News
Senate President assures N’Assembly staff of better deal at work
The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan has assured the staff of the National Assembly of a better renumeration and welfare deal.
Lawan gave the assurance while responding to the requests made by the officials of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria(PASAN).
The Association, led by it’s National President, Mohammed Usman, appreciated the National Assembly for voting for the autonomy of the state Legislature in the ongoing constitutional review.
The Association solicited the support of the Senate President for the unification of salary structure for all Legislative workers in the country and called for the extension of the tenure of Legislative workers from 35 years to 40 years of service and from 60 years to 65 years of age whichever comes first.
The Senate President said: “It is our desire and wish to see that the staff are properly remunerated within the available resources.
“We believe that our staff should be properly remunerated and we have been working on that. I know that the Clerk of the National Assembly has been working with you.
“I heard the National President calling for a review of the service years. I’m not sure about this at this moment. I want to be very frank with you because when we came in 2019 we inherited a crisis…We are not saying we will not support that but we have to be very systematic. We have to be very careful.
“So we will look at how we can take the appropriate steps, follow due process and do due diligence so that whatever eventually happens, nobody can fault it.
“So I want to assure you that we will take the appropriate steps and follow the due process. Not like the way it went before because the way it went before was chaotic, very disorganised and clumsy and a confusion of some sort that almost crash the personnel system particularly in the National Assembly. So you can take that as an approval in principle for your request.
On financial autonomy for the state Legislature, the Senate President said the National Assembly, at all times, believed that the Legislature, especially at the state level, should have financial autonomy.
“The first time the National Assembly passed a bill making provisions for that, the state Houses of Assembly could not marshal the required two-third of the state Legislature to achieve that and therefore it failed.
“But the National Assembly members have remained consistent because we believe that Legislature…for it to perform well and discharge it’s mandate effectively, it doesn’t need to be tied to apron string of anyone especially the executive arm of government.
“So we have done that again with the current review of the 1999 constitution. It is our hope that, this time around, the state Legislature will pass it by at least the two-third to achieve the financial autonomy for the state Legislature.
HaAN OPEN LETTER TO ALHAJI ATIKU ABUBAKAR: THE CASE OF GOING TO EQUITY WITHOUT CLEAN HANDS
My attention as a Public Affairs Commentator and Citizen of Wukari in Taraba State has been invited to various invectives of unprecedented dimension directed at His Excellency, Senator Godswill Akpabio, GCON by my brother, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar ostensibly to give oxygen to resurrect his endless political odyssey and sordid presidential ambition. I am weighing into this public narrative to interrogate various disruptions triggered by some notable politicians like Atiku Abubakar in our national life.
It is hardly possible to build anything out of frustration and bitterness. This is sadly the predicament of a one-time Vice President, Atiku Abubakar who is on course to being enlisted in the Guinness Book of Records, as the only person globally, who has unsuccessfully contested for President for six times spanning 33 years.
These bitterness and frustration have beclouded his reasoning. Atiku Abubakar, who is shamefully a dominant mention in every page of the corruption history in Nigeria, an insipid and serial sodomist, could have rather used the Ramadan period to seek for the atonement of his many mortal and monumental sins from the Almighty Allah, but his engagement in chicanery and unbridled umbrage in the most malicious and defamatory manner is the sad characterization of a man reputed for low family values and child abuse.
The series of pernicious lies peddled by Atiku deserve response in this era of positive and innovative Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, which has invited collective actions for the growth and prosperity of Nigeria. Atiku Abubakar’s putrid and repulsive corrupt practices have made Nigerians to reject him for a record six times. A master of failure indeed!
It is an established fact that Atiku Abubakar is the most corrupt Nigerian, having been associated with every high-profile corruption allegation in the country across the private and public sectors. In 1996, the then Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha seized control of the NICOTES shares belonging to him and renamed it Integrated Logistics Services Inc.
In 2006, Atiku was indicted by the EFCC and the Federal Government Administrative Panel of Inquiry after a Special Audit /Forensic Investigation of PTDF from 1999 to May 31, 2006.
Internationally, he is known as a super conman. Atiku’s association with American Congressman William Jefferson, who was jailed for 13 years in 2009 over bribery and other charges is well known to millions of Nigerians.
For those who don’t know, Atiku was the subject of a probe about 15 years ago by the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs chaired by Senator Carl Levin. He was indicted for using offshore companies to siphon about 40 million dollars from Nigeria between 2000 and 2008 to his fourth wife in the United States, Jennifer Iwenjiora Douglas Abubakar (now divorced).
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, whom Atiku served for 8 years as Vice President, in his book ’MY WATCH’, in the chapter, titled “Atiku and US Justice Entanglement”, gave a vivid account of “corrupt involvement” of Atiku with a company called iGATE and William Jefferson. Obasanjo equally linked Atiku to the embezzlement of $20 million, funds that were to be utilized by the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), and another $125 million to fund PTDF during 2003 fiscal year.
