NaijaWire

Abuja - President Umaru Yar’Adua has relieved his Acting Chief of Staff, Dr. Gbolade Osinowo, of his appointment, while also dismissing all political appointees in the now defunct office.

Dr Osinowo succeeded Major General Abdullahi Mohammed (rtd.) who resigned from his position effective June 2nd of this year after close to a decade serving three head of states. Osinowo’s removal was part of the restructuring of the administrative system of the State House, which involved the scrapping of the office of the Chief of Staff to the President.

Abuja - President Umaru Yar’Adua has forwarded the nomination of former Head of State, Chief Ernest Shonekan, to the Senate as the Chairman of the Board of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC).

Shonekan’s nomination was announced in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Communications, Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi.

The statement explained that the President was urging the Senate to “expeditiously consider and confirm” Shonekan’s nomination as the head of the commission.

The commission is expected to spearhead efforts to involve the private sector in the provision of public infrastructure, particularly roads.

London - The British government has recovered £40 million (N9.3bn) suspected to have been stolen by some corrupt Nigerian government officials, and has commence judicial procedure to transfer the recovered loot to Nigeria.

The money was recovered through the UK judicial system in the fight against money laundering, according to the Lord Major of London, David Lewis.

Mr Lewis told journalists in Abuja after visiting some ministries that the £40 million was different from the £150,000 confiscated from former governor of Plateau State, Chief Joshua Dariye, and just handed over to the Federal Government.

Abuja - 48 hours after she was sent to Maitama Police station, Abuja for detention, Justice Salisu Garba of the Abuja High Court yesterday admitted Senator Iyabo to bail in the sum of N10 million, the same amount the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC ) is prosecuting her for her involvement in the Health Ministry scam.

The senator who beamed with smile after the court pronounced her temporary freedom, went on to attend the senate session and used the opportunity to than her colleagues, promising to be of good behavior henceforth. According to her, “I want to assure you that I have not done anything to bring down the honor and dignity of this hallowed chamber and I will not do anything that will bring down the image of this Senate. I will always live up to your expectations.”

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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