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Lawmakers Sue Bankole, Clerk Over Unpaid Allowances

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15 years ago

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Five members of the House of Representatives last Wednesday instituted contempt charges against Speaker Dimeji Bankole and the Clerk for non-payment of their salaries and allowances as directed by the court.

The lawmakers are Reps Dino Melaye, (PDP-Kogi) Independence Ogunewe, (PDP-Imo) Solomon Ahwinahwi, (PDP-Delta) Bitrus Kase (PDP-Plateau) and Abbas Anas (PDP-Jigawa).

The lawmakers had on December 2, through a Federal High Court Judgment in Abuja got their indefinite suspension by the House quashed and returned to their seats after six months.  

They, however, returned to court last Wednesday following the failure by the House leadership to pay them their entitlements.

The lawmakers in an affidavit sworn to on their behalf by Rep. Dino Melaye at the Federal High Court, Abuja, urged the court to commit Bankole and the Clerk of the House to prison for refusing to pay them.

Melaye said that the affected lawmakers had returned to the parliament to continue with their legislative duties, but that the Speaker had refused them access to their offices.

He alleged that the Speaker and the Clerk had broken into their offices while they were away, removed their properties without their consent and reallocated them to other lawmakers.

Melaye reminded the court that the duo were forced by the court to comply with its ruling that the lawmakers should return to parliament, through the issuance of Form 48.

 According to Form 49 (Pursuant to Order IX Rules (13) of the Judgment and Enforcement Rules) issued by the Court following the application by Melaye and his colleagues, the Speaker and the Clerk might be committed to prison, if they fail to comply with the court order before January 12, 2011.

“Take Notice that the Plaintiffs/Applicants will on Wednesday the 12th day of January 2011 at the Hour of 9’O’Clock in the forenoon apply to this Court for an order for the committal to prison of the 1st and 3rd Defendants.

“For having disobeyed the judgment of this Honourable Court made on 2nd of December 2010, nullifying the suspension of the plaintiffs/Applicants as they have refused to pay them  their outstanding salaries and allowances accrued to them since the 22nd of June, 2010, till date.

“And for their refusal to return the Plaintiffs/Applicants Offices to them which the 1st Defendant/Contempnors illegally broke into and reallocated same to other legislators after they were illegally suspended from the House of Representatives and Restrained from performing their legislative duties.

“And take Further Notice that the 1st and 3rd Defendants/Contempnors are hereby required to attend the court on the date first above mentioned to show cause why an order for committal to prison should not be made,” it said.

In a reaction, Rep Eseme Eyiboh, Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, said the payment of allowances to the affected lawmakers was the business of the National Assembly management and not that of the House leadership.

Eyiboh said the judgment had been appealed against and that there was no way the Speaker and the clerk could be charged for contempt.

Meanwhile  the House  had recalled 10 of the 11 members suspended on June 22, 2010, following a fracas.

Among those pardoned are Reps Gbenga Oduwaiye (PDP-Ogun), Austin Nwachukwu (PDP-Imo), Gbenga Onigbogi (PDP-Osun), Ehiogie West-Idahosa (PDP-Edo) while Doris Uboh (PDP-Delta) got her recalled through court judgment.

The only member who had refused to neither beg for pardon nor go to court was Rep kayode Amusan (PDP-Ogun).

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NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

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2 weeks ago

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June 27, 2025

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The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has said the management will continue to accompany its port infrastructure  and equipment  modernization drive  with the development of the welfare of its personnel.
Dantsoho made the disclosure recently while responding to the commendation by the Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) and the senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASGOC) on the  clearing  of the age-long problem of employee stagnation, when the union paid him a courtesy visit at the Authority’s headquarters in Lagos.
A Statement by NPA’s General Manager Corporate & Strategic Communications, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, quoted Dantsoho as saying,  “our Port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive will go hand-in-hand with continuous staff welfare improvement”.
The NPA MD disclosed that human capital development constitutes the key strategy for creating and sustaining superior performance under his watch, adding that “talent development constitutes a critical success factor for the actualization of the big hairy audacious goals we have set for ourselves especially in the area of Port competitiveness.
“The only way we can meet and indeed exceed stakeholders’ expectations is to deepen the competencies of our human resources assets and boosting their morale.”
Speaking further, Dantsoho commended the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for approving the strategic proposal of the Dantsoho-led Management team that solved the over a decade-long problem of lack of promotion that had fuelled industrial disharmony.
“I must specially appreciate our amiable Minister for graciously approving the multi-pronged stratagem we deployed that cleared all outstanding cases of employee stagnation by conducting examinations in one fell swoop and instituted timelines to forestall a recurrence of such anomaly”, he sad.
Speaking on behalf of the joint maritime labour unions, the President  of Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations & Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), Comrade Bodunde stated, “In addition to clearance of the backlog of stagnated promotions, we also wish to express our appreciation for the increase in productivity bonuses, provision of end-of-year welfare packages for staff, and the revision of the Financial Guide to the Condition of Service, which now addresses our members’ concerns about inflationary pressures.”
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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ANLCA Chieftain Emerges FELCBA’s VP

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2 weeks ago

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June 27, 2025

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National Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Elder Olumide Fakanlu, has been elected Vice President of the Federation of ECOWAS Licensed Customs Brokers Association (FELCBA).
The election took place during the FELCBA Congress, held from Tuesday, June 17th to Thursday, June 19th, 2025, in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Fakanlu’s emergence as Vice President marks a significant achievement for Nigeria within the regional customs brokerage community.
Apart from Fakanlu, Secretary of the Seme Chapter of ANLCA, Austin Nwosu, was also elected, securing the role of Secretary of Relations with Institutions.
The Nigerian delegation played an active role in the congress, with Michael Ebeatu nominated as a member of the electoral officer team, ensuring a fair and transparent election process.
The three-day congress concluded with delegates undertaking a visit to the Sierra Leone Port, offering insights into the host nation’s maritime operations, followed by a recreational trip to the Tokeh Beach.
The newly elected executives are expected to lead FELCBA in its efforts to harmonize customs brokerage practices, promote trade facilitation, and advocate for the interests of licensed customs brokers across the ECOWAS sub-region.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement 

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2 weeks ago

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June 27, 2025

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In a bid to enhance more enforcement in the nation’s Port, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to stronger inter-agency collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The Council said the collaboration is aimed at enhancing stronger enforcement, compliance and improve operational efficiency across Nigeria’s ports.
Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of  NSC, Dr. Pius Akutah, made this known during a visit to the  Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The visit, which he said, focused on strengthening institutional synergy, comes in the wake of growing responsibilities for the NSC under the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
Akutah emphasized the critical role of security agencies in supporting port operations and ensuring regulatory compliance.
He called for the posting of police officers to assist the Council’s monitoring and enforcement teams at key port locations including Lagos, Warri, Onne, Port Harcourt, and Calabar.
“The posting will complement the activities of our revived task teams and enhance our ability to enforce standards across the maritime logistics chain”, he said.
Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Egbetokun, assured the Council of the Force’s readiness to continue supporting the growth of the maritime sector.
The IGP acknowledged that compliance enforcement is essential to the successful implementation of Nigeria’s Blue Economy objectives.
“The NSC and NPF are expected to deepen collaboration in the months ahead, with a shared focus on building a secure, efficient, and competitive port environment”, to the IGP emphasized.
Chinedu Wosu
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