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Tinubu Cautions Reps, Don’t Summon My Appointees Frequently

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President Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, urged the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon. Tajudeen Abass, to relax summons on heads of ministries, departments and agencies for them to concentrate on their duties.
The President’s statement came on the heels of the House Committee on Public Accounts’ threat to obtain an arrest warrant against Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Yemi Cardoso, for failing to honour several invitations from the House to answer queries on alleged revenue leakages and a claim that revenue sourced through Remita for the Treasury Single Account was not being remitted.
At the Iftar feast to break Wednesday’s Ramadan, President Tinubu urged Mr Abbas and his colleagues to wield their legislative authority with wisdom, particularly, in the manner in which summons were issued to various heads of MDAs whose absence at their duty posts could  significantly hurt the entire nation based on their vital positions.
“I have been watching various committees summoning ministers and heads of agencies. I have complained to the Speaker to let the poor breathe. Let these people do the job,” President Tinubu said, rebuking Mr Abbas at the programme held in Abuja.
“We are not saying you cannot do your oversight, but consider the primary duty of each agency, its personnel, or the responsibilities of the governor of the Central Bank or the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance to you and the entire nation,” the president added in a statement by his aide, Ajuri Ngelale.
The CBN governor, Mr Cardoso and the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, were summoned last October over the decision to lift the forex ban on rice, cement, private planes, wheelbarrows, chicken and eggs.
The President noted that legislators should be able to accept documents and representatives to stand in lieu of summoned officials, giving room for flexibility in their legislative obligations so as not to impede other officials from carrying out theirs.
“We must find a way to accommodate one another. This is an appeal to you. See if you can accept representatives in some instances or even documentations,” President Tinubu suggested, adding: “If they are distracted or disturbed, maybe we will shift parliamentary sitting all through the night.”
Mr Cardoso was also summoned by the Reps in January to explain why the nation was undergoing harrowing inflation.
The House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation had rejected an appearance by Mr Cardoso’s subordinate on December 8, 2023, as the committee chair, Abubakar Bichi, insisted that Mr Cardoso must “appear in person because we are talking about the budget and how to increase our revenue.”
Last month, the Reps Committee on Small and Medium Scale Enterprises also invited Mr Cardoso for questioning over the cancellation of N2.4 billion contracts to some manufacturing companies.

 

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Why I Won’t Help Tinubu’s Govt Overcome Economic Challenges – Sanusi

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The 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, says he would not help President Bola Tinubu’s administration to correct the administration’s policies affecting the citizens.

Emir Sanusi spoke on Wednesday in Lagos as the chairman of the 21st Anniversary of Fawehinmiism (Gani Fawehinmi Annual Lecture 2025).

The emir stated that while there were “a few points” he could offer to explain the trajectory the administration had taken and how such decisions were predictable, he chose not to do so because “they don’t behave like friends.”

He said explaining the government’s policies would help the government, but he did not intend to assist them due to the way they had treated him.

“I can give a few points that are contrary, that explain perhaps what we’re going through and how it was totally predictable, most of it, and maybe avoidable. But I am not going to do that.

“I have chosen not to speak about the economy or the reforms or to even explain anything because if I explain, it would help this government, but I don’t want to help this government,” the emir said while addressing some of the points made by speakers about the economy.

He added: “You know they’re my friends, but if they don’t behave like friends, I don’t behave like a friend. So I watch them being stooges. And they don’t even have people with credibility who can come and explain what they are doing. I am not going to help. I started out helping, but I am not going to help. I am not going to discuss it. Let them come and explain to Nigerians why the policies that are being pursued are being pursued.

“Meanwhile, I’m watching a very nice movie with popcorn in my hands. But I will say one thing: What we are going through today is, at least in part, not totally, but at least in part, a necessary consequence of decades of irresponsible economic management.

“People were told decades ago that if you continue along this path, this is where you’re going to end up, and they refused to open their eyes. Now, is everything being done today correct? No.”

Emir Sanusi, who was deposed as the 14th Emir of Kano in 2020 by then-Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the current national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), was reinstated as the 16th Emir of Kano in 2024 by the New Nigeria People’s Party-led Kano State Government.

His emirship has faced ongoing challenges from forces believed to be backed by the federal government, including federal officials’ continued recognition of his predecessor, Emir Aminu Ado Bayero.

Last month, the police barricaded his palace, with the state government accusing the federal government of orchestrating the action to stir unrest in the peaceful state.

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Reps Loses Deputy Chief Whip

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The Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon. Oriyomi Onanuga, is dead.

Also known as Ijaya, Rt Hon. Onanuga, who was the member representing Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo North Federal Constituency, is said to have died following a brief illness.

This was confirmed in a tweet on the official X (formerly Twitter) account of the House of Representatives, on  Wednesday night.

Rt Hon Onanuga, who was born in Hammersmith, London, to Nigerian parents on December 2, 1965, was a politician and entrepreneur. She held the position of Deputy Chief Whip in the Nigerian House of Representatives since 2023.

She contested and won a seat in the House of Representatives under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2019. She also served as the Chairperson of the House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development.

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Aiyedatiwa Dissolves Cabinet, Retains Finance Commissioner, Attorney-General

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Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has dissolved the State Executive Council.
The State Executive Council members include commissioners, Special Advisers and the Secretary to the State Government, SSG.

Gov. Aiyedatiwa, however, exempted two members of the cabinet from the dissolution due to the critical nature of their duties.

The two commissioners exempted include the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr Kayode Ajulo, SAN, and the Commissioner for Finance, Mrs. Omowunmi Isaac.

This was contained in a statement issued by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Ebenezer Adeniyan, in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

Mr Adeniyan said in the statement that “All the affected cabinet members are to hand over all government properties in their care to the accounting officers of their respective ministries.

Gov. Aiyedatiwa thanked the executive council members “for their service and contributions to the development of Ondo State under his administration and wished them well in their future endeavours”.

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