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BREAKING: 35 Lawmakers Propose Six- Year Single Term For President, Governors, One-day Election, Two-Vice Presidents

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By Gloria Ikibah
A group of 35 lawmakers in the House of Representatives under the auspices of “The Reformers” from  different political parties have sponsored six bills to propose a single term of six years for the office of the President and Governors and rotational presidency amongst the six geopolitical zones, two vice presidents representing the North and South.
The group is also advocating the conduct of Presidential, National Assembly, Governorship, State Houses of Assembly and Local Government as well as Area Councils (FCT) elections in one day.
The lawmakers disclosed this at a press conference on the 50 bills they jointly sponsored and which passed first reading on the floor of the House.
Reading the text of the press conference on Monday in Abuja, Co-sponsor of the bills Rep. Ikenga Ugochinyere, member representing Ideato North/South Federal Constituency of Imo State, said the group is proposing Constitutional Alteration to provide for the rotation of executive powers among the six geopolitical zones to ensure equal representation and reduce the desperation and tempo of agitation for the creation of states.
According to him, the bills seek to amend the Constitution to create the office of two vice presidents from the southern and northern parts of Nigeria with the 1st vice being a succession Vice president, while the 2nd Vice president being a Minister in charge of the Economy, and both being Ministers.
Ugochinyere explained that the reformer bills seek Constitutional Amendment to provide that the President and the 1st Vice President shall come from the same part of the country (North or South) and the 1st Vice President shall become President whenever the President becomes incapacitated.
He said: “We, the reformers elected representatives of the people of Nigeria, are concentrated on proving that we are fully capable of managing our affairs together as a nation. Hence, as the first step in our commitment, we are presenting to the public Bills and proposals, which will are pushing on the floor  floor of the 10th Assembly. These Bills will touch on every aspect of development in all sectors of our Economy and well-being as a nation.
“These bills which are 50 in numbers have gone through first reading but today we are starting with public unveiling of about 6 of them while the remaining will come in the weeks ahead.  It ranges from governance, economic, security, and justice sector reforms to social bills that will target unifying our nation and ensuring long-lasting peace and national cohesion.
“Therefore, the bills presented today will address that proposal
On Governance, we are proposing:
Constitutional Alteration to provide for the rotation of executive powers among the six geopolitical zones to ensure equal representation and reduce the desperation and tempo of agitation for the creation of states.
“To amend section 3 of the Constitution to provide for the recognition of the division of Nigeria into six geopolitical zones. To amend the Constitution to provide for a single tenure of six years for the President and Governors of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The reduction in government spending and wastage, efficiency in governance, and national stability by providing a single term of six years for the President and Governors.
“Amend the Constitution to create the office of two vice presidents from the southern and northern parts of Nigeria. The 1st vice shall be a succession Vice president, while the 2nd Vice president shall be a Minister in charge of the Economy, and both shall be Ministers.
“Constitutional Amendment to provide that the President and the 1st Vice President shall come from the same part of the country (north or south) and the 1st Vice President shall become President whenever the President becomes incapacitated, i.e., V.P. (Succession), V.P. (Administration and Economy)
“The financial autonomy and accountability of Local Government Councils by prescribing an independent Consolidated Local Government Council Account solely superintended by Local Councils and prescribing long-term imprisonment for any misuse of Local Government funds.
“To amend section 162(5) of the 1999 Constitution to provide that where a State Government fails to remit to the Local Government Councils within its jurisdiction (or within the State), the amounts standing to the credit of that Local Government in the allocation from the Federation account, such State Government shall not be entitled to receive a future allocation from the Federal Government.
“Elections remain our only democratic means of bringing back sanity in our polity, so we must get our selection processes right. We are proposing Bills to address capture and corruption in our electoral processes to include; Amending the relevant sections of the Electoral Act to ensure that all elections (presidential, governorship, National Assembly, state houses of Assembly, and local governments) are held on the same day.
“Amending the relevant sections of the Electoral Act to provide that no declaration of a winner of an election shall be done by the relevant INEC Officials until such officer has compared the results with the list of accredited voters and ensured that the results to be declared are in tandem with the list of accredited voters and the B-VAS machine or any other electronic device.
“Amend the Electoral Act to provide that any INEC Officer who declares a false result will be liable for civil and criminal action personally brought against him by parties in the elections. An Amendment to the Electoral Act to provide that all election-related litigations must be resolved and determined by the Elections Petitions Tribunal, Appeal Courts, etc., before the winners are sworn into the respective elective offices.
“An Amendment of the Electoral Act to make provision for the conduct and conclusion of all elections and election-related litigation within a period of six months before the swearing into office of the validly elected person for the office contested.An Amendment of the Electoral Act to provide that all election-related documents and materials must be made available to those who participated in elections and who have reasons to question/petition the elections at the Elections Tribunal.
“We want to conclude this press conference by greeting all Nigerians of all walks of life on this historic day: our men and women in the different sectors of the Economy, our vibrant young people, persons with disabilities, our law enforcement agencies, our traditional rulers, fathers of our communities and custodians of our cultural heritage, our religious leaders, custodians of faith and morals, our effective civil society organizations”, Ugochinyere added.
He therefore urged all to work towards achieving this.
“This task ahead of us is huge and cannot be achieved without you. It is a task for all of us. Our work does not go beyond taking the initiative to get them into Parliament,” he added.
Members of the group believe that the bill when passed into law will attempt to cure some defects.
The bill according to them summarises unity and peace of Nigeria.
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Nigerian Govt promises support for stampede victims’ families

