Senate Probes Alleged Plot by 22 Senators to Sabotage President Buhari

 Following a publication in a newspaper, alleging 22 northern senators of the APC, who took part in the vote of confidence on the Senate President and other leaders of the Senate, were plotting to frustrate the present administration, the Senate has directed its Committee on Ethics and Privilege to investigate the allegations.

According to Guardian, the reports read: 

“Twenty-two northern senators elected on the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform have been identified as teaming up with the opposition to work against President Muhammadu Buhari and the ruling party. “The senators allegedly teamed up with 46 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators in the Red Chamber to pass a confidence vote in the leadership of the Senate under Dr. Bukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu, a PDP senator. “Thirty-five APC senators were among the 81 who purportedly endorsed the vote of confidence in the principal officers of the Senate.”

The report added that 22 out of the senators were from the North and were consequently accused of working against the party on which platform they were elected into the National Assembly.

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Don't Intimidate Us With EFCC - PDP Warns Federal Government

 Senators of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, have warned the Federal Government against using the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to intimidate them, vowing to resist such attempt.

They asked President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that some people do not use his name to misuse state machinery in fighting their perceived political opponents in the guise of waging anti-corruption war.

A statement on Friday by Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, on behalf of PDP senators, read,

“As much as we are not against the anti-corruption agencies performing their statutory duties, the invitation by EFCC to the wife of the Senate President, Mrs. Toyin Saraki, clearly indicated that the threat by a group within the National Assembly to use all means to fight the National Assembly leadership is now being carried out.

“Nigerians should ask the EFCC what it was waiting for all this while before realising that it would need to invite Mrs. Saraki when she left the Government House with her husband in 2011. And why should the invitation come a few days after a senator threatened that his group would bring the senate president down?

“We also think that the same witch-hunt that the wife of the senate president is suffering now is the same thing happening to his deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who the police have been disturbing. But at the right time, we will jointly make our opinion known on the harassment of our leaders.”

The Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, on Friday said the invitation of Mrs. Toyin Saraki, wife of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission was politically motivated.

However, during a media briefing in Ilorin after the state APC’s executive meeting, the state APC Chairman, Alhaji Ishola Balogun-Fulani, described the EFCC’s invitation as a calculated attempt to dent the image of the senate president and his wife.

He cautioned EFCC to avoid being used for political vendetta.

Balogun-Fulani said,

“The EFCC’s invitation of Mrs. Saraki was a shock to the APC in Kwara State because five years after her husband left office as the governor, the anti-graft agency thought it wise to invite his wife for questioning.”

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Nigerian Senate Passes Bill For Rapists To Get Life Imprisonment Sentence - Report

 The Nigerian Senate has passed the bill for an Act to prohibit violence against persons with provisions strengthening sanctions against offenders, including life jail for rapists.

 The bill, sponsored by Victor Ndoma-Egba, was passed at Thursday’s plenary and it was approved with  favourable voice votes.

Speaking at the session, Senate President, David Mark, said the legislation would address some of the evil customs of the society, adding that the law would sufficiently protect the people from the excesses of such devilish people.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the legislation seeks to eliminate violence in private and public life.It specifically prohibits all forms of violence, ranging from physical, sexual, psychological, domestic, harmful traditional practices and discrimination, against persons.

NAN further reports that its provision provides maximum protection and effective remedies for victims and punishment for offenders.The proponents of the bill had argued that the right of persons to freedom and security must be guaranteed.

 Sections one and two of the legislation have now increased punishment for rape and other forceful sexual activities.A person convicted under the section, according to the bill, is liable to imprisonment for life.

However, where the victim is less than 14 years of age, the offender shall be liable to a minimum of 14 years imprisonment.

“Where the act described under this section is committed by a group of persons, the offence shall be known as gang rape.

“And on conviction the persons shall be liable jointly and severally to a minimum of 20 years imprisonment without an option of fine.

 “The court shall also award appropriate compensation to the victim as it may deem fit in the circumstance,’’ according to the bill. Source

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Senate Officially Approves President Goodluck Jonathan's $1billion Loan To Fight Boko Haram

 The Senate, today, approved the $1billion (N165bn) loan requested by President Goodluck Jonathan in July to help in the fight against terrorism and tackle insecurity in the country.

 The loan would be used for the purchase of military equipment and the training of military personnel.

The loan approved will be in addition to the N968.127bn voted for Defence in the 2014 budget by the federal government.

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President Goodluck Jonathan Seeks $1billion Loan To Fight Boko Haram - Report

 President Goodluck Jonathan in a letter sent to the House of Representatives this morning, asked the Rep members to approve a request for an external loan of $1billion (about N165billion) which would be used to upgrade the equipment of the Armed Forces in the fight of the insurgent group, Boko Haram.

“I would like to bring to your attention the urgent need to upgrade the equipment, training and logistics of our armed forces and security services to enable them to more forcefully confront this serious threat,” Jonathan said in a letter dated July 15 and read out today in the capital, Abuja, by Senate President David Mark. The $1 billion may be sourced from other governments, said Jonathan.

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Senate Clears NNPC And Minister Of Petroleum Mrs. Deziani Allison Madueke Of Alleged N49.8b Missing Money

 The Senate Committee on Finance investigating the NNPC over allegations of fraud leveled against it by the suspended Governor of the Central Bank Of Nigeria, Mallam Lamido Sanusi, today Wednesday May 28th submitted its concluded report to the Senate saying no funds were missing, according to The Will Nigeria.

Sanusi had spuriously claimed in a leaked letter to President Goodluck that $49.8 billion in crude oil revenue was missing.

The detailed report according to sources at the Senate also cleared the NNPC and the Ministry of Petroleum of any wrong doing.

The report however directed the NNPC and the Ministry of Finance as well as other relevant agencies to reconcile a sum believed to be around $300 million dollars.

THEWILL can also report that the Senate said the suspended Governor of the Central Bank was hasty and got his figures wrong.

The report further recommended the immediate passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) as the Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Deziani Allison-Madueke continues to sanitise the industry.

The Senate Committee on Finance is under the chairmanship of Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi (Kaduna PDP).  The committee took about 5 months to complete its assignment.

Source: LindaIkeji

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N500bn Funds missing - Senate

 Nigerian Senate on Tuesday, 5th November, announced that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation had not accounted for the N32 removed as subsidy on each litre of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) sold from January 2012 to September 2013.

It lamented that officials of the NNPC failed to honour its invitation to give account of how they managed the fuel subsidy  fund.

Members of the Senate  committee on the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme raised the alarm after NNPC and the Central Bank of Nigeria officials failed to honour an appointment with them on Tuesday.

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