Nasarawa: Lawmakers Petitions NJC

The Nasarawa State House of Assembly on
Monday resolved to report the state Chief
Judge, Suleiman Dikko, to the National Judicial
Council, NJC, over alleged lacuna in setting up
the panel that investigated Governor Umaru
Tanko Al-Makura, on alleged gross misconduct.

The Assembly made the resolution during its
plenary session following a motion to that effect
moved by the Majority Leader, Godiya
Akwashiki (PDP Nasarawa Eggon- West) and
seconded by the deputy house leader, Yahaya
Usman (PDP Umasha/ Ugya) at the House of
Assembly complex, Lafia, the state capital.
The resolution was passed shortly after the
lawmakers returned from their recess to
continue with the remaining part of the
legislative year consequent upon which it
directed the clerk of the house to write a letter
to that effect to the NJC within 24 hours.

Proceedings of the plenary session began at
10:40 a.m when the Majority Leader raised a
motion under section 4 of the order paper of the
day under matters of public interest saying, “We
have meet here today to observe certain lacuna
to the setting up of the panel which investigated
the governor.

Therefore, there is the need to write to the NJC
to investigate the Chief Judge within 24 hours in
order to avoid the breakdown of law and other
in the state.”
In a submission to that motion, Francis Orogu
(PDP Keana) viewed the motion as desirable
hence according to him, “the state Chief Judge
has abused his oath of office and joined forces
with others to frustrate the process of enacting
the rule of law in the state.”

Passing the motion, the Speaker, Ahmed Musa
Mohammed, ruled that “the motion is hereby
passed and the Clerk of the Assembly is hereby
directed to act accordingly within 24 hours of
the passage of the resolution.”

Similarly, the state Assembly at the same
plenary sitting suspended one of its members,
Tanko Tunga (APC Awe North), on allegation of
casting aspersion on the state’s legislative body
for six months and placed him on half salary
during the period.

The motion that led to the suspension of the
Awe North representative was moved by
Mohammed Baba Ibaku (PDP Udegye/Loko)
after seeking the stepping down of section 14
subsection 3 of the house code which prohibits
the deliberation of two issues on matters of
public interest for sitting.

The motion of Baba Ibaku, which was seconded
by the majority leader of the house, wanted
Tunga suspended because “ he (Tunga) had on
July 23, 2014 obstructed the business of the
Assembly by pushing the Speaker, tampering
with mace, crying in the hallowed chamber of
the Assembly when he was not beaten and
casting aspersion on the lawmaker on the state-
owned broadcasting outfit.”

Hitherto, Ibaku had wanted the lawmaker to be
suspended for six months and placed on half
salary, visit a psychiatric for test and barred
from sittings at the Assembly premises till he
completes his suspension.

Finally!!!!!!, Jonathan To Meet Parents Of Chibok Girls Today

President Goodluck Jonathan will today meet
with some parents of the over 200 secondary
schoolgirls abducted by members of Boko
Haram sect in Chibok, Borno State.
It would be recalled that earlier meeting with
the parents scheduled for last week Tuesday did
not hold as they were said to have left for
Borno State.
The Federal Government had accused the
coordinator of  #BringBackOurGirls campaign,
Mrs Oby Ezekwesili as the one who prevented
the previous meeting to hold.

