BREAKING: Senate Confirms Ifeanyi Ubah’s Death
The Senator representing Anambra South, Ifeanyi Ubah, is dead. Senate spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, confirmed Ubah’s death on Saturday, but did not give details. However, a source told Daily Trust that the lawmaker had flown to United Kingdom for a surgery. Ubah who until his death was a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), died at the age of 53. He was the Chief Executive Officer of Capital Oil. Ubah was first elected into the senate under the platform of Young People’s Party (YPP) in 2019. He was re-elected in 2023 under YPP but defected to the All Progressive Congress after. In September 2022, Ubah escaped assassination when he was attacked by gunmen on his way to Nnewi in Enugwu-Ukwu in Anambra State. His convoy was shot at, and at least five persons, including two policemen, were killed. He survived as the vehicle he was riding in was bulletproof.
Ndume Breaks Silence On Removal As Senate Chief Whip, Rejects Akpabio’s Appointment
By Doris Isreal Ijeoma The Borno South Senator, Ali Ndume, has spoken publicly for the first time following his sack as the Chief Whip of the Senate in the 10th Assembly. The outspoken lawmaker, who spoke in his country home of Maiduguri on Friday, said he was unfairly treated, and his actions do not warrant his removal from the position. He also rejected the chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Tourism, which was announced by Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Wednesday, arguing that he lacks the experience and exposure to lead such a sensitive group. Ndume added that he never wanted to be a senate whip after serving as the leader in the eighth senate, disclosing that he was given the chance to choose which committee to serve as the vice chairman, having successfully led the campaigns that brought about the emergence of Godwill Akpabio as president of the Senate. On the recommendation of the party to leave the APC, Ndume said he is a founding member of the party. He explained that he was one of the twenty-two senators from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that formed the APC when the current national chairman of the party Abdullahi Ganduje was a deputy governor in Kano State. He, however, stated that when former President Muhammadu Buhari, in the company of President Bola Tinubu, ordered him to sign a document to join APC at the Imo House in Abuja, he informed his people before going public as such, he would consult his people before deciding on whether to leave the APC or not.
Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno Named New Senate Chief Whip, Succeeding Ali Ndume
The Nigerian Senate has appointed Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno to replace Ali Ndume as Chief Whip. The decision was prompted by a formal complaint from the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which was presented during a plenary session chaired by Senate President Senator Godswill Akpabio. The complaint, conveyed in a letter signed by APC’s National Chairman Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and National Secretary Senator Surajudeen Bashir, cited concerns over Ndume’s public statements which were deemed detrimental to national interests. Specifically, Ndume’s comments in a media interview where he criticized the administration and made allegations against prominent figures within the party were highlighted as reasons for his replacement. Following the reading of the letter by Senator Akpabio, the Senate conducted a voice vote to confirm Senator Monguno as the new Chief Whip of the Senate.
Senate suspends legislative activities over Rep member Adams’ death
The Senate on Tuesday, July 16, suspended all legislative activities for the day to honour the late Hon. Ekene Abubakar Adams, a member of the House of Representatives. Hon Adams who represented Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency in Kaduna state, reportedly died on Tuesday morning after a brief illness. He was the chairman of the House Committee on Sports. Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the death of Adams during the commencement of plenary. The Senate observed a minute silence in honour of the late lawmaker and thereafter adjourned legislative activities for the day.
Body Of Ex-Senate President Joseph Wayas Arrives Nigeria After 33 Months
The body of Nigeria’s Second Republic Senate President, Senator Dr. Joseph Wayas arrived in Nigeria 33 months after his death in the United Kingdom. The remains of the elder statesman, who arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Wednesday morning, were received by his family members; Cross River North Senator, Jarigbe Agom; Hon. Peter Akpanke; kinsmen, and other stakeholders. The body was thereafter deposited at the morgue of the National Hospital, Abuja, after opening two years and nine months at a London morgue. Senator Jarigbe, Hon. Akpanke and the family members of the late former two-time Senate President, were full of praises for Cross River State governor, Senator Prince Bassey Otu, for his spirited efforts in facilitating the transportation of Wayas’ remains to Nigeria.
