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INEC Frustrating My Appeal -Sen Sekibo …As Senate Threatens To Impeach Osinbajo
Senator representing Rivers East Senatorial District, Senator George Thompson Sekibo, yesterday raised alarm over circumstances surrounding the recent judgement of the Rivers State National Assembly and House of Assemblies Election Petition Tribunal which upturned his victory at the December ,10, 2016 rerun elections as he said he is yet to get copies of the judgment.
Sekibo in a chat with Senate correspondents in Abuja said the chairman of the Tribunal has also not been available since the ruling, adding that his lawyers were also yet to receive the ruling to enable them study it and appeal the judgment.
According to him, every attempt to reach the Chairman and other members of the Tribunal have proved abortive.
Senator Sekibo therefore alleged that there are grand plots to frustrate his right to appeal the judgement and pointed out that as a true citizen of this nation, he should be allowed to have his day in the appeal tribunal.
Recall that the three-man panel sitting at Apo Quarters in the Federal Capital Territory last week declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Andrew Uchendu winner of the election and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to Sekibo and issue a fresh certificate of return to Mr Uchendu.
Senator Sekibo had immediately declared his intention to appeal the judgement on the grounds that he had enough evidence to prove the judgement wrong .
Meanwhile, the Senate, on resumption from a 2 – week recess, yesterday resolved to forthwith suspend all confirmation requests of nominees forwarded to it by the Presidency even as the Upper Chamber raise impeachment threat against the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo.
The Senate’s threat was said to have emanated from allegation of non compliance to the resolutions of the Upper Legislative Chamber by the Executive.
The warning came from the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, sequel to debate on the floor on a Point of Order raised by Senator Ahmed Sani over a statement issued by the Acting President that the Senate has no power to confirm nominees of the Executive according to the Constitution.
Commenting after the debate, Senator Saraki said, “this is an issue that we have to once and for all address, we can not pass laws and see that the laws are not being obeyed.
“This resolution must be obeyed by the Acting President, otherwise, we will take appropriate actions and resolutions”.
The upper chamber also called on the Acting President to withdraw his statement that the Senate does not have power to confirm certain appointees of the president
Earlier, contributing to the debate, Senator Isah Hamman Misau (APC, Bauchi), accused the Acting President of double standards on the issue of the Senate’s power of confirmation.
According to the lawmaker, “there are a lot of ministers who have high level corruption allegations against them but they have never been harassed, instead, these same ministers go about castigating the National Assembly.”
Senator George Thomson Sekibo making his comments chided the executive over its continued refusal to comply with the resolutions of the Senate.
“If the Acting President says we do not have power to return any nomination, I wonder if he is in touch with the EFCC Act. The EFCC Act states that the President shall nominate and Senate will confirm. If you reject one law, you will reject the constitution.
“There is nothing like executive orders in a democratic constitution. The Constitution did not give room for acting appointment after a nominee has been rejected by the Senate.
“If the Acting President says we do not have the power to confirm and then turns around to send us a nomination, which one do we now take? I think Senate should put a suspension on this nomination until this issue is resolved”, Senator Sekibo added.
Senator Samuel Anyawu, called on his colleagues to disregard any invitation extended to lawmakers by thee Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, in view of the double standard being applied by the executive on issues of the red chamber’s resolution yet to be complied with
“Magu came for a job interview and failed and he was rejected. As we speak, Magu is still parading himself as the chairman of EFCC. The same executive now writes a letter that we should confirm someone who went to resume office without confirmation and he was chased out of office. Now that name has been brought before us.
“The integrity of the Senate is at stake. This Senate cannot be disregarded and insulted; our authority to confirm cannot be eroded.
I am moving a motion that it becomes aborminable to read any other confirmation report in this chamber until they act on our position. Those who have failed should go back, Magu is not the last Nigerian Angel. He can serve this country in another capacity.”
Following the outcome of the debate, the Senate resolved to suspend all issues relating to confirmation from the executive until issues of confirmation as contained in relevant provisions of the constitution are adhered to.
Also, the Senate yesterday declared the ongoing moves by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to effect the recall of Senator Dino Melaye (APC Kogi West) by his constituents illegal and efforts in futility.
The Senate said the various stages passed so far in the move as facilitated by INEC were not in accordance with constitutional procedures and guidelines and therefore would only amount to waste of time.
Senate’s resolution to this effect followed a point of order raised against the move by Dino Melaye in the Senate chambers.
Melaye presenting his point of order , drew the attention of the Senate to alleged moves by INEC to conclude works on recall petitions written against him by some of his constituents sponsored by the State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello.
His words,“the score of both valid and invalid votes in the election that brought him into the Senate in 2015 was 118,000 but my governors and his appointees in four days claim they got a signature of over 188,000.
“They got INEC data base of registered voters and copied in one writing into a recall register and forged all the signatures. As I speak to you, over 120 dead certificates issued by the National Population Commission and these people relations and families have sworn to affidavit and these certificates have been deposited.
Consequently, the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who cited Sections 68, 69 and other relevant provisions of the 1999 constitution (as amended), to make his contribution, wondered why INEC is not following the laid down procedure of carrying out such exercise.
“I am wondering why we are dissipating energy on this matter and wasting precious legislative time on a matter we should not. What is happening in Kogi, in respect of Senator Dino Melaye, as far as this Constitution is concerned, is an exercise in futility. They are just wasting precious time because the constitution is clear on what should happen.
“It is possible that the Attorney- General of Kogi State has not advised them properly, if he has done that, I am sure they would have applied their time to more meaningful ventures in Kogi State”, he said.
He specifically declared that in 2010, the National Assembly amended the constitution regarding section 69 which deals with recall process of a federal lawmaker.
According to him, as clearly stated by the section, “the number of those who are seeking for recall of Senator Melaye from the Senate are supposed to line up somewhere in kogi state with him and his lawyers and each person would verify their signature.
Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi, Abuja
Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.