Connect with us

Politics

OPEN LETTER TO THE SPEAKER HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: PASS ‘VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE’ ON SENATOR GODSWILL AKPABIO NOW

Published

on

Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila
Speaker of the House of Representatives
National Assembly Complex,
Three Arms Zone,
Abuja

Rt. Hon. Speaker Sir,

OPEN LETTER TO THE SPEAKER HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: PASS ‘VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE’ ON SENATOR GODSWILL AKPABIO NOW

Let me, first of all, congratulate Mr. Bunmi Tunji-Ojo for being an Honourable, because it’s “Nemo judex in causa sua” (no person can judge a case in which the has an interest). I will also like to thank all other members of the Committee for a job well done.

The funds meant for the development of the region and which are to be further utilized for the payment of scholarship of their students abroad are being shared by a couple of people.

Distinguished Senators and Members of House of Representatives, I have patiently watched the dramatization by the acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Professor Kemebradikumo Pondei who collapsed at the NASS building during the fact-finding hearing by the committee.

As a concerned citizen of this nation, I shed tears when I was watching the testimonies specifically when Senator Godswill Akpabio said 60% of their budget was spent on COVID-19.

Distinguished Senators and Members of House of Representatives, let me remind you that many of your colleagues that started this political dispensation journey together with you have dead or have one ailment or the other. You are not in any way better than them but it’s simply by the grace of God you are still alive. Not begging you to fear God, however, what I’m telling you is the whole world is watching you.

How can Mr Akpabio say even before COVID-19, 60% of its 2020 budget is for medical expenses, when state governors in collaboration with the Federal Government allocated billions of naira for the project COVID-19?

Rt. Hon. Speaker Sir, Distinguished Senators and Members of House of Representatives in a country where an average citizen cannot afford a daily meal during lockdown, very few individuals allocated over N1 Billion to themselves. This is indeed callous.

One staff received N10 million as “palliative.”

Two NDDC staff received N7 million each

Three staff received N5 million each

148 staff received N3 million each

157 staff received N1.5 million each

 497 staff received N1millon each

464 least staff mostly cleaners and security personnel for NDDC received N600,000 each

The Commission also gave N475 million out of this amount to “police for facemasks and hand sanitizers.”

The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio has demonstrated to Nigerians that he’s the number one incompetent Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and a big disgrace to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Akpabio, who was appointed to oversee the ministry during the public hearing, said he was not aware such a humongous multi-billion naira contracts were awarded to contractors.

However, the Minister during his testimony indicated that the majority of the contracts of NDDC were awarded to members of the National Assembly.

It is on record that Senator Akpabio is one of the few politicians who have testified at the National Assembly and didn’t sign the oath.

To be realistic with you Rt. Hon. Speaker Sir, Senator Akpabio is a big disgrace to this country and the honourable thing for him to do is to resign his position. If he fails to do that, I enjoin you to urgently pass ‘VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE’ on him now.

Yours faithfully

Signed:

Jumu’ah Abiodun
[email protected]
[email protected]

CC: The Senate President
CC: Deputy Senate President
CC: The Senate Leader
CC: Minority Leader
CC: Minority Whip
CC: All Distinguished Senators
CC: Deputy Speaker
CC: Members of the House of Representatives 
CC: Clerk of the National Assembly

Politics

Lagos Deserves Leaders Like You, UNILAG Tells Speaker Meranda

Published

on

Lagos Deserves Leaders Like You, UNILAG Tells Speaker Meranda

– institution pledges support for Lagos Speaker

 

A team from the University of Lagos (UNILAG) has promised the institution’s support to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mojisola Lasbat Meranda.

Professor Abraham Osinubi Dean, School of Postgraduate Studies of the institution, who led the delegation on a courtesy visit to the Speaker on Thursday, described Princess Meranda’s emergence as a triumph for vision and integrity.

“Your election is not just a personal victory; it is a triumph for vision, integrity, and commitment to the greater good.

“Lagos State stands at the crossroads of boundless opportunities and challenges, and we are confident that under your dynamic stewardship, the Assembly will enact transformative policies that will elevate the state to even greater heights.

“As a state renowned for its innovation, resilience, and leadership, Lagos needs leaders like you who possess the courage to envision a brighter future and the wisdom to bring that vision to life,” Professor Osinubi said.

The Dean said the Vice Chancellor of UNILAG, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, was excited that the institution had produced the first ever female Speaker of the State’s Assembly.

“As you assume this exalted office, we pray that divine wisdom, strength and clarity of purpose will guide your every decision. May you lead with compassion and fairness and may your tenure be marked by unity, progress, and prosperity for all citizens of Lagos State.

“We also pray that your work inspires future generations to recognise that leadership is a call to service, a sacred trust to uplift lives, and a platform to shape legacies of lasting impact.

“School of Postgraduate Studies, University of Lagos, remains committed to supporting visionary leaders like you by providing the intellectual resources needed to address the pressing challenges of our time. We look forward to witnessing the transformational strides your leadership will bring to Lagos State,” Professor Osinubi added.

