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Sanusi: Reps Make U-Turn …Publish Members’ Salaries, CPC Tells NASS
The House of Representatives yesterday changed its mind on its invitation to the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, to appear on the floor of the House.
The House, which was presided over by Deputy Speaker, Bayero Nafada, rather directed that the CBN governor should now appear before committees of the House of Appropriation, Banking, Drugs, Narcotic and Financial Crimes at a date to be determined by the committees.
Hon. Igo Aguma had raised a counter motion to that of the Senate Leader, Tunde Akogun for Sanusi’s appearance.
The CBN Governor was said to have arrived at the premises of the National Assembly by 10am prepared for his appearance.
The Tide gathered that the change of mind by the Reps was fallout of indications that Sanusi had come better prepared than he was when he made a similar appearance before the senate on Wednesday.
Sanusi had stood by his comment on the allegation that about 25 per cent of the nation’s budget was consumed by the National Assembly even when senators pointed out to him that his figures were inaccurate and misleading.
He was said to have arrived at the Reps wing of the National Assembly with loads of documents apparently to tackle members of the House of Representatives.
The House gave the committees one week to report back on the matter.
Meanwhile, the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) has showered praises on the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, for sticking with his position that 25% of the overhead of the Federal Budget is consumed by the National Assembly.
Sanusi was asked by the lawmakers to explain to them and to Nigerians how he came by the said figure but he couldn’t. He rather remained adamant that he was convinced that the lawmakers’ jumbo pay was digging a big hole in the nation’s treasury.
In a statement made available to our correspondent, National Publicity Secretary of the group, Osita Okechukwu said, “We salute Governor Sanusi’s courage and uncommon passion for public good in the midst of intimidation by hostile senators and at the risk of losing his job, he maintained his stoic stance that the NASS’s expenditure was bleeding heavily on the national treasury.
“We waited anxiously for Governor Sanusi in this hour and salute him for upholding his own ratings, for Nigerians hold in very high esteem the man who exposed the errant bankers who played casino with depositors’ funds.”
The CNPP suggested that the federal lawmakers were earning a lot more than the official emoluments approved by the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission.
“We challenge the NASS members to publicly tell the world whether they abide by the emolument and allowances benchmark prescribed by the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission {RMAFC}.
“Governor Sanusi talked only of the Report of the Budget Office but diplomatically did not expose the Trade Center antics of the NASS members and their food is ready economic policy; where instead of law making, they engage in contract sharing and contract splitting. This is the conduit pipe NASS members use to bleed our national treasury, subvert the Millennium Development Goals and undermine our decayed infrastructure.”
The group however prayed the National Assembly members to desist from haunting down people like Sanusi whom they described as a patriot and focus on saving the country’s democracy from the threat posed to it by the monumental corruption in the land. He said, “CNPP wishes to appeal to our Distinguished Senators and Honourable members to instead of haunting down brave patriots like Governor Sanusi; to graciously embark on soul searching, look inwards and as a matter of urgent national importance remove the specks in their eyes, which regrettably has converted the National Assembly into a Trade Center.”
Meanwhile, the Congress for Progress Change (CPC) yesterday called on the National Assembly to publish detailed facts concerning the basic salaries and allowances of its members for the sake of enhancing transparency in the public sector.
A statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Mr Aghanya Dennis in Abuja made the call in a reaction to the summon on the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Lamido Sanusi by the National Assembly.
“This observation has become very necessary in view of the recent summoning of the Central Bank Governor by the Senate to explain his claims that 25 per cent of overhead of the government’s revenue is spent on the National Assembly,” it stated.
The statement noted that constituted authorities should be allowed to function without any form of intimidation from any arm of government.
“Instead of summoning him in the usual manner of the NASS, his office should have been simply asked to forward its records to substantiate his claims,” the statement added.
The party further called on Nigerians “not to be intimidated by the incessant summoning by the National Assembly as they were selected to represent us”.
President Bola Tinubu has approved the nomination of four new members to the Governing Council of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement yesterday, said the appointment is to fill existing vacancies and strengthen the board’s capacity.
The statement said the approved nominees are Mr. Olusegun Omosehin of the National Insurance Commission and Engr. Wole Ogunsanya of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria.
