Senate
Senator Mark: Edo election a triumph of people’s will
News Agency of Nigeria Former President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, has described the re-election of Godwin Obaseki of Edo State as a triumph of people’s will. Senator David Mark who congratulated Governor Obaseki and his Deputy Philip Shaibu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the victory at the Saturday’s gubernatorial election saying “It’s a triumph of the will of the people “. Senator Mark in a goodwill message to the duo and the PDP family by his Media Adviser, Paul Mumeh, described the victory as freedom for the people and enthronement of Democratic culture and practice in the country. He said that the overwhelming victory of the PDP candidate is a testimony of the people’s endorsement of good governance being demonstrated by the Obaseki/Shaibu administration in the last...
Edo election: PDP governors vow not to leave Benin amid ‘police intimidation’
File Photo Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have vowed not to leave Edo State amid alleged police intimidation. During an emergency press conference in Abuja on Saturday, the National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, accused security agencies of harassing and threatening the lives of its Governors who had gathered in Benin City, the state capital, ahead of Saturday’s poll. This comes amid claims from Akawor Desmond, the party’s chairman in Rivers State, that over 300 policemen laid siege to the hotel where Governor Nyesom Wike was staying. Secondus, expressed shock that, “security agents were detailed to surround the lodging of our governors to harass and intimidate them.” He questioned why APC governors, “including the governor of Kano Sta...
Wale Babalakin resigns as UNILAG’s council chairman
Dr Babawale Babalakin has resigned his position as chairman of the University of Lagos, UNILAG, governing council chairman. Following what looked like an irreconcilable difference between the now-former council chairman and the Academic Staff Union of University, UNILAG chapter, Babalakin has finally tendered his resignation. The Federal Government, in August, wielded the big axe by asking the Wale Babalakin-led Governing Council of the University of Lagos, UNILAG, and the embattled Vice-Chancellor, Prof Toyin Ogundipe, to stay away pending the outcome of a probe into happenings in the school. The government also asked the Senate of the university to appoint an Acting VC for the institution. The Federal Ministry of Education spokesman, Ben Goong, made this known in a press statement on Fri...
Bayelsa by-election: PDP, APC leaders trade words over agreement on power rotation
Leaders of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa weekend trade words over the alleged attempt by the opposition party to breach an existing gentleman’s agreement between the people of Sagbama and Ekeremor Local Government areas on the issue of power rotation of National Assembly positions. This followed the emergence of the former Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Peremobowei Ebebi, as the candidate of the All Progressive Congress for the state west senatorial district by-election. Political stakeholders from the zone had agreed that by the provision of the existing gentleman agreement between Sagbama and Ekeremor local government areas, indigenes of Sagbama are the only ones qualified to produce candidates to contest for the October 31 National Asse...
Cairo Ojougboh: NDDC did not pay coronavirus palliatives to senators
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has faulted a report that it paid various sums of money as COVID-19 palliatives to members of the Senate. NDDC’s acting Executive Director (Projects), Dr Cairo Ojougboh, condemned the claim in a statement on Tuesday. Ojougboh who clarified the controversy sparked by the claim also denied issuing any statement as purported in the report. He stressed that there was no way the agency could have made such payments as there was no provision for such in the NDDC’s budget. While stating that he would have resisted such a payment if it was brought up, the executive director said the Interim Management Committee (IMC) has championed a campaign to cleanse the NDDC of obvious corruption and frivolous payments. According to him, the IMC has a mandate to re...
Senator Lawan: National Assembly won’t tolerate disrespect from presidential appointees again
The President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, on Monday, said the federal lawmakers would no longer tolerate appointees of President Muhammadu Buhari, abusing the National Assembly. He said the President himself had made it clear that he would not tolerate such. Lawan spoke with State House correspondents shortly after Buhari inaugurated the Executive, Legislative Party Consultative Committee at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja. He said, “I believe that should be the end of it (appointees knocking heads with legislature). We believe that we should work together. “Mr President made it very clear that he is not going to tolerate any of his appointees doing things that are not respectable, things that have no dignity to the National Assembly. “For us in the National Assembly, ...
