REVEALED! legislative aides are earning more than Senators

 The proposed National Assembly budget for the year 2017, shows that, the legislative aides would be collecting as much as N8,917,127,214 for the year under review. This amount, according to analysis, is more than double of what the honorable members of House of Representatives got for the year, even though, that of the Senators is also more than thrice less than the Reps’ allocation. In the proposed budget, the 360 honorable members of the reps would take home, a cumulative sum of N4,923,743,127 for the whole year, while the 109 Senators would take home a meagre sum of N1, 856,510,517 as salaries for the year 2017. Recent investigations show that legislative aides are getting more salaries than Senators Though the overhead cost for the legislative aides was drastically reduced to about N500m, with that of Reps members as much as N39bn and Senators N25bn; some legislative aides have argued that, it was strategically appropriated for, to continue to deny them of their allowances and other emoluments. According to Daily Post, the management of the National Assembly has not paid the Duty Tour Allowances (DTAs) and other allowances entitlements to legislative aides since year 2015. This has prompted the decision of the aides to embark on protest, to press home their demand; the decision which didn’t go down well with the management. One of the arrowheads in the proposed civil action, Mr. Olutoye Ibitoye, was reportedly arrested last week by the DSS attached to the National Assembly complex, and was later released, with a caution not to go ahead with the planned protest. Some legislative aides who spoke to this newspaper on condition of anonymity, claimed that, “with the meagre provision for overhead in the proposed budget, the management appears not ready to clear our outstanding allowances. “It also appears that, the management didn’t plan for staff trainings and other human development projects this year. ” Meanwhile, alot of aides to the lawmakers have raised serious concern over the provision of N150m for capital projects for them in the year 2017. They queried the rationale behind the said amount and wished it was added to the overhead cost, to attend to the avalanche of outstanding allowances and other claims. In a similar vein, following the nature of polity in Nigeria, some Nigerians are of the opinion that the present Senate has not delivered on behalf of the masses. There are some who hold the view that the Senate should be scrapped as to give room for fresh legislation.

How N80m loan saved Ladoja from impeachment — Witness

A witness in the ongoing trial of the former governor of Oyo state Rashidi Ladoja has said that the state government took a loan of N80 million to save the governor from impeachment. Waheed Atanda, the first prosecution witness told the Federal High Court in Lagos that the executive committee of the state's leadership processed the loan. Recall that Ladoja and his commissioner for finance Waheed Akanbi are facing trial over N4.7 billion fraud allegedly committed during their tenure in Oyo state.However, in his testimony, Atanda, an associate of the former governor said the loan was taken from Wema Bank. He said: “On N80 million loan from Wema Bank, we had a discussion before writing for a loan, but when the loan went bad, WEMA bank visited Oyo State government and the second defendant (Akanbi)." He said the loan was borrowed through V.T Leasing Limited and disbursed to the state government through the same vendors. In his testimony, Atanda, an associate of the former governor noted that the loan was taken from Wema Bank. He said: “I used V. T. Leasing Limited to apply for the loan from Wema bank, though, am a shareholder with less than one percent, but I used my goodwill to get the loan and I did not make any application." “I did not know the condition attached to giving the vehicles to 14 members of State Assembly loyal to Governor Ladoja, but the vehicles given out by the political actors in Oyo State, were collected by the Oyo State government’s drivers before handling them to 14 Ladoja loyalists at the State House of Assembly. “There was an agreement between V. T. Leasing and the beneficiaries of the vehicles as a backup to the lease agreement. Atanda further told the court that he guarantee the loan from Wema Bank, adding that when the loan from Wema Bank went bad, the bank met to the former governor and his Commissioner for Finance before coming to him," Atanda said. The witness further told the court that another N633 million was collected when Ladoja returned as Oyo state governor. He said the N633 million was part of expenses incurred when he (Atanda) shut down his hotel for one year to house Ladoja and his 14 loyal Assembly members, during the Impeachment saga.

