came on the invitation of Chief Oyegun. They discussed the crisis generated by the sharing of the standing committees of the House of Representatives and sought possible ways of ending the crisis.”
The Chairman had earlier met with Gbajabiamila who complained that he was not involved in the composition of the committees. The meeting also discussed allegations that the APC was not adequately catered for in the composition of the committees.
It was gathered that both meetings proffered ways of settling the rift between the two camps amicably before the inauguration of the standing committees this week by the Speaker.
“Following the two parleys, I want to believe that the issues raised will be addressed and resolved before the inauguration of the standing committees. Given the dispositions of all the parties at the meetings with the national chairman, it is convenient to say truce is in sight over the matter,” our source added.
But the PDP, according to reliable party sources, has instructed its members in the House to get ready to resist any external interference in the affairs of the Green chamber.
The Nation learnt that following reports of Odigie-Oyegun’s meeting with Dogara and Gbajabiamila, the leadership of the opposition party met with the PDP caucus in the House and urged them to reject any move by the leadership of the APC to resolve the crisis generated by the sharing of committee headships.
A source familiar with the development said:”worried that the APC might browbeat the Speaker into altering the composition of the committees, the PDP had called on its caucus in the House to resist all forms of external interference in the activities of the lower chamber. The call was made in Abuja when the leadership of the party met with some PDP legislators on the matter.
“While we are not interested in what transpired at the meetings, it is important to say that the PDP will not fold its hands and watch the APC interfere in the businesses of the national assembly at random by dishing out instructions to the leadership of the House on how to conduct its affairs.
“Concerning the composition of the committees, we want to believe the Speaker gave a good account of himself and he should stick with that. The leadership of our party recently raised the alarm on the need for us as federal legislators to prevent external interference in the running of the lower chamber. We intend to see to that.”
ABUJA—APPARENTLY shocked by the list of committees announced by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, last Thursday, members, who supported the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate for speakership, Femi Gbajabiamila have expressed disappointment over what they described as a lopsided appointments of committee chairmen by the House leadership.
The Speaker, Dogara had announced chairmen and deputy chairmen for the 96 standing committees of the House, with members considered to be his loyalists getting some of the ‘juicy’ committees.
But the new spokesman of the House, Abdulrazak Namdas in a statement last Friday, debunked the claims that Dogara’s men got more lucrative committees.
According to some members of the Loyalists Group, who spoke to Vanguard, it was surprising that out of the 96 committees, only nine of them were appointed as chairmen.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, monday held a closed-door meeting with six out of the ministerial nominees yet-to-be screened by the Senate.
The nominees he met with in his office were Senator Heineken Lokpobiri (Bayelsa), Gen Mansur Dan Ali (Zamfara), Mrs. Aisha Abubakar (Sokoto), Hon. Khadijah Bukar Ibrahim (Yobe) and Mrs. Zainab Ahmed (Kaduna) and Mr. Muhammad Bello (Adamawa).
Details of the meeting were sketchy, but all the nominees, with the exception of Dan Ali, are facing opposition from different groups over their nomination.
Hon. Bukar Ibrahim is currently a member of the House of Representatives.
They are expected to be screened this week, as the exercise continues in the Senate tuesday.
The Speaker of House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara has picked holes in the manner of policy formulation by the executive arm of government, which he accused of not carrying the lawmakers along in budgeting processing.
Yakubu Dogara
Dogara gave the revelation at the just concluded Nigerian Economic Summit (21NES) held in Abuja.
The Speaker, who was represented by his deputy, Lasun Yusuf, lamented that the legislative arm of government had always been left out in the key decision making of government in budgeting and other key policy formulation, a trend he described as unhealthy development for the country’s economic growth.
This trend, according to him, had entrenched the culture of keeping the legislature in the dark of key policy decisions of the executive arm of government.
Speaking on the topic: Setting the Legislative Framework for a High-Performance Economy’, the House leader insisted that lawmakers have always been ignored by the executive arm.
