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JUST IN: President Tinubu Writes Reps, Requests For N24bn Reimbursement To Nasarawa, Kebbi States

Published

6 months ago

May 16, 2024

Gloria Ikibah

… transmit National Anti-Doping Bill, FCT supplementary statutory budget

By Gloria Ikibah

President Bola Tinubu has requested for the approval of the Federal Government’s refund of N24 billion to Nasarawa and Kebbi State governments, in order to takeover the airports built by the two states.

The President’s request was conveyed in a letter addressed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Abbas Tajudeen, which was read on Thursday by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, who presided over plenary.

President Tinubu is seeking House approval to refund over N15 billion to the Kebbi State Government and N9 billion to the Nasarawa State Government.

Kebbi State had earlier allocated funds for the construction of the ‘Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport in Birnin Kebbi’, while Nasarawa State Government invested N9 billion in building the Lafia Cargo Airport in Nasarawa.

The letter reads: “Aviation, including airports, safety of aircraft, and carriage of passengers and goods by air” were under the control of the Federal Government as provided in the 1999 Constitution (As amended).”

“Establishment of a promissory note programme in favour of the Kebbi and Nasarawa State governments for the reimbursement of the respective costs of the construction of newly built airports in those states that have been taken over by the federal government.

“The House of Representatives is invited to note that at the Executive Council meeting of the Federal Executive Council FEC, which was held on the 23rd day of May 2023, it was approved as follows:

“That a promissory note in the sum of N9,000,542,651,786.11 be issued to the Nasarawa State government as a refund for the takeover of the newly constructed Nasarawa Airport.

“That a promissory note in the sum of N15,137,336,95.88 only be issued to Kebbi State state government as refund for the takeover of Bernin Kebbi International Airport.

“The House of Representatives may wish to note that by the provisions of item three of the second schedule of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended, aviation, including airports, safety of aircraft, and carriage of passengers and goods by air, fall under the exclusive legislative list.

“The impact of this is that ownership, regulation, and control of airports in Nigeria are exclusive to the Federal Government.

“In light of the above, I urge the House of Representatives to consider and grant concurrent approval for the establishment of the promissory notes programme in favour of the Kebbi and Nasarawa state governments, respectively, as prescribed in paragraph two above.”

In another letter, President Tinubu transmitted the National Anti-doping Bill, 2024 to the House asking to expeditiously pass it ahead of Olympic coming up in July 2024.

“The National Anti-doping Bill, 2024 seeks to create an administrative independent National Ant-doping organisation which is a cardinal requirement for Nigeria to achieve compliance with the world anti-doping code and international standard for code compliance with codes by signatories.

“The enactment of this vital legislation will also help Nigeria avoid imposition of signatories consequences including lost of hosting rights and participation at regional, continental and world championships or major athletic events,” the letter read.

Also, the President wrote the House, seeking the approval of Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Supplementary Appropriation Bill 2024.

The letter reads in parts: “Following the review of the 2024 Statutory Appropriation Act for the Federal Capital Territory Administration, the Honourable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration has indicated some critical projects that were inadvertently omitted in the 2024 Appropriation.

“The capital projects are a vital component of the FCT and has significantly impact manpower and infrastructure development within the FCT. In this regard, the 2024 Supplementary Appropriation to the 2024 Statutory Appropriation Act for the Federal Capital Territory Administration, passed in March 2024 is hereby proposed.”

News

JUST IN: Zamfara PDP Member Defects to APC

Published

47 mins ago

October 30, 2024

Gloria Ikibah

By Gloria Ikibah

A member of the House of Representatives, Rep. Suleiman Abubakar Gumi, representing Gummi/Bukkuyum Federal Constituency of Zamfara state has defected from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

This defection was transmitted in a letter read by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas on Wednesday at plenary.

Rep. Gumi in the letter, said his reasons for defection was as a result of the crisis in his Constituency where there are two PDP chairmen.

The letter reads in part: “It is as a result of the internal and external crisis in the PDP in the state. The party lacks structure in the state”.

