The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi
Gbajabiamila has informed that the House would commence work on the
Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB) and the amendment of the
1999 Constitution next year.
The Speaker said both the constitution review and the PIGB are
part of the bills that the House would be given priority in
2020.
Gbajabiamila noted that the House would do everything within its
powers to give Nigeria the best in terms of laws that would promote
peace and good governance in the country.
Speaking at a retreat organised for chairmen of standing
committees of the House by the National Institute for Legislative
and Democratic Studies (NILDS), in Lagos on Friday, the Speaker
also tasked the chairmen to work with their deputies and other
members of the committees as a team.
He noted that Nigerians have high expectations on the
Legislature, hence they must work hard to meet such.
“We have been elected at a time of great upheaval at home and
abroad. We are confronted with great peril; oil prices have fallen
and refuse to go back up, our population growth continues to
outpace economic growth, we are besieged on all sides by rising
insecurity and its consequences.
“How do we build an economy that is attractive to investment,
that creates jobs to meet our present needs, and grows apace to
meet future demands? How do we build a society where the weak are
not afflicted by the powerful, where our differences of gender and
tribe, religion and opinion are not weaponised to deprive any
citizen of life, of liberty or the freedom to pursue happiness?
“How do we achieve the promise of greatness that so long ago
caused the world to look upon us and say, here comes the giant of
Africa? These are the questions that should engage our interests
and animate our efforts because in the answer to these questions
lies the best dreams we have for ourselves and the highest
ambitions we hold for our country,” the Speaker said.
Gbajabiamila expressed happiness that the sum of N2 billion was
approved in the 2020 budget by the National Assembly for the
takeoff of a legislative library, saying the Legislature is the
conscience of a nation, as such, it needs a befitting library.
“Where it is the responsibility of the executive to implement
programmes and execute projects, it falls to us to articulate
through legislation, the broad objectives of our nationhood, and
through oversight, hold the executive accountable to those
objectives. The standing Committees you each lead are the principal
instruments of legislation and oversight.
“Whatever we are, whatever we will achieve, and everything we
will be remembered for in this House of Representatives depends on
how well your Committees function and how effectively you serve as
leaders of those Committees.
“Our ability to rise to the responsibilities of our offices are
often constrained by institutional weaknesses that have been for
too long left unaddressed. We are here to critically examine how we
operate in the House of Representatives.
“Let us take full advantage of the opportunity provided by this
seminar, away from the hassle and hustle of our offices to speak
honestly about the deficiencies we have observed, identify the
areas where we are lacking and consider the options available for
reform. This is the first, necessary step towards achieving the
other high objectives to which we have committed ourselves
individually and as one House.
“Ensuring collaboration and cooperation amongst members of the
Committees you lead is a sine qua non of effective Committee
management. Keep in mind, that collaboration is not merely the
absence of conflict or rancour. Collaboration requires that you
actively engage the experience and intellect of your members in
problem-solving, policy development, policy implementation,
monitoring and reporting.”
The Speaker also commended the lawmakers for their commitment to
the passage of the 2020 budget, which he said would bring the
budget cycle to January to December.
On his part, the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu,
who was a special guest at the occasion, also commended the
National Assembly for passing the budget on time “for the first
time since 1999.
He said with the zeal and commitment exhibited so far by members
of the 9th House under the leadership of Gbajabiamila, he believed
they would achieve a lot in the next four years.
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Sowore of
Sahara Reporters, AAC Presidential Candidate
How DSS Re-Arrested Sowore at High CourtHow DSS
Re-Arrested Sowore after Court Proceedings
The operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have
re-arrested the Publisher of Sahara Reporters and the convener of
#RevolutionNow, Omoyele Sowore, and his co-defendant Olawale Bakare
after a court Proceedings.
The operatives claimed that they wanted to ask Sowore some
questions in their office.
This is coming less than 24 hours of his release from detention
on the order of Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu. The trial assumed a
different dimension after the judge had adjourned the trial till
February 11, next year.
As Sowore and Bakare were leaving the courtroom and the judge
was already attending to another case, DSS operatives attempted to
arrest them.
Sowore rushed back into the court with the secret operatives
rushing after him, a development that disrupted the ongoing
proceedings at the court as his supporters and legal team shielded
him from the attempt to arrest him.
Meanwhile, Olawale Bakare, co-defendant to Sowore has been
allegedly declared missing. While Sowore was driven back to the DSS
in Falana’s car, where he was re-arrested and detained.
The operatives of the agency are currently searching for Bakare
in different parts of Abuja. The uncertainty surrounding Bakare’s
whereabouts at the moment has indeed added a new twist to the
matter.
