House refers Jibrin to Ethics Committee

Members of the House of Representatives began yesterday a major battle to defend their integrity, which has been soiled by allegations that this year’s budget was padded.

The lawmakers referred former House Appropriations Committee Chairman Abdulmumin Jibrin to the Committee on Ethics and Privileges for allegedly damaging the House’s reputation.

It was the climax of a media war that raged from the day the House went on a two – month annual recess on July 21.

Jibrin, sequel to his removal as the Committee Chairman unleashed a flurry of allegations of padding the 2016 budget by Speaker Yakubu Dogara, three other principal officers and nine committee chairmen.

The allegations were not only damaging to the names mentioned by the lawmaker, but also to the House of Representatives as an institution. Anti- graft agencies are said to have begun investigations into the matter.

The police are also probing the matter.

The motion for the breach of privileges of members was moved by the Chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business, Emmanuel Orker Jev (APC, Benue).

Oker-Jev’s presentation was punctuated with interjections by members. He, nonetheless, catalogued some of Jibrin’s statements, adding that the former chairman’s utterances are” contemptuous of the House of Representatives as an institution”.

He said the various statements and publications are contrary to sections 24 and 30 of the Legislative (Powers and Privileges) Act. “They are in breach of the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives, particularly the provisions on privileges of the House and that of members thereof touching or seizing the a ace Order 10 Rule 5 ( 13) and ( 15)”.

According to Oker-Jev, the penalty for such infractions is “suspension not less than six (6) months.

For a collective breach of lawmakers’ priviledges, Oker-Jev  prayed the House to refer Jibrin’s case “ to the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges  for proper investigation.

“The committee shall report its findings and make appropriate recommendations to the House within one week,” he said.

In between the presentation of the  motion, Jibrin who had earlier joined his colleagues to applaud Dogara’s welcome address and  had been seated in the chamber walked out, shaking his head.

He came back not quite long, clutching some documents.

The motion was put to a voice vote by the Speaker and it passed with a tumulous “aye”.

The audio quality in the chamber was poor. Dogara assured members that Oker Jev’s  motion would be circulated to members “because there was noise”.

Aliyu Madaki  (APC, Kano) protested, raising his hands and shouting: “Point of Order!” but he was not recognized.

He was obviously complaining about the rule book as he had two sets in his hands. He was shouted down by majority of members.

Thereafter, pockets of heated arguments broke out on the floor but Madaki was eventually permitted to speak.

He said because Jibrin has made many damning allegations against the Speaker and other members of the House. Dogara and other principal officers should step aside for an investigation into the issue.

Dogara said since the allegations also rubbed on Madaki as a member of the House, “the rule is that we should all resign; I’m waiting for your resignation first.”

Angry, Madaki took a biro to resign, hoping to force the Speaker to follow suit.

That never happened.

Oluwole Oke (PDP, Osun) quickly gave him a paper and many members on the side of the Speaker hurried to present him with a biro. But members close by pleaded with him not to resign.

Thereafter, some members began to distribute mufflers with the inscription: “I stand with Dogara.”

Two lawmakers attempted to force the green muffler on Madaki.

He remained calm, though he warned one of them, pointing a finger on his face.

The air of expectation in the chamber yesterday was at fever pitch, particularly as a crowd of protesters had earlier besieged the National Assembly gate, asking for Jibrin’s suspension.

The protesters, under the banner of the Coalition in Defence of Democracy (CDD), gathered at the gate of the National Assembly.

Jibrin, the protesters said, knowingly maligned the national Assembly over the 2016 budget without justifiable reason.

They carried placards and banners that had inscriptions, such as: “Coalition of civil society group wants NASS and AG to suspend and prosecute Jibrin for blackmail, contempt of the House, operating foreign account, contract splitting, and ill-gotten wealth”;  “We demand the indefinite suspension and prosecution of Hon. Jibrin for contempt of the House, operating of foreign account, scandalising the House, contract splitting, money laundering and living above his means;”

“EFCC – prosecute Jibrin for operating £1.37 million pounds foreign account – Africa media”; Hon Jibrin is a professional blackmailer”; and “Coalition in Defence of democracy wants Reps to suspend Hon Jibrin for his failed plot to destroy the legislature”.

The leader of the procession, Mr. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, said the Attorney- General of the Federation and Minister of Justice,  Mr Abubakar Malami, the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had been contacted to prosecute Jibrin for allegedly maintaining a foreign account in the United Kingdom (UK), as well as his admission of illegally receiving N650,000.000.00 in the House.

He also called for Jibrin’s suspension for unjustly defaming the House.

“Despite knowing the powers of the legislature in appropriation as provided in Section 59, 81, 82 of the constitution, Jibrin has obliged himself to negative democratic influences who are willing to go the extra mile to derail democracy. This must be be condemned in its entirety,” Ugochinyere said.

