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NASS Moves To Review BPE Act …As Senate Shuts Down For Late Bukar
The National Assembly says it may present a motion to amend some of the clauses in the share purchase agreement in the Privatization and Commercialization of Public Enterprises under the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) Act of the Federal Government.
The Chairman, House Committee on Privatization and Commercialization of Public Enterprises in the House of Representatives, Hon. Ahmed Yarima, who stated this when members of the committee visited the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED), in Port Harcourt, yesterday, as part of its oversight function, said the committee was determined to ensure that the right steps were taken towards resolving all challenges.
Yarima, who noted that the committee was saddled with the mandate on all matters concerning privatization and commercialization of public enterprises under the Act, said it would send all findings to the National Council on Privatization (NCP) to ensure that the right steps were taken and challenges resolved.
The lawmaker assured that the committee was determined to take necessary steps and find a common ground towards resolving all the challenges faced by the electricity distribution company.
According to him, ’’The committee has resolved to embark on this visit to interact with the investors and find out exactly the reasons why the public privatization and commercialization of public enterprise performance is low.
‘’The National Assembly is determined to send their findings to NCP and ensure that the right steps are taken towards resolving all the challenges, including amendment of some of the affected clauses in the share purchase agreement’’, he said.
He noted that there was need to overhaul the share purchase agreement and create mechanism between the consumers and the distribution company to work together and achieve one goal.
The chairman condemned the restiveness and violence attitude in the Niger Delta region, stating that it does not tell well for the country.
According to him, ’’their attitude is one of the factors that are preventing foreign investors from coming into the region and country to invest.”
Yerima also condemned the killings and kidnapping of workers of PHED who were working to ensure that electricity was distributed to the public, and assured that the committee has noted some of the challenges and will take action on them.
He said the committee would see how to resolve the challenges faced by the company but warned that electricity cannot be free.
Meanwhile, the Senate on resumption from its two-week Easter break suspended plenary in honour of its member, the late Mustapha Bukar who died on April 4.
Until his death, Bukar, 63, represented Katsina-North Senatorial District in the Red Chamber and was Chairman Committee on Capital Market.
Leader of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, moved a motion for suspension of plenary.
A minute silence led by the President of the Senate Dr Bukola Saraki was observed for the deceased.
Saraki, thereafter, said a valedictory service would be held today in honour of their deceased colleague who served the country immensely.
“It is a great loss,” Saraki said.
In separate interview, Sen. Abu Ibrahim (APC-Katina South) said every life will test dead.
“We are in this world as actors on stage: we come and do our action and leave.
“He was a prominent politician, a well known person, he was my in-law, my son is married to his daughter, he was a highly respected person,” he said.
Similarly, Sen. Victor Umeh (APGA-Anambra) prayed God to “spare the National Assembly of these deaths.”
“We carry a lot of stress, a lot of problems of Nigerians here.
“These sudden deaths are signs that those who are in the National Assembly to take things easy.
“Nigerians should pray for the members of the National Assembly,” he said.
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari in a letter to the Senate dated April 4, 2018, said “I was saddened to receive the news of the deaths of Senators Ali Wakili and Mustapha Bukar”.
He said their various contributions to the Senate deliberations and the wider democratic process in the country had been of immense values.
“Please accept Mr Senate President, the expression of my deepest sympathy,” Buhari said.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives suspended all legislative activities, yesterday, just within hours of reconvening after the Easter break.
The action was taken to honour its late Deputy Majority Leader, Mr. Buba Jibril.
A formal valedictory session would also be held for Jibril, today.
The Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, made the announcement as soon as members re-entered the chambers after the break.
Jibril had died in a Turkish hospital in Abuja on March 30, of an undisclosed illness, aged 58.
The Kogi State All Progressives Congress (APC) politician represented Lokoja/Kogi Federal Constituency.
Jibril died a day after the House adjourned for Easter on March 29.
The convention of the House is that members will suspend legislative activities for a day in honour of a deceased colleague.
Before shutting the plenary, yesterday, Dogara had called for prayers to be offered for the repose of Jibril’s soul.
Mohammed Sani-Abdu and Mr. Karimi Sunday said the prayers before all proceedings were suspended.
An architect by training, Jibril first won election to the National Assembly in 2007.
The late deputy leader had formerly been a member of the Kogi State House of Assembly from 2003 to 2007 and also served as the speaker of the state’ legislature..
The 1990 graduate of the University of Jos, was a member of the Peoples Democratic Party in 2003 to 2015 before he defected to the APC ahead of the general elections.
He was elected the deputy leader of the House on June 9, 2015.
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.