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10th NASS Leadership: Akpabio ignores APC NWC, names Senate Committee Chairmen

Published

10 months ago

July 12, 2023

…As VP Shettima meets behind closed-doors with Abass, others

By Moses Adeniyi

Despite the decision of the All Progressives Congress National Working Council to come up with a unanimous decision on the composition of the 10th Nigerian National Assembly composition, in a daring move, the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio has announced Chairmen for Special Committees in the 10th Senate.

In line with the Standing Orders 2022 as amended, the Senate President named members into the Selection Committee on Tuesday.

The composition as he declared, has him as the Chairman with the Deputy Senate President, Senator Jibrin Barau as the Vice chairman and other principal officers of both majority and minority extraction.

Members of the Selection Committee are Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), the Senate Majority leader; Senator Ali Ndume (APC, Borno), the Senate Chief Whip; Senator Dave Umahi (APC, Ebonyi South), the Deputy Leader and Senator Lola Ashiru (APC, Kwara South), the Deputy Whip.

Other members are Senator Simon Davou Mwadkwon (PDP, Plateau North), the Senate-Minority Leader; Senator Darlington Nwokocha (LP, Abia Central), the Minority Whip; Senator Oyewumi Kamorudeen Olarere, (PDP Osun West), the Deputy Minority Leader and Senator Rufai Hanga (NNPP, Kano Central), the Deputy Minority Whip.

Akpabio also named the Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen of the other Special Committees of the Senate. Among the Chairmen are Senator Tutus Zam, APC, Benue North West; Senator Sunday Karimi, APC, Kogi West; Senator Okechukwu Ezea, LP, Enugu East; Senator Aliyu Ahmed Wadada, SDP, Nasarawa West, and Senator Shehu Umar, APC, Bauchi South.

Also named were Senator Garba Maidoki, PDP, Kebbi South; Senator Adeyemi Adaramodu, APC, Ekiti South and Senator Olamilekan Adeola, APC, Ogun West.

According to the portfolio, Senator Titus Zam was named as the Chairman Senate Committee on Rules and Business with Senator Opeyemi Bamidele as vice chairman, while Senator Sunday Karimi was appointed Chairman, Committee on Senate Services with Senator Williams Jonah as vice Chairman.

Others are Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions with Senator Okechukwu Ezea as Chairman and Khalid Mustapha as Vice Chairman.

Senator Ahmed Wadada was named as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts and Senator Onyeka Peter Nwebonyi as Vice Chairman.

Committee on National Security and Intelligence has Senator Shehu Umar as Chairman with Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong as Vice Chairman.

In addition, the Senate Committee on Legislative Compliance has Senator Garba Musa Maidoki as Chairman and Senator Ede Dafinone as Vice Chairman.

The Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs has Senator Adaramodu Adeyemi Raphael as Chairman and Senator Salisu Shuaibu Afolabi as Vice Chairman.

Akpabio added that in accordance with Senate Standing Orders 95(b) as amended, under sundry matters and in anticipation of the possibility of receiving the Supplementary Appropriation Bill, the Selection Committee has also resolved to set up a committee on Appropriations.

He named Senator Solomon Adeola as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations and Senator Ali Ndume as Vice Chairman.

The development, however, NewsDirect gathered further angered the leadership of political parties, particularly of the ruling APC which had earlier expressed discontentment over the selection of principal officers earlier announced last week by President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas.

Recall that last week, speaking after his selection as announced by Akpabio, the Senate leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, had said his emergence was not a matter to be determined by the political party but a resolution of members of six minority parties in the National Assembly.

Addressing journalists in Abuja, Senator Bamidele had said the Senate would constitute special and standing committees before the end of the month.

He had said, “For us, the next task is to ensure we hit the ground running so that we are able to take steps to show that we have a clear understanding of what is to be done.

“The first task ahead of us is to constitute special committees of the 10th Senate. Our rules make provision for six special committees.

“This is so that every senator can get busy, based on their own professional background and can properly fit into the sector where they can add value.

