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Tinubu Moves To Form Govt Of National Unity, Pacify South East With Senate Presidency

Published

1 year ago

March 12, 2023

… Gbajabiamila May Be Tinubu’s Chief Of Staff

… Gov. El-Rufai/Gov. Ganduje As SGF

Ahead of Monday meeting with the National Assembly members-elect slated at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the President-Elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has moved to form a government of national unity, Vanguard reveals.

Coming after the presidential election whose outcome is perceived in some quarters as controversial, the moves were ultimately initiated to calm frayed nerves around the country and reunite the people.

It was learnt that already, the President-Elect is freely disposed to the zoning of the senate presidency of the incoming 10th National Assembly to the South East to assuage the feeling of real or perceived disparity among the people.

A reliable source who craved anonymity told Vanguard that Tinubu has vowed to leave no stone unturned at ensuring that all parts of the country were embraced in his new government regardless of their political inclinations in the last elections.

The source who is a long standing associate of Tinubu further revealed that Tinubu’s cabinet will be devoid of lopsidedness or ethnic discrimination.

He added that it was one of the agenda to be discussed at the meeting with the members-elect of the national assembly.

He said that Tinubu was said to have already informed some of his proteges among the elected senators to start shopping for anyone from the Southeast as the next Senate President.

It will recalled that despite the Labour Party’s “Obidient” wave in the south east, the zone produced six senators from the ruling APC, thereby placing it in prime position for the office.

The source said that Tinubu’s preference for a South East Senate President may be made known on Monday’s closed door meeting of the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu, his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima; APC Senators and Members of the House of Representatives elect at the State House in Abuja.

“For balance of Power, our President elect understands that to have a rancor free administration, every region must be carried along and the South East is very paramount to him.

“He has confined in us his commitment to support the emergence of a Senate President from the Southeast for the sake of equity, fairness and justice, thus maintaining the balance of power and a sense of inclusion.

“In 2015, the Southeast were told to blame themselves for not voting for APC which could have given them the Senate Presidency. In 2019, they said the Southeast has no ranking Senator but in 2023, there’s no excuse because the Southeast despite the massive votes they gave to the Labour Party still voted for six APC Senators, some of whom are ranking lawmakers.

“Tinubu is fully committed a Senate President of Southeast extraction. I can confirm because he believes it is the right thing to do and the move will also calm frayed nerves in the South-East. He also wants to prevent unnecessary spending, bad blood lobbying which might culminate to hijacking of the National Assembly like it happened in 2015” the source disclosed.

According to the source, the President elect’s preferential candidate may be the Chief Whip and returning Senator, Orji Uzor Kalu who he said was a close ally to Tinubu.

Reps’ Speakership

Another issue the meeting is also expected to discuss is the zoning of the speakership of the 10th House.

According to the source, many ranking members of the House had already shown interests.

He stressed that there was a need to provide an acceptable zoning direction that will be sensitive to the religious affinity of the incoming administration in that Tinubu and the Vice President-Elect, Senator, Kashim Shetima are of the Islamic faith.

Vanguard gathered that at the moment, 5 lawmakers are jostling for the position of the speaker without recourse to either religious sentiment or geopolitical zones.

Amongst the lot are Hon. Aliyu Betara representing Biu/Kwaya federal constituency of Borno State; Aminu Sani Jaji, a former chairman of the House of Representatives committee on National Security and intelligence in the 8th Assembly who has been reelected to represent Kaura Namoda/Birnin Magaji federal constituency of Zamfara state; the current deputy speaker, Hon. Idris Wase from Plateau State; the current spokesman of the House, Hon. Ben Kalu and the majority leader of the 9th House, Hon. Ado Doguwa.

Gbajabiamila may be Tinubu’s Chief of Staff

Another source also told Vanguard that the current Speaker of the 9th House, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, a protege of the President-elect representing Surulere 1 federal constituency of Lagos State is most likely to relinquish his seat in the next assembly for the position of Chief of Staff (CoS) to Tinubu.

Gbajabiamila was initially considered alongside the Minister of Works and Housing and former governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola who may be assigned another portfolio in Tinubu’s government.

Gov. el-Rufai/Gov. Ganduje as SGF

Similarly, Vanguard gathered that the Kaduna State Governor, Governor Nasir el-Rufai is being considered for the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

The choice of el-Rufai is however being weighed with that of Kano State governor, Umar Ganduje.

All the issues, Vanguard gathered are expected to be tabled and discussed at the meeting with the aim of securing the commitment of everyone to form a common front before the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly in June.
VANGUARD

Related Topics:#Tinubu Gbajabiamila Senate Presidency

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How Yahaya Bello Moved $720,000 From State Coffers To Pay Child’s School Fees — EFCC

Published

41 mins ago

April 24, 2024

Editor

Fresh revelations have emerged on the probe of former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as the anti-graft commission says the embattled ex-governor withdrew $720,000 from the state’s accounts to pay his child’s school fees in advance just before he left office on January 27, 2024.

EFCC chief Ola Olukoyede made this known in a chat with journalists at the Commission’s headquarters in the Jabi area of Abuja on Tuesday.

Olukoyede alleged that Bello moved the money from the state coffers to a Bureau de Change operator, and used the money for his child’s school fee in advance.

He said, “A sitting governor, because he knew he was leaving office, moved money directly from the government to Bureau de Change (and) used it to pay his child’s school fee in advance.

“Over $720,000 or thereabout, in anticipation that he was going to leave the Government House. In a poor state like Kogi? And you want me to close my eyes under the guise of ‘I’m being used’. Used by who? At this stage of my life? Used by who?

“I didn’t initiate the case; I inherit the case, I called for the case file and I said there are issues here.”

