Why North’s senators lag behind – Smart Adeyemi

Halfway into the tenure of the Senate, 34 senators have not sponsored any bill since coming to office, according to official records released by the Senate, Daily Trust has reported.
The Senate’s Mid-Term Assessment Report shows that of the total 109 senators, 74 have sponsored at least a bill during the period starting June 2011 while the rest initiated none.

Senate President David Mark sponsored no bill but, by convention, he is not expected to table any bill in his capacity as presiding officer of the Senate.
A Daily Trust analysis of the assessment report issued last month reveals that senators who did not sponsor any bill constitute about one-third of the upper chamber.
This is coming amidst public debate on the emoluments of Nigerian federal lawmakers, who a recent report by the Economist ranked top in a global chart of Economist ranked top in a global chart of legislators’ salaries.
Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) records in possession of Daily Trust show that each senator is entitled to N35 million in yearly salaries and allowances.
Based on this alone, the 34 senators would have collectively received more than N1 billion in wages, apart from other hefty allowances received in quarterly installments.
No bills
Senators who did not sponsor any bill in the two years under review, according to the assessment report, include JibrillaMohammed Bindowo (PDP, Adamawa), Chris Ngige (ACN, Anambra),Babayo Garba Gamawa (PDP, Bauchi), George Akume (ACN, Benue),Maina Ma’aji Lawan (ANPP, Borno), Mohammed Ali Ndume (PDP,Borno), Ahmad Zannah (PDP, Borno),  Nwanko Christopher (PDP, Delta), Oguji Sunny (PDP, Ebonyi) and Babafemi Ojudu (ACN, Ekiti).
Other senators with no bills are Mohammed Danjuma Goje (PDP,Gombe), Abdulazeez Usman (PDP, Jigawa), Ahmed Makarfi (PDP,Kaduna), Mohammed Sani Saleh (CPC, Kaduna), Kabiru Gaya (ANPP,Kano), Sadiq Yar’Adua (CPC, Katsina),  Mohammed Magoro (PDP,Kebbi), Suleiman Adoke (PDP, Nasarawa), Solomon Ewuga (CPC,Nasarawa), Obadara Olugbenga Onoalapa (ACN, Ogun), KunlereBoluwaji (LP, Ondo), Robert  Boroffice (LP, Ondo), Olusola Adeyeye(ACN, Osun) and Hosea Agboola Ayoola (PDP, Oyo).
Also on the list are Magnus Abe (PDP, Rivers), Wilson Asinobi Ake(PDP, Rivers), Mohammed Maccido (PDP, Sokoto), Abubakar UmarTurare (PDP, Taraba), Aisha Jummai Alhassan (PDP, Taraba), AlkaliJajere (ANPP, Yobe), Bukar Abba Ibrahim (ANPP, Yobe), Ahmed SaniYarima (ANPP, Zamfara), Sahabi Alhaji Ya’u (PDP, Zamfara) andKabiru  Garba Marafa (ANPP, Zamfara).
Since the inception of the seventh Senate on June 6, 2011, a total of 342 bills were introduced, with the first bill being tabled on June 28, 2011 by Senate leader Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba (PDP, Cross Rivers) who also sponsored a total of 24 bills, placing him on top of the chart among senators. The last bill during the period was sponsored by Senator Ibrahim Gobir (PDP, Sokoto), tabled on June 5, 2013.
In terms of highest number of bills sponsored by an individual,Ndoma-Egba is closely followed by Senator Benedict Ayade (PDP, Cross Rivers), who introduced 18 bills in two years under review. Next is Senator Ita Enang (PDP, Akwa Ibom), who sponsored 12legislations.
Three senators came fourth on the chart with 11 bills each to their names. They are Senators Smart Adeyemi (PDP, Kogi), DomingoObende (ACN, Edo) and Ifeanyi Okowa (PDP, Delta).
Ganiyu Solomon (ACN, Lagos) introduced nine bills, while Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan (ANPP, Yobe), Odion Ugbesia (PDP, Edo) and Aloysius Etuk (PDP, Akwa Ibom) sponsored seven bills each during the period.
Hope Uzodinma (PDP, Imo) had six bills, Barnabas Gemade (PDP, Benue) six, Chris Anyanwu (APGA, Imo) five, while nine others sponsored four bills each.
The two senators who died within the period, Gyang Dantong (PDP, Plateau) and Pious Ewherido (DPP, Delta), had sponsored one and four bills respectively.
Some of the senators on the list, including Sadiq Yar’Adua and Solomon Ewuga, only came to the Senate last year after winning tribunal judgements.
Deputy Senate Leader Abdul Ningi’s name did not appear on the list of senators who sponsored bills during the period, but he told Daily Trust that this must have been an omission because he initiated the NYSC bill in July last year.
Northern senators lag behind
An analysis of the midterm performance report show that although senators from the North are in the majority with 57 out of 109, they performed less than their counterparts from the South in terms of bills sponsorship.
Only 33 of the 57 Northern senators sponsored at least one bill in the two year-period under review while the remaining 24 had no single bill.
Of the total 342 bills introduced, 191 were sponsored by senators from the South, 85 bills sponsored by northern senators, 42 were Executive bills submitted by President Jonathan while 23 were forwarded from the House of Representatives for Senate’s concurrence.
Speaking to Daily Trust in Abuja on the apparent lesser performance by Northern senators, Senator Smart Adeyemi, who is vice chairman of the Northern Senators Forum, said northern lawmakers performed less because most of them are inexperienced.
“It’s because they are new and do not have experience, they spent two years learning and discovering what they should do,” he said.
“But by the time we come back in the next six months they will graduate. Each time we say people should return their legislators is because without experience they do nothing.”
Adeyemi added: “Nigerians need to be educated because even in the process of passing laws inexperienced person may not be able to quickly interpret what the law is intended for and how it will affect his constituents. So in making of laws, experience of legislators counts. If he is not experienced he may even raise his hand against a policy that may even help his people.”
Adeyemi, who sponsored 11 bills in the past two years, argued that although southern senators may be new, they are more experienced and educated than their colleagues from the North.
“If you take a look at most of the southern senators even though they are new, but they have legal background, many of them are lawyers and have been in administrations over the years,” he said.
“For me, one is my experience and also because I am a journalist. These give me a lot of advantage. The media must educate our people to appreciate the need to look at the calibre of people they elect into the National Assembly.”
“We’re not short of laws”
Some of the senators who sponsored no bills during the two-year period gave explanations to Daily Trust on why this has been the case.
Kabiru Marafa said: “It’s a matter of priority. Firstly, it’s my first time in the Senate so I give myself time to learn the ways of the Senate. Secondly, I focused more on the primary needs of my constituents like unemployment, good governance and representation, security and the like. I will start thinking about bills when I see a genuine desire to implement or enforce the ones we have now.”
Makarfi said: “I don’t believe in unnecessary sponsoring of bills or motions. We are not short of laws but implementation of laws. How many such sponsored bills have become laws? I believe we are missing the point and will not join in such futile projects.”
Zanna said: “We are preoccupied with what is happening in Borno State where we have been losing our people every day. Therefore, my attention is on my people and how to solve their problems.”
Ndume said: “Some bills and motions do not make sense at all. Some bring bills just to be credited to them. It does not make sense to bring bills seeking establishment of agencies and commissions at a time when government is trimming them down. I am sponsoring a bill on Constituency Development Fund which has been around for the past 10 years without legal backing.”
Ewuga, who came into the Senate after a court ruling last year, said: “I am just one year in the Senate now and the process of bill making is tedious even before it comes for first reading. I am conceptualising some bills but I don’t rush my things.”