“I’ll advise this August body to find a means of looking into that lacuna and come out with position papers to determine whether we are actually practicing communism, capitalism or welfarism because when all this are not properly define, there’s no way we can seat down and start making laws.’’
There were indications on Thursday that the move by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, to settle the rift between the Presidency and the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, has failed to yield a positive result.
Yakubu Dogara
It was gathered that at the meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and Dogara on Monday in Abuja, the Presidency insisted that Saraki must sever his relationship with the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu.
Findings by The PUNCH showed that the development meant the removal of the Peoples Democratic Party legislator from Enugu State from the number five political office in the country.
It was gathered that removing Ekweremadu was reportedly viewed by The Presidency as one of the possible political solutions to the heat generated by the trial of Saraki by Code of Conduct Tribunal for a an alleged false declaration of assets.
However, Saraki is said not to be disposed to the idea, arguing that he would not betray his deputy.
“The view of the Presidency is that the arrangement in the Senate whereby a PDP senator is the deputy president in an All Progressives Congress Party-led government is a misnomer, which should not be allowed.
“If there is a political option, this is one; the arrangement is not right,” a senior National Assembly official informed The PUNCH.
Investigations showed that President Muhammadu Buhari and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, had met at the Aso Rock Villa on Monday.
Doagra reportedly conveyed the decision of the House to Buhari, informing him of the House resolution calling for a political solution to Saraki’s travails.
“The President did not like the arrangement in the Senate,” the source added.
It was gathered that on the part of the Senate President and Dogara, they considered altering the “balance of power” in the National Assembly, as presently constituted, as another signal for a major political crisis.
Another official explained further, “Both the PDP and the APC and other political parties participated in the election of the principal officers of the National Assembly.
“There are forces in place and there is no way this suggestion will fly. Removing Ekweremadu can only be by impeachment proceedings. It is not by a directive.
“For the House, there are concerns over whether such a suggestion will not rub off on its leadership as well,” the source stated.
The House, had in a resolution passed on Wednesday last week, asked Dogara to intervene in Saraki’s case by meeting with Buhari and the Senate President with a view to finding a political solution to the matter.
The move by the House came soon after the Code of Conduct Tribunal arraigned the Senate President over alleged false asset declaration.
The House had argued that a political solution could save the country the heat generated in the polity by Saraki’s trial at the CCT.
It also claimed that a matter affecting the National Assembly could indirectly be a threat to democracy.
The Chairman, House Ad hoc Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Sani Zoro, could be reached for comments on the outcome of the meeting between Buhari and Dogara.
Text messages sent to his telephone were also not replied as of 8.17pm on Thursday.
The proposed immunity clause for the leadership of the Legislative arm of government has been described as a free license to corruption by a civil society organisation and some lawyers in the country.
The Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Mr. Leo Ogor, had recently disclosed proposed constitutional amendment such that the Senate President and his deputy, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and his deputy, as well as the Chief Justice of Nigeria would enjoy immunity from criminal trial.
But reacting to the development on Wednesday, the Chairman of the Civil Society Network Against Corruption, Mr. Lanre Suraj, described the proposed immunity clause as the highest level of recklessness on the part of the lawmakers.
Suraj wondered why the lawmakers would be seeking immunity for the leaders of the National Assembly when indeed Nigerians were clamouring that immunity clause should be stripped from even the current beneficiaries of it.
Suraj, who said allowing immunity clause for the National Assembly leadership would be like giving a free ticket to corruption, vowed that his organisation would stop at nothing to resist it.
A Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. O. Ajanaku, who also condemned the proposed immunity clause, said it was against the general call by Nigerians for probity and accountability in public offices.
Ajanaku said, “I don’t subscribe to it. If we are talking about probity and accountability in all sectors, why the clamour for immunity, when even the confab that was called by former President Goodluck Jonathan was to the effect that even the immunity clause for governors and their deputies should be removed? It is now that they are clamouring for immunity for the Senate President and the House of Representatives Speaker, I think is going to be a free licence to corruption and evil doing.
