Executive, Legislature Not In Competition, Says SGF

….Pledge Closer Collaboration with National Assembly

Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, on Monday said that the Executive and the Legislature are not in competition but would work together to deliver on the promises of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to Nigerians.

Mustapha according to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the President of the Senate, Sanni Onogu in Abuja, stated this when the led a delegation from the Presidency on a courtesy on the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki and the leadership of the Senate.

He stated that both arms of government must necessarily cooperate if the present government is to achieve its desired results and redeem lost opportunities.

He said that the visit was meant to thank the President of the Senate for personally gracing his sweating-in ceremony as SGF and also to “convey the gratitude of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari and the entirety of the government on the able leadership that you have given the National Assembly as a whole.”

Mustapha said: “The role of the National Assembly is quite distinct. You (National Assembly) legislate for the good governance of the Federation; you provide oversight and you also ensure that funds that are appropriated are used judiciously for the purposes they are meant and for the benefit of the people of Nigeria.

“So your responsibility is so enormous in this enterprise. I will say this and I will say it quite frankly sir, we are not in competition with the National Assembly. We are not rivals with the National Assembly.

“We are joint partners in this enterprise. If the National Assembly does not cooperate with the Presidency, I am not very sure we will be able to achieve the desired result that we want to see given the mandate that we have freely received from the people of Nigeria.

“So, this is basically to come and assure you that in every area that you are soliciting for the cooperation of the Presidency, being the Secretary to the Government, I would ensure that the National Assembly receives that cooperation because jointly if we work together, whatever has been lost in the past we can quickly redeem and recover and make progress so that by the time the first four-year mandate that we received comes to an end we can show on our scorecard that these were the promises we made,” the SGF stated.

The new scribe of the Federal Government added: “Let me put it on record that your leadership has helped tremendously in stabilizing the polity and also given the purposeful direction that we require at the Presidency to ensure that we deliver on the promises that we made to the Nigeria people when we sought for their mandate in 2015.

“You ran for the Senate in your constituency in Kwara State, but I remember vividly serving as the Director, Contact and Mobilization of the Campaign, that you were all over the place campaigning to ensure that President Muhammadu Buhari won the election and we did win decisively.

“So, sir, thank you so much for what you have done to ensure the APC’s victory. After your emergence as the Chairman of the National Assembly and also the President of the Senate, you have provided the kind of leadership that is required, as I said, to stabilize the polity. Nigeria as a nation has been going through some storms that we inherited but because of your able leadership and your colleagues in the Senate and House of Representatives, we have stabilized this process to a large extent.

“Going forward sir, I bring, like I said, the greetings of the Presidency because as the Secretary to the Government, my responsibility is to coordinate the implementation of government policies and to ensure that these policies are synergized in such a manner that we would be able to deliver to the people of Nigeria the good things of life which they rightly deserve.

“In doing that, I will not be able to succeed in that task if I do not get the cooperation of the National Assembly and that is why I am here today to extend the hand of friendship and to solicit for the cooperation of the National Assembly because our constitution is very explicit when it comes to the principle of Separation of Powers.”

Responding, Saraki welcomed the new SGF to the National Assembly and congratulated him on his appointment.

He described the visit as symbolic and a new phase in the executive and legislative cooperation as well as a good omen for the nation’s democracy and the government.

Saraki said: “Let me on behalf of my colleagues welcome you to the Senate and let me thank you for your visit. I think your visit is very symbolic. It is truly a new phase of cooperation between the Executive and the Legislature and a good omen for our democracy and for our government.

“Your visit truly shows your intention of ensuring that you use your period as SGF to ensure that we truly work together to make Nigeria great. You are very right and I think people like us are not surprised because we know your antecedents.

“You know that in the presidential system that we are running in this democracy, it is not possible for us to be able to achieve all our goals if the Executive and Legislature do not have – not just an okay relationship – a fantastic and very close relationship.

“And what you have done this afternoon has really brought that closer and I am sure that all my colleagues are going to appreciate that on the floor tomorrow when I communicate this to them.

“Truly, you have started on a very good note and I congratulate you. Thank you for all your kind words when you talked about some of the work we have done in the past together in bringing the government together and we will continue to work together to ensure that we deliver on our promises.

“As you said, the constitution is very clear on what our responsibilities are. You did not write it and I did not write it, neither did any of us in the National Assembly today but we have all sworn to it and we must continue to ensure that we work with it and that we work for the interest of Nigeria.

