Buhari Nominates Senator Durojaiye As NCC Chairman, Sunday Dare, Others As Commisioners

President Muhammadu Buhari in a letter dated August 2, 2016, and sent to the Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has nominated Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye (South West) as Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, while Mr. Sunday Dare (South West) was named as Executive Commissioner, Stakeholders Management.

In the letter, Buhari requested the Upper Legislative Chamber to confirm the above-mentioned Nigerians among the nominees into positions of Chairman, Executive Commissioner, and Non-Executive Commissioners of the NCC.

According to a statement issued by the President’s spokesman, Femi Adesina, “Those nominated as Non-Executive Commissioners are: Aliyu Sa’idu Abubakar (North East), Clement Omeiza Baiye (North Central), Chief Okoi Ofem Obono Obla (South South), Pastor Ezekiel Yissa (North Central) and Senator Ifeanyi Ararume (South East).

“The nominations are in accordance with Section 8(1) of the Nigerian Communications Commission Act 2003.”

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Ekweremadu’s Removal Will Divide Nigeria – Archbishop Chukwuma Cautions Buhari

Most Rev Dr. Emmanuel Chukwuma, the Anglican ArchBishop of the Enugu Province, on Monday urged the President Muhammadu Buhari led federal government to desist from further plot to remove the Deputy Senate President, Chief Ike Ekweremadu.

The Archbishop who spoke to journalists at the town hall meeting organized by the Federal Ministry of Information in Enugu, also insisted that “Nigeria is negotiable because people are wounded; people are being sidelined and this is what is causing this spate of bombings by Avengers and all these people who are agitators.

“The more you make Nigerians to know that they are part of the government and receive the social amenities and care, then there will be no need for us to talk about restructuring.

“Restructuring will surely be done because the way things are going, it has to be restructured. South-East is the only zone that has five states. You have to restructure because without restructuring there will be marginalization.”

“We need to know that Nigerians are Nigerians; to keep Nigeria as one is a task that must be done, but Nigerians must be carried along without any part being neglected in appointments, in infrastructure, and even when you see how they appoint some South-East people into government, it does not translate to infrastructural development. It does not.”

He added that “this town hall meeting is an opening for the Minister to tell the President that we are not happy; we need to be carried along, we need to be recognized.

“But we appeal to our brothers, let us be patient and see what will happen and this town hall meeting should not just be a jamboree, it should be studied for implementation and action to take place as soon as possible.”

On Ekweremadu, he noted that “What we are saying is that APC should not be afraid of Ekweremadu; Ekweremadu is a very simple developing senator and out of all the senators in the South East, Ekweremadu is the most, I must say, loved, hard-working senator that APC can make use of to develop Nigeria.

“We want to also express that it is unfortunate that the governor of Imo State has continued to insult him and we say that this is not right, he should be called to order by the APC because Ekweremadu was not elected by the APC and election in the senate was not done by governors.

“So, if a senator is going to survive in the senate, that senator must come to pay homage to the leading senator in the South-East.

“The governor of Imo State should tread with caution, if he is an Igbo man, otherwise he is a betrayer. I want to call him to order that if he continues this way, the Igbos will deny him.

“Ekweremadu should be left alone to do his work, he has been elected constitutionally as Deputy Senate President and nobody can remove him there. If they do that, it means that this government doesn’t want the Igbos, then you are calling for its secession from Nigeria because that is the high ranking position we have and we are all behind him and he has been performing, and he should be left to perform.”

My Emergence As Deputy Senate President, Reason For My Court Trial – Ekweremadu

Senator Ike Ekweremadu, the Deputy Senate President, yesterday, reiterated his innocence over the charges of forgery of the Senate Standing Rules brought against him by the federal government, insisting that his only offence was his emergence as the Deputy Senate President against the wishes of the “powers that be”.

According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Uche Anichukwu, who spoke when members of Enugu State Economic Advisory Committee of which he is a member, paid him a solidarity visit at his residence in Enugu, he insisted that his hands were clean.

He said: “I am, indeed, humbled by your solidarity. As they say, the true test of a man is not where he stands in the time of comfort; it is where he stands when there is crisis.

"Many people may not take this step of faith because of the situation we found ourselves in the country; some may be afraid of their liberty and afraid of any reprisals. But you have stepped out to come and show solidarity and ask questions in a matter concerning one of your sons.

“Let me start by saying that I reinstate my innocence; that I committed no offence or forged any documents; and non of the accused persons to the best of my knowledge committed any offence, let alone forging any document. Let me also say that no senator accused me, President of the Senate or the other people of committing any offence."

“Again, as a lawyer, I know what is called Proof of Evidence, that is the statement of witnesses who are going to confront you with the offence for which you are being charged.

“I was served, and I have read this document (court process) from the first page to the last page; no witness said any of us committed any offence. Our only offence is that Senator Bukola Saraki and myself emerged as President of the Senate and Deputy President of the Senate. Some people found it unacceptable, and that is why we are being charged, not that we committed any offence”.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Committee, Monsignor Prof. Obiora Ike, said members were in Ekweremadu’s residence to get his own side of the case as regards what is happening at the National Assembly, and thanked him for granting them audience.

“One more thing, our people stand behind you, our people believe in you and our people are praying for you; and when you are in public service, there is always trouble, but when you are forthright, you will always triumph”, he said.