“How can you be seeking immunity if your hands are clean? If you are not there for your own personal gain, why should you be asking for immunity? Immunity to shield yourself from interference from the law enforcement agencies, such cannot be supported by any right thinking person.”
Also reacting to the development, a Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Festus Keyamo, said the call was anti-people and a move that would do the Nigerian people no good.
“It is a plan that is anti-people; it’s a plan that is not in tune with the aspirations of Nigerians; it’s a plan that elicits eminent reaction to the sentiments of the moment,” Keyamo said.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Niyi Akintola, said it would be unfortunate if Nigerians should fold their arms and allow the proposed immunity clause to sail through.
President Muhammadu Buhari last night met behind closed doors with the leaderships of the Senate and House of Representatives at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
General Buhari
Senate President Bukola Saraki and House Speaker Yakubu Dogara, led the leadership of the two chambers to the State House.
Other Senate leaders at the meeting included Majority Leader Ali Ndume; Deputy Majority Leader Bala Ibn Na’Allah; Minority Leader Godswill Akpabio and Minority Whip, Philip Aduda.
Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu was absent.
Members from the House of Representatives included Deputy Speaker Yusuf Lasun; and Leader Femi Gbajabiamila.
They arrived at the First Lady’s Conference Hall venue in a convoy at about 8.45pm.
The meeting started about 9.15pm when Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and some top government officials arrived at the venue.
Reporeters were barred from covering the meeting.
Even though the agenda of the meeting was not made public, it was gathered that it was not unconnected with moves to resolve the crisis and reconcile Saraki with the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Saraki, who is being prosecuted by the Code of Conduct Tribunal for alleged false declaration of assets emerged the President of the Senate against the party’s wish.
Another issue that might be tabled during the meeting is the plan by the President to send a supplementary budget to the National Assembly.
The meeting was still in progress as of the time of filing this report,
There were indications that President Muhammadu Buhari and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, met on Monday night over the ongoing prosecution of the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, for alleged false asset declaration.
President Buhari
The meeting said to have been held late in the night.
Our correspondent learnt that Dogara had reportedly “secured a booking” to meet with Buhari at the Aso Rock Villa.
A senior official of the House told The PUNCH that the meeting was not an open affair and that nobody could gauge the mood of the President.
The official said, “I am aware that he (speaker) secured a booking to see the President this night. But, this will not be an open meeting just yet. I think he wants to first see Mr. President and inform him about the resolution of the House.
“The President’s mood will determine whether he will go on to mediate in the matter to find a political solution as advised by the House.”
The House had in a resolution passed on Wednesday, last week, asked Dogara to intervene in Saraki’s case by meeting with Buhari and the Senate President, who is also the Chairman of the National Assembly, with a view to finding a political solution to the matter.
Yakubu Dogara
The move by the House came soon after the Code of Conduct Bureau arraigned the Senate President before the Code of Conduct Tribunal for alleged false asset declaration.
The House had argued that a political solution could save the country the heat generated in the polity by Saraki’s trial at the CCT.
It also claimed that a matter affecting the National Assembly could indirectly be a threat to democracy.
Part of the resolution reads, “The House mandates the leadership of the House to meet with the President with a view to politically resolving all outstanding issues relating to National Assembly in the interest of Nigerians.
“Mandate the speaker to intervene in the present issues and challenges being faced by the Chairman of the National Assembly (Saraki) with a view to finding a political solution and protecting the institution of the National Assembly as a whole for the interest of our democracy.”
When contacted for comments, the Chairman, House Ad hoc Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Sani Zoro, said he could not confirm whether there would be a meeting between Buhari and Dogara.
Zoro claimed to have made efforts to reach the speaker but could not because of a meeting of the leadership of the House being held as of 4.44pm when he spoke with The PUNCH.
However, he admitted that Dogara was “eminently placed” to mediate in the issue since his position had not been “called to question by any authority as we speak.”
He added, “While I cannot confirm immediately whether there will be a meeting tonight between Mr. President and the Speaker, I will quickly say that the speaker has been involved in several reconciliation meetings within the party (All Progressives Congress) and other levels.
