17042019 - 9th NASS: Fresh crisis looms in APC over leadership slots

9th NASS: Fresh crisis
looms in APC over
leadership slots
Continues from Page 5
allocation of the present
government.
APC Youth leaders
reject NWC’s micro
zoning formula
Rising from a meeting
in Abuja, the zonal and
state youth leaders
condemned the zoning
arrangement, especially
as it relates to the
National Assembly, and
called for an immediate
reversal to a looming
logjam.
The meeting, under the
aegis of Forum of APC
Youth Leaders also called
for an immediate
convocation of a meeting
of the National Executive
Committee, NEC, of the
party where salient
issues would be resolved
as a way of saving the
party from impending
crisis.
In a communiqué at the
end of the meeting by
chairman of the forum,
Terver Aginde, they said
that the party’s NWC had
undermined the
independence of the
legislature by imposing
the micro-zoning formula
without consultations.
“Whilst we agree with
the initiative to
determine National
Assembly leadership
within defined
parameters of zoning and
ranking to ensure
stability and discipline
within the ranks of the
party, we must do so
without undermining the
independence of the
legislature.
“We consider the micro
vanguardnews @vanguardnews @vanguardnews
zoning as a recipe for
chaos, mindful of the
experience of 2015. It is
anomalous to have
made a pronouncement
on the position of the
Senate Presidency and
Speakership of the
House
of
Representatives to the
exclusion of other
positions and other
zones. The purported
NWC decision is
suspect; not even the
respected and revered
National Caucus of the
APC comprising major
stakeholders such as
President Buhari, APC
governors, party
stalwarts and BOT
members addressed the
issue.
“We are curious to ask,
for instance, how the
decision was arrived at,
who moved the motion
for micro-zoning, who
seconded the motion,
who voted for microzoning
and who was
against micro-zoning.
We dare ask, who is
benefiting from this
micro-zoning
arrangement, an
individual or party?
Party members will be
glad to see the minutes
of the meeting where
such decision was
taken.”
All zones must be
represented – Nabena
To Nabena, the
Deputy National
Publicity Secretary of
the APC, there must be
equity in the zoning of
principal offices in the
9th National Assembly,
saying all geopolitical
zones must be fairly
represented both in the
Naira down to N360/$ as CBN
injects $210m
By Elizabeth Adegbesan
THE Naira yesterday depreciated to N360 per
dollar in the parallel market even as the
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) injected $210
million to boost the interbank segment of the foreign
exchange market.
Figures obtained from the apex bank showed that
authorized dealers in the wholesale segment of the
market were offered the sum of $100 million.
Similarly, the Small and Medium Enterprises
(SMEs) segment received the sum of $55 million,
while customers requiring foreign exchange for
invisibles were also allocated the sum of $55 million.
According to naijabdcs.com, the live exchange
rate platform of the Association of Bureaux De
Change Operators (ABCON), the parallel market
exchange rose to N360 per dollar from N359 per
dollar on Monday, translating to one naira
depreciation of the Naira.
However, the naira appreciated by seven kobo in
the Investors and Exporters (I&E) window.
Data from FMDQ showed that the indicative
exchange rate for the I&E window dropped to
N 360.23 per dollar from N360.30 per dollar on
Monday, translating to seven kobo appreciation for
the naira.
Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2019 —41
NEWS HOTLINES
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NYSC PASSING OUT CEREMONY —Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, accompanied by
the NYSC state co-ordinator, Mrs Loto Bolade Omolayo, inspects a special parade team of corps members,
during the 2019 NYSC passing out ceremony of batch A, at Kaiama, Kolokuma/Opokuma L.G.A.
executive and legislative
arms.
Calling for the
exclusion of the North-
West and South-West from
the zoning of the Senate
President and House
Speaker as well as their
deputies, he said with
the president and vice
president coming from
the North-West and
South-West respectively,
the party’s leadership
should ensure that the
zoning arrangement for
the Senate President,
Deputy Senate President,
Speaker and Deputy
Speaker of the House of
Representatives in the
incoming 9th National
Assembly reflects the
remaining four
geopolitical regions of
the country.
