Nation
NASS Not Broke, Or Owing Any Lawmaker, Staff, Senate Insists
The Senate, yesterday, said that the National Assembly is not in any way broke as no lawmaker and any staff is owed any salary, just as it said that the salaries of February have been paid.
According to the Senate, it does not rely on the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government to fund their activities especially the oversight functions of the lawmakers.
Speaking with Journalists in Abuja, Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Ajibola Basiru, All Progressives Congress (APC), Osun Central said that the National Assembly does not require money before it could sit.
Basiru, who was apparently responding cash crunch story, said, “We are in the 9th of March and we have a 12-month calendar. There is nothing that says we won’t sit for 180 days. It is therefore irresponsible for anybody to insinuate that we would not sit for 180 days. Those who are saying we won’t achieve the mandatory 180 days are just creating unnecessary tension where there is none.
“Nobody can predict that we won’t sit for 180 days, it is too early in the year to determine that. Despite last year’s lockdown, we achieved our mandatory 180 days sitting.
“There was no circular that we have reduced sitting to once in a week. We have been having sitting three times a week since the beginning of this year at the Senate. We have also had sitting twice a week. There is a second wave of Covid–19 pandemic. We are very brisk in our business these days. When it was necessary, we had had occasions to sit on a Monday this year.
“The issue of cash crunch hitting the National Assembly is the figment of the imagination of the writers. I have just returned from my constituency where I went to supervise the projects that I facilitated and being implemented by the executive arm of government. There is no Senator that would say he or she cannot go to their constituencies due to non-funding of their constituency projects.
“The National Assembly, as far as I am concerned, is not owing its staff salaries. The management is not also owing any lawmaker. It is totally wrong to say that the National Assembly is relying on the ministries, departments and agencies to fund its committee works. If that is even the case, that will even be conflict of interest.
“I don’t know the intention behind that story, but it is concocted and a deliberate attempt to pitch the National Assembly against the executive or to pitch the public against us that we are not living up to our expectations. The National Assembly does not rely on the MDAs to fund our activities.
“We have budget for our committees and oversight. Also, when there is specific need in terms of consultancy services or special travels to do our jobs, the bureaucracy support such assignment. It does not make sense to rely on the same MDAs we are over sighting for funding again. The National Assembly has a first line charge. There is no senator or member of the House of Representatives that can come out and say he or she had not been paid.
“We adjourned today without holding plenary in line with our parliamentary tradition to honour any of our deceased colleagues. We met twice last week and attended to several bills, and confirmation of appointment. There is no official position on the number of days that we will be sitting per week.
“Sitting at plenary does not require money. It is just require printing of order papers. We are not collecting sitting allowances. There is no pecuniary financial requirement for us to sit. I don’t see how finance can hinder our sitting. We are not collecting sitting allowance; we only collect salaries at the end of the month.
“We are in March and all our February salaries have been paid. The only things we need during plenaries are printing of reports and the Committee on Business and Rules which is being adequately funded by the management is handling that. We are merely observing Covid–19 health and safety protocols and we won’t do anything that would be hazardous to the health of our members. We have never amended our rules to sit once per week.”
The Rivers State Judiciary has denied claims of media reports circulating online that a judge of its High Court issued a ruling in favour of Governor Siminalayi Fubara against former Governor Nyesom Wike and President Bola Tinubu, there by sacking the sole Administrator of the state, vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd).
A statement signed by the Chief Registrar of the State High Court, David Ihua-Maduenyi yesterday in Port Harcourt, described the purported report as false and misleading, particularly for linking a judge of the State High Court, Justice Boma Diepirii, to a ruling that reportedly came from a Federal High Court.
According to the statement, Justice Boma Diepirii is a Judge of the Rivers State High Court and not of the Federal High Court and currently on Easter Vacation, which commenced on Monday, 14th April.
