Agbese told newsmen in Abuja on a Saturday that members of the house had taken time to read through the bills.

The bills are: Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, Tax Administration Bill, Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill and Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill.

The bills seek to provide fiscal framework as well as clear and concise legal frameworks for all taxes in the country and reduce disputes in tax administration.

According to Agbese, Nigerians will remain grateful to the Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, Dr Zacchaeus Adedeji, for the reforms.

He explained that the bills, presently before the chambers, intended to stimulate the country’s fiscal policy.

“Nigerians will appreciate very soon because when these bills are passed and the Federal Government has more money to spend, critical infrastructure will be developed, jobs will be created and, to a great extent, poverty will be reduced.

“We hope to debate these bills on Tuesday and we expect robust deliberations that will ultimately lead to the passage of the bills.

“Most of our colleagues have read the bills and as a result, they are now shifting grounds. Those initially opposed to the bills are now advocating for their speedy consideration and passage.

“When we converge next week, more supporters will have been won over, but I want to add that this is not only about lawmakers.

“These bills are about Nigerians, from the top company executive to the farmer in a rural village. I say this because public policy affects everyone,” he said.

“If passed into law, these bills will rejig the economy and ensure rapid development of critical infrastructure,” he said.

Agbese called on Nigerians to rally around the tax bills, adding that as lawmakers, the interest of the country surpassed individual or sectional consideration.

He commended Tinubu for championing a new direction of tax administration in the country, saying that Nigeria was going toward progressive taxation.

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“If the tax bills are well implemented, we will have a new tax regime that takes away the burden from poor Nigerians and small companies; it is a new thinking that will do us good,” he said.

The lawmaker also commended the role played by the Chairman of Federal Inland Revenues Service, FIRS, Dr Zacch Adedeji, in initiating the bills.

He particularly lauded the FIRS boss for thinking creatively and championing reforms that would improve the nation’s revenue through effective tax administration.

The lawmaker said that FIRS, with Adedeji’s stewardship, had been surpassing its revenue target.

According to him, FIRS collected a record N12.374 trillion in 2023, which was 10.7 per cent higher than its target of N10.7 trillion.

“Nigerians will appreciate this man very soon because when these bills are passed and the Federal Government has more money to spend, critical infrastructure will be developed, jobs will be created and, to a great extent, poverty will be reduced,” he said.

The deputy spokesperson stated that there were not many persons of Adedeji’s capacity in charge of government agencies.

He said that FIRS set a revenue target of N19.41 trillion for 2024 and that as of the end of September, it had already collected N18.5 trillion which is so commendable.

Nigeria Governors’ Forum, comprising all the 36 state governors, had kicked against the bills and called for their withdrawal from the parliament.

Source: NAN

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The declaration was made on Wednesday sequel to the adoption of a motion sponsored by the deputy spokesperson for the House of Representatives, Philip Agbese (APC-Benue) in conjunction with 235 members at plenary.

President Bola Tinubu in a live broadcast on Independence Day, conferred the honour of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger, GCON, on the President of the Senate.

The President also conferred the Commander of the Federal Republic, CFR, on the Speaker of the House of Representatives and Deputy President of the Senate.

Moving the motion, Agbese said that the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is constitutionally established as a bicameral legislature comprising two equal chambers which are the Senate and the House of Representatives, as stipulated in Section 4 of the 1999 Constitution.

He said that the Constitution recognises both chambers operating within a framework that ensures the legislative independence and equality of both chambers.

Agbese said that that Section 47 of the Constitution further explains that each chamber plays distinct but complementary roles in the legislative process.

The lawmaker said that the House was concerned about the ongoing and “inappropriate culture of discrimination against the House of Representatives, which often portrayed it as inferior to the Senate.”

According to him, the language consistently referred to the Senate as the upper chamber and the House of Representatives as a lower chamber.

He also said that the Senate President was often referred to as the Chairman of the National Assembly while the Speaker is referred to as Deputy Chairman inaccurately implies a hierarchical structure contrary to the Constitution, and undermines the authority of the Speaker.