BREAKING:‎ Protesting journalists shutdown OGBC in Ogun state

Premium Times is reporting that unpaid journalists working with the ‎Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation (OGBC) have shut down the broadcast station. According to the report, the workers locked their offices as they began an indefinite strike on Wednesday, May 10 morning. Protesting staff members sitting outside the offices of OGBC on Wednesday Premium Times is reporting that unpaid journalists working with the ‎Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation (OGBC) have shut down the broadcast station. The workers kicked off three separate notices by the radio workers to the management on the non-payment of their entitlements put at about N148,260,000. Doors of OGBC chained up by protesting workers Chairman‎ of Nigerian Union of Journalists Abiodun Ogundipe and Chairman of Radio Television and Theater Arts Workers Union had issued 21, 7 and 3 days warnings respectively to the management to pay the workers’ dues but nothing happened. ‎ The workers arrived at about 4.30 am armed with chain and padlock and locked up the door leading to the studio and other offices. Police officers have been drafted to the premises of the OGBC to maintain peace ‎The General Manager and other management staff of the station were also locked out of their offices. The management has however invited the police to the broadcast station maintain peace. Details later.

Alleged missing N6bn: BBC apologizes to Emir of Kano Sanusi

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has apologized to the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, over claims that he was under probe by anti-graft officials for alleged mismanagement of Kano Emirate fund. According to a report on Premium Times, Jamie Angus, editorial director at BBC, has tender an apology letter to Sanusi over an April 24 story that said the traditional ruler was amongst those being investigated in connection to alleged misappropriation of about N6 billion Emirate Council fund Angus has come out to say that the report is not correct. BBC apologizes to Emir of Kano Sanusi over alleged missing N6bn report, admits he is not under probe He explained that the station’s editorial staff in Abuja had inaccurately translated an April 24 interview with Muhyi Magaji, the chairman of Kano state Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, who allegedly said that Sanusi was under investigation. Angus said: “The recording of the interview was passed to another colleague in Abuja office, summarised in a despatch and then sent to London where the online report was written and published. “It is now clear from our investigations that the reports did not accurately reflect what we were told by Magaji, who had, in fact, made clear to our reporter that you had not been invited in for questioning and indeed that it was unlikely that there would be a need to invite you for question. “Accordingly, the report we published suggested that you were under personal investigation was not correct and for that I offer my sincere apologies.” BBC apologizes to Emir of Kano Sanusi, admits he is not under probe In the apology letter, dated April 28, 2017, Angus said the BBC has removed the inaccurate interview from its website on April 26.It was gathered that the Kano state Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission was investigating the Kano Emirate Council as a body over alleged misappropriation of up to N6 billion, but not Sanusi as an individual. However, the Emirate Council has denied allegations of fraud and said the amount involved was only N4.3 billion.

Osinbajo speaks about acting president, coordinating president controversy.

Professor Yemi Osinbajo has waded into the controversy surrounding whether President Muhammadu Buhari duly handed over power to him when he left the country. President Buhari had left the country on Sunday, May 7 for medical treatment and the vice president was duly expected to replace him in acting capacity.On Tuesday, May 9 however, there was observation from Senator Mao Ohuabunwa that the president did not properly transfer power to the vice president following a letter read by Senate president, Bukola Saraki of the president’s medical trip. The letter read: “In compliance with Section 145 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), I wish to inform the distinguished Senate that I will be away for a scheduled medical follow-up with my doctors in London. The length of my stay will be determined by the doctor’s advice. “While I am away, the Vice President will coordinate the activities of the government. Please accept, the distinguished Senate President, the assurances of my highest consideration.” Ohuabunwa criticised the letter saying there was no position of coordinating president in the constitution and that Osinbajo should have been duly addressed as acting president. He said: “Whenever the President transmits to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a written declaration that he is proceeding on vacation or that he is unable to discharge the functions of his office, until he transmits to them the written declaration to the contrary, such function shall be discharged by the Vice-President as Acting President. “Mr. President, I don’t think in our Constitution we have anything like ‘coordinating president’ or ‘coordinating vice president.’ It is either you are vice president or you are acting president and any letter (on transfer of power) should be unambiguous and very clear. So, I am saying that this letter really does not convey anything because ‘coordinating’ has no space or any place in our Constitution.“We have been having (receiving) letters like this in which he will tell us who is the acting president and we will know who to deal with as a Senate. This is the highest legislative body of any country and if you are sending us a letter, it should be direct, unambiguous. So, I am saying that this letter, for me, is not right and maybe it should be sent back.” Osinbajo in an answer to a question on twitter confirmed that Buhari handed over power to him as acting president as specified by the constitution. He wrote: Read more:https://www.naij.com/1103792-osinbajo-speaks-acting-president-coordinating-president-controversy.html