News
Reps summon FCC chair, Muheeba Dankaka for ‘feigning sickness’ to evade panel invitation
There was a mild drama on Tuesday at a sitting of the house of representatives committee when some of the commissioners from the Federal Character Commission (FCC) accused Muheeba Dankaka, the executive chairperson, of evading the invitation by the lawmakers.
The ad hoc committee is investigating ministries, departments, agencies (MDAs), parastatals, and tertiary institutions on personal recruitment, employment racketeering, and the management of the integrated payroll and personnel information system (IPPIS).
Armaya’u Abubakar, FCC federal commissioner representing Taraba state, told the panel that Dankaka asked him to stand in for her because she was “indisposed” and has a medical appointment with a doctor.
“That is why she has dedicated us (federal commissioner from Taraba, Bayelsa, Abia, Gombe, Anambra, Niger) and me to be with the leader of this delegation to make a presentation,” Abubakar said.
Wole Oke, a member of the committee from Osun, raised a point of order, demanding his colleagues to mandate Dankaka to present evidence substantiating her medical appointment.
However, Moses Anaughe, the federal commissioner representing Delta state, told the committee that Dankaka had been untruthful in her letter to the panel, adding that she was at her office and had not scheduled any medical appointment.
“I want to inform this house that the federal character commission chairman as we speak, is in her office. This has been her usual way of dodging committee invitations,” Anaughe said.
“I just want you people (lawmakers) to know. This has been her usual practice because if the federal character is doing their job very well, this issue of audit and inviting FCC will not arise.”
Anaughe asked members of the committee to ensure that the FCC chair appears before them to “tell her stewardship of the FCC”.
The federal commissioners representing Osun, Kaduna, Delta, Lagos and Enugu corroborated Anaughe’s position, insisting that Dankaka is employing medical excuses to evade appearing before the committee.
‘YOU CAN’T LIE TO THE COMMITTEE’
Oke accused Abubakar of lying to the committee, asserting that he falsely claimed the FCC chairperson had a medical appointment, adding that there should be repercussions for such dishonest behaviour.
“You have come to this parliament to lie before us, you cannot just go away like that,” he said.
“You came before the Nigerian parliament, before the Nigerian people to lie to us when you know that your chairman is in the office.
“A colleague of yours is telling you that your chairman is in the office. But you brought a letter here to mislead the committee — to lie before us. If she is tired, she should throw in the towel.”
THE RULING
In his ruling, Yusuf Gagdi, chairperson of the committee, said Dankaka must appear before the committee on Wednesday alongside all the federal commissioners in the FCC.
The committee chairperson said the parliament will recommend the sacking of government officials who take taxpayers’ monies “for granted”.
“The 10th house of representatives will be one of the best because if it gets to a level of recommending for your removal — to the best of my ability, this committee is going to do that. We will ensure the right thing is done,” he said.
“For the first time, we are going to recommend to the house of representatives and to the executive arm of government — Mr president to sanction MDAs that are taking taxpayers’ money for granted, I swear.”
Early this month, the house had set up the ad hoc committee to investigate MDAs over their alleged mismanagement of IPPIS, following the adoption of a motion moved by Oke.
News
Sanwo-Olu to receive democracy award in Tanzania
The Association of Political Consultants Africa (APCA) has nominated Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos, for the 2023 Democracy Award.
In a statement on Thursday, the organisation said the award recognises political leaders who have made significant strides in democratic leadership, development, and governance.
Temitope Lakisokun, APCA chairperson in Nigeria, said Sanwo-Olu has “demonstrated exceptional leadership by building the capacity of state secretaries and improving governance structures within Lagos state”.
She added that his efforts have set a benchmark for effective governance and democratic practices in Nigeria.
The award will be presented at the 7th Africa political summit & diamond awards billed for December 11-14 at Lux Marijani, Zanzibar in Tanzania.
Past recipients of the award include President Bola Tinubu, President William Ruto of Kenya and Abiy Ahmed, prime minister of Ethiopia.