“This discriminatory practice was once again evidenced during the recent conferment of National Honours on the leadership of the National Assembly by Mr. President.

“While expressing our gratitude to Mr President for recognising and honouring the leadership of the National Assembly, we note that the conferment of the title GCON on the President of the Senate and the CFR on the Speaker of the House of Representatives and Deputy President of the Senate perpetuates the inappropriate subordination of the Speaker to the President of the Senate.

“The Chief Justice of Nigeria, who is lower in protocol ranking than the Speaker of the House of Representatives, was also awarded the title of GCON, further exemplifying this culture of discrimination against the leadership of the House.

“The House of Representatives reaffirms its commitment to the constitutional principle of equality between the two chambers of the National Assembly and calls for the elimination of all practices, titles, and references that suggest otherwise.

“The Speaker of the House is a co-leader of the legislative arm of government, and this must be recognised and respected in all respects,” he said.

The lawmaker said that the National Honours Act of 1964 does not explicitly prescribe the conferment of specific honours, such as the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger, GCON, for the President of the Senate or the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) for the Speaker.

According to him, these distinctions are rooted in customary practice rather than statutory requirement.

“Further note that the honour of GCON is not restricted to any particular office or individual but can be awarded to any distinguished Nigerian deemed deserving by the President.

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“This is evidenced by the recent conferment of GCON on Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala by former President Muhammadu Buhari; this House acknowledges the flexibility inherent in the National Honours system and the prerogative of the President in the allocation of such distinctions,” he said.

The House resolved that the Speaker be recognised as co-chairman of the National Assembly in all respects, and request that all references to the leadership of the National Assembly reflect the equality.

The House called on all government institutions, officials, and the media to take cognisance of language and titles that suggest a hierarchical structure between the Senate and the House of Representatives or their respective leaders.

The House resolved that the Clerk of the National Assembly be directed to ensure that all communications, orders, and publications from the National Assembly henceforth refer to both the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate as co-heads of the National Assembly.

The House resolved to set up an Ad hoc Committee to liaise with the Presidency and propose amendments to the National Honours Act of 1964 to appropriately recognise the Speaker of the House of Representatives as co-head of the National Assembly.

The House also requested the conferment of the national honour of GCON upon the Speaker, to ensure parity in recognition with the President of the Senate and should be accomplished before the formal decoration by Mr. President.

The House urged the president to uphold the spirit of bicameral equality as enshrined in the Constitution when making decisions and recommendations that concern the leadership of the National Assembly.

Source: NAN

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The committee resolved to visit production plants of the companies after going through their books to ascertain the cost of production with a view to determine a fair price of cement for all Nigerians.

The chairman of the joint committee, Rep. Jonathan Gaza (APC-Nasarawa), made the demand on Friday at a public hearing while quizzing Dangote Cement Company and Lafarge Africa PLC in Abuja.

He said that the committee was interested in the cost of production from 2020 to date that justified the current price of cement which is over N10,000 in most parts of the country.

He said that the companies should give its average daily consumption of coal, gas, gypsum, limestone, clay, laterite and the average daily production of cement from 2020 to date.

Gaza said that the companies should provide details of all imported components for the production of cement and their prices from 2020 to date.

The lawmaker said that the companies should also provide details of local components for the production of cement and their prices in naira and dollars if any in the period under review.

He said that the companies should provide a summary of the monthly prices and quantity of cement produced from 2019 to date as well as their audited accounts of the company, bills of duties paid to customs within the period under review.

Gaza also said that the companies should provide details of tax waivers and other incentives enjoyed plus gas and explosives contract details.

Rep. Dabo Ismail (APC-Bauchi State), a member of the committee, said that Dangote Cement Company had continued to make increasing profits in the country despite being able to source most of its raw materials locally.

He said that in 2022, the company declared a profit of N524 billion, N553 billion in 2023 and had so far made N166.4 billion in 2024.

READ ALSO: CBN commences regular FX sales to bridge demand gap

The lawmaker said that there was no reason why the price of cement would keep rising in the market to the detriment of Nigerians while producers were smiling to the banks.