Meanwhile, Sowore’s counsel has described the action of the DSS
as a “horrendous, bizarre, and barbaric contempt of court” never
witnessed under “even the most brutal of past dictators that had
ever ruled Nigeria”.
He said, “Under the military regime, the so-called enemies of the
government would not be arrested in the web of the court which is
considered a sanctuary.
“The military regimes would always show some respect for the
court and would only arrest after the person left the court
premises.
“What we have witnessed today is alien to Nigeria.”
He said at a meeting which Justice Ojukwu called to be held in
her chambers with him and the prosecuting counsel, Hassan Liman
(SAN), the judge “expressed dismay” over the development as she
said, “she was made to flee her court”.
After the meeting Falana and the prosecuting counsel, Hassan
Liman (SAN), held with the judge, the defence lawyer criticised the
operatives’ move to make an arrest within the court premises.
He offered to drive his client to the DSS headquarters in
Abuja.
The operatives agreed with the arrangement as they drove in
vehicles in front and behind Falana’s car while they made their way
to the DSS headquarters.
Sowore’s lawyer, Femi Falana insisted that the arrest should be
effected outside the court premises which the operatives
obliged
The DSS had early obeyed a court order by releasing the previous
day after Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court in Abuja
had expressed displeasure over the refusal of the Department of
State Service (DSS) to release Sowore and his co- accused, Olawale
Bakare.
The Judge had ordered DSS to release Sowore within 24 hours and
that the evidence of his release must be made available to the
court for confirmation.
Sowore, the publisher of Sahara reporter and his co-defendant
are facing a seven-count charge bordering on conspiracy to commit
treasonable felony in breach of Section 516 of the Criminal Code
Act, money laundering and cybercrimes amongst others.
They pleaded not guilty to the charge and were granted bail on
October 4, in the sum of N100m and N50m respectively with two
sureties in like sum.
For Sowore, one of the sureties according to the judge must
deposit the sum of N50m cash as security for the bail.
However, the court had two weeks later varied the bail
conditions following a request to that effect.
Justice Ojukwu had signed the release of the bail of the
defenfants after they met the bail conditions.
But the DSS had refused to release the defendants even after
evidence that they have met the conditions attached to the
bail.
However at the resumed hearing on yesterday Justice Ojukwu was
infuriated that her order on the release of the defendants was yet
to be obeyed.
Counsel to the defendants, Femi Falana SAN had complained to the
court that its order as regards release of documents and the
defendants who have been granted bail and have met the attached
conditions has not been complied with by the prosecution.
Falana, who told Justice Ojukwu that one month after the court
ordered service of documents to be tendered on the defence, the
prosecution only served the defence the documents yesterday and
hence would be needing time to study the documents as well as watch
the attached videos with the defendants.
He also prayed the court to direct the prosecution to serve the
full statements of all listed witnesses instead of a summary
statement to aid their defence.
The defendants lawyer further told the court that he was having
difficulty gaining access to his client who is still in custody of
the prosecution despite meeting his bail conditions.
At this instant, Justice Ojukwu called on the prosecution
counsel to explain why Sowore and Bakare were still in their
custody.
Responding, prosecution counsel, Hassan Liman SAN, admitted that
the order was served on the prosecution but the defendants were yet
to be released because the DSS had asked their sureties to come for
identification.
Interjecting, Justice Ojukwu asked the prosecution counsel
whether that request was part of the Court’s order.
“Is that part of the order, is there a parrallel court here, who
is directing that? Is there another court else where? The court
queried.
Justice Ojukwu expressed pain that the DSS could flout her
orders even after she took time to ensure that the bail conditions
were met.
In a short ruling, the judge ordered that the defendants be
released within the next 24 hours and adjourned to Friday November
6 for report of compliance.
On the request for adjournment by Sowore’s lawyer for time to
study the documents and videos tendered as evidence against Sowore,
Justice Ojukwu held that because the adjournment was created by the
prosecution she was inclined to award cost against the
prosecution.
She recalled that while adjourning the matter on November, she
had ordered that the prosecution serves all necessary documents it
intends to tender on the defence before the commencement of trial
on Thursday.
“Since the last time, you did not deem it necessary to serve”,
she said while refusing Liman’s claim that the late service was due
to administrative bottleneck.
Justice Ojukwu subsequently awarded a cost of N100,000 against
the Prosecution, adding that trial would only go on upon payment of
the N100,000 fine.
The DSS had on August 3, 2019 arrested Sowore in Lagos, for
calling for a revolution through a protest scheduled to hold on
August 5, while Bakare was arrested in Osogbo on October 5.
Since their arrest they have remained in the custody of the
DSS.