“We are ready to attend to correspondence from the executive. Through the Committee of the Whole of the House, we will commence with the confirmation hearing of service chiefs and some other appointees who had been named by the President.

“By the grace of God, we will be able to make a difference that will be positive, that will be worth the effort of all of you that worked with us in ensuring that the two presiding officers emerged in a manner that was not rancorous. But, of course, the emergence of the remaining principal officers of the 10th Senate was not an issue that was meant to be decided on the floor.

“Rather, it was an issue which on the one hand as related to the All Progressives Part, (APC), needed to be decided among the critical stakeholders of the party. This was what led to the emergence of the officers.

“On the other hand, with respect to the minority parties, again it wasn’t entirely a party affair because it wasn’t a typical situation where you have one opposition party but rather six political parties were involved.

“Fifty of our colleagues were involved. So rather than it being a decision to be taken at the secretariat of political parties, it was more of a decision taken by members who were elected on the platform of the six minority parties.

“Thirty-eight of them by virtue of their signature took a decision as to who their leaders will be and, of course, this was also communicated to their respective political parties and as democrats, all the presiding officers did was to follow suit because more than a single majority had decided.”

Meanwhile, as discontentment grows regarding the composition of the leadership of the 10th NASS, the Vice President Kashim Shettima met behind closed doors with principal officers of the National Assembly, led by the Speaker, Hon. Abass, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Tuesday.

Also, present at the closed-door meeting were ranking members of the House of Representatives, including the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Benjamin Kalu.

The meeting constituted the first the leadership of the House had with the number two citizen, since their emergence as Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively.

Recall that the announcement of principal officers of both chambers of the NASS as endorsed by Akpabio and Abbas had last week generated controversies as the Senator Abdullahi Adamu-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had distanced itself from the selection, a development that showed both sides were now in tussle.

Both Akpabio and Abbas are products of consensus candidates of the ruling party, but their choice of other principal officers of the chambers appeared to have defied the endorsement of the party leadership.

Last week, the Senate President and the Speaker had, after a closed-door meeting with members, came up with other principal officers by consensus for the two chambers respectively.

While Akpabio picked Opeyemi Bamidele, Dave Umahi, Ali Ndume and Lola Ashiru as Majority Leader, Deputy Majority Leader, Chief Whip and Deputy Chief Whip in the Senate respectively, Abbas announced Julius Ihonvbere and Kingsley Chinda as Majority Leader and Minority Leader respectively in the House of Representatives.

The selection both represented the APC and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The PDP, Labour Party (LP) and New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) shared other minority positions in the House of Representatives.

Discontented with the development, the Senator Abdullahi Adamu-led NWC of the APC, immediately disowned the leadership positions announced by Akpabio and Abbas.

The party leadership held that the party had not officially communicated with both presiding officers, distancing itself from the selection.

The National Chairman of APC, Adamu disowned the leadership of the National Assembly, as governors elected on the platform of the party pledged their loyalty to the party leadership.

Adamu at a meeting with the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), led by Senator Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, which had members of the NWC in attendance in Abuja last week, said it is the party’s responsibility to communicate such decisions to the Assembly leadership, saying the NWC under him will not break away from the tradition.

“The essence of today’s invitation is simply to rub minds with you as a matter of courtesy. You will get an update on the National Assembly, sharing of powers, particularly the leadership of the chambers.

“The election of the Senate President and Deputy Senate President, the election of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives have been determined and they have now assumed their responsibilities.

“The remaining offices at the two chambers is yet to be done. I had a courtesy call on Saturday from the President of the Senate and his deputy. The following day which was Sunday, I received a visit from the Speaker and his deputy coming to me for Sallah’s homage.

“But I am just hearing rumours now from the online media that there have been some announcements in the Senate and House of Representatives. The national headquarters of the party or the NWC has not given any such information or communicated about the choice of the remaining offices and until we formally resolve and communicate to them in writing which is the normal practice as had been done before we came here, it is not our intention to break away from tradition.

“So, whatever announcement is done either by the President of the Senate, Deputy Senate President, Speaker or Deputy Speaker, is not from this secretariat.

