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The Senate on Thursday went into an emergency closed-door session sequel to a heated disagreement between a former Senate President, Senator Ahmad Lawan (Yobe North) and the incumbent Senate President, Godswill Akpabio during plenary. According to the Senate rules, plenary is supposed to commence by 10am and rounds off by 2pm. But the rule has been jettisoned as senators come to the chamber as late as 11am and sometimes extend the 2pm closing time to enable them exhaust items on the Order Paper. Daily Trust reports that on Thursday, the Senate sought to formally amend its rules to shift the…

A former governor of Abia state, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has commended the Supreme Court verdict which granted financial autonomy to local government areas. In its lead judgement read by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the apex court mandated the Federal Government to begin immediate and direct payment of local government funds to the latter’s exclusive accounts. The Supreme Court scolded the decades-long refusal of the state government on financial autonomy for local governments. While reacting to the judgement, Kalu, who is the lawmaker representing Abia North Senatorial District in the National Assembly applauded the judiciary, describing the judgement as courageous. He…

A fresh showdown is imminent in the House of Representatives as over 150 aggrieved first-time members are up in arms against the House leadership over alleged marginalisation and exclusion from legislative business. Already, the embittered federal lawmakers have formed a pressure group, codenamed “Novelty Group,” as a veritable platform for realising their mission and vision. The group’s inaugural meeting, initially scheduled for Abuja yesterday evening, was abruptly cancelled following the death of a House member, Hon Olaide Adewale Akinremi. Until his passage, Hon Akinremi represented Ibadan North Federal Constituency of Oyo State on the platform of the governing All Progressives…

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE PRESIDENT TINUBU WELCOMES SUPREME COURT JUDGEMENT AFFIRMING CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS President Bola Tinubu welcomes the decision of the Supreme Court of Nigeria affirming the spirit, intent, and purpose of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the statutory rights of local governments. The President states that a fundamental challenge to the nation's advancement over the years has been ineffective local government administration, as governance at the critical cellular level of socio-political configuration is nearly absent. The President emphasizes that the onus is now on local council leaders to ensure that the broad…

The lawmaker representing Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Chief Ibe Okwara Osonwa says Governor Alex Otti has taken the development of nano and micro entrepreneurs in the state to a higher level. The lawmaker in a chat with journalists in Abuja, while reacting to the official launch of the Abia State Cooperative Support Scheme, and disbursement of credit facilities to 10,000 nano and micro businesses drawn from the 184 wards in Abia state commended Governor Alex Otti for his efforts towards creating a better future for all Abians. He noted that the Abia State Cooperative Support Scheme…

A bill to alter the 1999 Constitution as amended to create Aba State in the South-East passed through first reading in the House of Representatives on Thursday. The bill is sponsored by Hon. Hon. Ginger Onwusibe of Isialangwa North/Isialangwa South Federal Constituency and three other lawmakers from Abia state. They include Hon. Munachim Alozie (Osisioma/Ugwunagbo/Obingwa Federal Constituency) Hon. Chris Nkwonta (Ukwa East/ Ukwa West Federal Constituency) and Hon. Ifeanyi Ikwechegh, representing Aba North/Aba South Federal Constituency. The proposed Aba State will have 9 local government areas. The local government to be affected are Aba North, Aba South, Isiala Ngwa North,…

A Northern Nigerian sociopolitical group under the auspices of Arewa Next Generation Leaders has slammed the leadership of the 10th National Assembly, describing them as rubber stamp, ineffective and too slow. The group said it is a sign of failure for the National Assembly not to have checkmated the executive to implement the capital components of the 2024 budget. The group in statement by Mallam Nasiru Muh’d on Thursday in Kaduna, said it was a total shame and total embarrassment for the country to be operating three different budgets in 2024, without implementing the capital components of the 2024 budget.…

The Supreme Court has delivered judgment in the suit instituted by the Federal Government against the 36 state governors of the federation on local government autonomy. In the suit, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), sought full autonomy and direct fund allocation to the 774 local governments in the country. He asked the apex court to invoke sections 1, 4, 5, 7 and 14 of the constitution to declare that the governors and state houses of assembly are under obligation to ensure democratically elected systems at the third tier. In its lead judgement…

The lawmaker representing Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, Hon. Ibe Okwara Osonwa, has urged investors to take advantage of the conducive environment in the Federal Constituency, and Abia State at large to invest in areas of their choice. According to the lawmaker, investors and potential investors can invest in the opportunities that abound in Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency of Abia State. The lawmaker, who made the call when he visited the Tunisian Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency, Ambassador Mohsen Antit, at the Tunisian Embassy on Wednesday in Abuja. He described Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency as an investment destination with several…

The Petroleum Retail Owners Association of Nigeria (PROAN) said true open market price for petroleum is between N1500- N1950, but Nigerians will not be able to afford it. The President of the association, Dr. Billy Gillis-Harry disclosed this in an interview with Arise Television on Tuesday. Gillis-Harry warned against pegging Nigeria’s petroleum prices to the international market, stating, “If you land your product (fuel) within the range of N1500-N1950, obviously Nigerians can’t afford to buy that. So there’s no need to even try.” He pointed out that the average global price of a litre of fuel is about a dollar…