News

President Tinubu Appeals To Apc Senators-elect To Abide By APC Zoning

Published

11 months ago

June 8, 2023

Ahead of the inauguration of the 10th Senate next week, President Bola Tinubu has made a strong appeal to all APC senators-elect to abide by the zoning arrangements as announced by the National Working Committee, NWC, of the party last month.

The APC has zoned the president of the Senate to South – South with Senator Godswill Akpabio as preferred candidate and Senator Jubrin Barau from North West as preferred candidate for deputy Senate President.

Addressing over 43 APC senators-elect led by Senator Akpabio at the Aso Rock Villa late last night, President Tinubu made a passionate appeal to every APC senators-elect to toe the lines of the party’s zoning arrangement in electing their presiding officers stressing that this is the right thing to do in support of the renewed hope agenda of his administration.

“At this point of our history and challenges facing us as a new administration, all hands must be on deck to salvage the unpalatable situation facing the nation. We must see the situation as a pan-Nigerian Project for the executive and the legislature to work out solutions to the challenges of the nation” he told the senators-elect.

President Tinubu said the task ahead to finding solutions to the myriads of national problems cannot come from the executive arm of government alone but from jointly working together of the executive and the legislature adding that the senators-elect present at the meeting should reach out and pass the appeal to other APC senators-elect unavoidably absent to toe the party line and put a leash on all personal ambition in favour of party programme and national interest.

“Talk to your colleagues that are not here to tow the party line and give the renewed hope agenda a chance to succeed. The elephant is big enough for all members and indeed Nigerians to have a share of the renewed hope in due course” he admonished.

Earlier on at the meeting which ended around 11pm, Senator Akpabio once again congratulated the President on the successful presidential inauguration and stated that since the party announced the zoning arrangements for the leadership of the National Assembly, the majority of the party’s senators-elect led by him and Senator Barau has reached out in consultation to other senators-elect and senators- elect from opposition political parties with positive result and pledge of support.

Headline

Prince Harry visits sick Nigerian soldiers in Kaduna

Published

6 days ago

May 11, 2024

Alero Danjuma

Prince Harry and his team visited the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna to interact with wounded soldiers who are receiving treatment.

The Duke of Sussex is in Nigeria with his wife to champion the Invictus Games, which Harry founded to aid the rehabilitation of wounded and sick servicemembers and veterans.

Nigeria joined the Invictus Community of Nations in 2022 becoming the first African country to join.

Prince Harry’s visit to Kaduna came 68 years after his late grandmother Queen Elizabeth II visited the state during the time of the late Premier of Northern Region Sir Ahmadu Bello.

News

Senate approves death penalty for drug traffickers

Published

1 week ago

May 9, 2024

Alero Danjuma

Senate on Thursday, May 9, approved the death penalty for those convicted on the charge of drug trafficking in the country.

The punishment prescribed in the extant NDLEA Act is a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

The resolution of the Senate followed its consideration of a report of the Committees on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters and Drugs and Narcotics, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

The Chairman of the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights & Legal Matters presented the report during plenary, Senator Mohammed Monguno (APC-Borno North).

The bill, which passed its third reading, aims to update the list of dangerous drugs, strengthen the operations of the NDLEA, review penalties, and empower the establishment of laboratories.

Section 11 of the current act prescribes that “any person who, without lawful authority; imports, manufactures, produces, processes, plants or grows the drugs popularly known as cocaine, LSD, heroin or any other similar drugs shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to be sentenced to imprisonment for life” was amended to reflect a stiffer penalty of death.

Although the report did not recommend a death penalty for the offence, during consideration, Senator Ali Ndume moved that the life sentence should be upgraded to the death penalty.

During a clause-by-clause consideration of the Bill, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, who presided over the session, put the amendment on the death penalty to a voice vote and ruled that the “ayes” had it.

But Senator Adams Oshiomhole objected to the ruling, saying that the “nays” had it.

He argued that matters of life and death should not be treated hurriedly, but Barau said it was too late, as he failed to call for division immediately after his ruling.

The bill was subsequently read for the third time and passed by the Senate.