Written by Turaki A. Hassan

The head of civil service of the federation, Bukar Aji, has called for a review of the Freedom of Information Act, FOIA, arguing that the seven day time limit for disclosure of information to the requesting individuals was inadequate, as the nation’s civil service system is not yet fully digitalised to cope with the short timeline.
Aji made the call at a two day conference on the Freedom of Information Act, 2011 organised by the Right to Know Initiative, a non-governmental organisation, in Abuja.

“In organisations, keeping of records in the ministries, departments and agencies most of which is the analogue system of record keeping, retrieval of information within the specified time limit has been practically difficult. I recommend its review from seven days to 14 days, within which, information under the Act, may be disclosed,” he said.

The head of service also advocated a review of the Official Secret Act to conform with the FOI Act and ensure that classification of information did not endanger disclosure of information.

He, however, identified the lack of desire by public officers to shift from a culture of secrecy to that of transparency as a major factor militating against the implementation of the Act.

He said efforts were being made by his office and that of the attorney-general of the federation to encourage public institutions to establish FOI units and help lines for public use.

According to him, the lack of effective sensitisation, organisation of training and capacity building programme in the MDAs has also constituted a major setback to the implementation of the Act.

“Efforts should be made to ensure adequate provision of funds to facilitate the sensitisation and training programme on the freedom of information in MDAs and the zones,” he said.

Also speaking at the occasion, the attorney general of the federation and minister of justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, said the failure by  parastatals, government agencies and ministries to comply with the FOI Act would frustrate the commitment of the administration to transparency.

