Politics
Tinubu Cautions Reps, Don’t Summon My Appointees Frequently
President Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, urged the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon. Tajudeen Abass, to relax summons on heads of ministries, departments and agencies for them to concentrate on their duties.
The President’s statement came on the heels of the House Committee on Public Accounts’ threat to obtain an arrest warrant against Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Yemi Cardoso, for failing to honour several invitations from the House to answer queries on alleged revenue leakages and a claim that revenue sourced through Remita for the Treasury Single Account was not being remitted.
At the Iftar feast to break Wednesday’s Ramadan, President Tinubu urged Mr Abbas and his colleagues to wield their legislative authority with wisdom, particularly, in the manner in which summons were issued to various heads of MDAs whose absence at their duty posts could significantly hurt the entire nation based on their vital positions.
“I have been watching various committees summoning ministers and heads of agencies. I have complained to the Speaker to let the poor breathe. Let these people do the job,” President Tinubu said, rebuking Mr Abbas at the programme held in Abuja.
“We are not saying you cannot do your oversight, but consider the primary duty of each agency, its personnel, or the responsibilities of the governor of the Central Bank or the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance to you and the entire nation,” the president added in a statement by his aide, Ajuri Ngelale.
The CBN governor, Mr Cardoso and the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, were summoned last October over the decision to lift the forex ban on rice, cement, private planes, wheelbarrows, chicken and eggs.
The President noted that legislators should be able to accept documents and representatives to stand in lieu of summoned officials, giving room for flexibility in their legislative obligations so as not to impede other officials from carrying out theirs.
“We must find a way to accommodate one another. This is an appeal to you. See if you can accept representatives in some instances or even documentations,” President Tinubu suggested, adding: “If they are distracted or disturbed, maybe we will shift parliamentary sitting all through the night.”
Mr Cardoso was also summoned by the Reps in January to explain why the nation was undergoing harrowing inflation.
The House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation had rejected an appearance by Mr Cardoso’s subordinate on December 8, 2023, as the committee chair, Abubakar Bichi, insisted that Mr Cardoso must “appear in person because we are talking about the budget and how to increase our revenue.”
Last month, the Reps Committee on Small and Medium Scale Enterprises also invited Mr Cardoso for questioning over the cancellation of N2.4 billion contracts to some manufacturing companies.
The Tide source reports that Prof. Akinoso was elected alongside 38 other executive members of the party at the congress held on Saturday.
Other executive members are Dr Abiola Olaonipekun, who emerged as Secretary, Alhaja Latifah Latifu, Women Leader and Mr A. Adeleke, elected as Youth Leader.
It was learnt that the congress, which took place at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Oke Ado in Ibadan, was attended by representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Police, other security agencies and prominent members of the party.
The election was supervised by electoral committee members, among whom were Prince Diran Odeyemi, who served as Chairman, Hon. Awoniyi Tolulope, Mr Babatunde Gbadamosi, Queen Stepheine Oyechere, Alhaji Yusuf Abidakun, Mr Olumide Aguda and Dr Phillips Adeniyi, who served as Secretary.
Prof. Akinoso, in his inaugural address, urged members of the party to set aside intra-party differences.
He advised them to concentrate their resources on the promotion of the party, saying, “The primary responsibilities of party executive members are to coordinate party activities, ensure harmony among members, and ensure party victory during general elections.
“Our immediate assignments are to key into INEC released 2027 general election time-tables. As directed by the National Caretaker Committee of PDP, our party e-membership registration starts next week. We must be fully involved and do a membership drive.
“A political party is only relevant and benefits its members if it wins the election. This is our goal. We should set aside intra-party differences; concentrate our resources towards the promotion of the party. We will make necessary consultations and dialogue to actualise this”.
President Tinubu disclosed this during an interfaith breaking of fast with senior journalists and media executives at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Saturday.
He also disclosed that his administration had opened up on the principles of true federalism to the extent that local governments now get direct allocation from the Federal Government.
“There’s no morning that I ever leave my house without going through the newspapers. It’s an addiction. I read all of you.
“It might not be in full detail, but headline, the one that would hit me and the ones that won’t.
“At the beginning of this administration, I was just a little bit stubborn, looking at opportunities to correct things and make life more easier for the downtrodden.
“We’ve opened up the principle of federalism to the extent that local governments are now getting their money, but how they use it is in your hands. So, don’t bombard me alone,” President Tinubu said.
The ruling party said the ADC had turned criticism of the APC-led administration into its operating manifesto instead of presenting concrete solutions to Nigeria’s economic challenges.
In a statement issued on Saturday by the APC National Publicity Secretary, Mr Felix Morka, the party dismissed the ADC’s interpretation of a report presented at a policy dialogue organised by Agora Policy which suggested that the country’s poverty rate had risen from 49 per cent to 63 per cent.
Mr Morka said the opposition party’s reaction to the report as a “damning verdict” on the government’s economic policies reflected either ignorance of economic realities or deliberate political mischief.
“The African Democratic Congress’ attempt to spin a recent report presented at the Agora Policy dialogue indicating a rise of poverty rate of 63 per cent from 49 per cent as a damning verdict on this administration’s economic policies speaks either to its shocking ignorance of economic policy or its wilful blindness to the justification for, and transformative impacts of, ongoing economic reforms,” he said.
The APC spokesman noted that the report itself recognised the necessity of reforms aimed at correcting long-standing structural distortions in the economy.
According to him, the ADC had failed to present any credible alternative policy direction for Nigerians.
“Clearly, the ADC does not recognise itself as a political party. The ADC has not articulated a single alternative policy position or prescription of benefit to Nigerians. Condemning the APC and its policies has become its operating manifesto,” Mr Morka said.
He explained that major economic decisions taken by President Bola Tinubu, including the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of multiple foreign exchange windows, were necessary steps to rescue the country’s economy from collapse.
Mr Morka said the subsidy regime had for years placed a heavy burden on public finances, consuming trillions of naira annually while encouraging corruption, fuel smuggling and inefficiencies in the system.
He added that the reforms had helped redirect national resources to key sectors such as infrastructure, healthcare, education and social development.
The APC spokesman acknowledged that economic reforms often come with short-term hardship but stressed that the measures were essential to build a stronger and more resilient economy.
“Economic reform is never cost-free anywhere in the world. The transient hardship experienced by Nigerians was an inevitable cost of reforms meant to build and guarantee a better future for all Nigerians,” he said.
Mr Morka maintained that the country’s economic outlook was already improving, citing recent growth figures and stronger external reserves.
“Our economy has rebounded and is expanding steadily. The country’s Gross Domestic Product grew by 4.4 per cent last year and is projected to expand by 5.5 per cent this fiscal year, with foreign reserves now exceeding $50 billion,” he stated.
He also pointed to government initiatives designed to cushion the effects of economic adjustments on citizens, including cash transfer programmes, student loan schemes and the rollout of compressed natural gas (CNG) initiatives to reduce transportation costs.
Mr Morka reaffirmed that the APC-led administration would remain focused on rebuilding the economy and expanding social investments to support vulnerable Nigerians.