“Let me assure you that being the first SGF that we have received here, you will definitely get our cooperation and this will definitely be a new page in relationship between the executive and the legislature and we will do all our best to ensure that whatever the issues are before you, we will act to see how best we can to resolve them and work together,” he said.

Arafat: Saraki Urges Pilgrims to Pray For Nigeria, Buhari

Senate President, Bukola Saraki

Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has charged the 91,000 Nigerian pilgrims currently performing this years hajj to use the occasion of significance of the Arafat Day tomorrow (Thursday) to pray for the quick recovery of the nation’s economy and good health for President Muhammdau Buhari.

Saraki further called on the pilgrims to pray for the security, peace, unity and development of the country as according to him, “a prayer for your country and her leaders is as important as asking Allah to grant you your personal wishes.”

Saraki, who is presently in Saudi Arabia for the hajj exercise, in a statement by his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), Yusuph Olaniyonu, advised Nigerian pilgrims that the gathering of worshippers from all over the world on the plains  of the holy Mount Arafat offers a rare opportunity for them to intensify prayers to Almighty Allah to resolve the economic and security challenges facing the country.

The 9th day of Dhul-Hijjah is the day pilgrims gather at the  plain of Mount Arafat, at the outskirt of Mecca, praying and supplicating to the Almighty Allah. Arafat Day was also the day Islam was perfected and approved for mankind by the Almighty Allah. The gathering is expected to consist nearly two million faithful from across the world.

Saraki said, “Today our country is passing through a difficult phase of nation building occasioned by economic recession, rising insecurity and threat to our corporate existence as a nation by actions of some citizens.

“The health of our leader, President Muhammadu Buhari, is also of national concern to all, and every opportunity must be utilized to pray for his continuous recuperation for him to continue to restore the lost glory of Nigeria.

“It is therefore not only advisable but necessary for our pilgrims to seize this rare opportunity the Arafat Day offers to offer prayers for our nation to overcome these challenges and for all development plans and policies initiated by government to start yielding fruits but that we as citizens should rededicate ourselves to the service of our country”, he said while reminding the pilgrims that a prayer for one’s nation and her leaders is an indirect route for praying to God to meet their individual needs and aspirations.

“Our people back home should also join in the prayers on the Arafat Day as Muslims believe that wherever you are on this special day, if you supplicate to the Almighty, he will answer the prayers.

“Let Nigerian Muslims in Saudi and those at home devote this day for seeking Allah’s intervention to restore peace in the troubled parts  of the country, help our economy to recover, help the leaders to deliver on our promises and solidify the unity and stability of our country so that individual citizens can realize their genuine hopes and aspirations”, the President of the Senate stated.

Saraki, while commending the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) for the effective handling of the hajj exercise, however, charged the agency to ensure maximum welfare and comfort for the pilgrims during the remaining period of their stay in the holy land and during their journey back home.

The Senate President advised the pilgrims to continue to conduct themselves in  good and orderly manner while also complying with all laws, regulations and directives by the Saudi authorities aimed at making the remaining period of the hajj exercise hitch-free.

He also commended the authorities of Saudi Arabia for their excellent treatment of Nigerian pilgrims. “I must commend the Saudi authorities  on their arrangements for the comfort and welfare of Nigerian pilgrims. This has shown that our relationship with Saudi Arabia is cordial and all efforts must be made by both pilgrims and officials to sustain the good relationship”, he stated.

Saraki Seeks Alignment of Education Curriculum With Industry Requirements

President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, on Wednesday stated that Nigeria’s university curriculum and teaching methods must be upscaled to reflect the demands of employers from both the public and the private sectors.

Speaking on the need for the country to urgently reposition its educational system to reflect current domestic and global realities like rising unemployment and the need to strengthen the economy to make the nation more competitive internationally, Saraki emphasized that many university graduates from Nigeria, are currently not being equipped with the appropriate skills that they need to perform in employed capacities.

“This situation requires the urgent intervention of all stakeholders in the education sector,” the President of the Senate said in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, in Abuja. “What we have on our hands is an influx into the workforce of many graduates who are unable to meet the demands of both the public and the private sectors.

“In order to reduce the incidence of unemployment and make our country more competitive going into the future, we must immediately work to ensure the careful and constant realignment of what our young people are learning in the classrooms, with what the employers expect from them at the workplace.”