Meanwhile, the Minority Leader, Rep. Kingsley Chinda, raised a constitutional point of order that having two chairmen in a Constituency cannot be defined as a problem in the PDP and not enough reasons according to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“You are aware that when a member leaves his political party the rules are very clear. According him these two chairmen are in his Constituency.

“I ask Mr Speaker, that you act according to our rule and Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“You sit here today as our leader. The constitutional provision on what happens when one decamps to another party is clear.

“There is a time to do the right thing and the time has come for the Speaker to do the right thing. You swore to protect the constitution of this country at all times.

“I ask Mr Speaker that you act according to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Chinda said.

Naijablitznews.com reports that Rep. Gumi’s defection is coming barely two weeks after he was made the chairman House Committee on North West Development Commission, a newly created Committee approved by the leadership.

Gumi until his recent appointment was the chairman House Committee on Safety Standards.

News

Just in: Federal High court stops CBN from releasing allocation to Rivers govt

Published

1 hour ago

October 30, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

A Federal High Court in Abuja has stopped the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, from further releasing monthly financial allocations to Rivers state government.

The court held that the receipt and disbursement of monthly allocations since January this year by Governor Siminalayi Fubara was a constitutional aberration that must not be allowed to continue.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, who issued the order on Wednesday, held that the presentation of the 2024 budget by Fubara before a 4-member Rivers House of Assembly was an affront to the Assembly.

Specifically, the judge said that Fubara action in implementing unlawful budget smacked gross violations of the 1999 Constitution he swore to protect.

The judge therefore restrained CBN, Accountant General of the Federation, Zenith Bank and Access Bank, from further allowing Fubara to access money from the Consolidated Revenue of the Federation Account.

News

Reps Pass For Second Reading Bill To Stop Fraudulent Deductions By Commercial Banks

Published

7 hours ago

October 30, 2024

Gloria Ikibah

By Gloria Ikibah

As a way to find lasting solutions to issues of fraudulent deductions from customers’ accounts by commercial banks, the House of Representatives has passed for second reading a “Bill for an Act to amend the Banking and Other Financial Institutions Act 202 and Other for Other Related Matters,” sponsored by Rep. Moses Fayinka, member representing Mushin II Federal Constituency of Lagos State.

In his lead debate Tuesday plenary, on the general principles of the bill, Rep. Fayinka regretted the frequent cases of withdrawals from customers’ accounts, and noted that billions of naira have been lost in the process.

“There is an alarming rise of bank fraud or unauthorised withdrawal of deposit funds in Nigeria. In the banking industry, about 101,801 cases were reported in 2022 and 48,703 cases were reported in 2023, making bank customers lose several billions of naira.

The objective of this piece of legislation, aims to stop illegal funds transactions where monies are moved from the customer’s account without the authorisation of the customer for such transaction to take place.

It is also to stop banks from the cover-up of such syndicates without reporting such action to the receiving bank and the police for necessary actions and for both the paying and receiving banks to get the culprits arrested and prosecuted and to pay all necessary bills in the course of the recovery processes.

The bill when into law also seeks to make a refund back to the victim’s account without charges.

“This Bill is in consideration to the uprising of various financial crimes within the country, with many of such passing through financial institutions or we can call it the commercial banking system.

‘We all know that virtually all banking transactions are done electronically, which means that transactions can either be ATM, POS, direct cash transfer, fast cash and many others, in which many bank customers have fallen victims and have lost their hard-earned fortune without help from any side”, he stated.

Contributing to the bill, Rep. Ahmed Jaha, the member representing Damboa/Gwoza/Chibok Federal Constituency of Borno State, criticized the multiple deductions.

He said: “Even today, people in the National Assembly saw debit alerts that they did not know where it came from. We ignore these deductions because they are negligible amounts but when you put it together, it runs into millions of Nigeria.”

Also contributing to the debate, Rep. Mohammed-Bello El-Rufai, member representing Kaduna North Federal Constituency of Kaduna Statep, called on the Central Bank of Nigeria to impose stiffer penalties on commercial banks found to be imposing charges on their customers.