Earlier, the Group Managing Director (GMD) of Dangote Cement Company, Mr Arvind Pathack, said that 95 per cent of production cost were either imported or linked to forex.

He explained that there had been between 100 to 333 per cent increase in the price of major cement input materials like gas, AGO, gypsum, imported coal, spare parts, new trucks, tyres, petrol among others.

Pathack said that company was made to pay in dollars some of its contracts to access gas and explosives saying that the provision made by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was not enough to meet demand so they engage in international sales and also sourced from the parallel market.

According to him, logistics issues such as deplorable state of key roads, created several issues including longer time to deliver, increase in truck maintenance and delivery cost.

The GMD explained that lack of sufficient forex to settle trade obligations had resulted in huge forex losses to a tune of N150 billion a per annum while paying 30 per cent interest rate on loans.

He said between May 2023 and June 2024, there had been over 220 per cent devaluation of the Naira among many other challenges like insecurity and public power supply.

Pathack said that the cost of building materials like reinforcement, granite and aluminum window had increased by 177 per cent to 283 per cent while cement had increased by 166 per cent between 2023 and 2024.

He said that cement was being sold at average cost of 7,200 saying that any price over N10,000 was the handwork of retailers which the company had no control over.

According to him, when converted to dollars, a bag of cement is sold at $7.8 dollars in Benin, $6.6 in Togo, $7.8 in Ghana, $4.4 in India while that of Nigeria is $4.43, making it one of the cheapest in Africa.

The committee admonished the companies to look into their policy and operations with a view to reducing the price of cement in the country.

In an interview with newsmen, the chairman of the committee expressed hope that the engagement would lead to a reduction in the price of cement.

He blamed high price of the commodity on the inaction of Federal Competition Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC.

Gaza said that as an agency responsible for the protection of consumers, they failed to protect Nigerians against middlemen who sold the commodity for as high as N14,000 after purchasing it for N6,000 at the factory.

“We are extremely hopeful that this engagement will lead to a reduction in the price of cement.

“FCCPC has slept on their functions so far, their inactivity and none responsiveness to price is what has put Nigeria where we are today,” he said.

Source: NAN

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Others include N1.5 million for vehicle fuel.

Rep. Kafilat Ogbara, Chairman, House Committee on Women Affairs, led the interrogation of the minister over the non-payment of N1.5 billion to contractors in spite of the fund release in Abuja.

She said that the investigative hearing was aimed at uncovering the truth and not witch-hunting the minister and the officials of the ministry.

The committee also investigated alleged diversion of funds meant for contractor’s payments, following a petition from contractors.

The committee also sought clarification on funds appropriated for the African First Lady’s mission and the whereabouts of the N1.5 billion meant for contractor payments.

The minister, however, denied the allegations of misappropriation, overspending, and non-payment to contractors.

The procurement officer confirmed contractors’ claims, and the Director of Finance and Administration acknowledged only paying approved contracts.

It would be recalled that the committee had at its last sitting summoned the minister to appear before it to explain the rationale behind the non-payment.

The committee also ordered the stoppage of all 2024 contract processes by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs until the whereabouts of the money for the said contracts were determined.

Source: NAN

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The committee chaired by Bamidele Salam (PDP-Osun) gave the directive at the resumed probe of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, of the federal government on alleged mismanagement of COVID-19 intervention funds by the MDAs.

This followed a motion moved by a member of the committee, Bassey Akiba (LP, Cross Rivers) after the non-appearance of officials of the ministry at its investigative hearing on Thursday.

Akiba moved the motion to compel the ministry to refund the monies appropriated to it during the intervention on COVID-19 pandemic in the country after failure of the officials of the ministry to honour the three invitations extended to them to defend the allocations to the ministry as contained in a query from the office of the Auditor General of the Federation.

The committee adopted the motion after it was seconded and directed that the ministry, its past and present Permanent Secretaries, should refund the N75 billion bn to the coffers of federal government with immediate effect.

