Saraki Gives juicy positions to Known Enemies.

Following the Dino and Tinubu saga, the  Senate President, Bukola Saraki, reshuffles the leaderships of the Senate’s committees.

Mr. Saraki’s biggest critic, Kabiru Marafa, was appointed chairman of the Petroleum (downstream) Committee. He was chairman of the Committee on National Population.

Also, Oluremi Tinubu, a key member of the anti-Saraki Unity Forum, was named chairperson of the Committee on Environment.
Previously, she headed the Committtee on Women Affairs.

The Senate President made the announcement shortly before the senate adjourned on Thursday.

Suleiman Hukunyi, a known critic of the senate president, will now be in charge of the Committee on National Identity.

The re-composition of the Senate committees was one of the conditions put forward by Unity Forum Senators for peace to return to the troubled assembly.

The Full event between Dino and Mr's Tinubu.

The Dino and Mr's Tinubu political saga takes us further into the lack of manners, personality, tolerance and humanity in our political cosum.

In a press release Dino stated how the events unfolded. Some believed some didn't.
Nigeria's humiliation has in most cases come from our politically families. 
What has menopause, impregnation, dog, thug,  got to do with passing bills that will be of benefit to the people?

It is said that Dino first accused the Senate of been a tool in the hands of the President, to which Tinubu's wife reacted to,
Sources said Mrs. Tinubu, wife to  former Lagos Governor Bola Tinubu, addressed the senate, saying “I’m just wondering why whenever Senator Dino speaks in this chamber, he is always threatening people and behaving childishly and at times like a thug.
“I think he needs to know that every senator here represents their constituencies. And that there is no need to threaten anyone.
“We are seeking and working towards reconciliation, yet you are busy issuing threats.”

Dino was said to have lashed out at her and charged towards her only to be calmed by other members of the House.

In a press release Dino said the reports were all false.