Price Hike: Reps threaten arrest of Cement firm mgt over failure to appear
The House of Representatives Joint Committee on the arbitrary increase in the price of cement has threatened to arrest the management of Dangote Cement if it fails to appear at its next hearing. This followed the absence of officials of the cement company during a hearing to address the problem of cement increase in the country on Tuesday. The special panel while advocating for the downward review of cement prices, expressed worry over the increase in cement prices and the untold hardships it has brought upon many Nigerians. It directed the Cement Manufacturers Association of Nigeria and the Central Bank of Nigeria to make appearances before the committee in the next two weeks. This, it said, is to deliberate on measures necessary to address the situation for the benefit of the people. “They want to over-profit without any sense of empathy for the citizens that have given it this platform. I think it calls for a rethink of the position of the government. “On Dangote my ruling is simple. The laws have given us the necessary powers but we owe you a duty of care. We are going to give you one more chance. We are going to communicate a date. “Failure to comply with that date, a subpoena will be issued, a warrant of arrest will be given for you to cause appearance before the National Assembly, and no single individual is bigger than the parliament of his country. No single Nigerian is bigger than the National Assembly,” Jonathan said
BREAKING: Bill to create extra 74 seats for women in parliament passes second reading
The House of Representatives, on Tuesday, passed for second reading a bill seeking to amend the constitution to create extra legislative seats for women in the National and state assemblies. The bill, jointly sponsored by the Deputy Speaker, Ben Kalu, and 12 others, was debated on the floor, with several members vehemently opposing it. It proposes to creat one senatorial seat and one House seat in each state and the FCT. It seeks to amend Sections 48 and 49 of the Constitution to provide one special seat reserved exclusively for women in the Senate and House of Representatives for each state of the federation and the FCT, effective after the term of the current National Assembly and subject to review every 16 years. Additionally, the bill seeks to amend Section 91 of the document to provide three special seats reserved exclusively for women in the Houses of Assembly of each state of the federation, which shall be spread across the three senatorial districts of each state.
Nigeria records 106, 604 human rights abuses in June alone – NHRC
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Monday, revealed that Nigeria recorded a total of 106, 604 reported human rights abuses in the month of June alone. The rights abuses comprised 1,667 children abandonment and killing of 19 security personnel during the period. NHRC, through its Executive Secretary, Dr. Tony Ojukwu (SAN) said that the figure of the human rights abuses in June was the highest in the past six months. This was made known at the 6th edition of the monthly human rights dashboard of the Commission in Abuja. Ojukwu said that he increase was disturbing but not unexpected in view of the circumstances of the situation in the country. He called on the state governors to rise to the protection of the fundamental rights of the citizens in their States adding that, the Commission itself would collaborate more with traditional rulers and Civil Society Organisations to raise the campaigns against human rights abuses. Ojukwu noted with regret the increase in the extra-judicial killings in the country where he said Ebonyi and the Federal Capital Territory topped the list during the period. Giving the breakdown of the reported 106, 604 human rights abuses, the Senior Human Rights Adviser to the NHRC Executive Secretary, Mr. Hillary Ogbonna explained that things are not going well in the country and that the increase in rights abuses called for more action. Ogbonna said that the North Central still topped the table on the human rights abuses with a record of 29, 462, closely followed by South South with 21, 603. Ogbonna explained that the South West recorded 18, 458, North West recorded 15, 101, North East, 12, 907, while South East recorded the lowest of 9, 164 reporter cases of human rights violation. On the extra judicial killings, Ogbonna regretted that killing for blasphemy was recorded in Bauchi, another killed in Ondo state for infidelity and the stabbing of a wife’s lover to death in Ogun state, while the recorded ones in Edo are related to cultism. He said that three different attacks were carried out on Police stations with FCT having one, while Ebonyi recorded two and appealed to Nigerians to stop attack on security operatives. He also reminded me that mob actions and jungle justice are against Nigeria laws and should therefore be stopped. On bomb related matters, he said Borno topped the list with two twin bomb explosions at wedding ceremonies where some people were killed, while Kaduna, Benue, Katsina and Plateau also have their own share in the terrorism related killings in the month of June. The human rights expert the Commission is concerned with the high level of violation of the fundamental rights of women and children in the country. Responding to a question on the 1, 667 abandoned children, the NHRC boss blamed the trend on the economic situation but however explained that, the economic situation should not be a good be a reason for innocent children to be abandoned. Ojukwu said the Commission is partnering with stakeholders to provide shelter for the abandoned children while efforts are made to discover the parents of the children.