The chairman of the committee, Bamidele Salam (PDP, Osun) had earlier informed the committee that despite series of invitation to the ministry, its officials had failed to respond or appear before it.

According to him, the federal Ministry of Trade, Industries and Investments got the sum of N75 billion as COVID-19 Intervention funds.

He said the Public Account Committee had sent invitation to the Ministry of Trade Industries and Investments three times, and none of the invitations had been honoured.

“The Federal Ministry of Trade was to make their appearance yesterday. That was the last opportunity given to them and there was no such appearance. N75 billion was appropriated to them.

“Former Permanent Secretary and the current Permanent Secretary are affected by this motion to refund the sum of N75 billion to the federal government as COVID-19 intervention which as far as we are concerned has not been expended.”

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He made it clear that the essence of the probe was not to witch hunt anybody, ministry or agencies but to ensure that the committee was transparent and accountable in its investigation over the various sums of money released to the MDAs.

Also, the committee directed the Federal Ministry of Health to return N10 billion meant for the production of COVID-19 vaccines which was not utilised to the federal government.

The directive followed the appearance and submission by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Daju Kachallom who told the committee that the funds were domiciled with the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation.

The committee said the funds should be returned, adding that if the ministry needed it for anything else, it should make a fresh request to the National Assembly for proper appropriation.

Similarly, the Rural Electrification Agency, REA, was directed to submit documents detailing the utilisation of the agency’s COVID-19 intervention funds.

The DG of the agency, Salihijo Ahmed, who appeared before the committee requested for more time to submit relevant documents.

The committee directed him to  submit the documents on Friday before the close of work and to appear on Monday at 10 a.m.

The Management of the Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, led by its Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, also appeared before the committee to defend the allocation her agency got through the supervisory ministry

According to her, “Year 2020 was particularly challenging owing to the advent of the coronavirus. On the 11th of March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 as a global pandemic which negatively impacted all human activities, with the aviation industry one of the most severely affected.

“At that time, the authority was barely able to part pay staff salaries, while other commitments were put on hold with only about 5% revenue deployed for airport maintenance. This situation did not augur well with the various aviation unions. This resulted in them issuing threats to shut down the airports if something drastic was not done.

“This gave rise to the request by the authority, through the supervising ministry, for a six months’ salary intervention in the sum of N16.8 billion for payment of personnel cost and other related costs. From this request, the sum of N7.7 billion was released to FAAN out of the N24 billion requested by the Ministry of Aviation as intervention.

“The breakdown of the utilization of this fund is attached in our submission.”

The committee consequently directed her to reappear before it with relevant documents to back up her defence.

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The appellate court, in two judgments, declared Ngozi Okolie of the Labour Party, LP, as winner of the election.

The Appeal Court faulted the tribunal for voiding Okolie’s election and proceeded to dismiss the petition filed by Elumelu before the trial tribunal on which the voided judgment was given.

The panel agreed with the lawyer to the LP, Mahmud Magaji, SAN, that contrary to the findings of the tribunal, Okolie was duly nominated, sponsored by his party and that he resigned his appointment as a Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to Delta State government as provided in Section 66(1)(f) of the constitution.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had declared Okolie the winner of the February 25 election.

Dissatisfied with the outcome of the poll, Elumelu, a former Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, challenged it before the election tribunal.

In his petition marked: EPT/DL/HR/06/2023, Elumelu based his challenge of the outcome of the election on his contention that Okolie was not validly sponsored by the LP and that he did not resign his appointment 30 days before the election, as required under the constitution.

READ ALSO: FG conducts 2nd phase computer-based exams for public servants

The trial tribunal, headed by Justice A. Z. Mussa, had, in its July 24 judgement, agreed with Elumelu and the PDP that Okolie did not resign before his party’s primary election and that the LP did not hold a valid primary, a decision the Court of Appeal set aside on Thursday.

The two judgments by the appellate court were on the two appeals files by the LP and Okolie, marked: CA/AS/EP/HR/DL/05/2023 and CA/AS/EP/HR/DL/06/2023.