“It was not by mistake that the House mandated him to intervene in the current issue affecting the Senate President.
“He has been holding several reconciliation meetings.”
But, another member of Zoro’s committee confided in The PUNCH that he was aware that Dogara planned to meet with Buhari between Monday (yesterday) and Wednesday (tomorrow) over Saraki’s case.
Bukola Saraki
The source said two other meetings, one with Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, and the other with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Babachir Lawal, would precede a meeting with Buhari on Wednesday.
“He will likely meet with the VP and the SGF on Tuesday (today) before another leg of meeting with Buhari on Wednesday,” the source stated.
Buhari had said that his relationship with Saraki would be determined by the outcome of his trial by the CCT.
However, the two top officials of the government were photographed on Thursday last week at an event marking the 55th Independence anniversary of the country as they laughed and bantered.
The photograph was said to be intended to portray the two as officials who had no scores to settle.
Buhari and Saraki are said not to have held any official meeting to discuss matters of state since the latter emerged as the President of the 8th Senate on June 9 against the preferred choice of the APC, Senator Ahmad Lawan.
The current peace move being spearheaded by Dogara is coming amid the screening of Buhari’s ministerial nominees by the Senate, beginning anytime from Tuesday (today).
Saraki had on Wednesday last week confirmed the receipt of the letter containing the names of the nominees but noted that the letter would be opened at plenary on Tuesday.
With Saraki in charge of affairs, there are concerns in some quarters that the Senate President may seize the opportunity to take his pound of flesh by influencing senators to reject a number of the nominees.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, has called on Nigerian Christian community, particularly those in North East states to forgive members of the Boko Haram Islamist sect.
Yakubu Dogara
He stressed that the country could only make meaningful development when Nigerians begin to forgive one another. He noted that although people’s sources of livelihood and churches were destroyed during the fiery days of the insurgents, the Christian community should, in line with the teachings of Jesus Christ, forgive and look forward to better times.
The Speaker, who is the first northern minority Christian from the core north to hold the highest political office in Nigeria, made this appeal yesterday in Abuja at the Christian Ecumenical Centre, during the diamond anniversary lecture of the Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria.
Dogara re-affirmed the right of every Nigerian to subscribe freely to any religion of his choice as long as it suits his or her conscience.
According to him: “The need for sober reflection is particularly important for us in Nigeria, especially in the North-eastern states of Nigeria, where the terrorist group, Boko Haram, which of late, has been flaunting its association with the world terror group, the Islamic State (ISIS), has targeted not only the Church, but also Mosques, children, women and indeed, the entire society, in mindless terror, death and destruction of all that we hold dear.
“The rights of our people as entrenched in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999) as amended, to worship and choose their religion has been violated by the terrorists, who left no one in doubt that they want everyone to follow their ways.
“What are the lessons for us today in Nigeria? Christians would need to forgive those who, especially in the last six years, have promoted, strengthened and supported the massive destruction that the Church and others had suffered in the hands of the Boko Haram. But, where else lies the footstep of the saviour except in forgiving? History has shown that the blood of saints cannot be shed in vain.”
The Speaker called on clergymen to live above board and be actively involved in nation-building, noting that Christian leaders should not look up to the world for leadership.
“The Church must never look to the world for leadership; rather, the world should look to the Church for leadership,” he stated.
Up to 22 former members of the House of Representatives are presenting themselves for jobs to serve as aides to the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, and the Deputy Speaker, Mr. Yusuf Lasun, The PUNCH learnt on Tuesday.
Yakubu Dogara
Investigations showed that at least six of the ex-lawmakers had been handed letters of engagement to serve as special advisers to Dogara and Lasun.
The majority of the job seekers were part of the 2011-2015 batch, members whose tenure at the National Assembly rounded off on June 5.
A senior member of the House disclosed to The PUNCH on Tuesday that some of the ex-members were “very supportive” in the run up to the election of the presiding officers of the House on June 9.
