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NASS Resumes Today, Reps Suspend Sitting to Mourn late Adedoyin

Published

6 years ago

October 9, 2018

Eric

Members of the House of Representatives will suspend legislative activities for one day on Tuesday (today) to mourn their late colleague, Ms Funke Adedoyin, reports The Punch.

The members had gone on annual recess since July 24 and were to resume fully today after the primaries of their political parties ahead of the 2019 poll.

However, while they were on recess, Adedoyin from Kwara State died of a cancer-related ailment on September 28.

A former Minister of State for Health, the late Adedoyin, who was 54, also served as the Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Army till she died.

Findings showed that members would merely resume, register and adjourn sitting immediately after holding a prayer session in honour of their departed colleague.

One source explained that “It is the tradition of the House to mourn a departed colleague by suspending legislative activities. She died while we were still on recess and Tuesday (today) will be the first plenary after her demise.

“In line with our tradition, the plenary and other activities will be suspended till Wednesday as soon as resumption formalities are taken.”

The Chief Whip of the House, Mr Alhassan Ado-Doguwa, confirmed to The PUNCH that proceedings would be suspended to honour the late member.

“Obviously, yes,” Ado-Doguwa stated in a response to inquiries by The PUNCH.

Meanwhile, members of the Parliamentary Democrats Group have called on their colleagues in the All Progressives Congress to forget any plan to seek the removal of the Speaker, Mr Yakubu Dogara, on account of the latter’s defection to the Peoples Democratic Party.

The PDG advised members to focus attention on pressing national issues such as the pending N143bn budget for the 2019 polls than bother themselves about Dogara’s seat.

The spokesperson for the PDG, Mr Timothy Golu, who spoke on behalf of the group ahead of today’s resumption of members, noted that the seat of the Speaker belonged to the entire House and not reserved for a particular political party.

He stated, “Our attention has been drawn to statements credited to the All Progressives Congress, that the Speaker should vacate his seat as he is occupying a usurped position.

“We want to again state categorically that any attempt to instigate crisis or undermine the authority, right or position of the Speaker will hit a brick wall.

“The position of the Speaker does not belong to any political party as he was elected by members from all the political parties as provided for in the 1999 Constitution.”

Speaking with one of our correspondents on the telephone on Sunday, Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, said there would not be a crisis in the chambers until the APC lawmakers create one.

He said, “We have no knowledge about that (renewed leadership tussle). We are very happy with our leadership. If the APC wants to introduce drama into our normal proceeding, there is nothing we can do until they introduce the drama. They have not told us that they would create a drama, so you are the one speculating.”

Murray-Bruce also said the lawmakers would give some pending legislation a special attention after resumption.

Before the holiday began, the lawmakers were working on the Electoral Act 2010 Amendment Bill, the budget of the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies for the conduct of the forthcoming elections, among others.

These Murray-Bruce said were topping the priority list of the National Assembly.

“I have not seen the Order Paper (for Tuesday) but all these issues you have raised are Number One on our priority list of what needs to be done. Yes, these are the issues we want to focus on as soon as we get back (to work). I don’t know what we can accomplish on Tuesday but definitely, the INEC budget, the Electoral Act, and works like that are what we can’t to focus on,” he said.

The Punch

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Stay Away from CBT Centres, JAMB Warns Parents, Threatens Arrest

Published

1 day ago

April 18, 2024

Eric

As this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) begins on Friday, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has vowed to arrest parents found near any Computer-Based Test (CBT) centre during the 2024 UTME exercise.

The directive was issued at the final briefing of the CBT centre owners, which was held virtually on Wednesday, 17th April, 2024.

The spokesman for JAMB, Fabian Benjamin, said this directive became necessary following the intrusive disposition of some parents during the Board’s previous exercises.

Benjamin, who quoted JAMB Registrar Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, said any parent, who disobeys the order would not only be arrested but his ward would also be disqualified from sitting for the examination.

Oloyede explained that this measure became necessary as it has been discovered over time that many of these intruding parents are facilitators of examination infractions while others have, by their actions, disrupted the Board’s examinations in the past.

He added that some miscreants also disguise as parents to infiltrate the centres to perpetrate all forms of infractions.

“The Board’s helmsman noted that going by the extant national policy on education, a candidate for the examination must have attained the age of 17 years.

“Therefore, it is evident that these parents had not allowed their wards to pass through the classes as defined in the document, hence the desperation to follow their wards to the examination venue with the aim of compromising examination officials.

“At any rate, it is clear to any discerning observer that these parents deserve to be sanctioned as they had obviously ‘smuggled’ underage children into the ranks of those scheduled to sit the examination,” the Board note through a statement.

Furthermore, the Registrar said all arrangements have been concluded for the conduct of the 2024 UTME, which will be held in over 700 CBT centres across the nation.

He disclosed that the Board expects a seamless exercise but it has nevertheless made adequate provision to tackle any technical glitch that might occur in the course of the examination.

He, however, warned that if a session experienced any technical challenge, candidates in subsequent sessions would be allowed to sit their examination as scheduled while the candidates in the challenged session would be rescheduled for the last session for the day or the following day or even further depending on the centre schedules.

Featured

Oyo Govt Demolishes Operational Base of Yoruba Nation Agitators

Published

1 day ago

April 18, 2024

Eric

The Oyo State government, on Wednesday, demolished a building serving as the operational base of the Yoruba Nation agitators led by Modupe Onitiri-Abiola, in Ibadan.

Onitiri-Abiola, one of the widows of late Bashorun M.KO Abiola, had declared the creation of the so-called Yoruba Nation in a video posted online, which has been widely condemned.

Last Saturday, some armed men in military uniforms invaded the Oyo State Secretariat, with the motive to forcefully take over the State House of Assembly, before they were dislodged by the combined efforts of police and troops for the Nigeria Army 2 Division..

Mr. Fatai Owoseni, Special Adviser on Security Matters to Governor Seyi Makinde, confirmed the demolition of the house located at Toye Oyesola Street in Ibadan South West Local Government Area.

Already, no fewer than 29 suspects – including a lecturer – arrested in connection with the foiled armed invasion were on Wednesday arraigned by the police before a Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ibadan.

In a case with charge number Mi/520c/2024 between the Commissioner of Police and the 29 suspects, they were accused of a seven-count charge of treasonable felony, unlawful society, illegal possession of firearms, and conduct likely to cause breach of peace.

Inspector Bakare Rasaq, the Investigative Police Officer (IPO) at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Iyaganku, Ibadan, said the offence contravenes, and is punishable under Section 516 of the Criminal Code, Cap 38, Vol. II, Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria, 2000.

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PDP BoT Queries Damagum, Anyanwu’s Continued Stay in Office

Published

1 day ago

April 18, 2024

Eric

The Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party has queried the continued stay in office of the party’s acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, and National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu.

Recently, many party members have raised concerns about the ongoing tenure of Damagum and Anywanwu in their respective positions.

Previously serving as the PDP National Deputy Chairman (North), Damagum assumed the role of acting National Chairman following the court’s suspension of the party’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, in March of the preceding year.

With the National Secretary being selected as the PDP candidate for the Imo State 2023 governorship election, the South zone has been grappling with nominating a replacement. Despite this, he, along with other party leaders, contested and retained the position of party secretary after losing to Governor Hope Uzodinnma.

The Punch