Fed Govt, states, local govts share N510.270b

Mrs Kemi Adeosun

Disbursements to the three tiers of government jumped to N510.270 billion for August.
At the end of the monthly Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting in Abuja yesterday, the Federal Government received N149.310 billion, the states got N75.732 billion, local governments pocketed N58.386 billion while N20.293 billion was shared as 13 per cent mineral revenue derivation.
Also shared were proceeds from the Value Added Tax (VAT) from which the Federal Government received N10.939 billion, states N36.462 billion and local governments N25.523 billion. An additional N84.263 billion was shared as exchange gains, N35 billion as excess petroleum profit tax (PPT) while N6.330 billion was refunded to the government by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
The balance to make up the N510.270 billion was what was given to the collecting agencies as cost of collection. Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) got N4.033 billion, FIRS N4.663 billion, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) N2.627 billion.
Addressing reporters at the end of the meeting, Finance Minister, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, said the gross statutory revenue of N315.045 billion received for the month was higher than the N287.819 billion received in the previous month by N27.226 billion.
She added that crude oil export volume increased by 2.2 million barrels in May,  despite the brief force majeure declared at Qua Iboe and Bonny terminals and a subsisting force majeure at Forcados Termibal.
Other terminals also experienced problem of shut-in and shut-down of pipelines for repairs and maintenance. However, revenue was boosted with the $109.40 million accruals in export sales as a result of the increase in average price of crude oil from $42.21 in April to $46.06 per barrel in May.
A rise in the volume of dutiable imports contributed significantly to the increase recorded by import duty and VAT while the increase in PPT collections was attributed to receipts from National Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) and Joint Venture operators. The exchange rate regime, the minister said, “helped boost revenue for the current revenue including oil and gas royalty’’.
She also announced that he Excess Crude Account (ECA)  stands at $2.9 billion.

JAMB to scrap scratch card for UTME

JOINT Admission and Matriculations Board (JAMB) Registrar Prof. Ishaq Oloyode said yesterday the board would abolish scratch cards to register for and check results, with effect from 2017.
Oloyode, who spoke at the National Executive Council meeting of the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) in Abuja, said students would generate a PIN number for themselves from their phone or computers before registering for examinations.
He said the board would not support a situation where banks and vendors hoard the cards, only to sell them at a higher price.
The registrar challenged NASU to get involved in the ownership of Computer-Based Testing Centres, saying those who own the centres are businessmen merely exploiting students.
He added that if academic-based stakeholders, such as NASU, own CBT centres, the board will be confident  the examinations will be conducted without hitch.
Also speaking at the event, Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission (NUC) Prof. Abubakar Rasheed said the commission would build a system in line with global challenges.
He assured the union the commission would address issues regarding its agreement with the Federal Government, adding that he has met with pro-chancellors on  the matter.
The executive secretary said he would meet with vice chancellors of the about 140 public and private universities and other institutions affiliated to them, and state the commission’s position, which will be forwarded to the government.
Rasheed noted that the commission would take submissions from all unions in the universities so that its memo to the minister of Education will capture every issue.
He said: “I will lead a team of NUC management to a meeting towards the end of next week with vice chancellors of federal universities, then vice chancellors of state universities, vice chancellors of private universities, heads of institutions affiliated to universities to discuss challenges confronting the university system.
“We will also discuss challenges inhibiting the implementation of the 2009 Federal Government/unions agreement. Within the next two weeks of concluding the discussions, I will raise a memo drawing the attention of the minister of Education to the agreement”.
However, NASU’s General Secretary Peters Adeyemi told reporters that “government has not demonstrated the will to implement the agreement. Government is a continuum and agreements are binding on successive governments, and this government must know that. The labour unions in universities are unhappy with the way things are going in the system.
“We think the executive secretary of NUC inherited this liability, and as a responsible union, we needed to give him an opportunity to address this problem holistically, and we think we should give him some time to see if there would be results. The result of his engagements would determine how quickly industrial action can be prevented or otherwise.”
Adeyemi hinted that the unions may not give a lengthy time for declaration of industrial action saying  “we have waited for so long, and we are not willing to wait too long again. The government must do the needful before crisis would start in the universities, lest Nigerians say we have started again when we declare strike.
‘’We are calling on Nigerians to help us beg this government that our patience is running out.”
He berating government for citing economic recession for default in the payment of salaries, pointing out that such statements show insensitivity on the part of the ruling class.
He said: “It is wicked for anybody in government to say justify non-payment of salaries on recession. Who caused us to be in recession? Is it workers? No. We are pushed to where we are by the ruling class irrespective of the political parties they belong. It is the collusion of the ruling class that put us where we are.”

Oyo House passes bill to create 35 new councils

Oyo State House of Assembly has passed into law Local Governments Further Amendment Bill 2016 for the creation of 35 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).
The passage of the bill, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), was sequel to the report of the Committee on Local Government Chieftaincy Matters and State Honour.
The Speaker, Michael Adeyemo, said the House was unanimous in passing the bill.
He appreciated the members for their contributions, saying that the bill was important to bring government closer to the grassroots.
He directed the clerk to produce a clean copy to the governor for his assent.

Adeyemo said the creation of the LCDAs was long overdue, considering the geographical size of the state.

However, Ganiyu Oseni (Irepo/Olorunsogo/APC) described the distribution of the LCDAs as “injustice”.
According to him, the allocation of 11 LCDAs to Ibadan zone was “unfair”, when compared to the number allocated to other zones.
Muideen Olagunju (Accord-Oyo East and Oyo West) drew attention to the dissatisfaction of persons yearning for more LCDAs allocation to their zones.
But Fatai Adesina, (Accord-Ibadan South-East 1) and Gbenga Oyekola (LP-(Atiba) expressed concerns about the funding of the new LCDAs as the existing 33 local government areas were facing challenges of paucity of funds.