He said the federal government remained committed to transparency and full implementation of the Act and called on government agencies to appoint information officers who would handle requests for information.

Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, ChidiOdinkalu, also noted that compliance with the Act still remained very low but expressed the hope that it would eventually produce positive impact on governance in the country.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested a lawyer, Ambrose Owuru,  for allegedly obtaining the sum of N66million from one Ikechukwu Eze under false pretence.

According to the EFCC, Owuru’s arrest followed a complaint that he received the said sum as payment for a property located in Port Harcourt but has failed to make the house available to the buyer for over three months.

The was picked up after he refused to honour several invitations for questioning.

“The complainant alleged that sometime in March 2011, he paid the sum of sixty million naira (N60million) through Skye Bank, OluObansanjo Road branch, Port Harcourt, to Barrister Owuru for a property located at Nzimiro Street, Amadi flat, and Port Harcourt,” a statement by EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren said.

According to the commission, in the process of taking possession of the property, it was discovered that a portion had been sold to another person.

“At this point, Owuru allegedly asked for another N6m to settle the other buyer, one Chief Austin Omire, which Eze allegedly obliged him.

Since then, every attempt to take possession or develop the said property was met with resistance,” the commission stated.

Investigation into the matter is still on-going.

The Joint Task Force, JTF, in Borno State, known as Operation Restore Order yesterday warned of possible attacks on residents by members of the Boko Haram sect during the Eid- El- Fitricelebration,

The task force said that intelligence available to it indicates that the terrorists plan to carry out massive attacks and bombings inMaiduguri metropolis and other parts of Borno State any moment from now and during the Idel – Fitr Sallah Celebration.”

A statement issued and signed by its spokesman, Sagir Musa, a lieutenant, the task force urged resident to be vigilant about the happenings around them.

“The public are also reminded to be cautious and to report any suspicious movement, actions and abandoned objects in public places particularly those in polythene bags and other sacks to the nearest security check points for immediate action,” the task force admonished.

Justice A.R. Mohammed of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, has remanded one David Iornem at the Kuje Prison for allegedly operating an illegal University.

Iornem was arraigned on Thursday by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offenses Commission, ICPC, on a three count charge bothering on fraudulent collection sums amounting to $17,300 from three unsuspecting persons.

The accused person promised to help his victims secure admission at the Commonwealth University, Belize, a fake institution run by him to enable them achieve their dream of owing a doctorate degree.

The offence committed is contrary to Section 1(1) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.

Those who fell victim of the accused person are the former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Is-haq Oloyede, AkinkuotuAlbert Oluwatoyin and Jamilu Rabiu Sani.

However, when the charges were read, Iornem pleaded not guilty and filed an application for bail through his counsel, J.I Abagu.

Prosecution counsel, Ebenezer Shogunle, did not object to the bail application. He told the court that the commission was ready to bring its witnesses to prove its case against the accused and asked for a short adjournment.

Justice Mohammed admitted the accused to bail in the sum ofN100,000 with one surety in like sum who must be a civil servant in the employment of the federal government or any of its agencies.

He added that the surety must swear to an affidavit of means and drop his recent passport with the court registry.

The trial judge, however ruled that the accused person be remanded in Kuje Prison until he satisfies his bail condition.

The case was adjourned to September 19 for commencement of trial.

The three count charge reads:

“That you, David Iornem, (m) on or about the 4th  day of July, 2012 at Abuja,  with intention to defraud, attempted to obtain the total sum of $11,550 (Eleven thousand, five hundred and fifty Dollars) from one Professor Is-haq Oloyede by falsely representing yourself to be “Professor David Iornem” and solicited payment of the said sum of $11,550 (Eleven thousand, five hundred and fifty Dollars) from Professor Is-haq Oloyede for the award of an academic doctorate degree of COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY, BELIZE when you know that the said Commonwealth University, Belize is a fake and unaccredited university owned and operated by you, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(b) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.”

“That you, David Iornem, (m) on or about the 21st  day of January, 2013 at Abuja, with intention to defraud, obtained the sum of $5,000 (Five thousand United States Dollars) from one AkinkiotuAlbert Oluwatoyin by falsely representing yourself to be ‘Professor David Iornem’ and pretending to offer admission to the saidAkinkuotu Albert Oluwatoyin to pursue a  degree of doctor of philosophy in management of the COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY, BELIZE when you know that the said Commonwealth University Belize is a fake and unaccredited university owned and operated by you and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related offences Act, 2006.”

“That you, David Iornem, (m) on or about the 23th May, 2013 atAbuja, received the sum of $800 (Eight hundred Dollars) from oneJamilu Rabiu Sani as application form fee and good faith deposit for admission into COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY, BELIZE when you know that the said Commonwealth University Belize is a fake and unaccredited university owned and operated by you and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.”

