Abuja - The Senate may have to wield the big stick on Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello with the consequent declaration of her seat vacant if she continues to shun the attendance of proceedings of the upper chamber.This follows her continuous absence from the Senate sessions since her case with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) which has charged the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health to court over her alleged involvement in the N300 million fraud at the Ministry of Health.The Senate spokesman and chairman of its Committee on Information and Media, Senator Ayogu Eze, disclosed this on Tuesday during the weekly press briefing by the Senate.  Senator Eze, who admitted that Obasanjo-Bello’s case was beyond the jurisdiction of the Senate, the case having already been taken to court for adjudication, said the Senate was, however, worried over the continued absence of the legislator at the proceedings of the House, a development which he said contravened the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.  Senator Eze, who also said that the Senate could not account for her now, stated that the Senate was expected to sit for a minimum of 181 days in a year, and the constitution made it mandatory for a senator to attend two-thirds of that 181 days, failure of which an interested party from her constituency could notify the National Assembly leadership. Giving details of the procedure, Eze said: “Attendance at sittings of the Senate is voluntary. Every member is subject to the rules and law of Nigeria. The Senate is expected to do a minimum of 181 days in a year and by law, it is also mandatory and a senator is expected to do two-thirds of that 181 to qualify to continue in the chamber.” According to Senator Eze, “it is not the responsibility of the leadership or members of the Senate to fish around for a senator who is not coming. What happens when a senator is absent for considerable number of times is that an interested party or member of the constituency of the senator concerned notifies the National Assembly leadership or the Senate that well, so and so, and so, so, person has been absent from the Senate for so and so period and I think that constitutionally, his or her membership of the National Assembly has lapsed.  “If the records of her attendance are checked and the person has not attained the constitutional period required for his or her membership to continue, there is no other procedure required except to write to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The Senate President is expected to write INEC to say that so, so and so person has not met the constitutional requirement, therefore conduct election to fill the vacancy. That is what the law says.” Click here to read the rest of the story from the Tribune 

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London - Human Right Activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Gani Fawehimi, has been diagnosed with cancer of the lungs, by a private hospital in the United Kingdom, contrary to false diagnosis of heart-related problems, by a Nigerian hospital.

Confirming this, was one of Chief Fawehimi’s daughter, Rabiat, during activities marking his 70th birthday anniversary.

President Musa Yar’Adua, also undergoing treatment in Germany, gave Chief Fawehimi a surprise call to wish him a happy birthday and get well soon.

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Abuja - The daughter of immediate past president of Nigeria and a sitting senator, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello has been officially charged alongside two former Ministers of Health, Prof. Adenike Grange and her Minister of State, Gabriel Aduku, with a 56-count charge of corruption and public embezzlement of federal fund by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

While the two former ministers who both recently resigned from the Yar’Adua cabinet on allegation of fraud and corruption, stood in the dock for four and half hours, at the Federal Capital Territory High Court along nine other co-accused, Senator Obasanjo-Bello was no where to be found as the 56-count charge were read against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

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Abuja - The 13 members of the Senate Committee on Health will not honor the invitation with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) following a directive by the soon-to-be ousted President of the Senate, Chief David Mark.

Mark who cited the ongoing recess has, however, directed the Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello-led Committee to make a public defense of the claims of wrongdoings alleged against it in utilizing the N10 million from the N300 million unspent 2007 budget of the Federal Ministry of Health for a retreat in Ghana.

Consequently, the Committee has issued a statement denying any wrongdoing and declared that it acted upon the rules of the Senate.

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Abuja - The House of Representatives has admitted that its Committee on Health has returned the N10m it had collected from the Ministry of Health out of the N300m unspent 2007 budget allegedly shared by its officials in December.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes, Mr. Dave Salako, disclosed this in Abuja.

Salako’s committee oversees the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, which had quizzed the affected lawmakers, House and Senate committees’ officials and their colleagues in the ministry over the scandal.

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