The President of the Senate also cited a need for a deliberate approach to boost reading, writing and comprehension, starting at the primary school level, as both skills are necessary in all sectors.

“Both reading and writing must take front and centre-stage in all that we do moving forward. It is clear that these two skills constitute the foundation of all other subject areas.

“This is why even before they get to university, we must ensure that our children know how to write — because this inability to convey their thoughts clearly on paper has become the bane of many young and otherwise bright Nigerians that are seeking employment, both within and outside the country,” Saraki said.

The President of the Senate stated that at the resumption in September, the Senate will mobilize its relevant committees to work with education stakeholders to develop clear-cut strategies on how to move Nigeria’s educational system forward.

“At this point, we can no longer sit by and watch our educational system slide below acceptable standard. Education is the bedrock of all development, and right now, our bedrock is faulty, so we must fix it,” Saraki said.

Three PIB Related Bills Scale Second Reading In Senate

Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki

In keeping with its promise to fast-track the passage of all relevant laws that will reposition the nation’s oil industry in line with global best practices, the Senate on Thursday, passed to second reading stage three Petroleum Industry Bills (PIB) related Bills.

The three Bills are aimed at providing legal frameworks and other critical aspects of the petroleum industry not captured in the recently passed Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB).

The Bills which were considered and passed for second reading include the Petroleum Host Community Bill 2017, Petroleum Industry Fiscal Bill 2017 and the Petroleum Industry Administration Bill, 2017.

In his lead debate, the Chairman Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Gas), Senator Kabir Marafa, noted that the Petroleum Host Community Bill seeks to provide a legal framework for the host communities in Nigeria.

Marafa said: “This Bill is unique because it recognizes the pitfalls of past efforts and is structured to bring direct funding for the development of the petroleum host communities under the direction and control of the communities themselves.

“This Bill when enacted into law will create the much desired harmony and partnership among the various stakeholders in the petroleum operations process and engender huge cost savings, extensive investments and overall transformation of the Nigeria oil and gas industry,” he said.

Moreover, the Chairman Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Senator Omotayo Alasoadura, said the primary purpose of the Petroleum Industry Fiscal Bill, is to make for “fully developed fiscally sustainable, safe, secure, environmentally friendly, efficient and integrated petroleum operations for the socio-economic development of Nigeria.”

He added that the Bill further seeks to establish a fiscal framework that will guide the planning and development of petroleum resources in a rational and sustainable manner.

Alasoadura said: “The measurable objectives of this bill shall include but not limited to establish a progressive fiscal framework that encourages substantial and progressive investment in the petroleum industry balancing reward with risk and enhancing revenues to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

“It will institute a forward looking fiscal framework that is based on core principles of clarity, dynamism, open access and fiscal rules of General applications” and (c) “provide clear distinction between legislative aspects of the fiscal regime and negotiable aspects of contractual obligation,” he said.

On his part, Chairman Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Senator Bassey Akpan, in his lead debate, said the Petroleum Industry Administration Bill, 2017, seeks to provide for a new legal framework for the administration of the upstream, midstream and downstream sectors of the nation’s petroleum industry.

He said: “The objectives of the bill are to create a robust legal framework for the administration of upstream licenses and leases; provide regulations for the organization of the midstream operations and gas market; and set out the procedures for administration of licencing and operations of the downstream.”

In his remarks, President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, noted that the passage of the Bills was in fulfillment of the commitment of the Senate to ensure the swift passage of all PIB related Bills following the passage of the PIGB by the Senate last month.

On the passage of the Fiscal Framework Bill, Saraki said: “the Principle must be a Win-Win for Government and stakeholders. Nigeria’s Petroleum Industry cannot operate in isolation. This is a Bill that will bring in more investments into the country.”

The President of the Senate however committed the three Bills to the relevant committees of the Senate for further legislative work and to report back to plenary in four weeks.

Also, the Senate passed the Bill for an Act to establish the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Agency Bill 2017. The Bill is aimed at making the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) autonomous, to pave the way for the nation’s re-admittance into the EGMONT Group, following Nigeria’s suspension earlier this month.

Universal Health Coverage A Right, Says Saraki

Senate President, Bukola Saraki

President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has described Universal Health Coverage (UHC) as a right of all Nigerians, irrespective of their stations in life.

Saraki who disclosed this during the launch of the Legislative  Network for Universal Health Coverage in Abuja on Monday, according to a statement by his chief Press Secretary, Sanni Onogu, also added that government at all levels must strive to situate the nation’s health resources to optimally service the people.

