President explains why he rejected constitutional amendment

President explains why he rejected constitutional amendment



President Goodluck Jonathan has given reasons for his rejection of the constitution amendment bill forwarded to him by the National Assembly.


Jonathan rejected the amendment on Monday, April 13, 2015 and returned it to the legislative house.


In a letter titled, “Re: Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Fourth Alteration Act, 2015,” the President raised 13 grounds on the basis of which he vetoed the bill.


The letter, which was addressed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, was read at plenary on Wednesday, April 15.


In the letter, Jonathan explained that it would be unconstitutional for him to assent to the bill owing to certain inconsistencies and lack of clarity on the passage of the bill.


He also questioned the power the National Assembly has to assume on itself the power to pass any constitutional amendment without the assent of the President.


The President also disagreed with provisions which sought to reduce the power of the President and allow the National Judicial Council, NJC, to appoint the Attorney-General of the Federation.


Jonathan further cited Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, which stipulates that any alteration to the constitution can only be effected by the votes of not less than four-fifths majority of members of the Senate and the House of Representatives and subsequently, approved by a resolution of not less than two-thirds of all the state houses of assembly.


The President said that the National Assembly has not provide any evidence to show that the requirements were met.


 He also disagreed with the amendment of Section 84, which provides a new office of the Accountant-General of the Federal Government, apart from the Accountant-General of the Federation, saying the amendment has not addressed the funding requirements for the establishment of the office.


“In view of the foregoing and the absence of credible evidence that the Act satisfied the strict requirements of Section 9 (3) of the 1999 Constitution, it will be unconstitutional for me to assent to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Fourth Alteration) Act, 2015,” Jonathan said.


“I therefore withhold my assent and accordingly remit it to the House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he concluded.


Jonathan's letter was said to have come as a shock to the legislators but they were reportedly stopped from debating it by Senate President, David Mark.

Stop The Attacks On Igbos’ MASSOB Warns T.Y Danjuma, Oba Of Lagos As Ralph Uwazurike Align With Asari Dokubo

Stop The Attacks On Igbos’ MASSOB Warns T.Y Danjuma, Oba Of Lagos As Ralph Uwazurike Align With Asari Dokubo


The Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, has warned the former Minister of Defence, Gen. Theophilus Y. Danjuma and Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu to stop making cynical statements against the Igbos and their
leadership.

Sources said that Ex-Niger Delta militant, Asari Dokubo held a private meeting with the leader of MASSOB, Ralph Uwazurike at Buguma Toru LGA of Rivers State recently. Purpose of their meeting was not disclosed.

A statement issued by MASSOB leader, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike said that MASSOB would not keep its hand akimbo and watch the name of its founder being dragged to the mud in the name of playing politics.

Chief Uwazuruike was reacting to a statement credited to Gen. Danjuma that the Nigerian /Biafran Civil war was prolonged because the Biafran warlord, Late Dim. Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, did not concede victory when Enugu fell.

The MASSOB leader said that Gen. Yakubu Gowon refused to abide by the Aburi Accord because people like Gen. Danjuma advised him not to abide by the accord and thereby prolonged the war and caused the blood flow.

Uwazuruike who spoke through his personal Assistant and the Nnewi North Regional Administrator, Emmanuel Omenka said, “he has been insulting Ojukwu, what is the concern of Ojukwu in the conceding of victory to General Mohammadu Buahri
(rtd) by President Goodluck Jonathan”.

“If Danjuma and his cohorts did not support Gowon, the war would have been averted”, he declared.

On the statement which was credited to the Oba Rilwan Akiolu of lagos state that Igbos in Lagos would perish in the Lagoon within seven days if they failed to vote for the All Progressive Congress, APC gubernatorial candidate, MASSOB reiterated that the Oba’s threat was that of a dreaming man.

“The threat is null and void and of no effect because the Oba has no such power to threaten Igboman”, he
stated.

Court lifts ban on ex-President’s book

Court lifts ban on ex-President’s book



A High Court in Abuja has lifted the ban on the autobiography of former President, Olusegun Obasanjo.


The ruling was made on Tuesday, April 14, 2015 by Justice Valentine Ashi, who also ordered that seized copies of the book, titled “My Watch”, be released.


Ashi had granted the order which placed a ban on production and distribution of the book in December 2014.


This was pursuant to a plea made by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain Buruji Kashamu as part of a N20bn libel suit against Obasanjo.


Kashamu obtained an injunction to that effect on December 10, 2014, after claiming that parts of the book were related to the subject matter of the libel suit.