Delivering the judgment, a three-member panel of the court, led by Justice Mohammed Shuaibu, resolved all the issues identified for determination against Elumelu and the PDP.

Justice Shuaibu, in the lead judgment in the appeal by the LP, held that the trial tribunal was without the requisite jurisdiction to have heard and determined the petition, which was based entirely on pre-election matter.

He added that issues relating to nomination, withdrawal and substitution pre-election matters, over which election tribunal had no jurisdiction, noting that “nomination and sponsorship of a candidate is an internal affair of a party.”

Justice Shuaibu held that Elumelu and the PDP lacked the locus standi to challenge the nomination process that produced Okolie since they were neither members of the LP nor were they aspirants in the primary held by the LP.

“The 1st and 2nd respondents (Elumelu and the PDP), who are not members of the appellant (LP) are meddlesome interlopers.”

The judge held that Elumelu and the PDP failed to lead credible evidence to prove their case of lack of due nomination and sponsorship against Okolie.

He added that Elumelu and his party also did not show that they had the locus standi to have filed the petition to challenge the nomination and sponsorship of Okolie when they did not participate in the primary of the LP.

The judge, while affirming Okolie’s victory, set aside the trial tribunal’s judgment, dismissed the petition by Elumelu and his party and awarded N100,000 cost against them, and in favour of Okolie.

The lead judgment in the appeal by Okolie was authored by Justice Habeeb Abiru, but read on Thursday by Justice Shuaibu, in which the court expressed similar views as it did in the appeal by the LP.

READ ALSO:

The court, in both judgments frowned at the conduct of the lawyer who represented the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, E. O. Okoko, for holding conflicting positions at the tribunal and at the Court of Appeal.

It noted that while the lawyer supported Okolie and the LP at the tribunal, he argued in favour of Elumelu and the PDP at the Appeal Court, which informed why the court rejected his briefs in both appeals.

Justice Shuaibu said: “I must specifically comment on the conduct of the counsel to the 3rd respondent (INEC), Mr. E. O. Okoko, which I consider unprofessional and deserving condemnation.

“Parties and counsel must be consistent in handling their cases both at the trial court and on appeal. In the instant case, the 3rd respondent, the supposed election umpire, has not exhibited neutrality through the conduct of the said counsel.

“The 3rd respondent’s reply, at pages 188 to 189 of the record, implicitly admitted that the appellant conducted a primary which produced the 4th respondent (Okolie), but recanted its argument before us, wherein it submitted that the 1st and 2nd respondents have the locus standi to present an election petition and that the 4th respondent was not duly sponsored having not emerged from any primary.

“Furthermore, appeal is generally regarded as a continuation of the original suit rather than the inception of a new one.

“And in appeal, parties are confined to their cases as pleaded at the court of first instance.

“On the strength of the forgoing, the 3rd respondent’s amended brief is hereby discountenanced. I say no more,” Justice Shuaibu declared.

Source: NAN

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The national president of the association, Dr. Innocent Orji, made this known via a Whatsapp message to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) late Tuesday in Abuja.

According to him, the major demands of the association were immediate payment of the 2023 Medical Residency Training Fund, MRTF, immediate release of the circular on one-for-one replacement and payment of skipping arrears.

Others are upward review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, CONMESS, in line with full salary restoration to the 2014 value of CONMESS and payment of arrears of the consequential adjustment of minimum wage to omitted doctors.

The association also demands the reversal of the downgrading of the membership certificate by Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, MDCN.

The association had in a communique on July 5 after its virtual Extraordinary National Executive Council Meeting, E-NEC, issued fresh notice to the federal government to meet its demands within two weeks or risk industrial disharmony in the health sector.

The communique was signed jointly by NARD’s National President, the Secretary-General, Dr Chikezie Kelechi and the Publicity and Social Secretary, Dr Umar Musa.

READ ALSO: NIDCOM: Diaspora skills transfer good for healthcare delivery

Members of the association embarked on a five-day warning strike on May 17, urging the federal government to address its concerns before May 29 otherwise there would be industrial disharmony.

