Across the length and breadth of Nigeria, here are the biggest stories around Nigeria’s legislators and the institution of parliament you mustn’t miss this Monday:
“National Assembly Budget, too low” – Reps Spokesman, Kalu
The lawmaker representing Bende Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Rep. Benjamin Kalu, has lamented what he described as low appropriation for the National Assembly.
Speaking at the End-of-Year Get-Together and Award Ceremony of the House of Representatives Press Corps in Abuja over the weekend, the House Spokesperson, however, expressed hope that the Ninth National Assembly would push it forward to accommodate other responsibilities they have as lawmakers.
“The budget of the National Assembly is low. We cannot function as expected by the mandate of the constitution relying on that budget. People can criticize it the way they want. I have said it from the day I came to the National Assembly; you cannot get the efficiency that we want to drive the legislature by depending on the current budget as it is,” Kalu said.
2023: “No excuses would be good enough” – Buhari to INEC
President Muhammadu Buhari says he has ensured that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) receive all the resources needed to conduct credible polls in 2023.
During an interactive session in Washington DC, USA, the President disclosed this on Saturday, stating that they were given all the resources they asked because he wouldn’t want excuses that the government denied them funds, presidential media aide Garba Shehu wrote.
“Since 2015, the conduct of our elections continues to steadily improve. From the 2019 general elections, the by-elections and the off-season elections in Edo, Ekiti, Anambra and Osun States were conducted in largely improved contexts to the satisfaction of contestants and voters.
That is what we hope for in 2023. Through the observatory roles of the international community, the credibility of the elections can be further enhanced to make the acceptability of the outcome to the contestants and political parties a non-issue.’’
Cryptocurrency: Reps considering legislation to regulate digital currencies
Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Capital Markets and Institutions, Babangida Ibrahim, has disclosed that the Green Chamber will soon pass a law allowing digital currencies in Nigeria.
Speaking to the PUNCH Newspaper in an interview on Saturday, Rep Ibrahim pointed out that the Investments and Securities Act, 2007 (Amendment) Bill, when passed and signed into law, will allow the Securities and Exchange Commission to recognise cryptocurrency and other digital funds as capital for investment.
“We need an efficient and vibrant capital market in Nigeria. For us to do that, we have to be up to date global practices. In recent times, there are a lot of changes within the capital market, especially with the introduction of digital currencies, commodity exchanges and so many other things that are essential, that need to be captured in the new Act,” the lawmaker explained.
NDDC Board: Court halts Senate from confirming Lauretta Onochie as Chairperson
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, has ordered that the National Assembly suspends the screening and confirmation of Presidential New Media Aide, Ms Lauretta Onochie, as Chairperson of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Board.
The Court held that all actions on the matter be suspended pending the determination of the suit filed on Monday, December 12 2022, by the Itsekiri Leaders of Thought (ILOT) and Omadino Unity Forum, which challenges the nomination of Ms Onochie as Chairperson and Samuel Ogbuku as Managing Director respectively, of the NDDC Board.
The groups who maintain that it is the turn of the Itsekiri Ethnic Nationality, “being the highest oil producing community in Delta State,” to produce the Board Chair and MD describe the nomination and hitherto confirmation of the duo as a threat to the rights of the Itsekiri people.
READ ALSO: NDDC: Buhari nominates Presidential Social Media Aide; Onochie as Board Chair
N407.32 billion Debt: Osun Assembly moves to investigate Governor’s claim
The Osun State House of Assembly says it will commence an investigation into Governor Ademola Adeleke’s claim that the state’s debt profile rose to N407.32 billion under his predecessor, Adegboyega Oyetola.
Chairman of the House Committee on Information & Publicity, Kunle Akande, in a statement on Friday, noted that the Assembly as the accredited representatives of the people, is duty-bound to seek clarifications and inform the people of the State accordingly.
“In this regard, we have instructed the appropriate agencies of government to immediately furnish the House with the updated details of the State’s debt and financial profile. We hereby call on all investors and business owners not to be alarmed by the said debt profile of the State,” he noted.
Ojochenemi Onje-James
Ojochenemi Onje-James is a research writer and journalist with years of proven footprints in areas of crime and politics. She has a M.Sc in International Relations and Strategic Studies as well as a B.Sc in Mass Communication.