The immediate past governor of Kaduna state, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has also spoken eloquently about Atiku’s corrupt adventure. In his book, ’The Accidental Public Servant’, El-Rufai gave a detailed account of Atiku’s corrupt involvement in Ericsson’s deals, the PTDF scandal, Abuja Water Treatment Plant contract and his obsession with marabouts – these marabouts that have been deceiving him since 1991 that he will be president.
A serial women abuser, Atiku has divorced two of his wives since 1971 (Ladi and Jennifer). In the case of Jennifer, even after the divorce, he threatened and bullied her out of Nigeria. Jennifer had to sell her law chambers in Nigeria and relocated to the UK.
He has been after the woman in an attempt to dispossess her of her assets and properties.
A certified child abuser, Atiku’s exploits with hapless boys and young men are well known. No wonder, in his eight years as vice president and many years as wealthy man (though filthy), Atiku could not boast of a school that could cater for the educational needs of the less privileged, especially boys (Almajiri’s), but now runs the exotic ABTI University and a host of other businesses that are out of the reach of the common man.
In the contrary, unlike Atiku Abubakar, Senator Godswill Akpabio, GCON has for over two decades, conducted himself with integrity and transparency. His accomplishments in Akwa Ibom State, in particular, and Nigeria in general, are symbolized in the countless legacies of infrastructure, human capacity development and tourists’ hub.
Just yesterday (Tuesday), the Super Eagles of Nigeria hosted The Warriors of Zimbabwe in a World Cup qualifier at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo. The stadium, which is the only FIFA approved facility in Nigeria, was built by Akpabio as governor of the state. What did Atiku do for Adamawa state and Nigeria?
The Zimbabwean delegation also flew Ibom Air and landed at the Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo- all legacies of the Uncommon Transformer. But where are Atiku’s legacies for the people? He can only lay claim to a chain of businesses, which are products of pillaging and corrupt investments.
In all of these, it is crystal clear that Akpabio’s unflinching support for President Tinubu, who blocked Atiku’s emergence as the presidential candidate of the APC in 2015 and frustrated his return bid in 2019 and yet floored him in the 2023 general elections is the reason for Atiku’s hostile charge against the Senate President.
But using Akpabio as a ladder to get to the president cannot do Atiku any good. Both Tinubu and Akpabio are united by the resolve to rejig and reset the nation and give Nigerians dividends of democracy, which Atiku as vice president worked tirelessly to undermine for personal aggrandizement.
It is also axiomatic that Atiku has started preparation for the 2027 general elections. As for Akpabio and Tinubu, they are preoccupied with state and governance issues and would not swim with the former vice president in his quest to distract the duo from delivering good governance to Nigerians. When 2027 comes, Nigerians will, for the umpteenth time give, Atiku a black eye and vote the best candidate.
DANJUMA ISAIAH writes from
Wukari in Taraba State
The Honourable Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubaka mini visited the Executive Governor of Katsina State, Mallam Umar Dikko Umaru Radda, at the Government House in Katsina to express condolences following the passing of his beloved mother, Hajiya Safara’u Umar Bare-Bari Radda.
During the visit, Minister Abubakar, on behalf of himself, his family, the Minister of State for Defence H.E. Dr. Bello Matawalle MON and the entire staff of the Ministry of Defence, conveyed heartfelt condolences to Governor Radda, his family, and the people of Katsina State during this difficult time.
In his remarks, he prayed for Almighty Allah to forgive the deceased, grant her mercy, and bestow upon her a place in Jannatul Firdaus. He also offered prayers for the Governor and his family, asking for strength and fortitude to bear this profound loss.
The Minister was accompanied by Hon. Idris Garba Jahun, former Speaker of the Jigawa State House of Assembly, along with Hon. Abubakar Sadiq Jallo and Hon. Mas’ud A. Naruwa, members of the Katsina State House of Assembly representing Hadejia and Babura, respectively.
All political office holders who were appointed by the embattled governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara have been suspended from office by the Sole Administrator of the State, Retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas.
They were suspended from office with immediate effect, according to a statement by the Chief of Staff to the Sole Administrator, saying the decision followed powers granted the Sole Administrator by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The Secretary to the State Government, the Chief of Staff to Fubara were among those suspended from office.
Commissioners, chairpersons and members of boards, agencies, commissions, and parastatals, as well as all Special Advisers, Special Assistants, and Senior Special Assistants were all relieved of their appointments.
“This suspension takes effect from Wednesday, March 26, 2025. The affected officers are to hand over to the permanent secretaries in their MDAs.
“Where there may be no permanent secretary, they are to hand over to the most senior director/head of administration,” the statement read.
Ibas was sworn in as Sole Administrator on Wednesday, March 19, by President Bola Tinubu after the President declared a state of emergency in Rivers State.
The President also suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months.
Ibas, who is a former Chief of Naval Staff, vowed to maintain law and order in the state.
“If the main issue is that of maintaining law and order in the state, I think for any meaningful activities to take place in Rivers State, that is the utmost task that I have,” he said to State House correspondents after the swearing-in.
He also promised to work together with other stakeholders to ensure that order is restored in the state.
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