04022017

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4 — SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 4, 2017
Drama as Reps grill former SGF
*You’re acting childishly, ex-Minister tells C’ttee Chairman
*C’ttee Chair alleges Centenary is owned by 2 Nigerians
*You’re not qualified to chair this hearing, Anyim tells chairman
By Emman
Ovuakporie and
Johnbosco Agbakwuru
THERE was a mild drama
yesterday as Members
of the House of Representatives
Committee on Federal
Capital Territory, FCT
were grilling former Secretary
to the Government of
the Federation, SGF, Senator
Anyim Pius Anyim over
alleged irregularities in the
agreement on Centenary
City.
The drama started immediately
the Deputy Minority
Leader of the House,
Hon Chukwuka Onyeama,
PDP, Anambra representing
the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara
finished reading his
welcome address at about
10.45am at the investigative
hearing on the Centenary
City Project.
The former Senate President
then requested the
Speaker’s representative to
wait because he wanted to
make an observation before
the investigative hearings
could proceed.
At this point, chairman of
the House Committee on
FCT, Herman Hembe yielded
the floor to the former
SGF to make his presentation.
He started reading his
presentation and towards
the end of his three page
presentation said: “When
the former Managing Director
of Security and Exchange
Commission accused
you of demanding
bribe from her, you pushed
for her sack and I refused
to sack her while I was Secretary
to Government of the
Federation. I will not allow
you to use the platform of
this committee to victimize
me”.
Immediately he read that
portion, the air was rented
by ‘Point of Order, point of
Order, point of Order. No,
no, no, no, no. Hold on.
The following dialogue
then ensue:
Hembe:”The former Senate
President cannot assume
the chairman of the
committee, it’s not fair.
Anyim:Please sir, I have
the privilege to be heard.
Okay, let us not get overheated.
Mr Chairman, distinguished
Hon. members,
let me just say briefly.
Hembe:Hold on, I am
going to allow him to finish
but hold on.
Let me just say that we are
a house of free lawmakers,
we are a house of order. We
are a house of due process.
Let me just say to the former
President of the Senate and
the former SGF that in my
opening remarks, I tried to
show you courtesy. Please,
don’t interrupt, as far as this
hearing is concerned, I’m
the chairman here and I
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Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing, Lagos State; Dirk Modderman,
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Nigerite Limited, during the launch of KalsiClad by Nigerite at the company’s
head office in Ikeja, Lagos
would not allow you to
usurp that position. I am
here on no account of yours.
I have shown you respect.
I even made a comment in
the beginning that you
ought not to appear by saying
clearly that it was
brought to my attention by
certain quarters that we
shouldn’t have invited the
former Senate President to
a hearing like this out of
respect. It’s just respect for
the fact that he’s been Senate
President and I took note
of that and spoke to my colleague
chairman in the Senate,
Senator Dino Melaye
last night.
“I asked him to communicate
with the former Senate
President and ask if we
could excuse him today. It
doesn’t mean that if we excuse
him we won’t write to
request for such information
later. What we are doing
here bothers on his activities
as Secretary to Government
of the Federation.
“For the former Senate
President to impute bias
when he does not even
know what we are doing
here, we have not even said
a word and he’s already
inputting bias, I will like to
ask you.....
At this point, Anyim interrupted
Hembe:Do not interrupt
me, do not interrupt me, I
reject that. Let me finish. Sit
down, you cannot, let me
finish.
Hon. Members, let me
say this to the former Senate
President. Former Senate
President and SGF, hold
on. Like I said earlier, we
will allow everybody the opportunity
to speak here but
I’m a little dismayed that for
someone who was invited
for this programme and felt
he ought not to be invited,
has already delved into the
subject matter, I would allow
Senator Pius Anyim an
opportunity to go ahead
and finish his statement.
When he finishes, we will
rule and there’s no way he
or anybody can attempt to
disrupt this proceeding,
this proceeding will be concluded
today. Nothing will
change and so you can go
ahead and make your statement
and make any imputation
you want to make,
when you are done, we will
continue, I so rule.
2 dismissed soldiers, nine others nabbed
over theft of N7.2bn gas turbine, other items
*Police recover nine stolen vehicles
By Samuel
Oyadongha, Yenagoa
NO fewer than thirteen
persons including two
dismissed soldiers, attached
to Operation Doyle
battling the Boko Haram
insurgents in Borno State
were yesterday paraded
for alleged involvement in
crimes including the theft
of a gas turbine valued at
N7.2 billion owned by the
Bayelsa State Government
along the Etelebou community
of Gbarain in Yenagoa
Local Government
Area of the State
Also arrested by men of
the State Police Command
were nine persons over
their alleged involvement
in cases of kidnapping
and car theft.