Tinubu also endorsed the nomination of Sam Onyechi, who represents the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum and Barrister Owei Oyanbo from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
The President encouraged the new members to leverage their expertise and dedication to enhance local content development within Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
It added, “The nominations arose from the exit of previous institutional representatives from the Governing Council.
“The NCDMB Governing Council, established under Section 69 of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act, 2010, comprises representatives from key institutions.
“These include the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria, the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum, and the National Insurance Commission.”
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has announced plans to construct additional hostels, rehabilitate roads, and enhance power supply in the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT).
NDDC’s Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, disclosed this during a visit to the commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, yesterday by a delegation from the UNIPORT’s Governing Council.
Ogbuku stated that the NDDC had committed to upgrading facilities at UNIPORT as part of efforts to foster partnership with educational institutions across the Niger Delta.
According to him, the implementation of additional projects at the university forms part of a broader strategy to improve education standards in the region.
“Aside from the construction of new hostel blocks and installation of a 300 KVA solar inverter system, the NDDC will also facilitate more projects in the university.
“The commission will also deploy its engineers to assess the condition of UNIPORT’s roads and hostels for potential rehabilitation,” he said.
Ogbuku noted that upon completion, the projects would add to various initiatives previously undertaken by the commission at the university.
“These and other projects reflect our commitment to actualising President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in the Niger Delta region,” he added.
He reaffirmed the NDDC’s dedication to fostering development and strengthening partnerships across the region.
Earlier, Sen. Mao Ohuanbunwa, Chairman of UNIPORT’s Governing Council, who led the delegation commended the current leadership of the NDDC for its achievements in accelerating development in the Niger Delta.
He highlighted the university’s infrastructural challenges, noting that it lacked adequate facilities to accommodate its growing student population, and appealed for the NDDC’s support in addressing the shortfall.
“Currently, UNIPORT has a total student population of about 50,000, while its hostel accommodation capacity can only cater for 5,000 students.
“We therefore urge the NDDC to assist in the construction of additional hostels, improve transportation facilities, and facilitate the acquisition of gas turbines to enhance power supply for our students,” Ohuanbunwa pleaded.
The Vice Chancellor of UNIPORT, Prof. Owunari Georgewill, commended NDDC for its impactful projects across the Niger Delta and extended an invitation to the commission to participate in the institution’s forthcoming 50th anniversary celebrations.
The Senate has rejected a motion to rename the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters after the former chairman of the defunct National Electoral Commission, late Prof Humphrey Nwosu.
Nwosu presided over the June 12, 1993, presidential election, which was truncated by the former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd).
The election which was won by the late business mogul, Chief MKO Abiola, was adjudged to be the freest and fairest in the electoral history of Nigeria.
The motion to rename INEC after Nwosu was re-sponsored by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe yesterday after lawmakers threw it out last Wednesday.
Abaribe called for posthumous national honours to be conferred on Nwosu in recognition of his role in Nigeria’s democratic evolution.
However, the proposal sparked a heated debate once again, with lawmakers deeply divided over Nwosu’s legacy.
Senator Osita Ngwu acknowledged that Nwosu operated under a military regime, which restricted his ability to announce the results.
He argued that “there was no way he would have announced the results with a gun to his head. That doesn’t change the fact that some of us see him as a hero.”
Senator Austin Akobundu, however, described it as most uncharitable for lawmakers to dismiss Nwosu’s contributions, insisting that he deserved a place in Nigeria’s hall of honour.
On the other hand, several senators like Senator Jimoh Ibrahim dismissed the idea outright, questioning why the Senate should honour someone who failed to announce the results insisting that “nothing should be named after him”.
Senator Cyril Fasuyi argued that history does not reward efforts, but only results.
“As long as he did not announce the result, whether under duress or not, I am against naming INEC headquarters after him,” he submitted.
Also, Senator Sunday Karimi criticised Nwosu for lacking the courage to speak out, while Senator Afolabi Salisu warned that immortalising him would undermine the memory of MKO Abiola, the widely accepted winner of the June 12, 1993, annulled election.
“Any attempt to do anything beyond a one-minute silence is to rubbish Abiola’s legacy,” he tendered.
After intense deliberation, most senators rejected the motion through a voice vote.
They, however, agreed to honour him with a one-minute silence and extend condolences to his family, effectively dismissing the other prayers to immortalise Nwosu.