“The jostling for jobs here started long before now. Some of them worked in the speaker’s team before the election.
“This is like compensating them for the roles they played, but there are others who truly requested to serve as aides to Dogara and his deputy.
“Only a few have been confirmed really; there is no possibility that everyone will be on board. Many are still on the waiting list,” the official added.
However, one of the engaged aides, a former Chairman, House Committee on Public Petitions, Mr. Cyril Maduabum, was carried over from the 7th Assembly where he had served as Chief of Staff to the Deputy Speaker at the time, Mr. Emeka Ihedioha.
Findings indicated that among those Dogara and Lasun had engaged so far were a former Chairman, House Committee on Electoral Matters, Mr. Jerry Manwe, who was appointed as Chief of Staff to Dogara.
He was allegedly considered for the job ahead of another former younger ex-lawmaker on the grounds that Manwe was “more experienced in administrative matters”, besides being a very close friend.
The younger former member, who once served as the deputy chairman of a popular House committee in the 7th Assembly, is said to be among those still on the awaiting list.
On his side, Lasun had appointed a former member from Ekiti State, Mr. Bimbo Daramola, as his chief of staff.
Daramola was formerly the Director-General of the campaign organisation of a former Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Kayode Fayemi, in the last governorship poll.
Similarly, a former Chairman, House Committee on Science and Technology, Mr. Abiodun Akinlade, is the Special Adviser on Special Duties to the deputy speaker.
Another former Chairman on Youth Matters, Mr. Kamil Akinlabi, is also a special adviser to Lasun.
But, when contacted, some of the members described as “erroneous” any impression that they were scrambling for the positions.
For example, Akinlade told The PUNCH that their services were needed as experienced legislators to help the presiding officers to stabilise the House.
“This is not even about saying we are looking for jobs or something. That is not correct.
“Some of us have up to 12 years of experience in the House; so, the experience will help the system.
“If you go to the Senate, you will see a similar trend of keeping some experienced hands behind”, he added.
The Special Adviser to the Speaker on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Turaki Hassan, did not comment on the issue when his reactions were sought.
However, the Chief Press Secretary to Lasun, Mr. Wole Oladimeji, defended the decision of his boss to hire ex-members as his aides.
He told The PUNCH that Lasun merely kept a tradition of retaining some ex-members to serve as advisers to presiding officers.
“This is not new; since the days of (Aminu) Masari, some former members do serve as advisers or work for the presiding officers,” Oladimeji stated.
A source at Dogara’s office also claimed that about six ex-members served as aides to the immediate past Speaker of the House, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal.
One of them was Mr. Sada Soli, who served as Tambuwal’s chief of staff.
Aminu Tambuwal, governor of Sokoto state and former speaker of the federal house of representatives, says the emergence of Yakubu Dogara as his successor was based on merit.
Aminu Tambuwal
He Dogara as “a detribalised and committed Nigerian”, saying he decided to support him over Femi Gbajabiamila – who he admitted was his close ally – because of his “competence”.
Tambuwal was speaking on Monday when a delegation from Sayawa communities in Bogoro and Tafawa Balewa local government areas of Bauchi state paid him a courtesy visit. “Dogara is a patriotic, committed and pious Nigerian who has been tested and trusted,” he said.
“He is one young northerner and Nigerian who has not only integrity, but accommodation and the ability for leadership.
“When you are talking about leadership, you must put away sentiments. I have strong affinity with Hon Femi. He was closer to me than Dogara. But when talking about leadership and collective decisions, sentiments have to be put aside.
“I’m not here to tell you that my support made Dogara the speaker. Two factors worked for Dogara; one is God and the second is his competence.
“The acknowledgement of Dogara’s competence did not start with me. It started from the time of Hon Patricia and Etteh and Hon Dimeji Bankole when they entrusted him with a sensitive position of the chairman of house services committee.
“The committee is one of the most sensitive in the legislature. Apart from taking care of the welfare of members, the committee oversees all procurement processes. As the speaker, I only did what my predecessors did by giving Dogara this sensitive position.