Prof. Ike stressed: “We respect the principles of democracy, which speak of separation of powers among the executive, the judiciary, and the legislature. In the year 1625, Montesquieu De Baron, a French philosopher spoke about the separation of powers as a guarantee of true freedom; because he believed that despotism and dictatorship will lead to anarchy, they will lead to lack of freedom. But if you separated powers, and regulated them by law, then you had a stable society. And that was in Europe at a time of Monarchism to the enlightenment

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Ekwermadu Suffering Injustice In Buhari’s Hand Because He Is An Igbo Man – MASSOB

The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, in a statement signed by the leader of the group, Comrade Uchenna Madu, stated that President Muhammadu Buhari’s grouse against the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu is because the Senator is an Igbo man and not because of party affiliation.

The statement read in part: “MASSOB has discovered the major reasons behind President Buhari’s hatred against Ndigbo and Biafrans in general.

“Buhari’s grouse against Ike Ekweremadu is because he is an Igbo man. If a non Igbo PDP senator replaces Ike Ekweremadu, Buhari, Tinubu and their likes will relax their nerves. MASSOB also reminds Ndigbo that this is the time to be your brothers keeper"

“President Buhari is always rattled and unsettled whenever he sees, hears or encountered the magnanimity of economical dominance and booming enterprising exploits of Ndigbo both in Nigeria and in diaspora.

“Today in Nigeria, Ndigbo owns 70% of private, economic and social investments in Nigeria, this Jewish and Zionist advancement of Ndigbo also stretched to many countries of the universe. Ndigbo is divinely, naturally, humanly, academically, Religiously destined to lead in every field of nation building.

“Ndigbo and their Biafran brethren have never been deterred, frustrated or admitted failure in all endeavors of life, we are always progressives, Republican, conquering every obstacles of lives including the environment we found ourselves.

“MASSOB declares that any person or group of people that hates Ndigbo as a result of religious beliefs, tribal/ ethnic sentiments, personal envy or tutorial orientation will constantly experience unfulfillment, unprogressiveness and backwardness.

“Biafrans are direct legitimate descendants of Abraham. God of Abraham ( Chukwu Okike Abiama) always bless friends of Biafrans and course our enemies.

“MASSOB wish to inform President Mohammed Buhari that all his political, economical and religious persecutions of Ndigbo and anti Igbo policies of his government will never derail, deter, frustrate or shortchange the domineering nature or economical prowess of Biafrans.

“The more our people are persecuted, the more we are united and resolute, irrespective of our Billions dollar investments and establishments in Nigeria, we shall not relent in our genuine and legitimate pursuit for Biafra restoration.

“MASSOB reminds Igbo Leaders that Nnamdi Kanu, arrowhead of new Biafra agitation, Benjamin Onwuka, 23 members of MASSOB in Onitsha/ Awka prisons, Chidiebere Onwudiwe are still languishing in Nigeria prisons and DSS cage including Lotachukwu Okolie who is been detained in Norway prisons since 2013.

“Igbo Political, Religious, Traditional, Progressive leaders including Elder statesmen should rise up now in defence of our people and living heroes; MASSOB shall hold Igbo leaders responsible if any harm befall on these innocent Biafra detainees”.

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Ekweremandu’s Seat Threatened — Okorocha

Chief Rochas Okorocha, the Imo State Governor, says “Ike Ekweremadu’s seat as Deputy Senate President, is now threatened, with the emergence of Benjamin Uwajumogu in the last senatorial re-run election in the state.”

An obviously joyous Okorocha said, “The position of Senator Ike Ekweremadu as the Deputy Senate President is at the moment under heavy threat because in no distant time, the APC Senator in waiting from Imo State, Benjamins Uwajumogu, will take over the seat on the ground that it is an aberration that a PDP senator from the South-East is Deputy to an APC Senate President because, before now, APC could not produce a senator from the South-East zone".

Okorocha on a wild goose chase 

 

Reacting to Okorocha's statement, the Office of the Deputy President of the Senate in a statement issued by the Special Adviser (Media) to the Deputy President of the Senate, said it would have “allowed the governor to continue to wallow in his delusions and wild claims, but, considering the fact that this is the second consecutive statement by the governor in one week wherein he attempted to impugn the integrity and democratic credentials of the Office and person of the Deputy President of the Senate, we are being compelled to set the record straight.

“The Deputy President of the Senate visited Imo State for the last time in 2015. It is also instructive that the governor’s claim comes on the heels of another statement by some All Progressives Congress (APC) elements in Ezeagu Local Government Area on Sunday where they whined bitterly over the huge solidarity shown by the good people, stakeholders, and traditional rulers of Enugu State to Senator Ekweremadu during his annual Ikeoha Scholarship and Bursary Awards/Adult Literacy Day at the Council headquarters on the same Saturday, June 23, 2016."

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Jonathan Rejected Efforts To Separate Office Of AGF From Minister Of Justice - Ekweremadu

Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Deputy President of the Senate, said former President Goodluck Jonathan frustrated efforts to separate office of the Attorney-General of the Federation from that of Minister of Justice by refusing to assent to the amendment that would have brought it about.

According to Ekweremadu, who disclosed this to journalists during a tour of the construction site of national headquarters of Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, Abuja, he said it is necessary to separate both offices, if Nigerians still desire that justice delivery must be strengthened in the country.

Ekweremadu said: “I believe in the separation of the two offices. I go for it any time, any day. This is because it will guarantee financial independence, security of tenure, and make the holder of the office of the Attorney-General at the state and federal levels to be autonomous in thinking and approach to the idea of justice.

"It will ensure that citizens have access to justice, since the officer will not be dictated to by any external interest or influence.

"During the last constitution amendment, we (members of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution in the 7th National Assembly) recommended it to our colleagues, based on inputs from Nigerians, and they graciously adopted it.

"Unfortunately, the last President did not sign it. Although, we will be looking at all the issues again, the decision on the separation, or any other issue for that matter, will depend on what other colleagues and Nigerians would think. But as a person, I strongly believe in it.”

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