His statement:
It is my sincere pleasure to address you this morning. It wouldn't have been necessary to address you on the subject matter am about to address you on but it has become expedient that despite the fact what I am addressing you transpired in the executive session of the senate but because of the misinformation by people of inundinate ambition out there. It has not only become expedient but it has become very, very paramount that I address you on this subject matter.
On Tuesday, the 12th of July, we had an executive session to discuss basically on the issue of forgery case in court and when I stood up to address and I want to say that on my honour as a christian on my honour as a father and on the oath of my office as a senator of the federal Republic of Nigeria I am telling you the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I have never being a coward, I will not start an apprenticeship programme now on how to become a coward. Whatever I say anywhere I can boldly repeat everywhere. When I stood up and I made my submissions that day in the senate, all I did was to pacify my colleagues and asked that the case in court be withdrawn because already there is a resolution of the senate that the rules of the senate were not forged and since there was a resolution of the senate that the rules of the senate were not forged then I said all those who have gone to court should go and withdraw their names from court and that if at the end of the day those who refused to withdraw their names from court we should penalised them by suspending them, I said that.
But I did not use any insolent abusive degrading or mannerless language. So there was no reaction from any of our colleagues as regards my presentation. After I spoke so many other senators spoke and I did not mention the name of any senators while I was making my presentation, unfortunately senator Oluremi Tinubu got up and was recognised to speak and immediately she started speaking she specifically mentioned my name even when in my presentation I did not mention anybody names I only appeal to the sensitivity of my colleagues and asked them to withdraw their case from court and reminded them already that there was a resolution of the senate that the rules were not forged. But because of reasons only known to senator Oluremi Tinubu she got up the first thing she said was that she's being harrassed in this chamber by senator Melaye. I kept quite at that point, she went ahead to say that why will he come here and be threathening senators and there was a large chorus from senators how, when, where, senators reacted. At that point I was still very calm, she got up again and said that this thug must be tamed at that point I got up and I told her that she is very stupid. The next statement from her is that you are a dog. She called me a dog and when she called me a dog I stood up and I reacted and I told her that this is not Bourdillon and that she should look at my face, I am not one of those senators who normally come to prostrate to them in Bourdillon. And I told her I am from Kogi State, I am not from Lagos State and that there would never be a day that I will come to you for political assistance. This were my words and she went on shouting dog, thug.
I want to tell you gentlemen of the press for every reaction there must be an action. When I got up to address my colleagues she was not the only senators there. If I had used insolent language or foul languages you will know the type of senators we have they would have reacted and some of them would have even addressed you guys by now to say Dino insulted us. But because she acted in the manner she did not one seantor stood up in her defence when I was tongue lashing her. Even the senators from Lagos was there, Ashafa was there he didn't stand up fro his seat. It is not true that anybody circled her because there was no need to. I did not leave the spot where I was sitting I didn't get up from my seat. So there wouldn't have being anybody to but somehow she got falsehood sold to the saharareporters. Nobody amongst those of us who spoke there actually talked about impeachment. Infact the issue of the presidency or president was not the subject matter we were discussing on how the senate can also come together and solve the forgery case. There wouldn't have being any need to even discuss about Buhari or the Presidency but because of deliberate wickedness and satanic manifestations they brought in the issue of presidency to garnish their aim and purpose.
Today, I read on the pages of newspaper that in Nation to be very precise that senator Borrofice calling me names. Unfortunately, this expatriate senator, absentee senator called senator Borrofice was not even in the Chamber and he has not being in the chamber for the past two months. He was not in the chamber, I was surprised maybe he has celestial powers to understand what happens in his absence. For him to open his gutter and pass insolent languages on me. I have never being a coward and I will never be, I fight my battles alone and I stand by it and there is nothing I say anywhere that I cannot repeat everywhere. If there are instances that I am not a super human being, if there are instances where as a human being I have reacted negatively I am also ready to be apologetic about it.
But in this particular instance, I have never mentioned anybody's name, I never even used insolent languages but because they are here to heal from the wound of defeat of the election of the senate president and because of my key role in this exercise where she and her husband called me severally to appeal to me to backoff Saraki and I say I will not backoff Saraki, I will continue to support Saraki, Saraki is my brother, he is my friend and I will continue to support him and this will not change today, it will not change tomorrow, it will not change in this four years of our stay in the Senate.
Every human being can have ambition, it is not a crime to be ambitious. saraki had the ambition of becoming a Senate president and God endorsed it, president Muhammadu Buhari is an ambitious person that is why he contested for the presidency four times before God answered him. I am an ambitious person, I event want to be president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria very soon.
So it is not a crime to be ambitious. So if you go through the papers today there has been a lot of misinformation, a lot of lies, a lot of blackmail, planted stories just to discourage the person and personality of Dino Melaye but I want to assure everyone that I remain resolute in my compaternal convictions, I will continue to stand by the truth, I will continue to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves, I will continue to be a voice to the voiceless and in reaction I heard that Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu said my political career has come to an end. I want to say that Tinubu is no God.
I fear only the God almighty, I fear no soul I only respect souls. So far my political journey to the House of Representatives and the Senate have no political, financial or moral contribution of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the God who has brought me this far is mighty, strong and enough to take me further, what God has given me no man can give and what God has given to me no man can take. I want to assure you that this is the true story of what transpired. It is falacious, malicious and a lie that I said I will impregnate Mrs Tinubu.
Biologically it is even impossible to impregnate Mrs Tinubu because she has arrived menopause. If you also look at that statement for those of us who are intellectually mobile, how can you say you want to beat somebody and at the same time you want to impregnate the person if you juxtapose the two is there any correlation, does it make any logical sense. So, when they planted this falsehood they did not think deeply. I want to say that I will continue to uphold the culture the tradition, the values of the Kogi West Senatorial district and I will not abuse it. But it is absurd for a woman to look for her colleague and call him a thug and a dog when he has not personally addressed you. unfortunately I did not have the anointing to be quite when you are being insulted I replied accordingly. I repeat there is no reaction without an action. If she did not call me a dog or a thug there is no way I would have responded. I responded I have no regrets for responding and defending my person and if tomorrow or in the next 1hour, Senator Tinubu again called me any name I shall equally respond accordingly.

Our Senate as always have been a comic relief to national pressure and stress, but this takes it to a political war level, how it will unfold in the near future is yet uncertain.

Life pension, How Nigerians responded.

Nigerian senators are like dogs that keep eating the bones round her neck.
A poll conducted by Premium Times shows that Nigerians have reacted rather negatively to the proposal of life pension and immunity for National Assembly members. According to Premium Times 1,442 Nigerian twitter users responded and 1,326  condemned this.
Nigerian Senate seems to only make policies that will benefit them and affect the country. In an economy such as Nigerias presently the Senate are thinking of life payment even for offices that leaves no electoral power to the people.
How and what this will mean for Nigeria is left for the future.