Senate Intensifies Probe into N30 Trillion Ways and Means; Extends Committee’s Assignment by Two Months
The Senate has ramped up its investigation into the N30 trillion Ways and Means facilities granted to the Federal Government by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) between 2014 and 2023. Last Thursday, the Senate extended the assignment of the Ad-hoc committee handling the probe by an additional two months. Senator Isah Jibrin (APC Kogi East), who chairs the Ad-hoc committee established in March, requested more time, citing delays in receiving crucial information from several relevant agencies involved in the utilization of these funds. During a telephone conversation with journalists in Abuja on Saturday, Senator Jibrin, who also chairs the Senate Committee on Customs and Excise Duties, explained that the extension would enable the committee to intensify its efforts. “Most of the relevant agencies have been contacted, and their documents are being meticulously scrutinized regarding the spending of the disbursements obtained through the Ways and Means facilities,” Senator Jibrin stated. “As this is a highly sensitive national task, the committee is committed to conducting a thorough investigation without rushing to conclusions.” Jibrin emphasized that increased pressure would be applied to the few agencies that have not adequately responded to information requests. He warned that heads of non-compliant agencies might be summoned if they fail to provide the necessary information. “The extended timeframe will ensure that the committee produces a comprehensive investigative report by September this year, detailing how the N30 trillion Ways and Means were disbursed, for what purposes, and how the funds were expended,” he added. The Ways and Means facility is a loan mechanism through which the CBN finances the federal government’s budget shortfalls. This method often leads to macroeconomic instability, causing inflation and high exchange rates due to the excess liquidity injected into the economy. Although CBN law limits advances under Ways and Means to 5 percent of the previous year’s revenue, this limit has frequently been exceeded. In February this year, CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso announced that the bank would cease granting Ways and Means advances to the government until all outstanding debts are repaid.
76 Countries Including Nigeria Sign Controversial Samoa Agreement (Full List)
The Samoa agreement focuses on economic development, security, environment, migration, mobility, and climate change other areas include investment opportunities, sustainable development, and mutually beneficial cooperation, among others. The Samoa agreement has been signed by 79 countries across the world to address various aspects of the economy. The objective of the Samoa agreement is to serve as the legal framework for EU relations with these 79 countries. These include 48 African, 16 Caribbean, and 15 Pacific countries. The agreement covers 2 billion people and aims to strengthen the capacity of the EU and the ACP (African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries) to address global challenges together. Here are the full list of countries to benefit from the Samoa Agreement: African Countries: 1. Algeria 2. Angola 3. Benin 4. Botswana 5. Burkina Faso 6. Burundi 7. Cameroon 8. Cape Verde 9. Central African Republic 10. Chad 11. Comoros 12. Congo 13. Côte d’Ivoire 14.Democratic Republic of the Congo 15. Djibouti 16. Egypt 17. Equatorial Guinea 18. Eritrea 19. Eswatini 20. Ethiopia 21. Gabon 22. Gambia 23. Ghana 24. Guinea 25. Guinea-Bissau 26. Kenya 27. Lesotho 28. Liberia 29. Libya 30. Madagascar 31. Malawi 32. Mali 33. Mauritania 34. Mauritius 35. Morocco 36. Mozambique 37. Namibia 38. Niger 39. Nigeria 40. Republic of the Congo 41. Rwanda 42.São Tomé and Principe 43. Senegal 44. Seychelles 45. Sierra Leone 46. Somalia 47. South Africa 48. South Sudan 49. Sudan 50. Tanzania 51.Togo 52. Tunisia 53. Uganda 54. Zambia 55. Zimbabwe Caribbean Countries: 1. Antigua and Barbuda 2. The Bahamas 3. Barbados 4. Belize 5. Dominica 6. Dominican Republic 7. Grenada 8. Guyana 9. Haiti 10. Jamaica 11. Saint Kitts and Nevis 12. Saint Lucia 13. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 14. Suriname 15. Trinidad and Tobago Pacific Countries: 1. Cook Islands 2. Fiji 3. Kiribati 4. Marshall Islands 5. Micronesia 6. Nauru 7. Niue 8. Palau 9. Papua New Guinea 10. Samoa 11. Solomon Islands 12. Tonga 13. Tuvalu 14. Vanuatu