The industrial action was embarked upon after the two-week ultimatum issued on April 29 expired on May 13.

Members of the association however suspended the strike on May 21.

Meanwhile, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas, had on Monday urged the resident doctors to suspend the impending strike during a meeting between the leadership of the House and NARD in Abuja.

He said, “I urge you to suspend the impending industrial action while we intervene, and seek your understanding of the fact that a new administration just came on board.”

He further said that the administration was still in the process of settling down as ministers were yet to assume office.

He said NARD’s decision to meet with the House was an affirmation of their faith and confidence in the House’ capacity to intervene and resolve the lingering issues in dispute.

Source: NAN

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Abbas made the pledge in his acceptance speech after his emergence as Speaker on Tuesday in Abuja.

“Under my watch, the 10th House shall sustain and even surpass the gains of the 9^th House. That is my prayer.

“We shall carry out the task before us jointly. We shall introduce reforms and innovations for the benefit of Nigerians.

“In a few weeks, we shall be reeling out the legislative agenda that will shape the 10th House of Representatives.

“We shall work closely and inter-dependently with the executive and judiciary to give Nigerians the good governance they deserve,” he said.

According to him, we stand at a crucial juncture in our nation’s history, where challenges abound but so do opportunities.

He said the House would champion legislations that would uplift the lives of fellow citizens, promote social justice, and drive sustainable development.

The Speaker said the House would focus on strengthening security apparatus and collaboration with relevant stakeholders to combat insurgency, terrorism, and all forms of criminalities.

Abbas said the House would aim to help create a safe and secure environment that would  foster economic growth and social stability.

“Through legislations, the 10th House will promote entrepreneurship and support small and medium-scale enterprises.

“We shall diversify our economy and provide sustainable employment opportunities for our youth.

“We are aware of the challenges in our education, healthcare, and infrastructure sectors amongst other.

“We will work in harmony with the executive arm, while upholding principles of checks and balances.

“Our collaboration will be anchored on the principles of transparency, accountability, and respect for the rule of law,” he said.

Abbas said the victory at the polls was not just for him but for all the members and all Nigerians.

According to him, it was “about honouring the trust that had been placed on us and working tirelessly to deliver on our promises of good governance and effective representation.”

Abbas said the mandate bestowed on him as Speaker would not be taken for granted, assuring members that he would be just and fair to everyone irrespective of political party and perceived differences.

He promised to run an open-door policy for all members and all Nigerians irrespective of political party or creed.

He congratulated his predecessor, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila and prayed for his success in his new office as Chief of Staff to the President.

Source: NAN

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The chairman of the House Committee on Aviation, Nnolim Nnaji, made the call in Abuja after a careful evaluation of the issues of the Nigeria Air.

He said the committee was totally dissatisfied with the actions of the former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, in going ahead to flag off the operations of Nigeria Air in spite a standing court injunction against such.

He said that was also without any provision for sustaining the operations of the airline.

He said a careful review of the process indicated the exercise to be highly opaque, shrouded in secrecy, shoddy and capable of ridiculing and tarnishing the image of Nigeria before the international community.

“We want to put on record that the committee and indeed the National Assembly had no role in the purported launch of Nigeria Air or anything related thereof.

“While the committee and indeed the parliament is not opposed to Nigeria having a National Carrier, as a matter of fact having a National Carrier is highly desirable to us as a people and Nigeria, as a nation.”

He, however, said that such a process should be transparent and all embracing, adding that the committee would not accept any attempt by any individual or group to hide under the project and siphon the commonwealths of the country.

The committee, therefore, directed the Federal Ministry of Aviation and its partners in the Nigeria Air project to immediately suspend flights operations and every other actions with respect to the Nigeria Air.

The committee also advised that the Federal Ministry of Aviation with its agency, the NCAA, to designate some Nigerian indigenous airlines to take advantage of Bi-lateral Air Services Agreements, BASA.

The agreement was said to have been entered by Nigeria, pending when a viable National Carrier comes on board.