Senate accuses Buhari administration of plot to remove Saraki, Ekweremadu

A plot to remove Saraki or just paranoid men in Senate?
Fresh crisis as the Senate makes huge accusations on plot to remove Saraki and Ekweremadu by the Buhari administration.

The Nigerian Senate has accused the Buhari administration of plotting to muzzle the legislature and criminalise legislative processes. The upper chamber said the plot was to cause a leadership change in the National Assembly.

The senate’s stance followed criminal charges of forgery slammed on Senate President Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, by the Federal Government.

“(This) is a return to the era of impunity and lack of respect for due process which we all fought to abolish,” the Senate said in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Aliyu Sabi, on Sunday.

Also charged alongside the two presiding officers are former Clerk to the National Assembly, Salisu Maikasu, and his deputy, Benedict Efeturi.

The four are accused of conspiracy and forgery of Senate Standing Rules that brought Messrs. Saraki and Ekweremadu to office last year.

The suit was filed on June 10, almost a year after Suleiman Hunkuyi, secretary of anti-Saraki Unity Forum, petitioned the Inspector General of Police, demanding criminal investigation into allegation of forgery of Senate Rules used for the elections of the presiding officers last year, June 9.

Earlier, in a statement, Mr. Ekweremadu stressed neither he nor Mr. Saraki was invited for interrogation by the Police or indicted in its July 2015 report to the Attorney-General of the Federation. He queried the basis for the fresh charges filed.

Read the full statement by the Senate:

1. After reading in the national newspapers and online platforms of the planned charges of forgery and conspiracy preferred against the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, his Deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, immediate past Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa and the Clerk of the Senate, Mr. Ben Efeturi and reviewing the circumstances leading to the filing of these charges, we are compelled to alert the good people of Nigeria and the international community, that our democracy is in danger and that the attempt by the Executive Arm of the Federal Government to muzzle the legislature and criminalise legislative processes in order to cause leadership change in the National Assembly is a return to the era of impunity and lack of respect for due process which we all fought to abolish.

2. We urge President Muhammadu Buhari to please call his Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, to order. The Senate of the Federal Republic voted freely to elect its leadership into office and continuing attempts to change that leadership through the wanton abuse of judicial processes cannot stand in the eyes of the world. It is clear that the Attorney General and party leaders behind this action either lack the understanding of the underlining principles of constitutional democracy, the concept of Separation of Powers, checks and balances and parliamentary convention or they just simply do not care if the present democracy in the country survives or collapses in their blinded determination to get Saraki and Ekweremadu by all means necessary, including abuse of office and sacking the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

3. The Nigerian people have enough economic hardship at this time requiring the full attention and cooperation of the three arms of government, instead of these attempts to distract and politicise governance. We are in a state of economic emergency such that what the National Assembly needs at this time are executive bills and proposals aimed at resolving the crises of unemployment, currency depreciation, inflation, crime and insecurity. What the National Assembly needs now are executive bills to build and strengthen institutions to earn revenues, fight corruption and eliminate waste. Instead, we are getting hostile actions aimed at destabilising the National Assembly, distracting Senators from their oversight functions and ensuring good and accountable governance.

4. We must make it clear here to the individuals in the Executive arm and party leadership behind these plots not to mistake the maturity and hand of co-operation being extended to the Presidency by the legislature as a sign of weakness. The National Assembly bent backwards to accommodate various infractions and inefficiencies in pursuit of inter-arms co-operation and national interest. We did not follow up the various infractions because we believe there are bigger issues which the government has to attend to in order to ensure that every Nigerian have food on his table and live comfortably in a secure environment. We know that the country is actually in a state of economic emergency and all hands must be on deck.

5. This latest plot is directed at forcing a change of leadership in the Senate or, in the extreme case, ground the Red Chamber of the National Assembly. Or how do one interpret a move in which the two presiding officers are being set up to be remanded in Kuje Prison or incapacitated from sitting at plenary through a day-to-day trial on a matter that is purely an internal affair of the Senate.