Responding, Speaker Meranda said the visit was an encouragement and a challenge for her and the House to meet the yearnings of Lagosians through life-changing laws and motions.

Meranda, who had earlier emphasised her commitment to a happier Lagos, promised to continue to be a source of pride to UNILAG.

“I will definitely make you proud by the special grace of God. I will work to ensure that you see me as a source of pride to UNILAG,” she promised.

A lawmaker and alumnus of the institution, Hon. Lanre Afinni, recalled how UNILAG students made Nigeria proud during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, UNILAG students produced portable ventilators which assisted Lagosians.
For all that you have been doing for us, we say thank you,” Afinni said.

Lagos Deserves Leaders Like You, UNILAG Tells Speaker Meranda

Media Office of the Rt. Hon. Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.

Continue Reading

Politics

Northern Leaders Revolt: No Guarantee Tinubu Gets 2027 Presidency

Published

on

Northern Leaders Revolt: No Guarantee Tinubu Gets 2027 Presidency

Northern Leaders Revolt: No Guarantee Tinubu Gets 2027 Presidency

Pro-North socio-political organization, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), and prominent voices across the northern region have declared that President Bola Tinubu cannot count on their support for re-election in 2027.

The pushback came after the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, called on northern politicians to step aside until 2031 to allow Tinubu to complete a second term. Ganduje, addressing a delegation at the APC National Secretariat, argued it was only fair for Tinubu to follow in the footsteps of a northern predecessor who served two full terms.

“Our president has come from the south and is going, Insha Allah, for a second term come 2027,” Ganduje said. “After that, it will be the North’s turn.”

However, the ACF firmly rejected Ganduje’s stance. National Publicity Secretary Prof. Tukur Muhammad-Baba likened Ganduje’s statement to promoting a “cult of personality,” noting voters cannot be coerced. “It’s up to the voters to endorse, reject, or modify what Ganduje said,” Muhammad-Baba remarked. “In 2015, we were sold on anti-corruption. In 2023, ‘Renewed Hope’ turned into a nightmare. What will matter for Tinubu is his policies and their impact.”

Former Kaduna State governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai expressed similar sentiments, warning Tinubu could face a political mutiny akin to the “Goodluck Jonathan treatment.” El-Rufai shared a post on X (formerly Twitter) claiming that relations between Tinubu and the North have soured just two years into his presidency.

Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, who has declared his presidential ambition for 2027, dismissed Ganduje’s remarks as “silly.” His commissioner, Maiwada Bello, rallied youths to support Mohammed’s campaign, touting his administration’s record of appointing more youths to key positions than any other governor.

Meanwhile, Babachir Lawal, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, criticized Tinubu’s policies for turning northern Nigeria into a “refugee camp.” Lawal vowed to help unseat Tinubu in 2027, asserting, “The North is mobilizing with a consensus that Tinubu must give way. If we continue with these policies for another four years, northern Nigeria will collapse.”

Despite Ganduje’s insistence on unity, political fractures appear inevitable. Lawal concluded, “We need a leader who understands one Nigeria. The North and its elites will make sure Tinubu doesn’t have a second chance.”

Continue Reading

Politics

Bill For Research Trust Fund Scales Second Reading At Lagos Assembly

Published

on

Bill For Research Trust Fund Scales Second Reading At Lagos Assembly

Bill For Research Trust Fund Scales Second Reading At Lagos Assembly

 

The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Princess Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, has committed a bill to establish the State’s research trust fund to a sub-committee of the House.

 

Meranda also emphasised the need for tertiary institutions in the state to partake in effective research works for the benefit of the state.

This was as the bill, sponsored by a member of the House, Hon. Gbolahan Yishawu, scaled second reading on the floor of the House.

The proposed law is aimed at creating a ‘state research trust fund for the allocation, management and administration of the trust fund and for connected purposes’.

Supporting the bill, lawmakers praised the sponsor and noted that it would help advance the state.

Yishawu told his colleagues that the bill was important as it would help drive innovation, economic growth, and technological advancement in the state.

According to him, Lagos, as Nigeria’s economic hub, cannot afford to lag in scientific and technological development.

He argued that a well-structured research and development funding system would enhance governance, stimulate industrialisation, and position the state as a leader in innovation.

He also stressed that the bill, when passed, would touch every facet of Lagos.

Dissecting the bill, some of the lawmakers raised concerns over taxation but agreed that the bill was important.

Hon. Noheem Adams stressed that funding would help to provide a veritable opportunity for researchers to come up with results that help societies.

According to him, when Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, “it would have been difficult to visualize that a day would come when we will all have a handset in our pockets.”

The ad-hoc committee is expected to fine-tune the bill ahead of further processes leading to its passage.

Signed:
Media Office Of The Rt. Hon. Speaker

Bill For Research Trust Fund Scales Second Reading At Lagos Assembly

Continue Reading

Cover Of The Week

Trending