The Borno State government says it will not restore telephone network in the state until it is sure of a stable and conducive environment.

The deputy governor of the state, Zanna Umar Mustapha, while receiving members of the Senate joint committee on defence, police, army and national security, said what is paramount to the government and people now is the restoration of peace and not the GSM networks.

“It is not the unilateral decision of the military not to restore the networks but with the support of the state government,” Mustaphasaid.

He commended the visiting team and security agents in the state for their concern and spirit of nationalism in finding ways to curb the security challenges of the state.

The deputy governor also acknowledged the contributions made by the youth vigilante group, otherwise known as the civilian JTF, whose actions helped fish out terrorists and their sponsors from their hideouts, in and around the state.

Earlier the chairman of the committee, George Sekibo, said they were in the state to access the security situation, meet with security agencies and stakeholders with a view to reviewing the security challenges.

The committee later engaged the deputy governor in a closed door meeting after which they also met with the Joint Task Force, JTF, for briefing before they paid a visit on the Shehu of Borno.

Incidentally, as the government said it would not restore telecom services for now, the Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Nicholas Okoh, expressed worry over the delay inn bringing back the GSM networks.

Okoh, who led a team of 14 other archbishops of the church to the deputy governor’s office, said they were in the state on a solidarity visit to sympathize and share difficulties with the people.

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“We were disturbed when we find it very difficult to communicate with the good people of Borno state, therefore we decided to pay this visit to enable us interact, sympathize and offer condolences to those who lost their relation during the crisis,” he told the deputy governor.

He offered special prayers for permanent return of peace to the state, and urged all stakeholders to continue to work towards sustaining the peace in the region

Festus Keyamo, a Lagos based lawyer has written a protest letter to Nigerian Prison Service authorities complaining about an attempt by warders to sodomise his client, Charles Okah.

Okah is standing trial at the Federal High Court, Abuja in relation to the October 1, 2010 Independence Day bombing in the federal capital has been in prison custody since 2010 when he was arrested.

In March, Okah’s senior brother, Henry, was sentenced to 24 years in prison for masterminding the octber1, 2010 bombing incident.

In a letter dated July 30 and addressed to the comptroller general of prisons and copied to the minister of interior, Keyamo alleged that a prison warder with the aode of others tried to sodomise Okahin his cell in Kuje prison.

“On Wednesday, 3^rd July, 2013, at about 6.30 am, some Prison Warders, specifically Mr. Isah Musa (the Chief Clerk), Mr. TankoGokuje, (the Assistant Yard Master) and three (3) other Prison Warders (hereinafter referred to as the culprits) entered our client’s cell (No.1) and demanded to search his anus because they claimed they had information that he was hiding “incriminating” materials therein. Before entering his cell, they made sure all other inmates were locked up in their various cells,” the lawyer stated.

He said that Okah initially resisted the body search having been warned that it would lead to a forced sexual act on him but was forced to succumb by the five warders.

Rather than search him however, Keyamo alleged that “Mr. IsahMusa pulled off his clothes and sustained erection and attempted to carry out the acts of sodomy on him.”

“To achieve this, our client was then held to the ground by Mr.Tanko Gokuje and three (3) other warders. Our client had to intensify his struggle and resistance to prevent the completion of the criminal act. Our client screamed for help and this was heard by other inmates,” the lawyer alleged.

He said further that when Okah reported the incident to the prison authorities, they pleaded that he should not make any formal complaints and “further suppressed the incident.”

In his letter, Keyamo demanded an investigation of the incident and asked that the culprits be appropriately sanctioned.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, today registered the All Progressive Congress, APC, as a political party in Nigeria.

A statement signed Abdullahi Kaugama, INEC secretary, and made available to journalists in Abuja by Kayode Idowu, spokesman of the chairman of the commission, indicated that the transformation of three existing political parties into the APC had met with approval.

“The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approved the application by three political parties – the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) – to merge into one, to be known as the All Progressives Congress,”the statement announced.

The commission said that “applicant-parties have met all statutory requirements for the merger” and consequently “approved the withdrawal of the individual certificates of the applicant-parties, and the issuance of a single certificate to the All Progressives Congress.”

Today’s official announcement lays to rest speculations that theAPC would be denied registration because of its choice of name as another political association is said to have also applied to INECusing the same name and acronym.

Full text of the INEC statement is below:

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approved the application by three political parties – the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) – to merge into one, to be known as the All Progressives Congress.

On considering the application, the Commission found that the applicant-parties have met all statutory requirements for the merger, and has accordingly granted their request.

