Politics
18 Ondo Lawmakers Send SOS To Buhari, IGP
The newly elected Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Olamide George, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to rescue him and his colleagues from alleged reign of terror in the state.
George, alongside 17 other lawmakers, made the call at a news conference held in Ibadan last Saturday evening.
Reports say that Bamidele Oloyelogun and Ogundeji Iroju, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker were impeached last Friday.
Our correspondent reports that George and Faloju Abimbola were immediately sworn-in as the new Speaker and deputy speaker.
George said that the former speaker and his deputy were impeached over established evidences of gross misconduct, financial recklessness, abuse of power and incompetence levelled against them.
He alleged that since Friday, family members, he and his deputy were being threatened over the impeachment, calling on the president to save democracy from collapse.
“We are duly elected members of the state assembly, acting within the confines of the constitutional duties at plenary.
“Surprisingly, the impeached speaker led to the assembly, Mr Gbenga Adeyanju, the State Commissioner of Police, Mr Ade Adetimehin, State APC Chairman, Mr Jacob Adebo, State Chairman, NURTW, about 50 heavily armed officers and thugs.
“They invaded the assembly and assaulted honourable members, assembly staff, journalists and visitors to the assembly complex,”he said.
George said that there were video and pictorial documentations of the alleged vandalisation of cars and properties worth several millions of naira by thugs under the supervision of Adeyanju.
According to him, “It is an open secret that N1.3bn was approved and released for the 2018 budget of the assembly. The former speaker and deputy speaker jointly expended over a billion in the first quarter of 2018 without approval.
“This is the height of corruption. We cannot condone it. It is unacceptable to the people of Ondo whom we are representing and that’s why we chose the path of honour to partner with Buhari to flush corruption out of Ondo,”he added.
Abimbola, the new deputy speaker, corroborated George’s claims and called on Inspector General of Police to immediately redeploy the commissioner of police from the state, accusing him of bias.
He said that they are not safe with Adeyanju remaining the state commissioner of police.
Abimbola said that the impeachment was carried out in line with constitutional provision which stipulated that such exercise could only be carried out by two-third of the members.
He stated that 18 out of the 26 lawmakers, which represented two-thirds carried out the impeachment, saying he has the 18 names and signatures of members who impeached them.
“The impeachment was in order. We have removed the inefficient speaker and deputy speaker from office and this act is completely irreversible,” he said.
A former speaker of the assembly, Olajumoke Akindele who was allegedly assaulted in the mayhem unleashed at the assembly, called on the president and his wife, Hajia Aisha Buhari to protect women in politics from molestation, intimidation and harassment which was meted to her on Friday.
“My family members, my colleagues and my dear life is no longer safe. I have been marked for assassination for standing against corruption,” she said.
The trio equally appealed to Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu to allow the legislative arm of government to function independently without interference.
Politics
2024 Budget: Funds Were Shared Among Senators -Abaribe
The lawmaker representing Abia South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, has explained how the Zonal Intervention Project funds were shared among senators.
Recall that the senator representing Cross River North, Agom Jarigbe on Tuesday revealed that ranking senators got N500 million each while he got nothing.
Senator Jarigbe made the revelation on the floor of the Senate while speaking on allegations of budget padding raised by the lawmaker representing Bauchi Central, Senator Abdul Ningi.
The lawmakers who have spent at least four years in the Senate are regarded as ranking senators.
Speaking on the development on a live television interview on Wednesday, Senator Abaribe denied receiving N500 million as alleged by Senator Jarigbe.
Senator Abaribe said he got N266 million from the money allocated to lawmakers in the six geo-political zones.
According to him, lawmakers from some zones, like the Northwest, which has seven states, would expect to get less than what he got, as his Southeast zone has only five states.
He said, “I have been saying that all fingers are not equal and by privilege of office, certain people will get but not every Senator gets an equal amount.
“These are six zones in the country, and every zone gets its own N10 billion in intervention. Now, if you are from the Northwest zone, because you have seven states, the senator will get less than me who comes from the five-state zone.
“My state, Abia, gets N2 billion and if we break it down for both the Senate and the representatives, the Senate is getting 40% and the House gets 60%.
“I got about N266 million as zonal intervention. The person in the Northwest who has seven states, will necessarily get less, about a hundred million and something.
“So it’s not correct when we say every constituency must get an equal amount.”
Politics
Dump PDP, Enhance Your Value, APC Woos Gov Mutfwang
Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State has been advised to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) so that his good works and value can appreciate more.
The call was made on Wednesday by the North Central APC Forum in Jos, the Plateau State capital, during the forum’s first quarter of the year meeting.
Speaking at the meeting, the APC Forum Chairman, Saleh Zazzaga, said they were meeting to review the state of the party in the region as well as the region’s economic and security situation, adding that the position of the Plateau State Governor was vital in the overall development of the region.
Zazzaga, who was also a member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council in the last election, commended Governor Mutfwang for carrying the citizenry along in his developmental efforts, noting that his approach to boost peace and security of the state as well as his calm personality was impressive.
However, he said for the governor to attain a robust and exhaustive achievement of his agenda, policies and the development of Plateau State, he should defect to the APC.
He said the governor’s defection would not amount to relegating his former party to the background, but would rather strengthen him more to develop Plateau State.
According to the Chairman, the FCT Minister, Chief Nyesom Wike, is a good example of someone who seeks development for his people and the nation at large, using any vital and handy platform or party to advance his cause.
“Governor Caleb Mutfwang has so far shown that he is a progressive governor through his works, words and deeds since assuming office. But for him to advance more, he should consider joining the APC.
“This is because joining the APC will put him on the same page with President Ahmed Bola Tinubu who has the interest of Plateau in his heart and has been doing his best to advance it.
“Besides, Governor Mutfwang will be on the same page with his other counterparts in the North Central who are of the APC, and together they will have a common ground and work for the interest and development of the region in general and their specific states in particular.
“Also, most of the legislators from the state are in APC, and they can work hand-in-hand to move the state forward, because the relationship between the executive and the legislature cannot be overemphasized in the pursuance of progress and development.
Politics
Step Aside Over Alleged Budget Padding, PDP Urges Akpabio
The Peoples DemocraticParty (PDP) on Wednesday demanded that the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, immediately steps aside and allow for an independent investigation into the allegation that a staggering N3.7 trillion was discreetly inserted into the 2024 budget for alleged non-existent projects.
In a statement released by Debo Ologunagba, National Publicity Secretary, the main opposition party also demanded that Akpabio immediately report to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the pending case relating to N108 billion belonging to the people of Akwa Ibom State, allegedly looted under his watch as the governor.
The party similarly told the Senate President to speak out on the reported N86 billion contract scam that allegedly occurred in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) during his tenure as the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs.
The PDP condemned the suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi by the All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership in the Senate “without a detailed inquest into the issue of budget padding which he raised.”
Recall that Ningi blew the whistle on the alleged unexplained N3.7 trillion inserted into the budget, leading to his suspension from the chamber for allegedly disparaging the legislature.
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