The PDP chieftain alleged that Obasanjo had described him as a wanted drug baron in the book.


The former President’s autobiography also contains criticisms against President Goodluck Jonathan and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar among others.

People Should Not Expect Change Immediately” Buhari Tries To Tweak His Promises & Timelines

People Should Not Expect Change Immediately” Buhari Tries To Tweak His Promises & Timelines


Nigeria’s Muhammadu Buhari, the president-elect, has once again reinstated commitment to ensuring positive change in the polity.

NewsWireNGR recalls that during the campaigns the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Maj-Gen Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.) who started his promises in Port Harcourt, Rivers State and Uyo in Akwa Ibom State vowed to ensure immediate overhaul of the economy & security.

But the promise to revive the ‘ailing economy of the country’ is being revisited with the statements being made after the elections.

Buhari has however urged Nigerians not to expect immediate results from the newly elected administration after it takes office on May 29, The Nation reports.

The All Progressives Congress politician made a claim on April 15, Wednesday, in his hometown Daura, Katsina state, when visited by some senators and reps.

“People should not expect change immediately because of accumulation of problems in the country. There is need for more time and prayer from the public for the incoming administration to handle matters and bring change.

“I am affirming my commitment to fighting economic sabotage, insecurity, bribery and corruption.”

Alhaji Muhammadu Badaru Abubakar, Jigawa state governor-elect, who was also among Buhari’s guests, vowed to support the incoming All Progressives Congress government’s policies to bring positive change.

In a letter Buhari wrote to Nigerians outlining his 100 days in office promises. He outlined several actions he will take in his first one hundred days as Nigeria’s president if voted into office. Find a quick reminder of some of the things promised within 100 days in office below….

Buhari in a document highlighting this said he would publicly declare his assets and liabilities, if voted into power.

He said he would encourage political appointees in his administration to also declare their assets publicly.

In the document titled, “I pledge to Nigeria” Buhari also said that all his political appointees would only earn salaries and allowances as prescribed by the Revenue and Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Commission.

He said, “I pledge to publicly declare my assets and liabilities, encourage all my appointees to publicity declare their assets and liabilities as a pre-condition for appointment.

“All political appointees will only earn the salaries and allowances determined by the RMFAC.”

While pledging to personally lead the war against corruption in the country, Buhari also said that he would inaugurate the National Council on Procurement as stipulated in the Procurement Act.

He added that the Federal Executive Council, which he said had been turned to a weekly session of contract bazaar, would be made to concentrate on its principal function of policy making.

He said that he would also work with the National Assembly towards the immediate enactment of a Whistle Blower Act.

On the other ways to strengthen the anti-graft war, he said, “We will work with the National Assembly to strengthen the Independent Corruption Practices and other related Offences Commission and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission by guaranteeing institutional autonomy, including financial and prosecutorial independence and security of tenure of officials.

“We will also make the Financial Intelligence Unit of the EFCC autonomous and operational; encourage proactive disclosure of information by government institutions in the spirit of the Freedom of Information Act.”

He also promised that his government would work with the leadership of the National Assembly and the judiciary to cut down the cost of governance.

On insurgency and insecurity in the country, the former head of state said that he had had the rare privilege of serving the country in the military in various capacities and rose to the rank of a major general and Commander -in -Chief of the Armed Forces, he would defend the integrity of the nation.

“I pledge, as Commander-in-Chief, to lead from the front and not behind in the comfort and security of Aso Rock, to boost the morale of fighting forces and the generality of all Nigerians,” he said.

On the fate of the kidnapped Chibok girls, Buhari said that as a father, he had been feeling the pain of the victims of insurgency, kidnapping and violence whether “they are widows and orphans of the military, paramilitary, civilians and parents or the Chibok girls.

No going back on governor’s impeachment,’ APC lawmakers say

No going back on governor’s impeachment,’ APC lawmakers say



The 19 All Progressives Congress (APC) members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly have said that they would proceed with plans to impeach Governor Ayo Fayose despite a recent Supreme Court ruling upholding his June 2014 election victory.


The lawmakers stated further that Fayose must answer to the allegations levelled against him.


This was stated by the Speaker of the Assembly, Adewale Omirin, who added that a notice of gross misconduct had been forwarded to the governor and his deputy, Olusola Eleka.


“The impeachment process will proceed; we are expecting the Chief Judge to act soon on our letter asking him to set up a seven-member panel. There is no going back on the process. The matter is set for the next stage,” Omirin told Punch through his media aide, Wole Olujobi.