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Vice-President Kashim Shettima has said the Federal Government will support families of victims of recent stampedes across the country.

Shettima made this known in a condolence message on Sunday in Abuja.

He expressed sorrow over the losses and offered prayers and condolences to the affected families.

Recall that on Saturday in Okija, Anambra, a Christmas palliative distribution event turned tragic with 22 persons losing their lives in an early morning stampede.

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The same day in Abuja, another tragedy struck when ten persons died during an annual Christmas food-sharing event at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Maitama.

There was also a stampede on Wednesday at the Islamic High School, Bashorun, Ibadan, Oyo State, where about 35 children lost their lives and others sustained injuries during a holiday fun fair.

The vice-president, who described the incidents as a national tragedy, revealed that the Federal Government had directed relevant agencies to provide immediate support to affected families.

“I am extremely saddened by these tragic incidents that have claimed innocent lives.

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“My prayers and thoughts are with the grieving families of all victims, including those who sustained injuries and are undergoing treatment.

“I am particularly distraught by the fact that so many lives of Nigerians, particularly children, have been lost in stampedes that ought to have been avoided through proper planning and organisation,” he said.

He prayed the Almighty God to grant eternal rest to the souls of the departed.

“We stand ready to support the bereaved families through this difficult period, and no effort will be spared in providing the necessary assistance they need.”

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Umahi rules out compensation for bare land owners

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The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has reiterated that the Federal Government does not compensate for bare lands, adding that all lands belong to the government.

He disclosed this at the inspection of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Section 1 at kilometre 18, Okun Ajah axis, recently.

He said, “Go and read the law; there is no compensation for bare land. All land belongs to the government. Hence, if you are taking what belongs to you, you do not pay compensation; it is the president that directed that anywhere we see a shanty on our corridor, we should pay compensation; it is a kind of human meekness from the president towards the people. We broke no law.

“So, where there is no infrastructure on land, they have to write to Mr. President for a direction on that.”

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In an interview with The Punch, the General Secretary, Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, Lagos Chapter, Folusho Ogunrinde, said land was undeniably an asset whether owned by individuals, businesses, or the government.

He said, “Governments recognise the value of land as an asset and manage it as such. For instance, you cannot encroach on government-owned land for development because it is considered part of their assets.