PDP Did Not Win Ekiti- Sani

The President of the Civil Rights Congress of
Nigeria and prominent northern-based rights
activist, Mallam Shehu Sani on Tuesday declared
that the June 21 governorship election in Ekiti
State was far from being free and fair as
adjudged.
Sani, in a statement to newsmen in Kaduna on
Tuesday, said the election could not be free and
fair when the government of the day used
security operatives to harass and intimidate
political opponents to favour the ruling Peoples
Democratic Party’s candidate, Mr. Ayo Fayose.
The CRC’s boss noted that in the run off to that
election, key APC figures, campaign managers as
well as government functionaries were arrested,
adding that credible elections must be devoid of
the use of force or coercion in any way.
The pro-democracy activist warned that what
happened in Ekiti must not happen in Osun
State in during the forthcoming governorship
poll in that state.
“The PDP did not win Ekiti; they captured Ekiti
through the strategy of force and inducement.
Governor Kayode Fayemi’s acceptance of defeat
is more for peace than for justice. Those in
Abuja reveling in the victory over APC are
simply toasting to the cruel triumph of might
over morality. The will of the people cannot be
said to be freely expressed with a record
military planes hovering over the skies of Ekiti
and soldiers on the ground,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to rise up against what he
described as ‘forces against democracy’ and be
ready, prepared to defend their votes against
the predatory ruling party backed by the state
apparatus.”
Sani, a senatorial aspirant on the platform of
the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC)
in Kaduna State, said democratic and
progressive forces in Nigeria should not tolerate
the repeat of the Ekiti episode in 2015:
He said, “Those who accepted, endorsed and
embraced Ekiti elections as free and fair are by
extension giving their imprint to the adoption
of it in the 2015 general elections.
“We fought and ended military rule in Nigeria.
We will not tolerate its return through the
backdoor. Drafting the military to supervise
elections position them to partisanship, drags
them into murky political waters and negatively
affect their professionalism.
“The Ekiti elections is neither free nor fair
irrespective of the acceptance of Governor
Kayode Fayemi. The cruelty and Brigandage by
the security apparatus in the days to the
election created an atmosphere of fear,
apprehension and intimidation that can in no
reasonable assessment be considered as fair

Ekiti Elections: Jonathan Tasks PDP Leadership To Capture Osun, Lagos, Others

President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday hailed
the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) for its efforts in bringing back Ekiti to the
PDP fold and urged it to bring back Lagos, Osun
and others.
Jonathan made the commendation when
members of PDP National Executive Committee
(NEC), led by its Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu,
visited him at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, to
congratulate him on the successful conduct of the
Ekiti elections.
The president challenged the PDP to continue to
work hard so as to ensure electoral victory for
the party in future elections in the country.
”At least, we have seen clearly that Ekiti is now a
PDP state. We pray that we will work very hard,
sell our ideas, our programmes, manifesto to
Nigerians so that we will accept us for what we
are.
We always say that we will not disappoint
Nigerians. We believe that we will even do more
in other states.”
Jonathan also commended members of the
security services, INEC and other stakeholders
for ensuring smooth and peaceful conduct of the
election.
‘‘Let me appreciate Nigerians for their
determination and patriotism for this country and
to reassure them that the PDP leadership will
continue to do its best for this country.
‘‘We are not chameleons, we don’t change, no
mutation in PDP, we don’t transform to all kinds
of characters and colours and shapes based on
circumstances, we are what we are and we will
continue to preach what we believe in and do our
best for this country,’’ he said.
The president reiterated the determination of his
administration to address all the socio-economic
challenges facing the country.
He, therefore, reassured that the PDP- led
Federal Government would continue to pursue the
ongoing transformation of all sectors of nation’s
economy, especially in the area of rail transport,
agriculture and education.
On security challenges, the president reassured
Nigerians that the problem of insurgency and
other social vices were being addressed, saying
insurgents would soon be crushed.
Earlier, Mu’azu had told the President that they
were in the Presidential Villa to congratulate him
over the electoral victory of the party in Ekiti last
Saturday.
He also thanked the president for his patience,
leadership, focus and support at all times.
Mu’azu said the election was conducted in a free,
fair and transparent manner that the result was
generally accepted by local and international
observers as well as the opposition party.
He thanked the president for ensuring internal
democracy in the PDP, adding that the Ekiti
electoral victory was a clear demonstration of the
president’s style of leadership.
According to him, the party will not have fielded
Ayodele Fayose as its governorship candidate in
the Ekiti elections, if it had considered the
Nigerian factor.
‘‘Fayose, ordinarily if the Nigerian factor comes in
will never have been our candidate but you and I
know that even after he emerged, the sort of
groups that came to report me that I have done
the wrong choice.
‘‘And more often when they are caught red-
handed coming to the Villa, Mr President will
insist that I must be there and I will say I have
seen the same people, I have explained to them,
Mr President will still insist for me to hear, to
listen that at the end of the day the truth will
prevail with the support of Mr President, hence
the choice ‘‘Because without getting our first
eleven, which is on very good support and
encouragement, we would not have been
celebrating today.’’
Fayose defeated Gov. Kayode Fayemi of the All
Progressives Congress (APC) in last Saturday’s
Ekiti governorship election.