“In conclusion, looking at the total amount required to fully starts the airline which is put at 250,000,000 dollars, the Nigerian government and its citizenry can raise these funds without necessarily subjecting itself to the ridicule we have been exposed to by this recent episode,” he said.

Source: NAN

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Doguwa announced his withdrawal from the race in support of the APC anointed candidate, Tajudeen Abbas.

He was accompanied by two other aggrieved aspirants – Abdulraheem Tunji Olaoye, from Kwara and Makki Abubakar Yalleman from Jigawa respectively.

The announcement was made on Wednesday night at the second meeting of the Tajudeen Abbas/Benjamin Kalu campaign group organised by the coalition of all eight political parties with seats in the incoming 10th House of Representatives.

Addressing the gathering which was chaired by the outgoing Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, Doguwa who referred to Gbajabiamila as “Mr Fix It” said that the time had come for him to act to as a good party and establishment man who also benefitted from the system.

“Perhaps it won’t be out of place, Mr Speaker if I put your name on quote as ‘Mr Fix It’ this time. I wish you well and I hope you will continue to fix it for the Nigerian people. I call you ‘Mr Fix It’ because the way you are fixing it, I can see that you are doing it for the overall interest of the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“My respected honourable colleagues and my brother, the Prince of Zazzau, the Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, this year will be highly eventful for the Zazzau Emirate…

“My honorable colleagues, especially those who are looking at me eyeball to eyeball. Don’t imagine that my appearance here is by accident. Don’t think you are day-dreaming; you are not day-dreaming; this is reality. Before you is Rt. Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa, the Chief Whip of the 8th Assembly and by the leave of my colleagues and the Honourable Speaker, the Majority Leader of the 9th House of Representatives.

“I am here to put on the record that not just from today, that right from day one that the National Working Committee of my party put it on the table that they have come up with their zoning arrangement, and after zoning with all sense of morality micro-zoned it to the North West, and micro-micro-zoned it to my brother Tajudeen Abbas, representing Zaria Federal Constituency of North West Nigeria, as from that day, I therefore called off my bid to contest for the speakership of the 10th House of Representatives.

“I had to do that because I’m a man of the establishment. I had to do that because I’m also a beneficiary of the same kind of arrangement. I have benefitted from party arrangements, I have personally benefited from this zoning arrangement. That was what gave me the position of the Chief Whip of the 8th House of Representatives.  Even when there were issues, still the zoning helped me.

“Today I’m the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives courtesy of the National Working Committee of my party. My great brothers and sisters, courtesy demands that it’s only fair that I also stand by the position of the National Working Committee of my party.

“It’s not like the table is turning against me, no. It’s just that time has come for me to also pay back. And I think paying back in this circumstance is a great responsibility that I must oblige.

“I rise before you this evening my colleagues and Rt. Honorable Femi Gbajabiamila, and flanking me are Rt. Hon. Abdulraheem Tunji Olaoye and Rt. Hon. Makki Abubakar Yalleman. We are here individually and collectively stepping into this great campaign.

“We all wanted to be Speakers not because we knew there could be so many Speakers at every given point in time, there can be only one Speaker and we have individually and collectively decided to come and surrender our bids to be Speaker to our great party, and we also defer on record to our great gentleman that was picked by the party to run for the Speakership officially on behalf of our great party, Rr. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas.

“We are also of the opinion that the selection process of the Art. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas was not in any way bias. We are also quite aware that the person of Tajudeen Abbas and his running mate, are qualified to hold their respective offices,” he said.

Recall that the Group of Seven comprising the outgoing Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Idris Wase (Plateau); Muktar Aliyu Betara (Borno); Aliyu Sani Jaji (Zamfara); Yusuf Adamu Gagdi (Plateau); Miriam Onuoha (Imo); Alhassan Ado Doguwa (Kano); Sada Solo Jibia (Katsina) and Makki Abubakar Yalleman (Jigawa), with the exception of Olaoye all swore to back one aspirant from them to run against the party’s anointed candidate.

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