Consequently, the Commission has approved the withdrawal of the individual certificates of the applicant-parties, and the issuance of a single certificate to the All Progressives Congress.

The on – going judicial commission of inquiry  into the killing of security men in Alakio set up by Nasarawa State governor, UmaruTanko Al-Makura, has run into a hitch following the withdrawal of counsels representing the Eggon people from its proceedings.
The withdrawal notice was served on the commission yesterday by the lawyers who alleged that they “have been whimsically refused the right of cross-examination of presenters of memoranda despite the provisions contained in Chapters 7.1, 7.2 and 7.3 of the rules of procedure which the commission itself made to guide the conduct of proceedings”.
Addressing journalists in Lafia at a press briefing Wednesday,  counsel representing Bassa Zarangi district, Aliyu Anze, in company of other legal practitioners representing the various Eggoncommunities, expressed dissatisfaction over the “gross bias” of the chairman in restricting counsels to the Eggon people from cross-examining persons who present memoranda which adversely affect the interest of their clients.

Anze observed that the commission had ordered counsels to file their memoranda of appearance to enable each party’s lawyer study and evaluate the submissions for purposes of cross examination, but lamented that counsels to the Eggons had been “refused access to the memoranda presented by Nasarawa State government, the Nigeria Police Force and the State Security Service.”
“These three memoranda are at the heart of this commission of inquiry having regard to the terms of reference of the judicial commission.Having circulated the memoranda presented by our clients, it confounds all reasoning why these memoranda could not be given to us,” the counsel stated.
He also complained of the chairman’s inability to hear and speakHausa language and his reliance on interpretation by other members of the panel who are of Hausa /Fulani origin, instead of making use of the commission’s interpreter.
“It is in the light of the foregoing that we have come to a painful but inevitable conclusion that further participation in the judicial commission of inquiry cannot in good conscience be justified. After repeated attempts to have the above anomalies rectified unsuccessfully, we have our clients’ instructions to withdraw further participation in the proceedings of the commission as to do otherwise will be to lend credence to a process that is programmed to achieve a predetermined end,” Anze said.
Another lawyer representing one of the Eggon communities, ZakariAlumaga, said that “there are indications that we are not likely to get justice from this commission from the beginning.”

“We thought the government instituted a commission that will be open so that we can clearly state our case, but now it is clear thatthecommission has been hired to indict some people. We are not bordered whatever the outward of this commission may be,” he said.

Alumaga regretted the manner in which Eggon communities are being treated and said the people had lost confidence in the commission’s ability to guarantee a fair hearing to all concerned.

There are indications that the Eggon communities may likely go to court to stop the commission of inquiry from further sittings

Meanwhile, the retired Justice Joseph Fola Gbadeyan –  led Judicial commission of Inquiry could not sit on Wednesday following an attack on witnesses who were expected to testify before it on Tuesday.
The witnesses who were to represent the Miyetti Allah CattleRearers Socio-Cultural Association were ambushed late on Tuesday by unknown men.
One of the witnesses is lying critically ill at the Dalhatu ArafSpecialist Hospital in Lafia the Nasarawa State capital.

The Borno State government has asked for the deployment of more troops to the state to facilitate a speedy stamping out of the menace of Boko Haram insurgents from the state.

The Borno State deputy governor, Zanna Umar Mustapha,made the call Wednesday in Maiduguri whilereceiving the assistant inspector general of Police, Zone 12, Edgar Tam Nanakumo, in his office.

Mustapha lamented that the insurgents still had strongholds inBama and two other local government areas in the state, adding that more troops need to be deployed to the affected arrears to dislodge them.

While assuring the police authorities of the state government’s readiness to support the efforts to provide security, he noted that many police stations in the state are prone to attacks by BokoHaram members because they were not fenced or well secured.

According to the deputy governor, the casualties recorded by the police might have been reduced had their stations been fenced and well secured.

“Most of the police stations in the state and country generally are not secured and this made it possible for the hoodlums to penetrate and wreak havoc. It is sad and regrettable that we’ve lost quite a number of policemen in the state and other parts of the country. The federal government should do something about it,” Mustaphapleaded.

The deputy governor also canvassed for a better welfare and more training for policemen, reasoning that only a well-equipped officer can effectively fight crime.

“We have seen policemen in other countries; well-equipped and being properly taken care of. That is why they do their work with passion because their welfare is guaranteed. It is when we take care of our policemen and women that they can in turn protect us and police our communities well,” he added.

AIG Nanakumo in his brief remarks during the visit said he was in the state to assess the condition of police personnel and to condole the families of the policemen who were killed in Bama and other parts of the state.