“We are going to formally inform you that we are going to have a caucus. For quite some time, there has been no caucus in place. The caucus has been reconstituted according to the constitution of APC and we will be discussing that with you.

“As Governors, you know your States more than we know it. Even if we come from the same State, the leadership is with you as governors. We will hear your advice and then see how we can ensure that we are in complete compliance with the provisions of the constitution of the party.

“We hope we will be receiving some reports from the Progressive Governors Forum chairman or his representative, to get to know your thinking, your feelings on what to do to improve the chances of the party and, therefore, reduce the problems and bickerings we have been hearing from time to time.

“Along with the caucus, the National Advisory Council, we will give you the list that has been prepared and make sure every State is represented and we will give you the knowledge of it before the date so that if there is any advice, you will give us before the date.

“You will also be given the details of the audit of accounts from April 2022 to April 2023. The Presidential Campaign Council, PCC, the account has been audited and it has been submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, by the party,” Adamu had said.

In response at the meeting, Uzodimma who spoke on behalf of the governors had said, “We are loyal to the party completely, and we assure the leadership of the party that all the Governors here are constructive partners in the job of building our party and are willing to work with the party and submit to the ideas and norms of the party.

“We don’t have another party. This party is the largest party in black and white Africa, and we will have to run with it.”

On Adamu’s position on the principal officers of the NASS, Uzodinma said, “Chairman never said they are on their own. The National Assembly leadership belongs to our great party and they are members of our party and they enjoy our support.

“If there is any way there is a communication gap anywhere, we will make it up and we have our internal mechanism of resolving such things. The National Assembly leadership enjoys the support of the Progressive Governors’ Forum and that of our party. We don’t have any problem at all.”

Akpabio last week announced Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), as the Senate majority leader and former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South), as the Senate Chief Whip.

Reading a letter from the APC, caucus, Akpabio also announced Senator Dave Umahi (APC, Ebonyi South), as the deputy leader and Senator Lola Ashiru (APC, Kwara South), as the deputy whip.

Akpabio had said, “The All Progressives Congress, APC, caucus of the Senate after consultations, has emerged with their leadership which will be the fulcrum of commencing other businesses of the chamber.”

He also announced Senator Simon Davou Mwadkwon (PDP, Plateau North), as the Senate Minority Leader and Senator Darlington Nwokocha (LP, Abia Central), as Minority Whip.

Akpabio also read the names of Senator Oyewumi Kamorudeen Olarere (PDP, Osun West), as Deputy Minority Leader and Senator Rufai Hanga (NNPP, Kano Central), as Deputy Minority Whip.

On his part, the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, last week announced Julius Ihonvbere, representing the Owan Federal Constituency of Edo State as the majority leader, and Kingsley Chinda, who represents Ohio/Akpor Federal Constituency of Rivers State as the minority leader.

Other principal officers from the majority caucus as announced by Abbas were Abdullahi Ibrahim Halims (Kogi, APC), the deputy majority leader; Usman Bello Kumo (Gombe, APC), chief whip and Adewumi Onanuga (Ogun, APC), deputy majority whip.

In addition, Kingsley Chinda was picked as minority leader; Ali Isa JC (Gombe, PDP) minority whip; Ali Madaki (Kano, NNPP) deputy minority leader; and George Ozodinobi (Anambra, LP) deputy minority whip.

Related Topics:10th NASS leadership Akpabio APC NWC

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Account enrollment: Court validates CBN’s regulation, permits collection of customers’ social media handles

Published

2 days ago

May 17, 2024

NewsDirect

…Dismisses concerns, says social media handles not protected by privacy rights

…Financial institutions cleared to collect social media handles for KYC

By Sodiq Adelakun

The Federal High Court in Lagos has ruled in favour of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in a case challenging the regulation that requires financial institutions to collect their customers’ social media handles as part of the Know-Your-Customer (KYC) procedure.

Recall that the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) had urged the court to compel CBN to withdraw its directive to banks and other financial institutions.