Political leaders, consultants, and stakeholders from across the continent and beyond are expected at the event.
News
Pride Cometh Before A Fall, “Do You Know Who I Am?”, By Emeka Monye
Last week, a video surfaced on various social media platforms, showing how a supposed member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Alex Ikwechegh, emotionally, psychologically and physically assaulted a bolt driver, Stephen Abuwatseya, who had come to deliver a parcel of snail to him, from a client.
In the said video, “Honourable” Alex Ikwechegh, representing Abia North and South at the House of Representative, was seen harassing, threatening and intimidating the less privileged driver, who despite all the shootings and threats to his life, remained calm.
Irked by what he described as the driver’s rude behaviour towards him, the federal lawmaker boasted that he could make the bolt driver dispear without trace and nothing would happen; he even went ahead to ask the driver to call the Inspector General of Police.
What was the driver’s offence? Simply because the lawmaker perceived him to be rude, hence his outburst to a fellow citizen whose social and economic status is at disparity with his. That is the system that we operate and run with, a dysfunctional one for that matter, where every political office holder and “very important personalities”, and the elites see themselves above the law and the law will not hold them accountable for their misdemeanours.
This is not the Nigeria we all yearn for, where intimidation, impunity reign above all other considerations, including constitutionAl provision which guarantees the right to human dignity. The country we all aspire to live as one nation-state and entity is where equity, justice, supersede all other considerations.
The driver’s encounter with the honourable is not a new phenomenon in the Nigerian socio-economic and political space. It cut across all spares of our national life, including private and public sectors. The phrase, “Do you know who I am” is a national lingo crept into the DNAs of most, if not all, Nigerians.
From the usual traffic jams in major cities and towns across the nation, to the shopping mall, down to the streets and filling stations, the spate of attacks on the less privileged Nigerians by these so-called influential elites clearly postulates the arrogance of personality among us, even when it is not needed, a typical Nigerian would want to show off and make the ordinary man feel intimidated.
Honourable Ikwechegh’s case only got to national prominence because of two major factors – his person and office he is occupying and the very fact that the bolt driver recorded the whole unpleasant event and posted it on social media, leading it to go viral.
Alex Ikwechegh has gone down into history as one of those Nigerians who has etched their names as one of the Intimidators, harassers and abusers of human rights and dignity. Sadly, what makes his actions and behaviour quite despicable is that he is of the youthful generation, a generation that has been clamouring for youths empowerment and inclusion in public governance.
The “Do you know who I am” croner has been ducked before a magistrate court in Abuja, for assault, leaving him to lick his wound of pride in disgrace and shame. At least, the bolt driver has shown that calmness and reasoning far outweighs the emotional outburst displayed by Alex Ikwechegh.
There are lessons – he has parted with a large sum of 500,000 Naira as bail funds, two sureties in like sum and I am certain, he will be asked to compensate the victim, Stephen Abuwatseya in financial terms. That is a learning curve for all those who think they can assault the less privileged and get away from it.
All these embarrassments were avoidable if the honourable had been honourable enough to control his emotional outburst, by just simply paying the gentle man bolt driver his professional fee
Emeka Monye Is A Journalist, Works With ARISE NEWS.
News
10 feared dead as building collapses in Ibadan
No fewer than 10 individuals have reportedly lost their lives, while seven others were rescued in a building collapse in Jegede Olorunsogo, within the Ona Ara local government area of Ibadan, Oyo State capital.
Confirming the incident to Vanguard, General Manager of Oyo State Fire Services, Rev. Akinyemi Akinyinka, said they received distress calls from the people in the neighborhood at 2 a.m.
According to him, “May I inform you that Oyo State Fire Services Agency received a distressed call at around 2 am this morning at Jegede Olunloyo area, Ibadan, of which 10 persons have been recovered from the debris of the collapsed building, while 7 persons were rescued alive.”
“Rescue operation is still going on. I thank you.”
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