Similarly, individuals and private entities acquire land either through inheritance, purchase, or investment. When such land is taken away, the argument that compensation should only be for developments and not the land itself is fundamentally flawed. It disregards the asset’s intrinsic value and how it was acquired.

“The 99-year lease system in Nigeria further underscores the value of land as an asset, as this lease is renewable. If governments require compensation for the renewal of a lease or when public use necessitates land acquisition, individuals and private owners deserve similar recognition and compensation for their land when expropriated.

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“The law, as it stands, needs urgent redress. The idea that landowners should not be compensated for their land is, frankly, unjust and tantamount to fraud. Land is more than a physical space; it is an economic and generational asset. To deny compensation for it is to undermine the principles of equity and justice. Hence, there is a need for a review of the Land Use Act and constitutional provisions to align with the realities of land as a critical and valuable asset.”

In a similar vein, the Team Lead, Arbitration, Maritime, and Real Estate Practice Group, Stren & Blan Partners, Joseph Siyaidon, posited that non-payment of compensation on bare land was unconstitutional.

He said, “The Land Use Act is merely an existing Act and not part of the Constitution. We humbly submit that the provisions of the Land Use Act, which limit the payment of compensation for private properties compulsorily acquired by the government to only unexhausted improvements on the land, are unconstitutional in that they violate the provisions of Sections 43 & 44 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), which extends the right of compensation to all immovable properties, bare lands included.”

Umahi disclosed that the first phase of the coastal highway will be completed by May 29, 2025.

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He said, “By May 29 we are facing the commissioning, and we have directed all the comptrollers of works that, by the end of April, every comptroller of works in all the states must give us a minimum of three projects that Mr. President is going to commission.

“From Channel 0, we are going to be commissioning the first 20 kilometres; however, another 10 kilometres would be ready at the end of the project within this period, but we are not commissioning that one, it is going to be phase 2 of section 1 for commissioning. Generally, across the country, we are going to be commissioning projects in phases.”

Meanwhile, the Acting Director of Road Design, Engr. Musa Saidi, assured that the highway construction adheres to approved specifications and includes additional measures for durability. Any realignment is for public interest, safety, and economic reasons,” he said.

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Telcos demand plan to resolve N250bn USSD debt

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The Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria has called on industry regulators to implement clear and practical solutions to resolve the long-standing N250bn debt owed by banks to telecom operators for Unstructured Supplementary Service Data offerings.

Speaking with The PUNCH, ATCON President Tony Emoekpere stressed the need for clear solutions, warning that the debt crisis threatens the progress of financial inclusion in the country.

In Nigeria, USSD is vital for financial inclusion, particularly in rural areas where smartphone penetration and internet access are limited.

It is heavily relied upon by banks, especially for mobile banking services, and is also used for services like airtime top-ups, bill payments, and other telecom services.

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“My advice is that it is crucial for this debt to be addressed directly and for a solution to be found. If telcos are not encouraged to support the financial industry and such debts continue to accumulate, it will be detrimental to financial inclusion targets,” he said.

Emoekpere also highlighted the importance of prioritizing USSD traffic and creating incentives for telecom operators to continue supporting the financial sector.

He urged industry regulators, including the Nigerian Communications Commission and the Central Bank of Nigeria, to establish a framework that ensures the timely and equitable resolution of such disputes.

The debt crisis has persisted for years, with telecom operators threatening to suspend USSD services unless payments are made.

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While smaller banks have reportedly begun repaying their obligations in installments, tier-one lenders—responsible for the bulk of the debt—are yet to make significant payments, according to the Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria, Gbenga Adebayo.

“Some repayments have been recorded, but they fall short of expectations,” Adebayo told The PUNCH in November.

Telecom operators have long argued that the unpaid debts undermine their ability to maintain USSD services, which are critical for financial transactions in Nigeria.

The operators have repeatedly called for the intervention of regulators to facilitate a lasting resolution.

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Industry stakeholders warn that failure to resolve the debt crisis could jeopardize efforts to expand financial inclusion, particularly in rural areas where USSD services play a pivotal role.

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