However, in the ruling, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba struck out the suit filed by Lagos-based lawyer, Chris Eke, who argued that the regulation violates the right to privacy of bank customers.

Eke had sought a declaration that the regulation contained in Section 6(a) (iv) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (Customer Due Diligence) Regulations, 2023, is undemocratic, unconstitutional, null, and void, as it contradicts Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended). However, Justice Dimgba ruled that the regulation does not breach the right to privacy of bank customers.

The CBN regulation is targeted to enhance customer due diligence and anti-money laundering measures, and requires banks to collect social media handles, among other personal information, from their customers.

The applicant had asked the court to grant an order of perpetual injunction, restraining CB from enforcing the regulation which requires financial institutions to request customers’ social media handles as part of normal bank customer due diligence requirements.

The CBN in its response to the suit, filed a notice of preliminary objection, challenging the competence of the suit. The apex bank also disagreed that the said regulation constitutes any interference with the private life of the applicant, as claimed.

The judgment came as Justice Dimgba dismissed a suit, stating that the notice of preliminary objection held merit and consequently struck out the case.

During the proceedings, Justice Dimgba emphasised that providing a social media handle is akin to furnishing email addresses, phone numbers, and other contact details for banking purposes.

He argued that such information aids in conducting due diligence to ascertain if an individual is suitable for conducting business with a bank.

Justice Dimgba further explained that the essence of having a social media account implies a willingness to engage in public communication, thus rendering privacy concerns unfounded.

According to him, “First, the Applicant claims that the requirements on the CBN Regulations for financial institutions to request and collect the social media handle of its customers as part of KYC infringes on his right to privacy.”

“This claim is very ambitious and amounts to a very far throw. The said Regulations are directed to and apply to financial institutions. It does not apply to private individuals such as the Applicant.

“Even if, as appears to be argued, that the Regulations itself would inevitably affect the Applicant, this claim is speculative for the simple reason that in nowhere in the affidavit in support was it stated that the Applicant operates an account with a financial institution and that the said institution had demanded his social media handle. So the suggestion that he would be affected by this Regulation, albeit negatively, is very speculative and at large.

“Secondly, there is also no deposition to the effect that any financial institution had begun to implement this Regulation and that its implementation had begun to create disruptions and inconvenience against the general population, in which case one could infer that the suit should be legitimated as a public interest litigation.

“Thirdly, assuming even that the banks had begun to implement these regulations, the applicant assuming he maintained any bank accounts or sought to open one, but is being hindered or irritated by the requirement of the Regulation to avail his social media handle as part of KYC, the Applicant still had a choice, which is to refuse to do business with any bank insisting on the information as part of its social media handle, but to seek other alternatives.

“Fourthly, and for all it is worth, I do not see how asking a banking or potential banking customer to provide his social media handle can ever amount to a breach of privacy.

“Granted that Section 37 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) provides inter alia: The privacy of citizens, their homes, correspondence, telephone conversations and telegraphic communications is hereby guaranteed and protected.

“My view is that the provision of a social media handle is of the same genre as the provision of email address, phone numbers and other means by which a potential customer of a bank can be contacted.

“Thus, it is clear from the face of the Regulations as set out above that email addresses, phone numbers and social media handles are all provided for under clause 6iv just to show that the aim was not to pry on anyone but rather to provide alternative ways by which a customer of the bank can be contacted, and or due diligence conducted on the person to determine if the person is a fit and proper person to extend banking services to.

“I do not see how this infringes on the right to privacy. I should even say that the essence of having a social media account was for one to be publicly visible communication-wise. It, therefore, appears quite ironic, though wryly, that one can suggest that asking for information about a social media handle with which the individual exposes and immerses himself or herself in the public, can amount to a violation of privacy rights, which rights itself is all about isolation of one from public glare.

“It is also to my knowledge that even in filling some business applications, personal information of this sort, is sometimes requested, and parties generally oblige. If it does not constitute a breach of privacy, why should it now?

“A social media handle is left at large for the world to see, being in the public space, everyone enjoys the liberty to have access to it whether or not consent was obtained. It would be highly unreasonable to hold the Respondent in breach of privacy for what other persons have access to.