“No person, as far as I know, has served as chairman of the house services committee in two dispensations. Dogara broke that jinx. All through my tenure, I brought Dogara close to me because I found in him a person who is competent, accommodating, and with capacity to lead.
“Anyone doubting Dogara’s ability to lead should ask members of the 7th assembly how he handled their matter. So I supported Dogara because he was competent to deliver on any task given to him and his emergence as the speaker was based on merit and divined by God.”
Ishaku Komu, the paramount ruler of Sayawa community, who led the delegation, thanked Tambuwal for supporting Dogara, an indigene of Bauchi. The monarch promised Nigerians that their son would live up to expectation.
He also urged Nigerians to support President Muhammadu Buhari to enable him effect the desired changes in the country. In his remarks, Suleiman Bogoro, executive secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), also an indigene of the community, described Tambuwal as “bridge builder”.
TROUBLE is not yet over for the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the meeting called on Monday by President Muhammadu Buhari to resolve its leadership crisis in the House of Representatives ended in a deadlock.
Yakubu Dogara
The APC House members, led by the Speaker, Honourable Yakubu Dogara, met with the President for about 20 minutes at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, but were unable to reach a common ground as factions loyal to the Speaker and former Minority Leader of the House, Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila, gave contrary opinions on what transpired at the meeting.
Gbajabiamila narrowly lost his bid to become Speaker of the House of Representatives to Dogara despite being the favoured for the post by the leadership of the party.
His bid to become the Leader of the House is also being resisted by the House leadership which was reported to have zoned the position to the North West and effectively knocking out the Lagos lawmaker.
The House leadership has, however, conceded the position to a member of the Gbajabiamila group who must be from the North West in order to maintain the Federal Character principle in the appointment of principal officers of the House but this had not gone done well with Gbajabiamila’s loyalists.
President Buhari had therefore convened Monday’s meeting to find a way out of the logjam.
Also in the meeting were the Deputy a Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Yusuf Lasun; APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and some members of his National Working Committee (NWC) including National Secretary, Ibrahim Gubi; National Deputy Chairman South, Chief Segun Oni and National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
Emerging from the meeting, Dogara told correspondents that the meeting was a family meeting but noted that consultations would continue intoMonday night with the hope that the leadership crisis could be resolved.
“I believe that by this night, there will be compromise. We are still talking. But I think this is the first time everybody coming together in a cordial atmosphere,” he said.
In his remarks, Chief Odigie-Oyegun said so much ground was covered in the 20-minute meeting, saying, “You will be very surprised that a lot was achieved in 20 minutes.”
He was confident that a compromised had been reached, saying, “I have a feeling in another three four hours and by tomorrow, we will have come to a compromise and have good news for the nation.”
Also speaking, Gbajabiamila described the meeting as a ‘family meeting,’ insisting that discussion would go on among the party members to resolve the lingering crisis.
“It is not about magic. This is a family that has come together and we are here to resolve the problem and we shall move ahead to resolve the issue this evening,” he said.
As the House of Representatives get set to resume plenary on Tuesday, lawmakers loyal to the governing All Progressives Congress, APC, and Femi Gbajabiamila have alleged that Speaker Yakubu Dogara is planning to prevent them from gaining access to the Assembly.
Yakubu Dogara
The spokesperson of the group, Nasiru Zangon-Daura, who addressed a press conference at Protea Hotel, Asokoro, Abuja on Saturday also accused Mr. Dogara and his supporters of working with members elected under the platform of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to frustrate the anti-corruption drive of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Mr. Zangon-Daura said the Speaker is specifically planning to stop members of the ‘Loyalist Group’ such as Aliyu Madaki, Rufai Chanchangi, Philip Shaibu, Mohamed Soba, Isa Zuru, Ahmed Kaita, Ismaila Sulaiman, James Falken, Yusuf Ikara, Abdullahi Salame and Abubakar Chika from entering the chambers
“We strongly warn Speaker Dogara that we will not take any breach of our members’ privileges lightly and we will hold you, Speaker Dogara personally responsible. Honour is earned through honourable actions. A word is enough for the wise,” he said.
