COVER
Minority Senators Minority Begin Move Towards Buhari’s Impeachment
By Ubong Ukpong, Abuja
The Minority Caucus of the Senate, yesterday, commenced mobilization ahead of the six weeks ultimatum issued to President Muhammadu Buhari, to address the unabating insecurity in the country or face impeachment.
Senate opposition Leader, Senator Philip Aduda, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led other opposition Senators in the party, to meet with their counterparts in the House of Representatives, led by Hon Ndudi Elumelu, to fine-tune plans ahead of the ultimatum.
Aduda said the meeting became necessary, for opposition in the both Chambers to be on the same page regarding the issues and planned impeachment.
He disclosed that the action was not about the Peoples Democratic party or other opposition parties alone, but bipartisan, with most lawmakers from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in support.
“All of you are aware of what transpired yesterday on the floor of the Senate. It is not just about PDP caucus but bipartisan,” he said.
The opposition Leader discussed that they all agreed at the closed door meeting of the Senate that the nation’s security architecture has been breached and that impeachment notice be served on the President, if he fails to address the issue.
“The issues were discussed in closed door with members of other parties and all agreed that these issues are bipartisan.”
Yielding the floor to Hon Ndudi Elumelu, his counterpart Opposition Leader in the House, Elumelu said some people were free to think that the ultimatum was laughable, “but when we start, you will know that it is not laughable. This is not the issue of PDP. Majority of APC members are with us in this.”
“The nation is awashed with what happened in the Senate yesterday. Our members had to stage a protest walkout. We had also drawn the attention of the House insecurity in the FCT,” he said.
Elumelu said the Muhammadu Buhari-led APC government was very complacent about the issues of insecurity in the country.
He reminded that few weeks back, it was the attack on the Kuje Custodial Centre and only few days back, killing of Presidential guards soldiers and attack at the Law School in Bwari area of Abuja.
Only on Thursday, he said the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), ordered all private schools in the FCT to shutdown due to insecurity, after the Education minister earlier ordered Nationwide shutdown of schools for same reason.
“I told the House in my warning that Abuja is not safe”, querying that if it was safe, why are they now shutting down schools?
“The country is not safe under this APC -led government. This is why our Senators took that decision,” he said.
The opposition Leader said that “the two Chambers have done so much to draw the attention of the President to the issues of insecurity but he is not taking it seriously.”
He said insecurity has caused hunger in the land because farmers could no longer go to farm.
Elumelu said transportation system both aviation and train no longer working stressing that, “Nigeria is on a stand still right now.”
He lamented that exchange rate as it were, stood at Seven Hundred and Ten Naira to a dollar, and if not very careful, it would rise to one Thousand Naira.
He said that the two Chambers have done so much to support this government to do well but it was still unable to perform.
Impeachment Threat Against President, Self-Serving – ADC Presidential Candidate
The 2023 Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Chief Dumebi Kachikwu, has expressed reservation over threat by some opposition senators to impeach President Muhammadu Buhari, describing it as self-serving.
Kachikwu said this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.
“I was very amused to hear some Senators and members from the lower house call for the President to be impeached. This is a self-serving call. The same people who have refused to do their jobs in the last three years have just woken up to realize that the President should be impeached.
“What exactly has happened today that is different from what has been happening since President Buhari was sworn in seven years ago for the first term and three years ago for the second term? Are the attacks today any different? Are the deaths less or more meaningful?
“Is there any life worth more than the other? Are they reacting now because Abuja is threatened? The national assembly is complicit in the failure of this government so they should ask their leadership to resign before calling on Buhari to resign.
“The checks and balances enshrined in our constitution never envisaged that Nigerians would be saddled with a spineless and self-serving legislature. Yes, Buhari has failed and should resign or be impeached but he failed because the legislature failed in their duties,” he said.
Kachikwu added: “The entire leadership of the National Assembly should also resign or be impeached.
“This is the double-edged sword called doctrine of collective responsibility.”
By Tony Obiechina, Abuja Federal Government says it will consider using private sector funds through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) as a funding option for certain key projects in the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology.This was disclosed when the Director General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Dr Jobson Oseodion Ewalefoh, paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Mr Uche Nnaji.
