Nass

By Anwar Usman

The Nigerian Senate has again summoned all security chiefs to appear before the house next week over the rising insecurity bedeviling the country.

Those summoned include the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa; Chief of Army Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla; and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar.

Other security agencies are the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, Director General of National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Mohammed, and the Director General of Department of State Services Adeola Ajayi.

The president of the Senate Godswill Akpabio, while speaking during Wednesday’s plenary, said the service chiefs were initially invited but could not attend due to scheduling conflicts.

He stated that the rescheduled meeting next week will centered on deliberating on critical security issues inorder to proffer urgent solutions.

The Senate also raised serious concerns over allegations that certain international agencies may be financing the Boko Haram insurgency.

On February 19, security chiefs were summoned to explain allegations that the United States Agency for International Development was linked to funding Boko Haram and other terrorist groups in Nigeria.

The meeting will look into these claims among others, address Nigeria’s broader security challenges, and shape policy responses.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

In a decisive move, the Nigerian National Assembly (NASS) has suspended Senator Natasha for six months following recommendations from the Ethics and Public Petitions Committee.

The suspension, which takes effect from March 6, comes after the senator stood up for her rights during a Senate session.

The committee has mandated that Senator Natasha must submit a written apology before she can resume her duties.

Additionally, her office will remain locked throughout the suspension period, and she is barred from entering the NASS complex. Her salaries, allowances, and security details have also been suspended for the duration of her penalty.

Furthermore, Senator Natasha is prohibited from representing herself as a senator in both local and international media during her suspension.

This development has sparked widespread debate, with critics labeling the punishment as excessive and indicative of deeper governance issues in the nation.

As Africa’s most populous black nation, Nigeria continues to grapple with political controversies, and this incident has further fueled discussions about transparency and accountability in its leadership.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

The Nigerian Senate has criticized Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, for her remarks about the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, regarding seat allocations.

On Thursday, Akpoti-Uduaghan refused to accept the new seat assigned to her, citing her right to protection under the Senate’s Rule 10.

The dispute arose after her seat was changed following the defection of some opposition senators to the ruling party.

However, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan rejected the move and accused the Senate leadership of attempting to silence her.

“I have no problem if they take away my right to speak. I am not afraid of you. You are denying me my rights,” she said, addressing the Senate President.

As tensions escalated, Akpabio ordered security personnel to remove her from the Senate chamber, but some senators intervened to de-escalate the situation.

Reacting to the incident in an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Senate spokesman Yemi Adaramodu said that the National Assembly is not a place for entertainment.

“What we are saying is that the National Assembly is not a place for creating entertainment or play. It is a place for serious legislative work,” he stated.

Regarding Akpoti-Uduaghan’s accusation of rights infringement, Adaramodu explained that, despite being a new senator, she had been assigned significant leadership roles in the Senate.

“If she is claiming that her rights are being denied or that she’s being prevented from speaking, as a new senator, she has been given three major committee leadership roles. Every senator is entitled to lead one committee, but she is now leading foreign affairs and NGOs,” he added.

The Senate spokesman further mentioned that the matter would not be revisited, as Senator Isah Jubril from Kogi had apologized on behalf of Akpoti-Uduaghan.

“The Senate has fully accepted this apology, and so the matter will not be reopened,” he said.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini 

The National Assembly on Tuesday, granted full financial and administrative autonomy to all 774 local council authorities across Nigeria by amending Section 124 of the nation’s constitution. 

The section provides a consequential provision for the making of the local councils a full third tier government without undue interference from the state governments. 

The amendment was one of 22 others approved by the House of Representatives last week and ratified by the Senate on Tuesday. 

Both chambers had, through a conference committee, harmonised versions of the amendments to the constitution carried out by each of them last month. 

By this development, the National Assembly had ratified all the 23 clauses and sections that had been amended by both chambers. 

The newly amended document, which would be sent to the State Houses of Assembly for approval, also approved the creation of the Office of Auditor General of the Local Government as well as the State Local Government Service Commission. 

The section equally deleted the State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIEC) from the constitution, thereby vesting the powers to conduct council elections on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). 

It, however, retained the immunity clause in the constitution for the President and Governors by adopting the Senate version of the amendments on the issue and rejecting the House of Representatives version, which removed the immunity clause. 

The National Assembly also made provisions for independent candidature in future elections in Nigeria by amending sections 65 and 106 of the 1999 constitution.