Mr. Zangon-Daura also said the attempt by Speaker Dogara to bring back the PDP to reckoning after losing the 2015 general elections would not work.
“We have therefore, resolved that enough is enough of the shenanigans of the PDP and Speaker Dogara group.
“We hereby remind Speaker Dogara group and his PDP allies in the House that we have fought the PDP and already chased them out of government because we were willing to pay the price to ensure that Nigerians are not short-changed.
“And we are ready to do it again now so that the Change Agenda prevails in the House of Representatives,” he said.
The lawmaker said the 2015 elections presented an opportunity to consign the PDP in to oblivion. He added that such quest of pushing the PDP to oblivion is being halted due to the activities of a few disloyal members “of the APC who had already formed an unholy alliance with the PDP in the House.
“We had hoped that with a difference of just 8 votes between Dogara and Femi, Speaker Dogara would have realised the need to cultivate a united House of Representatives.
“We are also cognisant that in politics there are always the subversive activities and antics of 5th columnist in any political movement to content with.
“We are also aware that this unholy alliance is a bid to truncate President Muhammadu Buhari’s agenda, which include his anti-corruption stance by using the National Assembly to, at the very minimum, slow it down if they cannot stop this Presidential initiative dead cold.
“We know that this unholy agreement between the disloyal Dogara group and the PDP entail the deployment of PDP members and the disloyal APC group in strategic positions in the Structures and Committees of The House.
“The purpose of this strategic deployment is to enable the PDP to indirectly dictate the pace and activities of the National Assembly to the detriment of our party’s goals and objectives,” he said.
Members loyal to Mr. Dogara had on Friday stated that the crisis in the House is over because the” Dogara formula” which had conceded the position of House leader and Chief Whip to the Gbajabiamila group has been accepted by the nominated members, Alhassan Doguwa and Pally Iriase respectively.
Mr. Zangon-Daura had issued a statement Friday night denying any truce.
He said the Gbajabiamila group still maintains its stand that party supremacy must reign in the appointment of principal officers.
Speaking Saturday, the lawmaker said the group “deplore(s) the continued defiance of the APC and the APC House Caucus by Speaker Dogara as indicated in his disloyal letter to our Party National Chairman.
“We are also not aware of any concession(s) made by the Speaker Dogara Group to the APC Loyalist Group contrary to insinuations in the media, ” he said.
He also said to have a genuine agreement that is not tainted by the PDP, the Dogara group will have to first of all “cut off the umbilical cord between them and the PDP and secondly engage in candid reconciliatory discussions with our group as a whole through our approved members under the leadership of Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.”
Mr. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa, an ally of former House of Representatives Minority Leader, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, said on Wednesday that he considered the offer made to him to become the Majority Leader of the House as a possible solution to the raging leadership tussle in the legislature.
Yakubu Dogara
“I consider this offer good if it is genuine; the Speaker (Yakubu Dogara) has given the assurances that he is ready for peace to prevail in the House.
“This offer, to my mind, is a good gesture and we can work with it – given the assurances by the Speaker,” he stated.
Ado-Doguwa spoke exclusively with The PUNCH at the National Assembly in Abuja.
Ado-Doguwa, who is from Kano State, is a member of the All Progressives Congress’ Loyalists Group, which has for long, insisted that the party’s sharing formula for principal offices must be obeyed.
However, he clarified that members of the group had not met to discuss the offer, but he called on them to reason along with him.
“I am just expressing my own view on this matter; that we have to accept this offer so that we can move ahead. I believe that the general opinion of Nigerians is that this crisis has dragged on for too long and we should end it and allow the government to move on,” Ado-Doguwa added.
The APC had zoned the position of Majority Leader to the South-West and recommended Gbajabiamila to occupy the seat.
The party also zoned the office of Deputy Leader to the North-West and had recommended Ado-Doguwa to occupy the office.