The Bayelsa State Commissioner
of Police, Asuquo
Amba, who disclosed
this yesterday in Yenagoa
while parading the suspects
before newsmen,
said police operatives intercepted
a Russian Gas
Turbine Etelebu,Gbarain
area of the state.
According to him, “Seven
suspects were arrested
and five trucks recovered
with vandalised turbine.”
He said, Governor Seriake
Dickson has been informed
and has given the
go ahead for proper investigation
of those involved.
Amba Asuquo also confirmed
that the two deserters
of the Nigerian Army
who were of the rank of
Corporal, were arrested
alongside other suspects
along the Agudama Ekpetiama
area of the Bayelsa
state capital over their alleged
involvement in theft
of vehicles.
According to him, “On
the 29th of January, 2017,
the command control room
received a distress call
from one Toju Adama from
Ogborikoko in Warri Delta
State that his Hilux Van
was stolen and was tracked
to Agudama-Epie.
“Operatives from the
State Command swung
into action and arrested
the occupants of the Hilux,
one John Linus Ogah, a
dismissed soldier from 3
Division of the Nigerian
Army in Cross River State
and his cohort, one Shedrack
at the scene. A
bunch of master keys were
recovered from the suspect.”
B-R-I-E-F-S
We’re under siege of
disinformation, FG cries out
By Emmanuel Elebeke
Apparently reacting to the rumoured death of President
Muhammadu Buhari across the social media, the Federal
Government has cried out that the country was under the
siege of disinformation and fake news.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai
Mohammed, made the observation in Abuja on Friday
when he paid a courtesy visit to the headquarters of Daar
Communications Plc. owners of the African Independent
Television (AIT) and Raypower radio station.
The Minister said it was worrisome that the media had
failed to check the dangerous which is capable of eroding
the integrity of the media and bring the country to its knees.
He then called on the media not to engage in dissemination
of false information.
Mohammed then urged the media, particularly the traditional
media to eschew disinformation of fake news and
save the country from the negative consequences.
13,000 suffer from Malnutrition
one Bauchi LGA
By Suzan Edeh, Bauchi
No fewer than 13, 000 children were said to be malnourished
in Dambam local government area of Bauchi
state.
The Nutrition officer of the local government Ahmed
idi who stated this during the weeked when he received
a delegation led by the Chairman, State Primary
Health Care Development Agency (SPHCDA said
that they were admitted for treatment at Dambam community
management for acute malnutrition programme
in 2016.
‘Only 3,755 were successfully treated after receiving
supplementary feeding for a period of eight weeks.
The local government has five outpatient therapeutic
sites, but most parents are found of defaulting, that
was why the number of treated children are low”
“ Enlightenment is still ongoing to encourage care
givers on the importance of exclusive breastfeeding,
complementary feeding and personal hygiene,” he
said.
Osinbajo to chair forum on
Economic Recovery Plan
By Emmanuel Elebeke
sThe Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo is to chair an
Economic Recovery Plan forum on Monday, 6 February
in Abuja.
The Plan is expected to be formally launched by President
Mohammadu Buhari within the month.
A release signed by the Media Adviser to the Minister
of Budget and National Planning, Akpandem James, explained
that the forum is part of efforts towards carrying
the critical sectors along and ensuring successful development
of the Economic Recovery Plan.
According to the Minister, Udoma Udo Udoma, the
event is being organized for representatives of the Private
Sector to actively engage their public sector counterparts
on the proposals.
He noted that the Ministry of Budget and National
Planning was in the process of finalizing Nigeria’s Economic
Recovery and Growth Plan (NERGP) 2017 – 2020
development process, stating that the forum is expected
to enrich the Plan development process.
There’s no travel ban on
Nigerians—US envoy
By Victoria Ojeme
UNITED States has said Nigerians will not be
banned from entering the country contrary to
speculations of many. Trump had signed an executive
order barring citizens from Syria, Iraq, Iran,
Yemen, Libya, Somalia and Sudan from entering the
country for 90 days and also suspended the admission
of all refugees for 120 days. The US Ambassador
to Nigeria , Ambassador W. Stuart Symington who said
this yesterday during a press briefing in Abuja, stated
that the US holds Nigeria in high esteem and would
not ban its citizens from coming to US. He said the
connection between our two countries has been strong
and will continue to be strong tomorrow. He refuted
the claim that Nigeria visa status has been reduce to
one year. He said that nothing has really changed in
the Visa policy for Nigeria, stressing that the two years
multiple entry status is still valid for Nigerians. He
said U.S will not discriminate against any Nigeria based
on religion or tribe. He however stressed that should
there be any visa denial for any individual it should
not be constricted to discrimination.