Category: News

The Senate has constituted its Selection Committee and eight other standing committees.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio made the announcement during plenary on Tuesday.

Listing the committees, Akpabio said that “Following the successful inauguration of the 10th Senate and the emergence of the principal officers of the 10th Senate.

“And in line with the Standing Order 95(a) as amended, I hereby announce the composition of the Selection Committee of the Senate; Senate President Godswill Akpabio as chairman; Sen. Jibrin Barau as vice chairman.

“Others are Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele (APC-Ekiti), Sen. Mohammed Ndume (APC-Borno), Sen. Dave Umahi (APC-Ebonyi), Lola Ashiru (APC-Kwara), Sen. Simon Mwadkwon (PDP-Plateau), Sen. Oyewumi Olalere (PDP-Osun), Sen. Darlington,
Nwokocha (LP-Abia) and Sen. Rufai Hanga (NNPP-Kano).

Akpabio also named Sen. Garba Maidoki (PDP-Kebbi) as Chairman Senate Committee on Legislative Compliance and Sen. Ede Dafinone (APC-Delta) as vice Chairman.

“Committee on Media has Sen. Adeyemi Adaramodu (APC-Ekiti) as chairman and Salisu Afolabi (APC-Ogun) as vice chairman.”

Akpabio further said that “in accordance with Senate Standing Order 95 (b) as amended under sundry matters and in anticipation of the possibility of receiving supplementary budgetary application.

“The selection committee has also resolved to set up the Committee on Appropriation, Sen. Solomon Olamilekan (APC-Ogun) will be the Chairman while Sen. Mohammed Ndume as Vice Chairman.

“Committee on Rules and Business has Sen. Titus Zam (Benue-APC)as Chairman and Sen. Oyewumi Olalere (PDP-Osun) as Vice Chairman.

“Services Committee has Sen. Sunday Karimi (APC-Kogi) as Chairman and Sen. Eteng Williams (APC-Cross River) as Vice Chairman.

“Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions has Sen. Okechukwu  Ezea (LP-Enugu) as Chairman and  Khalid Mustapha (PDP-Kaduna) as Vice Chairman.

“Committee on Public Accounts has Sen.  Ahmed Wadada (SDP-Nasarawa) as Chairman, while Onyeka Peter (APC-Ebonyi); National Security and Intelligence has Sen. Shehu Umar (APC-Bauchi) as Chairman and Sen. Asuquo Ekpenyong (APC-Cross River) as Vice Chairman.

Akpabio called on all senators to pick up forms from the sergeant-at-arms to indicate interest in membership in various committees.

“A lawmaker can serve in not more than seven committees,” he said.

Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah on Tuesday, prayed a Federal High Court, Abuja to dismiss the preliminary objection filed by the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) against his N20 billion suit over alleged certificate forgery.

Mbah’s counsel, Christopher Oshomegie, SAN, urged Justice Inyang Ekwo to dismiss the objection on the grounds that sections cited in the NYSC Act were not applicable in the instant suit.

He said a counter-affidavit and a written address had been filed in response to the preliminary objection.

“We adopt our written address as our oral argument to the preliminary objection in urging my lord to dismiss their application,” he said.

Earlier, counsel for the NYSC, Aminu Sadauki, told the court that the matter was fixed for today for the hearing of their objection.

The lawyer, who adopted the objection, argued that Mbah contravened the NYSC Act in the institution of the suit.

He said Mbah did not appeal to the President as required by the provisions of Section 20 of the NYSC Act before instituting the suit against them.

He urged the court to strike out the suit for want of jurisdiction and competence.

But in a counter-affidavit filed by Mbah, the governor told the court to dismiss NYSC’s objection on the ground that he was neither a serving corps member nor an employee of the corps.

According to him, Section 20 of the NYSC Act, which NYSC’s lawyer referred to does not apply to him.

Justice Ekwo adjourned the matter until September 22 for ruling.

President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday sought the approval of the Senate for confirmation of newly nominated Service Chiefs.

Tinubu’s request was contained in a letter addressed to the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio and read at plenary.

“In compliance with the provisions of section 18 subsection 1 of the Armed Forces Act, 2004 I am pleased to present for confirmation by the Senate, the following nominees listed below as Chief of Defence Staff and Service Chiefs of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Chief of Defence Staff, Maj. Gen. C.G Musa, Chief of Army Staff, Maj. T. A Lagbaja, Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla and Chief of Air Staff, AVM H.B. Abubakar.

“The Senate is invited to note the current security situation of our country, which requires concerted efforts of both the legislative and the executive to ensure a well-protected nation.

“This informed the review of our defence architecture and appointment of new leaders to work in synergy with one another to archive the level of optimal performance expected of the military.

“While I hope that the request will receive the expeditious consideration and confirmation of the Nigerian Senate, please accept, distinguished Senate President and distinguished senators, the assurances of my highest consideration,” Tinubu said.