The party zoned the offices of Chief Whip and Deputy Whip to the North-East and South-South respectively.
But the North-East and South-South later swapped the positions.
The 8th Assembly Consolidation Group led by Dogara had opposed the party and instead proposed to have the North-West (Ado-Doguwa) occupy the office of Majority Leader.
Dogara zoned the post of Deputy Leader to the North-Central while he also zoned the position of the Chief Whip to the South-South and that of the Deputy Whip to the South-East.
It will be recalled that the refusal of Dogara to zone the offices as recommended by the party had led to the fracas on the floor of the House on June 25, forcing lawmakers to proceed on a four-week break.
While the Speaker claimed that his decision was in the interest of “federal character,” the Gbajabiamila group had argued that “party supremacy” must prevail.
Ado-Doguwa has been a staunch supporter of Gbajabiamila who took active part in the June 25 fighting.
He was the member who climbed a desk right in front of Dogara, shouting that the party’s decision must be obeyed.
Investigations by The PUNCH confirmed a speculation that Ado-Doguwa had come under pressure to back down and accept the offer by the Speaker.
His new stance also confirmed a speculation that Dogara had broken the ranks of the APC Loyalists Group, using the offer made to Ado-Doguwa as the major bait.
On Thursday last week, Ado-Doguwa had disclosed to The PUNCH that the group was ready to engage the Dogara group in a “give and take discussions.”
“We are ready to sit and talk. We will give something and we believe they too can give up something,” he said.
But the spokesman for the Gbajabiamila group, Mr. Nasiru Zango-Daura, gave a different position, insisting that the group would not go against the stance of the APC.
Findings showed that Dogara and Ado-Doguwa had met twice and the Speaker, on both occasions, reportedly assured him that he was ready to work with the group if he (Ado-Doguwa) would accept to be the Majority Leader.
“There was a divide and rule strategy the Speaker adopted, knowing that the North-West has the highest number of 86 APC members in the House.
“He broke their ranks and with the pressure mounted on Ado-Doguwa, he began to weigh his options,” a senior House official informed The PUNCH on Wednesday.
Gbajabiamila did not respond to the latest development when his reactions were sought on Wednesday.
He did not reply texts messages our correspondent sent to him on the subject.
The leadership tussle in the House of Representatives has crossed over to the courts, as two All Progressives Congress members have sued the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara.
Yakubu Dogara
Joined in the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/625/2015, filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, are the Deputy Speaker, Mr. Yusuf Lasun; and the Clerk of the House, Mr. Mohammed Sani-Omolori.
The members, Mr. Abubakar Lado-Abdullahi, from Niger State; and Mr. Olajide Abdul-Jimoh, from Lagos State, are praying the court to restrain the defendants from stopping the announcement of the names of principal officers recommended by the leadership of the APC.
In their prayers, the members argued, “it is an indisputable fact that the positions in question are party positions; that is, principal offices of the APC, albeit that they concomitantly are also principal positions within the House of Representatives.
“Consequently, the 1st and 2nd Defendants (Speaker and Deputy Speaker) shall, in accordance with Article 9.2 of APC Constitution, which states , ‘members of the party shall be obligated to affirm the party’s aims and objectives’, implement the party’s aims as contained in the party’s nomination letter”.
Findings showed that the court process was reportedly served on Dogara and the co-defendants on July 16.
A copy of the process was made available to The PUNCH about 5.26pm on Tuesday.
Specifically, the plaintiffs urged the court to determine whether Section 14 of the 1999 Constitution, dealing with the Principle of Federal Character, was applicable to the sharing of principal offices in the National Assembly.
However, when The PUNCH sought reactions from the Speaker’s office on Tuesday, it got a “not aware” response.
His Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Hassan Turaki, simply said, “Not aware”, in a reply to a question whether Dogara had received the court’s summons.
He declined to respond to the second question on what the speaker would do about the case.
The House, which began a forced break on June 25 after a fight broke out on the floor over the sharing of the principal offices, was scheduled to resume on Tuesday (yesterday).
