Dogara’s Camp Blows Hot Over Withdrawal Of DSS Operatives

The camp of the Speaker of House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, yesterday confirmed the withdrawal of Department of State Services (DSS) operatives from the head of the Green Chamber of the legislature.
It would be recalled that Senate President Bukola Saraki Dogara, suffered similar fate, as operatives attached to him too were reduced.
The Tide gathered that the DSS recalled 50 percent of agents attached to the National Assembly.
However, both leaders, perhaps studying the situation, are yet to provide an official reaction on the matter.
But Tuesday, a reliable source in the Dogara camp declared that what had happened was unfortunate.
The source also condemned the authority for attempting to act as if the recall of the DSS was fabricated.
He said: “I can confirm to you that the DSS has withdrawn 50 percent of its security details attached to the Speaker.
“If they say they didn’t withdraw them, the details that left were raptured?
“Similarly, the leadership of the party (APC) went ahead to ratify all the Congresses from ward, local governments, states and zonal where many of our members have complaints, effectively presenting us with a fait accompli.
“The persecution of our members using state security apparatus have continued unabated,” Baraje noted.
“We recognize the powers of the Police to conduct criminal investigations but by rushing to the public with the issue even when they have unfettered access to the leadership of the National Assembly suggests an attempt to undermine, caricature and humiliate the institution of the legislature.
“It appears that there is a fouled and toxic atmosphere and environment of intimidation and threat to life in which we now find ourselves which may no longer be conducive for members of the former nPDP to continue with the talk.”

The Lagos State Pension Commission (LASPEC) said
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, has paid a total of N37, 546 billion to pensioners since 2015.
According to a statement signed by the Director-General of LASPEC, Mrs Folashade Onanuga, yesterday in Lagos, the figure represented the total pension paid to 9,045 retirees of the state.
The LASPEC Director-General said the governor released N859, 059 million to offset the Accrued Pension Rights of 158 retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) in May.
She said earlier N859, 059 million was paid to 158 Public Service retirees, bringing the total pension paid by the governor since assumption of office to N37, 546 billion. She explained the governor had been releasing funds every month to off-set the backlog of pension to Lagos retirees.
She said despite the high funding obligations of the current pension scheme, the government was committed to offsetting the backlog of pension, and would soon commence payment to 2016 retirees.
Onanuga said the government was fine-tuning the process of rolling out benefits that would make life easier for retirees.
“I, however, implore the retirees to study leaflets distributed by the state government on Annuity and Programmed Withdrawal for receipt of monthly pension entitlements, before picking their choice,” she said.