Addressing journalists,
yesterday, in Abuja,
Nabena warned that if the
party does not get it right
now, 2023 elections might
turn out to be a free for
all, with its attendant
electoral consequences.
“The APC has elected
National Assembly
members from all
geopolitical zones of the
country. Hence, the
party’s leadership and
indeed the presidency
must make deliberate
efforts to provide a fair
and justifiable zoning
arrangement for the 9th
National Assembly
leadership.’’
Nabena, however,
recommended a zoning
arrangement for the
remaining positions.
“The Deputy Senate
President should be
zoned to the South-south
while the Speaker and
Deputy Speaker of the
House of Representatives
should be zoned to the
North-Central and South-
East in any order agreed
by the party’s
leadership.”
N’Delta youths back
Dogara for Speaker
Meanwhile, some
youth groups, opinion
leaders
and
stakeholders in Niger
Delta have thrown their
weight behind Dogara as
the next Speaker.
A prominent opinion
leader, Dr Ufuoma
Omakara, who made the
disclosure, said the
Niger Delta youth
groups and stakeholders
have embarked on
strategic and systematic
lobby of relevant
Justice Hussein
Baba-Yusuf of an
FCT High Court
Maitama yesterday,
issued a production
warrant to the Director
General, Department of
State Service, DSS, to
produce Col. Sambo
Dasuki (retd) in court to
face his trial on May 24.
Dasuki, a former
National Security
Adviser to ex -president
, Dr Goodluck Jonathan
was arraigned by
Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission,
EFCC, since 2015.
On trial with him are
Aminu Baba-Kusa, a
former NNPC Executive
Director, and two firms-
Acacia Holdings and
Reliance Referral
Hospital.
They were arraigned
on 32-count charge of
breach of trust,
misappropriation and
dishonest release and
receiving of various
sums of money to the
tune of N33.3 billion.
The judge, Baba-Yusuf
personalities, including
federal lawmakers from
the oil-rich region to
work towards the reelection
of Dogara as
Speaker.
He said: “The decision
is part of resolutions
reached at the special
meeting of leaders of
affiliate groups under
the aegis of the Coalition
of Niger-Delta Youth
Groups
and
Stakeholders’ Forum,
over the weekend.
“The decision to
support Dogara was
informed by his
outstanding leadership
qualities that saw the
House remaining wellcoordinated
since 2015
when he assumed office
as Speaker.
“The Nigerian House
of Representatives has
neither seen such
tranquillity, nor
exhibited the diligence
that has been its
hallmark since the return
to democracy in 1999,
until the coming of the
Dogara leadership,
which gave a sense of
belonging to the Green
Chamber Lawmakers as
well as brought pride to
Nigerians.”
Court orders DSS to produce
Dasuki on May 24 for trial
ordered for a production
warrant to be issued on
the Director General of
DSS to produce Dasuki in
court for his trial at the
next adjourned date.
Production warrant is
issued when a defendant
is in the custody of the
state as is in Dasuki ‘s
case.
The judge also ordered
the prosecution to liaise
with the DSS to produce
the defendant whenever
his matter comes up.
“Hence I will issue a
production warrant to the
DG, DSS to produce the
defendant for his trial on
the next adjourned date.”
He then adjourned till
May 24 for trial.
Earlier, the prosecuting
counsel Mr Oluwaleke
Atolegbe had expressed
surprise when he found
out that Dasuki was not
in court.
Atolegbe told the court
that it was the duty of the
DSS to produce the
dependant who was in
their custody.
Dasuki ‘s counsel, Mr
Victor Okwudiri told the
court that it was the duty
of the prosecution to
produce the defendant
in court and it was their
duty also to explain his
absence in court.
Counsel for the 2nd
defendant , Mr Solomon
Umoh, SAN told the
court that it was now a
common knowledge that
the defendant was in the
custody of the state.
He said much as the
ACJA allows for trial in
absentia, this was an
occasion where the law
did not contemplate,
“My Lord can use his
inherent power in two
ways.
“One issuance of
production warrant and
secondly, issuance of
bench warrant ‘ the
prosecution should find
a way of producing the
defendant in court,” he
said.
Counsel for the third
and fourth, Mr A Rilman
and A. Ayodele aligned
with him.