The meeting which was at the instance of the ICRC DG, sought partnership between the two government bodies to harness PPPs to advance critical projects that can boost the economic and technological growth of the nation. Speaking during the meeting, Dr Ewalefoh said that science and technology, if properly deployed, can serve as a key driver of the economic growth and progress of Nigeria.“Many countries around the world have used Science and Technology to drive the economic growth and prosperity of their country and people.“We are here to brainstorm with you and find ways by which we can deepen the usage of science and technology for the advancement of our country.“Over the last two decades, countries and businesses have harnessed technology and innovation for upscaling their economy and improve the efficiency in their service delivery.“That is where we want our country to go, and we believe that is the vision you are championing under the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.“It is, therefore, my aspiration that your ministry will partner with the ICRC to see areas where we can champion private sector funding through Public Private Partnership to develop some of the projects specific to the ministry,” he said.The DG informed the Minister that there was already a collaboration with an agency under its purview but stressed that there were other key areas where PPP could be harnessed to deliver laudable projects in the Ministry.He added that the commission has streamlined its processes to accelerate PPP project delivery and deliver important services to the Nigerian people, pointing out that some key private sector operators have already verbalised their desire to work with the Ministry in a PPP arrangement.In his remarks, the Minister expressed his excitement at the appointment of Dr Ewalefoh as the DG of ICRC, saying that the DG’s wealth of experience will revolutionise the PPP sphere in Nigeria, adding that, indeed, a square peg has been placed in a square hole.The Minister emphasised that the Ministry served as a key enabler of economic growth and has had the support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu demonstrated through major approvals granted the Ministry.He said that the President had given approval for methanol production, saying that although the implementation process were still being finalised, foreign direct investments for the project has reached over $1.5 billion.“We want to go into beneficiation of raw materials and we have the presidential executive order number 5 to back it, such that we don’t have to export our raw materials, but process it to a level before exporting. We are looking at doing green hydrogen, too,” he said.He stressed that Nigeria could make a lot more from cassava export than it was currently making if the raw cassava was processed before export.“We believe that with ICRC, we will partner in doing things right and enabling us to forge a better outlook for most of these projects.“In methanol, we are going to involve ICRC more closely to see the way forward and how it can benefit the country better.“I am happy that you are here; coming here shows that you know what you are doing. You are taking services to those that need it,” he said.
From Attah Ede, Makurdi
Gunmen suspected to be Fulani armed militia, on Wednesday night, reportedly invaded Anyiin town in the Logo Local Government Area of Benue State.
Multiple reports indicated that no fewer than 15 persons were killed in the attack, leaving several others with varying degrees of injuries while yet to be ascertained number were missing.
The attack, which was said to have been launched at about 6:30pm by the well-armed Fulani herders, caught the community unawares as the invaders reportedly emerged from different locations shooting at everyone in sight.
The attackers, who were said to be numbering about 200, were reported to be wielding AK-47 rifles and other sophisticated weapons, operated for about three hours.
An eyewitness and community leader in Anyiin town, Chief Joseph Anawah, said the armed herders overwhelmed security operatives stationed in the town because of their large numbers.
He said it was a coordinated operation, stating that the alleged Fulani terrorists took residents of the town unawares, surrounded the town and shot sporadically.
Anawah said some of the villagers who ran for their dear lives were caught in an ambush laid by the invaders.
He listed some of the victims to include: Mr Orihundu Ati, a retired primary school supervisor and the son of a kindred head.
Also killed was a son to a Chief of Staff to a former Logo council chairman, Tordoo Suswam and a relation of a late District head of Ukemberagya, Zaki John Chembe.
Anawah listed Ukemberagya, Tswarev, Mbawar, Gov, Mbainange, and Tombo among neighbouring communities earlier displaced by the invaders and whose residents were taking refuge in Anyiin before the latest attack.
The community leaders appealed to the federal government and the Benue state government to revive an abandoned Mobile Police barracks project along Akwana-Anyiin-Wukari road to secure the lives and property in the communities.
They lamented that farmers in the affected communities could not harvest their crops because they were being killed and abducted on their farms by the armed invaders.
According to them, communities along the Benue-Taraba border are the worst hit by the marauders’ incessant attacks.”This is the second attack in one month by the Fulani terrorists. On Oct. 9, they attacked Ayilamo town, the headquarters of Tombo Council Ward and killed scores of people. As I speak, people are deserting Anyiin town for fear of the unknown”, Chief Anawah said.
By Ubong Ukpong, Abuja
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas yesterday described growing malnutrition and food insecurity as great threat to Nigeria’s economic stability and public health.
Inaugurating the Local Organizing Committee for the National Assembly summit on nutrition and food security in Abuja, the Speaker reiterated the urgent need for legislative action to restore the country’s productivity and public health.
Abbas who was represented by Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Okezie Kalu noted that Nigeria’s rate of malnutrition is among the highest in sub-Saharan Africa.
He noted that malnutrition, especially among children, stunts physical and cognitive development, impacting long-term educational and economic potential and contributing to broader societal challenges.
The Speaker assured the lawmakers’ full support for the committee’s initiatives, urging collaboration with State Houses of Assembly to create a unified approach to combating food insecurity.
He said, “The need for this National Summit on Nutrition and Food Security has never been more urgent.
“This organizing committee’s mission is to foster collaboration across ministries, engage both public and private sectors, and create a platform for lawmakers, experts, and community leaders to address the root causes of food security challenges.”
The chairman of the committee, Chike Okafor said there is malnutrition across Nigeria, particularly in the north spiking by 51 percent among children.
He described the situation as a humanitarian crisis exacerbated by recent floods in Adamawa, Maiduguri, and Jigawa, which have disrupted food supplies nationwide.
According to him, the summit will help to in the formulation of policies to tackle food insecurity.
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