10th NASS inaugurations: NNPP sets agenda for its lawmakers Nationwide

By Musa Baba Adamu

TheNew Nigeria People’s Party

(NNPP) has congratulated its Senators, House of Representatives and States Houses of Assembly members across the country on their inaugurations as Federal and States legislators to provide effective representations to their constituencies and enact laws for good governance of the people.

In a statement issued yesterday by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Agbo Major, NNPP charged them to be good Ambassadors of NNPP and justify the confidence Nigerians reposed in them to usher in a new, better, greater and prosperous nation by making people-oriented laws that will improve their standards of living and deliver dividends of democracy.

“The NNPP’s two Senators, 20 House of Representatives and numerous States House of Assembly members should be guided by Section 14(2)b of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, which provides that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.

“Nigerians expect vibrant, robust, dynamic, pragmatic, visionary and purposeful national and States House of Assembly in our collective quest for a strong, virile, progressive, equitable and just democratic nation, not rubber stamp legislatures as obtainable in previous governments that impeded the nation’s democratic process.

“National interest should at all times override pecuniary interests for personal aggrandizement.

“The torch of liberty, freedom, social justice, religious harmony, buoyant economy and political stability of the nation has been passed to you to redirect the ship of the nation from its perilous course to the path of rectitude, progress, development and advancement.

“The democratic principle of separation of powers must be strictly observed in the discharge of your constitutional duties to avoid tyranny and dictatorship in government. Accordingly, you should be the voice of the voiceless and eyes of the blind to ensure that no Nigerian is left behind.

“It is obvious that you are elected at a critical period in the nation’s political process. The state of the nation is bad, very bad. There is hunger and hardship in the land. The welfare of the people should be uppermost in your minds as you work hard with your colleagues to alleviate their sufferings and restore confidence in the people that a new Nigeria is possible.

“Know that all eyes are on you, with the support of millions of NNPP faithful in particular and Nigerians in general you will succeed in this crucial states and national duties”, the party said in the statement.

L-R: Emir of Borgu, H.R.H Mohammed Haliru Dantoro; President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Emir of Kontagora, H.R.H Mohammad Barau Muazu, during their visit to the President at the Presidential villa, yesterday in Abuja

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed shock over the statement by Amnesty International accusing the new government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of indifference to the latest killings in some parts of the country, two weeks after he was sworn in.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Felix Morka said in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja that while they thank Amnesty International for drawing attention to the lingering security challenges in Nigeria, especially in Plateau, Kaduna, Benue and Zamfara, APC find its conclusion hasty and inconsiderate.

“During his inaugural speech, President Bola Tinubu said clearly that security will be the topmost priority of his administration and he promised to reform the nation’s security doctrine and architecture.

“He promised in categorical terms that Security shall be the top priority of our administration because neither prosperity nor justice can prevail amidst insecurity and violence. To effectively tackle this menace, we shall reform both our security DOCTRINE and its ARCHITECTURE.

“We shall invest more in our security personnel, and this means more than an increase in number. We shall provide, better training, equipment, pay and firepower. President Tinubu demonstrated he prioritised security, when few days after he was sworn in, he met with his inherited security chiefs.”

The statement further stated that the president gave marching orders to the security chiefs to redouble efforts in dealing with the menace of terrorism, insurgency, banditry, oil theft, sea robbery and piracy among others that have conspired to weigh down the nation.

“President Tinubu decried the persistent security breaches in the country and said he would not allow insecurity challenges to bring Nigeria to its knees while other countries are advancing.

“It is therefore uncharitable and inconsiderate of Amnesty International through its Acting Nigeria Country Director, Isa Sanusi, to accuse the new government that is just settling down of dereliction of duty.

“Amnesty International is known for stoking internal conflict and citizen antagonism in developing nations through weaponisation and accentuation of local situations to achieve its sinister objectives while hypocritically looking the other way when similar incidents occur in developed nations, especially in the Western world.

“Many nations in the world, including the United States of America are today bedevilled by insecurity. By the end of May 2023 almost 20,000 people have died cumulatively as a result of gun violence and other violent crimes in America. In the first 150 days of 2023, America has recorded 263 mass shootings, with hundreds of death yet Amnesty International has not been on the mountain top to accuse US government of dereliction of duty.

“That mass shooting and gun violence have become an epidemic in US does not make the American government a failure in protecting its people or make mass shootings a ‘norm’ in the country. Every government is daily devising means and ways to tackle rapidly changing security problems.

“In United Kingdom there is growing and daily menace of knife crimes. In 2022 alone, UK police recorded 49,265 offences involving knives and other sharp instruments and 46,334 in 2021. In Nottingham, a mass shooting in the city centre claimed three victims. Amnesty International has not accused UK government of failure to protect her citizens.

“The isolated cases of shooting that are now several decades old in our country, will need methodical and strategic thinking to ensure normalcy. No organisation should gloat over these unfortunate incidents. It’s too early for such unsympathetic reaction.

“Amnesty International and its affiliates are advised to give the young government some time to work things out, in consonance with its pledge to our people, rather than rushing out with its jaded diatribe against the Nigerian government and its security authorities.

“President Bola Tinubu and his team are settling down to solving many of our national challenges across various sectors. Amnesty International should allow this government to do its work without their usual condescending hypocrisy”, it read.

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the November 11, 2023 governorship election in Kogi State, Usman Ododo, has asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss a suit seeking his disqualification from the race.

Ododo, through his lawyer, Musa Abdullahi, SAN, told the Court that, contrary to the allegations in the suit, he resigned legitimately from the employment of Kogi State as required by law and thus eminently qualified for the forthcoming poll.

At the hearing of the suit on Wednesday, the APC candidate maintained that he broke no law at the time he picked the Expression of Interest form of his party and also at the time he stood for the primary election and won.

The governorship flagbearer said he tendered his resignation letter on March 8, 2023, through the office of the State Governor and that same was received by the appropriate body the same day.

He drew the attention of the Court to section 306 of the 1999 Constitution, adding that whether his resignation was acknowledged, accepted or not, it had started taking effect from the date of submission of the letter.

Ododo said the plaintiff in the suit could not contradict his claim of resignation with any documentary evidence, especially with pay slips or salary payments.

Besides, the APC Governorship candidate argued that the plaintiff jumped the gun in the way and manner he instituted the suit, adding that the cause of action had not arisen at the time the case was filed.

He, therefore, asked the court to rely on his 19 paragraphs affidavit and dismiss the case of the plaintiff for lacking in merit and for being incompetent and baseless.

The position of the governorship candidate was adopted by APC through its counsel, Abdulwahab Mohammed, SAN, who prayed that the suit be dismissed with substantial cost.

At Wednesday’s proceedings, before Justice Obiora Egwatu, the plaintiff’s counsel, Daniel- Ebune, relied on 16 exhibits in support of the Originating Summons/case.

He insisted that Ododo breached sections 20, 21, 124, 147 of the 1999 Constitution and section 159 of the Evidence Act and urged the Judge to invoke the provisions of the law to disqualify the gubernatorial candidate.

Justice Obiora Egwuatu, after taking arguments from the lawyers, fixed July 18 to deliver judgment in the matter.