The EFCC chair sworn to follow the prosecution of the ex-governor to logical conclusion, saying that he will resign as EFCC chairman if Bello is not prosecuted.

He also vowed that all those who obstructed the arrest of the former governor would be brought to book.

The EFCC is seeking to arraign Bello on 19 counts bordering on alleged money laundering, breach of trust and misappropriation of funds to the tune of N80.2 billion.

He said that no matter what anyone does or the amount of attack against the anti-graft agency, he and his men will not relent in helping to sanitise the country.

Bello was the governor of the North Central state from January 27, 2016 to January 27, 2024 when he handed over to his fellow partyman in the All Progressives Congress (APC), Usman Ododo.

On April 17, 2024, armed EFCC operatives laid siege to Bello’s Abuja residence to arrest him but Ododo arrived at the house and allegedly whisked away his predecessor.

The EFCC subsequently declared Bello wanted, warning that obstruction to its operations won’t be tolerated, a moved backed by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, who advised Bello to turn himself in.

Legal Fireworks

Meanwhile, the EFCC has served a copy of the charge sheet of alleged fraud to the tune of N80bn against the immediate past governor on his lawyer, Abdulwahab Mohamed.

This followed a Tuesday order by Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja after Bello’s absence in court.

He was absent from court for his arraignment on a 19-count charge of alleged money laundering to the tune of ₦80bn.

The judge relied on section 384 (4 and 5) of the Administrative and Criminal Justice Act 2015, directing the counsel to the immediate past governor to receive a copy of the charge.

The court held that where it had become impossible to effect personal service of a legal process on a defendant, such could be done through substituted means.

Justice Nwite further held that it was clear that the former governor failed to appear in court for his arraignment.

Although Bello’s lawyer, Mohammed, initially declined to accept the charges and proof of evidence, he was compelled to do so by Justice Nwite.

The judge rejected the plea by the senior lawyer that a junior lawyer in his team, AI Musa, be the one to accept the charges on behalf of the former governor.

A member of the legal team for Bello, Adedayo Adedipe, told the court that his client would have made himself available, but was afraid of lack of fair hearing and justice.

He added that Bello was ready to appear before the court to answer the 19-count charge preferred against him by the EFCC.

Adedipe urged the court, to set aside the ex-parte order of arrest it had earlier issued against the former governor, saying that at the time the order of arrest was made, the charge had not been served on his client.

Illegal Organisation?

Bello had argued that the EFCC was an illegal organisation. According to him, the Federal Government did not consult the 36 states of the federation before enacting the EFCC Act through the National Assembly. He added that section 12 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, required the various Houses of Assembly to ratify the act before it could become operative.

Counsel to the EFCC, Kemi Phinheiro, however, urged the court to dismiss the application, insisting that the warrant of arrest should not be set aside until the defendant makes himself available for trial.

He argued that Bello did not have the legal ground to file numerous applications while in hiding.

Justice Nwite had last week issued a bench warrant against Bello following an application to that effect by EFCC.

The EFCC subsequently declared the former governor wanted for his persistent absence in court and for evading the criminal charges against him.

Source: Channels TV

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Why Yahaya Bello Was Absent In Court — Lawyer

Published

11 hours ago

April 23, 2024

Editor

Act through the National Assembly. He added that section 12 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, required the various Houses of Assembly to ratify the act before it could become operative.

He argued that Bello did not have the legal ground to file numerous applications while in hiding.

The senior lawyer added that the applications he was filing, were tactics intended to delay his arraignment, as the main issue was to determine his whereabouts.

He adds that if Bello wanted the order of his arrest to be discharged, he should come before the court and make the application.

Justice Nwite then ordered that the charge sheet of the N84bn fraud allegation against Bello be served on his lawyer.

The EFCC added that it would not execute the arrest warrant until the counsel to Bello undertakes to ensure his presence at the next adjourned date.

Justice Nwite had last week issued a bench warrant against Bello following an application to that effect by EFCC.

The EFCC subsequently declared the former governor wanted for his persistent absence in court, and for evading the criminal charges against him.

News

Nollywood Actress, Kate Henshaw Calls For Establishment Of More PHCs In Bauchi

Published

12 hours ago

April 23, 2024

Editor

Nigerian Nollywood actress, Kate Henshaw has called for the establishment of more Primary Healthcare Centres in Bauchi state to enhance immunization exercise in the state.

The UNICEF ambassador made the call in Bauchi on Wednesday while briefing newsmen on her field trip with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Bauchi Field Office to observe immunization exercises in Bauchi state.

Kate Henshaw, who was very impressed with the turnout of women for the vaccine in the state, commended UNICEF and the Bauchi state government for their commitment to fight malnutrition and improve the health status of mothers and children in the state.

The 2008 Africa Movie Academy Award winner said “there is the need for the establishment of more Primary Healthcare Centres because I could guess that maybe the distance that the women have to travel in order to get care or to take their children could be a barrier.

“Also, I observed that the mode of transportation is motorcycles and I wouldn’t feel too comfortable carrying my baby on a bike going all the way.

“So, there has to be a better incentive which is bringing the care to them closer. Even if you will have to bring skilled workers to them at home but also make sure that they come to the hospital to deliver

“Bring it closer to them so that they don’t have an excuse not to bring their child either for nutritional stuff or immunization.

“More of the community health centres and primary healthcare centres closer to the people is important”.

Also, Dr Rane Tushar, UNICEF Chief of Field Office, Bauchi commended the medical practitioners in the state for amplifying its intervention and sought for more collaboration.

He urged them to keep sensitizing mothers through their reportage, the importance of immunization both the routine and the periodical on their children.