The Management of the Lekki Deep Sea Port has created a 153-capacity pre-gate truck park to ensure efficient and seamless traffic management control at the port.

The management made this known on its official Twitter page.

It said that an integral part of the automated gate system of the port consists of a pre-gate truck park of 2.5 hectares.

It also said that the Lekki Deep Sea Port was collaborating with Lagos State Government and Nigerian Port Authority to ensure a full scope traffic management plan for the entire Lekki Economic Zones Area.

“The port gates will have optical camera recognition portals to read the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags on the trucks as they arrive the port.

“It will also contain biometric readers for drivers, gate kiosks to issue pick up and drop off tickets to the drivers and gate arms to allow access/exit for the truckers,” it said.

It added that it would have a Vehicle Booking System, an electronic platform for port users to register their intended visits to the port to ensure only authorised entry based on RFID tags and biometrics.

The Lekki Port is the largest seaport in Nigeria and one of the biggest in West Africa.

The port is to be expanded to have a capacity of handling around six million Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) of containers and a significant volume of liquid and dry bulk uncontainerized cargoes. The port is to be equipped with ships able to transport over 14,500 containers.

The port is being developed in phases.

Its phase one was operational in 2018, chiefly comprises three container berths equipped to handle more than 1.8 million TEUs — one berth for dry bulk goods and two berths for liquid cargo.

The port is financed by private investors and a consortium of banks who have funded the project with 1.5 billion dollars as of March 2021.

In January, former President Muhammadu Buhari commissioned the first commercial ship, the container freighter CMA CGM MOZART which docked at the port.

A vessel conveying 800,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil has been intercepted by a private security contractor engaged by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

The vessel and its crew members were apprehended on July 7, by operatives of Messrs. Tantita Security Services at an offshore location heading to Cameroon.

The Chief Corporate Communications Officer, NNPCL, Mr Garba Muhammad, said this in a statement in Abuja.

He explained that the Vessel, MT TURA II, IMO number: 6620462, was owned by a Nigerian company, HOLAB MARITIME SERVICES LIMITED with Registration Number RC813311.

According to him, preliminary investigations revealed that the crude oil cargo on-board was illegally sourced from a well jacket offshore in Ondo State, Nigeria.

“There was no valid documentation for the Vessel or the Crude Oil Cargo on-board at the time of the arrest.

“Further investigation into the activities of the vessel at the NNPC Ltd. Command and Control Centre also revealed that the Vessel has been operating in stealth mode for the last 12 years.

`The last reported location of the Vessel was Tin Can Port in July 2011,’’ he said.

He further said that the details of the arrest and the outcomes of the investigations were escalated to the appropriate government authorities.

This, he said, was to destroy the Vessel to serve as a strong warning and deterrent to all those participating in such illegal activities.

According to him, destroying vessels involved in transporting stolen crude oil is of paramount importance as a strong deterrent.

“The illegal trade of stolen crude oil not only inflicts significant economic losses on Nigeria and legitimate stakeholders in the oil industry, but also perpetuates a cycle of corruption, environmental devastation, and social instability.

“NNPC Limited assures Nigerians that we will sustain the momentum in the war against crude oil theft until it is brought to a halt,’’ he said.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will on Tuesday, arraign former Aviation Minister, Senator Stella Oduah, before Justice James Omotosho of a Federal High Court in Abuja on a fresh charge.

Oduah, who represented Anambra North Senatorial Distinct in the 9th National Assembly, will be arraigned on an eight-count charge bordering on perjury and document falsification.

The notice of arraignment had since been served on parties in the matter.

In the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/275/2023, Oduah is the sole defendant.

The ex-lawmaker is accused of misrepresenting facts about whether or not she participated in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and was issued a certificate to that effect.

She was alleged to have falsified documents with which she got into public offices, including being a minister and a senator.

She was alleged to have been aided by one D. A. O. Oshinowo (now at large).

The anti-graft agency had, earlier, filed a money laundering charge against Oduah and others currently before Justice Inyang Ekwo of a sister court.

Some of the counts read: “That you, Sen. Stella Oduah and D. A. O. Oshinowo (at large) sometime in 2017 in Abuja, did fabricate an incorrect document with intent to cause to wit: titled: ‘Re: Request for National Youth Service Confirmation’ with the intent that it may be acted upon as genuine; the representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 156 of the Penal Code Act and punishable under section 158(1) of the same Act.

“That you Senator Stella Oduah in 2011 in Abuja, did forward your credential to the Federal Government of Nigeria among which is an affidavit and extract from police Crime Diary, that you lost your NYSC certificate, the representation you know to be false, which led to your nomination as a Cabinet Minister and thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 39(2) (a) and punishable under Section 39(2)(b) of the same Act, among others.