“Therefore, in addressing the issue of financing healthcare in a sustainable manner to reach all Nigerians, I believe it is possible to achieve Universal Health Coverage. It is the right of our people and we must achieve it,” he stated.

He further stated that the Legislative  Network for Universal Health Coverage’s platform is remarkable as it aims to strengthen institutional cooperation to advance legislative activities on health matters.

 

Saraki said: “As it is said, a healthy nation is a wealthy nation. In our efforts to revive the wealth of our nation, the health of our people must remain paramount. We must therefore, strive to situate our health resources to optimally serve our population. 

 

“As a nation, we have opted to adopt the Universal Health Coverage which seeks ‘to ensure that all people obtain the health services they need without suffering financial hardship when paying for them”, he stated.

 

According to the President of the Senate, the importance of the Universal Health Coverage cannot be overstated, “as our major role as legislators is to promote the welfare of our citizens; to ensure that effective healthcare systems are available to all Nigerians.”

 

“This informed the desire to draw in the cooperative efforts of both the National and State Assemblies targeted at developing health strategies that will work effectively for all,” Saraki said. “This for me is another rare opportunity for us to ensure that the legislative effort in both the National and State Assemblies are moving towards the same direction.”

 

He noted that the poor access to good healthcare especially in the rural areas was a challenge government at all levels must tackle through innovative thinking and dedication. 

 

“Going by a World Bank report, the state of the Nigerian health system is dysfunctional and grossly under-funded with a per capita expenditure of US$ 9.44,” Saraki said. “Therefore, addressing the issues in financing healthcare in a sustainable manner to reach all Nigerians call for the harmonization of legislative actions at both the National and States levels.”

 

He stated that while “the overall objective of the Summit is to launch a national Legislative Network on UHC, the specific objectives will enhance the knowledge base and understanding of strategies in the legislature, geared towards achieving the goals of Universal Health Coverage. It is my hope that this framework will bring about the effective healthcare systems we envision for our country.”

National Assembly, ACBF Sign $1.1m Capacity Project Agreement

 

The National Assembly and the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), have signed a $1.1million project grant agreement for the National Institute of Legislative Studies (NILS) to enhance the legislative capacity of lawmakers in the West African Sub-region and their staff.

The President of the Senate and Chairman of the NILS Governing Council, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, who signed on behalf of the National Assembly, stated that the NILS-CAP II which targets capacity development in ECOWAS countries and the ECOWAS Parliament, would effectively facilitate the implementation of intra-regional trade among ECOWAS member states and effective financial oversight in the sub-region.

Saraki also said that other important sub-themes for consideration that have been identified in the project, include: Regional Trade: Resolution of challenges impeding effective trade integration; Security challenges in ECOWAS (Terrorism, Maritime Insecurity and Cattle herdsmen – Farmers Conflict on Pastoralism); Legislative actions for containment of small arms proliferation and terrorist financing; and Agricultural policies: Enhancing the value chain exports of agricultural produce;

Others are: Executive-Legislature relations on appropriation; Financial audit of public institutions: Lessons of experience; Issues in public financial management particularly relating to infrastructure financing; Compliance with prudential guidelines including basel core principles, IFRS and electronic payments System standards; and the Role of parliament in monitoring and evaluation of PIDA Projects.

“As part of the programme, a platform would be created for legislators in the ECOWAS sub-region including Nigeria and other governance actors to discuss these daunting issues and to come up with practical solutions,” Saraki stated.

He further stated that it has become imperative for sub-regional governments to prevent dumping and smuggling of goods into their countries so as not to undermine the huge investment for domestic production.

“Furthermore, we are also aware of the establishment of large pharmaceutical industries in the sub-region with the intention of exporting their outputs to Nigeria thereby, constraining the viability of local industries,” he stated.

The Executive Secretary of ACBF, Professor Emmanuel Nnadozie, said the implementation of the project would further enhance the status of NILS as a national institution with regional outlook.

“The project will enable NILS to, among other things, organize dialogue sessions for policy makers and legislators to deliberate on important national and regional development issues,” Nnadozie said. “More important, this grant will enable NILS to expand its coverage to Francophone countries and work closely with the ECOWAS Parliament.”

On her part, the Director General of NILS, Professor Ladi Hamalai, said the National Assembly/NILS-ACBF collaboration over the years has helped to scale up legislative capacity development in Nigeria and the West African sub-region.