“It is about the governor breaching the Constitution. We are guided by the Constitution. There are laid down rules and regulations that guide the conduct of public office holders. Once you commit an infraction, you have to face the consequence. The governor has to answer the allegations; the Assembly will give him a fair hearing. We will follow every step,” he added.


Fayose in response stated that the lawmakers’ decision to continue with the impeachment plot is “an idea that is distant to common sense.”


The Supreme Court on Tuesday, April 14, 2015 held that Fayose had been validly elected into office and dismissed the petition filed against the governor by the APC.

President-Elect Buhari Walks Out Customs, NSCDC Boss Lobbying To Retain Their Positions Out Of His Daura Home

President-Elect Buhari Walks Out Customs, NSCDC Boss Lobbying To Retain Their Positions Out Of His Daura Home


The president elect has issued a red card to serving top government officials who in recent times besieged his residence in Daura, Katsina to lobby for retention of their positions.

Buhari, was livid last week when the current Comptroller-General of Customs, Abdullahi Dikko Inde, visited his residence in Daura to pay homage.

Reports according to sources say the customs boss who coincidentally hails from, Musawa Local Government Area, Katsina state immediately after informing the President-Elect of his mission was advised to go back to his duty post.

Dikko, shocked by Buhari’s response tried unsuccessfully to inform the retired General of the situation at all Nigeria’s borders, seaport and the airports, but the President-elect upbraided the 55 year-old that the ideal procedure is to wait until he has been sworn in as president, describing the visit as unhealthy, unethical and disloyalty to a government he is still serving.
He thereafter asked the customs boss to leave his residence, rejecting also his gift items.

The Comptroller general and his team hurriedly left the residence, parking the valuables and gifts items along.

The visit of the current Commandant-General of the NSCDC, Ade Abolurin, on Sunday was more comical, he arrived Daura, the residence of the President-Elect with top officers of the corps, photographers and some members of the press.

According to a member of the Buhari Campaign from Katsina, “The President-Elect was having his normal quiet time when the delegation arrived”. The corps officers led by its commandant were left outside in the scorching sun for over an hour, before the commandant and two corps officers were allowed entry into the President-elect’s visitors room

Abolurin, still recuperating from a fire burn incident got the shock of his life when an aide of Buhari, said that the retired General wants him out of his residence and will not be seeing him.

Dumbfounded the corps officers left in a haste to the surprise of other delegation members outside, who were waiting and hoping to see the president-elect and take photographs with him.

Private business tycoons are not left out of the visits, Forte Oil CEO, Femi Otedola, and Oando boss Adewale Tinubu also visited Buhari last week.

The national leader of the APC, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, shortly before the governorship elections brought the Chagoury brothers to meet with the president-elect in a closed door meeting.

Nigeria’s Former Head of State’s Home, General Abdulsalami Abubakar is now the location for most Chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party members who are lobbying not to go to jail.

Nigeria’s Petroleum Minister had also visited Abdulsalami seeking Amnesty by the new regime led by Muhammadu Buhari.

If elected Nigeria’s president in 2015, former military leader, Muhammadu Buhari, will not immediately go after past leaders, politicians and officials, who stole the country dry and committed other offences, his party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, had said.

Mr. Buhari will be more focused on solving Nigeria’s many problems left behind by the former leaders, APC chairman, John Oyegun, said.

“The first moments of a Buhari Presidency, the outlook is on the future,” said Mr. Oyegun. “The message will be clear, whatever you engage in before that is detrimental to the people of this country, please stop it, change has come.”

President-elect to stop ex-governor’s pension, end fuel subsidy

President-elect to stop ex-governor’s pension, end fuel subsidy



President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari (retd), upon assumption of office, will reportedly take steps to abolish a law which authorizes the payment of generous pensions to former governors, reports say.


The law, which has been adopted by many Nigerian states, provides for 100% pay, medical allowances and annual holiday provisions to last for life.


Buhari is said to be opposed to the law due to its inappropriateness in Nigeria’s current socio-economic climate.


The President-elect is also set to put an end to the fuel subsidy system in Nigeria.


Buhari revealed this on Tuesday, April 14, 2015 during a Lagos Business School breakfast meeting, adding that the oil and gas sector would be reformed in order to attract new investments.


The President-elect, who was represented by former Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, also stated that he would appoint a cabinet within one week of taking office.


He however said that no corrupt persons would be allowed to serve in his government.


“Anyone with a whiff of corruption or any kind of taint will not be in the cabinet. Our manifesto will reflect zero tolerance for corruption,” he said.


Buhari had earlier stated that all Ministers who serve under him will be required to declare their assets before resuming and before vacating the position.
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