Senator Basiru: Senate has no plan to secretly pass social media bill
Senator representing Osun Central and Chairman Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Ajibola Basiru, has said the Red Chamber has no plan to hurriedly pass the controversial Protection from Internet Falsehood and Manipulation and Other Related Matters Bill 2019 into law. An online platform, SaharaReporters, has published that the Senate on its resumption on September 15 has sealed a plot to pass the Bill popularly known as Social Media bill for presidential assent. Sponsored by Senator representing Niger East, Sani Musa, the bill was unanimously rejected at the Senate Public Hearing. Reacting to the report at the weekend, Senator Basiru dismissed it as “false and a lie concocted by the medium to ridicule and tarnish the image of the senate.” The former Attorney General and ...
Senator Kalu urges Nigerian government to look towards Abia, South East for economic solution
Former Governor of Abia state and Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Kalu, believes that the federal government and its economic teams must look towards Abia and South East if they must fashion out a way of salvation from the pandemic-induced economic slump threatening the country. He stated this as part of his commendation of the people of Abia state for their steadfastness, selflessness and patriotism. According to Kalu, the political class must place the collective interests of Abians above personal ambitions in a bid to improve the common lots of the people. Describing Abia state, as the commercial hub of the South East, the former Governor called on government at all levels, to support the business acumen of Abians. In his goodwill message, Kalu called on the people of Abia state ...
LASU Senate elects Prof. Wahab as new deputy vice-chancellor
The Senate of Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, has elected Prof. Elias Wahab as the new Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics) of the university. Mr Ademola Adekoya, the institution’s Head of Centre for Information, Press and Public Relations, made this known in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos. Adekoya said that the election took place through e-voting, Wahab defeating the other candidate for the position, Prof. Ayodeji Abari, by 88 to 43 votes. “The Senate members of the university started the e-voting election at 12.00a.m and ended by 3:30p.m, and the result was announced by Mr Olayinka Amuni, the Registrar of the university. “Wahab is a Professor of Sociology, and current Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences. He succeeded Prof. Olumuyiwa Noah, whose tenure ended on Aug. 24, 2020, after ser...
Justice Essien: I never sat over Unilag vice chancellor’s case
File Photo Justice J.I. Essien of the National Industrial Court sitting in Lagos on Tuesday urged the University of Lagos (Unilag) Governing Council and the Senate to embrace peace. The judge gave the advice while striking out two suits challenging the removal of the university’s Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe. The suits also challenged Ogundipe’s replacement with Prof. Theophilus Soyombo by the governing council. Newsmen report that Ogundipe and the Senate of the University had filed applications before the court to discontinue the suits. “Controversy is not good for the image of a university. “We hope that peace will reign because when two elephants fight, in this case, the grass will wither,” Essien said. The judge said that he was glad that the parties decided to withd...
Ghana: Closure of Nigerians’ shops xenophobic – Senate minority leader
Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, has accused Ghana’ of targeting Nigerians. He said the Ghanian government was carrying out xenophobic acts against citizens of its long-time ally. Abaribe’s reaction was contained in a statement in Abuja on Sunday by his spokesman, Uchenna Awom. Recently, Ghanaian officials sealed shops belonging to Nigerian traders in Accra over $1million equity stipulated by the Ghana Investment Promotions Council. Abaribe told Ghana to “prove us wrong by putting a halt to further closure of the shops and attacks on Nigerians in compliance to the Economic Community of West African Countries (ECOWAS) protocol”. The lawmaker called the closure of business a willful denigration of sub-regional brotherhood and one that is in clear conflict with ECOWAS protocol. “So ...
Stakeholders call for measures against post-coronavirus suicide
Some stakeholders in mental health have called for proactive measures to be put in place to prevent incidences of suicide in Nigeria post COVID-19. They made the call at an Annual National E-conference organised by the Suicide Research and Prevention Initiative (SURPIN) held via Zoom on Saturday in Lagos. Theme of the conference was: “Together Toward Collaborative Resilience: Building Resilience Post COVID-19.” It was held in commemoration of the World Suicide Day, marked annually on Sept. 10. Commenting, Prof. Andrew Zamani of Clinical Psychology, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, said that collective resilience in preventing mental disorders, which could lead to suicide, largely depends on leadership. Zamani said the leadership must be the one that has integrity, inclined toward social i...