“The apprehension of the Applicant of his social interactions being monitored is manifestly speculative in itself and rather incredulous to believe that the financial institutions have the luxury of time to concern itself with such frivolities.

“On the whole, if I did not sustain the NPO, I would have dismissed the suit for the reasons stated. But the NPO having been sustained, the suit is therefore hereby struck out.”

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N1.3trn power debt: Tinubu approves payment, unveils plan to liquidate gas debts

Published

2 days ago

May 17, 2024

NewsDirect

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has given approval for the payment of N1.3trn legacy debts owed power generation companies.

Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu speaking at the 8th Africa Energy Market Place 2024 in Abuja said that President Bola Tinubu has approved a plan to liquidate the debts.

According to him, “Mr. President has approved the submission made by the Minister of State Petroleum (Gas) to defray the outstanding debts owed to the gas supply companies to power generation companies. The payments are in two parts, the legacy debts and the current debts. For the current debt, approval has been given to pay about N130 billion from the gas stabilisation fund which the Federal Ministry of Finance will pay.”

“The payment of the legacy debt will be made from future royalties in exchange for incomes in the gas subsector which is quite satisfactory to the gas suppliers. This will allow the companies to enter into firm contracts with power generation companies.

“For the power generation companies, the debt is about N1.3 trillion and I can also tell you that we have the consent of the President to pay, on the condition that the actual figures are reconciled between the government and the companies. This we have successfully done and it is being signed off by both parties now. Majority has signed off and we are engaging to ensure that we have 100 percent sign off.

“The debt will be paid in two ways, immediate cash injection and through a guaranteed debt instrument, preferably a promissory note. This assures the companies that in the next three to five years, the government is ready to defray these debts.”

The Minister further stated that the government was working to get the distribution companies solvent and effective by unbundling their operations along state boundaries.

He insisted that the areas covered by the current DisCos were too large for them to deliver effective services to consumers.

In the same vein, the Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Engr. Sanusi Garba lamented the poor financial state of the DisCos, noting that it is difficult for them to raise the needed capital to invest.

Engr. Garba pointed out that the challenges facing the sector were a culmination of all past inactions and missteps by those saddled with the responsibilities of managing the sector both at policy and operational levels.

According to him, “Today when you look at distribution companies they are clearly and technically insolvent, and you also want them to raise capital in terms of debt or equity. It’s a Herculean task. I also want to mention that implementing the power sector reform requires very strong political will to implement decisions that impact on the wider public.”

However, the African Development Bank (AfDB) disclosed that it has so far spent over $450 million to support various power sector projects and programmes with another $1 billion planned to support the power sector reform effort by the government.

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Emirates Airline to resume Lagos-Dubai flights October 1

Published

2 days ago

May 17, 2024

NewsDirect

Emirates Airline has disclosed that it will resume services to Nigeria from October 1, 2024, operating a daily service between Lagos and Dubai.

This development was announced in a statement on Thursday by the airline, which has its hub in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The airline disclosed that flight services will be operated using a Boeing 777-300ER.

“We are excited to resume our services to Nigeria. The Lagos-Dubai service has traditionally been popular with customers in Nigeria and we hope to reconnect leisure and business travellers to Dubai and onwards to our network of over 140 destinations.

“We thank the Nigerian government for their partnership and support in re-establishing this route and we look forward to welcoming passengers back onboard,” Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, Adnan Kazim, said.

Recall that Emirates Airlines had suspended its Dubai-Lagos flights in 2022 over its inability to repatriate trapped funds in Nigeria in the heat of the diplomatic row between the two countries.

This comes after Festus Keyamo, Minister Of Aviation And Aerospace Development in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) page had disclosed that he got correspondence from Emirates Airline when he visited Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi, ambassador of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Abuja.

”Yesterday, I paid a working visit to the Ambassador of the UAE to Nigeria, His Excellency, Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi at the UAE Embassy in Abuja. He handed me a correspondence from the Emirates Airline indicating a definite date for their resumption of flights to Nigeria,” Keyamo said.