The Chief Registrar further clarified that the Federal High Court and the State High Court are separate entities, stressing that “the inclusion of Justice Diepiri’s name in the fabricated report underscores the crass ignorance of the author.”
“The attention of the Rivers State Judiciary has been drawn to a fake news report alleging that His Lordship, Hon. Justice Boma Diepiri, delivered a judgment sacking the Sole Administrator of Rivers State. This is false in its entirety,” the statement read.
“Justice Diepiri is a judge of the High Court of Rivers State, not of the Federal High Court as was falsely reported”.
” Additionally, His Lordship is currently on Easter vacation which began on Monday, April 14, 2025, Ihua-Maduenyi stated.
The statement however advised the general public and members of the media to always cross checked information concerning the judiciary before publishing and as well disregard the said report in its entirety as its an embodiment of falsehood and fabricated story.
The Senate yesterday approved the bills for the establishment of Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences and College of Education, Bende at its plenary session.
The two bills sponsored by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon . Benjamin Kalu came to the Senate for concurrence after the approvals from the House of Representatives.
The Deputy Leader of the Senate, Sen. Lola Ashiru in the absence of the Majority Leader presented the recommendations of the Lower Chamber for consideration and Concurrence .
The Bill for an Act to establish Federal College of Education, Bende in Abia State seeks to provide full-time courses, training in technology, applied sciences, commerce, social sciences, arts and humanities among others.
Kalu had in his lead debate stated that Bende has remained undivided since its creation in 1976, even though with the size of four local government areas as found in comparative federal constituencies.
“Despite its strategic location in Abia and sharing a border with Akwa Ibom, with a growing population and landmass, there is no tertiary institution in the Federal Constituency operated either by Federal or State Government. Bende deserves to have the presence of a tertiary institution to serve the education need of the teeming youthful population, especially now that the need for well-trained educationists has risen. This is accompanied by the need to fill the gaps created by both the consequences of brain drain and the lack of qualified educationists to provide quality training at all levels of education,” he said.
For the bill seeking the establishment of Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Bende, Abia State, he said when it becomes law, the university will be charged with the responsibility to, among other things, offer full-time training leading to the award of degrees in medical and health sciences.
Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi
South East Caucus of the Senate has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immorttalise late Professor Humphrey Nwosu considering his commitment to achieving a practical democracy for Nigerian.
The Senators visibly angered by the Senate’s rejection of the need to immortalise the late National Electoral umpire who stood for democracy through the turbulent 1993 elections stormed out of the Senate Chambers and spoke to the press .
The Chairman of the South East Caucus, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe ( Abia South), as he did in plenary on Wednesday, presented a motion for immortalisation of Humphrey Nwosu by naming the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) , after him , for laying the foundation in 1993 and conducting the freest and fairest Presidential election in the country .
The late Professor Nwosu was the National Chairman of the National Electoral Commission ( NEC) , now known as Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) , who through option A4, conducted the June 12, 19993 presidential election , adjudged to be the freest and fairest in the country.
Abaribe in the motion co – sponsored by 15 other Senators , said late Humphrey Nwosu deserved to be immortalised like other heroes of the June 12 , 1993 presidential election .
He also urged the Federal Government to honour the late former electoral umpire with post humous national honours .
But Abaribe’s request , seconded by Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) and supported by Senators from the South East including forner Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi ( Kebbi North) , was roundly rejected by other Senators who said the deceased deserved no immortalization .
Specifically , Senator Adams Oshiomhole ( Edo North) , in his contribution to the debate said the motion to him, was nothing but an attempt to manipulate and rewrite history.
“ Professor Humphrey Nwosu as NEC Chairman in 1993, failed to deliver on the June 12 , 1993 Presidential Election for lack of Courage
“ He who is not ready to die for something , will die for nothing
“ If he was afraid of the gun from announcing the election results and winner in 1993 , he cannot be rewarded now , more so, when many Nigerians died for what he inadvertently created “, he said .
Nneka Amaechi -Nnadi