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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Abuja - The immediate past Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, has declared that he had no regret over the various demolitions effected during his tenure.

Mallam el-Rufai who, for over four hours, testified at the on-going Senate public hearing on the activities of the FCT Administration since 1999 said he acted within the law.

“I have no apology. I acted according to law. I applied the law as it is,’’ he said. El-Rufai, however, apologised to those who had valid Certificates of Occupancy (C of O), but whose houses had to be demolished for the restoration of the Abuja Master Plan.

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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 - Things are indeed no longer rosy for former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo , as he was humiliated by security personnel attached to the Presidential Villa, Aso Rock, Abuja, last Sunday.

Ironically,the effort by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to save Obasanjo from further embarrassment at the hands of the stern-looking security-men was professionally rebuffed.

The setting was the dinner hall in Aso Rock where President Yar’Adua hosted the outgone executive committee members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Dr. Ahmadu Ali and the new one headed by Chief Vincent Ogbulafor, to a post-convention dinner.

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Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his estranged former deputy, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, at their first face to face meeting in more than one year, taunted one another, yesterday, at the 10th year remembrance of their mutual political associate, Maj.-Gen. Shehu Musa Yar‘Adua.

The remembrance ceremony which was graced by President Umaru Musa Yar‘Adua had kicked off with an opening prayer by Chief Tony Anenih who prayed God to give President Yar‘Adua the courage to clear the rot he inherited from Obasanjo.

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