6. This obviously is a dangerous case of violation of the independence of the legislature, undue and unnecessary interference in the internal affairs of the Senate and blatant abuse of the judicial process. The matter now being criminalised was brought to the plenary of the Senate in session, over a year ago. And because it had no support, it was overruled and roundly defeated in chambers. To now take a matter that was resolved on the floor of the Senate to the police and then make it form the subject of a criminal prosecution of freely elected legislators beats all imagination of free thinking men all over the world. The implication is that any matter that fails on the floor of the National Assembly will now be taken to the Police, thereby endangering every Senator and House member. This current move clearly runs contrary to the Doctrine of Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances which are fundamental to the successful operation of the Presidential System of government. It runs counter to the principle outlined by the Supreme Court in the Adesanya Vs Senate case where it was held that nobody should seek to use the courts to achieve what he or she has failed to push through on the floor of the National Assembly.

7. This present efforts, therefore, is clearly a coup against the legislature with the ignoble aim to undermine its independence and subject the law making institution to the whims and caprices of the executive. It is a plan to return Nigeria to the dictatorial era which we have, as a nation, voted to reject. It is a dangerous trend with grave implications for the survival of our democracy and the integrity of the component institutions. This rule of men as against the rule of law is also the reason why the War Against Corruption, one of the cardinal objectives of the present administration, is losing credibility because people perceive it to be selective and, in most cases, aimed at settling political or partisan scores.

8. The Rules of the Senate and how the institution elects its leadership are internal affairs. The Rules of a new Senate are provided by the National Assembly bureaucracy. It has always been so since 1999. After the inauguration of the Senate, if Senators have objections to any part of the Rules, they can follow the procedure for changing it. Senators of the Eighth Senate have no control on the rules applied in the elections of June 9, 2015 because until after their inauguration, they were only Senators-elect, and therefore mere bystanders in the affairs of the Senate.

9. We therefore urge all Nigerians and the International Community to rise up and condemn this blatant attempt to subject the legislature to the control, whims and caprices of the executive. If the Legislative branch falls, democracy fails as there will be no other institution empowered by the Constitution to check and balance the enormous powers of the Executive branch. We also call on the judiciary as the last hope to save our constitutional democracy and stand up for the rule of law, by doing that which is right in this case

Let us Steal without Distractions. So Says Saraki and the Senate

Even with the embattled currency politicians still aim to steal in peace.
Lawmakers, numbering 21, on Saturday, June 18, voted in favour of proposed immunity for presiding officers of the legislature, while 15 voted against it.

The decision was taken at a two day retreat on constitution review, organised by the Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Constitution Review, with the theme, “Towards Ensuring Governance Accountability in Nigerian federalism.’’

The lawmakers argued that presiding officers in the legislature ought to enjoy immunity since its applicable to the executive and judiciary.

The Chairman Senate Committee on Works, Kabiru Gaya, said the essence of immunity was to guard some public office holders against any form of distraction while discharging their duties.

He said, “there are three tiers of government and only two arms enjoy immunity.

“See what is happening to the President of the Senate now. We are not saying the case in court should be stopped.

“But even yesterday we read in the papers that there is a fresh case of forgery of Senate Standing Rule against the presiding officers and some other persons and all is to distabilise us.’’

The Leader of the Senate, Ali Ndume, also supported the proposal for immunity for all presiding officers in the three arms of government.

However, he argued that such immunity should be limited to civil offences committed by the officers.

According to him, “for criminal issues there should be no immunity but for civil offences there should be immunity. Whoever it is that is involved in a criminal matter should be prosecuted.’’

The Minority Leader of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, proposed that all National Assembly members and Houses of Assembly members should be given immunity.

He explained that elected officers, who were saddled with the responsibility of ensuring good governance should be allowed to carry out their functions without any form of interference.

“I propose that all principal officers of the House of Assembly, House of Representatives and Senate, should enjoy immunity like the executive.

“So all parliamentarians who have criminal cases can be invested but they should serve their punishment after office,’’ he said.

However, the Deputy Senate Leaders, Bala Ibn N’ Allah, argued that Nigerians might misconstrue the proposal for immunity for the legislature to mean that they were arrogating so much power to themselves.

He suggested total removal of immunity from all arms of government, adding: ”`Let us remove immunity from everyone and let there be balance.

“If you give immunity to everybody, a legislator may rape a lady and wait to finish his tenure before being prosecuted because he has immunity,’’ he said.

In a similar development, the lawmakers agreed on rotation of governorship positions among different ethnic groups in states.

The lawmakers also proposed that independent candidates should be allowed to vie for political offices and voted against diaspora voting.