Politics
CTC Chairperson Commends Fubara Over Visionary Leadership
Caretaker Committee Chairman of Okrika Local Government Council, Princess Ibiene Ogan, has commended Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s visionary leadership which has brought peace and development to all parts of the state.
Princess Ogan who said this while swearing in other members of the committee in Okrika, headquarters of the LGA, also urged the people of Okrika to give their full and unflinching support to the Governor.
She said through the visionary leadership of the Governor, every part of the State is experiencing one form of development or the other.
The caretaker chairman also said her administration will embark on people-oriented programmes that will improve the living conditions of the people.
According to her, issues of human capacity development will be given a boost while the people will be encouraged to go into farming and fishing so as to contain the food crisis in the area.
Princess Ogan also pledged to ensure regular electricity supply in Okrika while the women will be empowered with soft loans.
Princess Ogan, whose address was christened “Concerned About Prosperity’, said the problem of flooding in the island will be addressed with regular desilting of drainages.
In her words, “Today, I am excited to introduce my pet project which is christened “Concerned About Prosperity’. This embodies my commitment to the comprehensive development and prosperity of Okrika”.
According to her, the administration will work tirelessly to ensure that Okrika LGA has a regular and reliable supply of electricity to foster growth and improve the quality of life.
“We will meet with the youth and share in their aspirations. We will hold the first ever youth summit in Okrika LGA.
“Our youth will be actively engaged in fishing activities into the wider sea to enable them to make more money. We will provide cold storage facilities to support them.
“Our farmers will have access to improved varieties, and we will organise agric fair where their harvests can be displayed to enable them to earn money”, she said.
Princess Ogan said her administration wii facilitate access to soft loans, enabling women to thrive in trade and entrepreneurship.while effort will be made to build the capacity of the people with the view to enhancing their skills, knowledge, and opportunities for all.
She also promised regular engagement with The Simplified Movement family in Okrika LGA with the view to ensuring that they are carried along in the scheme of things.
Other programmes include prompt payment of salaries and other entitlements to workers in the area.
She commended the people for their support and assured them that her Administration will uphold the cherished values of the people.
Those sworn in were Kendrick Christian, Andy Okereke, Amieietamuno Loveday, Toku Obianime and Tamunosiki LongJohn.
Speaking on behalf of the caretake committee members, Hon Toku Obianime thanked the people of Okrika for the confidence reposed in them, adding that he and his colleagues will work with the chairman to develop the area.
Also speaking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Women Leader in Okrika, Mrs Florence Kaln, thanked Governor Fubara for appointing Princess Ogan to head the Caretaker Committee in Okrika.
Mrs Kaln said, by the appointment, Princess Ogan has opened the door for women to aspire to any position in the area.
The event also witnessed the swearing in of the Secretary of Council, Gold Okujagu.
By: John Bibor
On Wednesday, the House of Representatives passed, through a second reading, a bill seeking to retain immunity for the Office of the President and remove immunity from the Vice President, the Governors and the Deputy Governors.
The bill was one of the 42 considered and passed through the second reading stage during plenary presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Mr Benjamin Kalu, in Abuja.
Sponsored by Hon. Solomon Bob (Rivers PDP), the bill is seeking the amendment of Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution to guard against abuse of office and to ensure transparency in governance.
The long title of the proposed legislation read: “A Bill for an Act to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to qualify the immunity conferred on the President, remove the immunity conferred on the Vice President, the Governors and their deputies, in order to curb corruption, eradicate impunity and enhance accountability in public office and for related matters.”
Key amendments include changes to Section 308 of the Constitution, which currently grants immunity to the president, vice president, governors, and deputy governors while in office.
The proposed bill will amend subsection 3 to ensure that immunity only applies to the President and the vice president when acting as President under Section 145 of the Constitution.
Additionally, a new subsection 4 will be introduced to make the immunity clause inapplicable if the office holder is acting in an unofficial capacity, engaging in actions beyond the powers of the office, or involved in criminal conduct.
“The bill seeks to foster transparency and strengthen the fight against corruption by making public officials more accountable for their actions, both in and out of office.”
“Section 308 of the principal Act is amended by:(a) substituting a new subsection (3) as follows: “(3) This section applies to a person holding the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Vice President only when acting as President, in line with Section 145 of this Constitution.
Creating sub section (4) thereto as follows:”(4) The foregoing provisions of this section shall be inapplicable where the person to whom this section applies is acting in an unofficial capacity or where the conduct of the person is beyond the powers of his office or the conduct is criminal in nature.
“This Bill may be cited as the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) Act 2024.
The bill is currently awaiting further debate and consideration by the National Assembly.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has written to notify Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the senator representing Kogi Central, about the petition by constituents seeking her recall from the national assembly.
INEC said it has also received the contact details of the petitioners.
“Pursuant to section 69 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended, I write to notify you of the receipt of a petition from representatives of registered voters in your constituency seeking your recall from the senate.
“The notification is in line with the provisions of clause 2 (a) of the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024.
“This letter is also copied to the presiding officer of the senate and simultaneously published on the commission’s website. Thank you”, the letter read.
The letter was signed by Ruth Oriaran Anthony, secretary to the commission.
Meanwhile, in a statement issued on Wednesday, INEC said it has now received the updated contact details from representatives of petitioners seeking to recall the senator.
In the statement, Sam Olumekun, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education, said a letter notifying the senator of the petition has been delivered to her official address, copied to the senate presiding officer, and published on the commission’s website.
“The next step is to scrutinise the list of signatories submitted by the petitioners to ascertain that the petition is signed by more than one half (over 50%) of the registered voters in the constituency. This will be done in the coming days.
“The outcome, which will be made public, shall determine the next step to be taken by the Commission. We once again reassure Nigerians that the process will be open and transparent”, Mr Olumekun said.
Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan had recently accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexually harassing her.
The allegation came in the wake of seating arrangement related altercation between Senator. Akpabio and the Kogi Central senator at the red chamber
She was subsequently suspended from the senate for six months for “gross misconduct” over the incident.
The constituents behind the recall move also accused her of “gross misconduct, abuse of office, and deceitful behaviour”.
The senator has denied wrongdoing and called the recall effort a “coordinated suppression” of her voice.
The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed the second reading of a bill to upgrade the Lagos State 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) to full-fledged Local Government Areas (LGAs ).
The bill, was sponsored by James Faleke, Babajimi Benson, Enitan Badru, and 19 other lawmakers.
The bill is titled “A Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) to Accommodate the Thirty-Seven (37) Development Area Councils of Lagos State as Full-Fledged Local Government Areas, Increasing the Total Number of Local Government Areas in the Federation to Eight Hundred and Eleven (811), and for Related Matters (HB. 1498),”
Once fully enacted, Nigeria’s total number of LGAs will rise from 774 to 811, with Lagos overtaking Kano and Katsina, which currently have 44 and 34 LGAs, respectively.
Proponents of the bill argue that granting full LGA status to the LCDAs would bring governance closer to the people. The 37 LCDAs were created by President Bola Tinubu in 2003 when he was governor of Lagos State.
However, it’s worth noting that the Lagos State House of Assembly has been working on a bill to replace the 37 LCDAs with newly designated administrative areas.