She lauded the ACBF for continuous support to NILS and her significant role in strengthening national parliaments towards sustainable development in West Africa.

CCT: Saraki’s Acquittal, Sweet Victory for Democracy- Ekweremadu

The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has described as “victory for democracy”, the discharge and acquittal of the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, by the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

 

Reacting to the Tribunal’s verdict on Wednesday, Ekweremadu said it did not come to him as a surprise given that, like the trumped up forgery and conspiracy charges slammed against himself and the Senate President, but which was later withdrawn by the Federal Government, the CCT trial was hatched in the coven of evil politics and was, therefore, bound to fall like a pack of cards.

 

He said: “This is another sweet victory for the 8^th Senate in particular, separation of powers, rule of law, and the nation’s democracy. The trial, just like the arraignment of the presiding officers of the Senate on trumped up charges of forgery of Senate Standing Rules, was political vendetta and manipulations taken too far.

 

“It was never built on any iota of truth, but on the quicksand of falsehood and was, therefore, condemned to sink under the weight of law and justice.

 

While congratulating the Senate President for “standing firm and tall in the face of political tribulation” and commending the Distinguished Senators for their unflinching support and solidarity to the Senate leadership the turbulent years, Ekweremadu, however, said the Senate would, nonetheless, never let down its guards.

 

He also thanked Nigerians who have continued to stand with the Upper Chamber every step of the way despite apparently contrived and reckless efforts to destabilise and bring the Senate and its leadership to disrepute.

BREAKING: CCT Trial: Saraki discharged and acquitted

The Code of Conduct Tribunal has dismissed the case of false asset declaration against Nigeria’s Senate President, Bukola Saraki.

Mr. Saraki made a no-case submission on May 4, after the prosecution closed its case.

In the ruling, the tribunal chairman, Danladi Umar, said the prosecution had failed to prove its allegations. Details later!

Senate Will Partner ILO To Combat Child Labour, Says Saraki

Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has pledged the commitment of the 8th Senate  to work with the International Labour Organization (ILO) to eliminate all forms of Child Labour in the country.

Saraki, who spoke in Abuja, when the Country Director of the ILO, Dennis Zulu, visited him as part of activities to mark the World Day Against Child Labour, reassured the ILO Director that the “Senate assigns particular importance to the fight against child labor.”  

In a statement by his Special Assistant on Print Media, Chuks Okocha, the Senate President commended the United Nations (UN) for its fight against child labour and said “we all must do more to eliminate the use of children for forced labour.”

He noted that the overall lack of advocacy limited greater understanding about the issue.  For this reason, he said he hosted a Children’s Day roundtable discussion with States Assembly on the Child’s Rights Act of 2003 to “raise awareness about our obligation to defend the rights of children.”

“As you are aware, some States are yet to domesticate it, and we made some commitment to them. Hoping that the States that are left, will work hard to see that before the next Children’s Day, they will see that this Act is domesticated in their States.

“It is important to promote universal basic education, to support the National Child Labor Policy and the National Action Plan the ILO developed with the Federal Government,” he said.

He further reiterated the importance of working with the government to support these policies through legislation.

“I have a strong record in support of the Child’s Rights Act, the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act (VAPP) and child labor rights,” said Saraki.  “The Senate intends to work closely with ILO as a partner to combat child labor.  By the next World Day Against Child Labour, we should see more progress in this area.”

Saraki added: “This 8th Senate is very committed to issues of Child’s Rights, violence against children and Child labour. I hope that we will be able to work closely together in these areas and I will like you to leave here with the assurances that we are  your partners.”

Earlier, the leader of the delegation who is also the Country Director of ILO in Nigeria,  Dennis Zulu, lamented that Nigeria “does not have recent statistics on the prevalence of child labor.”  The last survey from 2003 estimated that more than 15 million children are engaged in economic activities and about 6.1 million classified as child laborers.

 

He appealed to the Senate President to help in ensuring  the passage of  a harmonised legislation against child labour in Nigeria.  

The ILO Country Director lamented that there are inconsistencies between the minimum age requirement for children to work in Nigeria when compared with the National Agency for Prevention of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) Act from the Labour Act. 

He also complained about weak enforcement of legislation on child labour in the country and poor coordination among the different Ministries,  Departments and Agencies of Government dealing with the issues of children.

The ILO representative therefore appealed to the Senate President to help facilitate a programme to coordinate and ease child labour issues in Nigeria as it is done in other African countries.