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Suspension: Showdown Looms As Omo-Agege Dares Senate

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There are strong indications of a looming showdown at the Senate on Tuesday as the lawmaker representing the Delta Central Senatorial District, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, says he will attend the plenary.

The senator stated this in an interview with Saturday PUNCH, while reacting to the nullification of his suspension by the Federal High Court, Abuja.

But it was learnt that the Senate had yet to inform security men to allow the Delta Central senator access to the upper chamber of the National Assembly.

Saturday PUNCH had exclusively reported on April 21 that the Senate had ordered security agents to prevent Omo-Agege from entering its chamber.

But the senator said his planned resumption was not based on court nullifying his suspension, because he never believed that a legislature could suspend a member.

Asked if he would resume legislative duties on Tuesday, Omo-Agege said, “Absolutely. I have already told you that I reserve the right to come to sitting anytime. I am coming not because of this judgment but because I have always maintained that they have no right to suspend.

“I did not just take that position. I took that position based on the extant laws which have been pronounced upon by various courts, including the Court of Appeal in Jos concerning the Speaker of Bauchi State House of Assembly. That is a pronouncement that can be extended to everyone. I did not even need to go to court to seek a re-validation.

“Be that as it may, I reserve the right to show up anytime to attend plenary, to represent my people, and that right of representation cannot be tampered with by anyone irrespective of the provision.”

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Omo-Agege pointed out that only his constituents have the power to remove him from the senatorial seat he is currently occupying.

He said, “I am grateful to God and I give God all the glory. I must tell you that this verdict did not come to me as a surprise because I have always known the law. The law is very clear that no legislature has the powers to suspend anybody (member) for one day. That is the position I have always taken. It was on the basis of that understanding that I went to plenary on the 18th of April.

“From day one, I considered this suspension, unlawful and unconstitutional. What the court has just done is to re-validate that position. Only my constituents – the Urhobo people – have the right to determine whether or not I can be in the Senate; no one else, no matter how highly placed.”

It was, however, gathered the lawmaker might not be allowed to gain access to the Senate.

A source in the Senate, who confided in Saturday PUNCH, stated, “We have yet to inform the security agents and he will not be allowed to enter the senate until the judgment is discussed at the plenary.”

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Aliyu Sabi-Abdullahi, had on Thursday told one of our correspondents that the lawmakers had yet to be formally informed about the judgment.

We’ll deliberate on Omo-Agege’s case on Tuesday –Senate

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But when contacted on Friday, Sabi-Abdullahi, said the lawmakers would discuss Omo-Agege’s matter at the plenary on Tuesday. He said he could not confirm if the senator could resume or not.

Sabi-Abdullahi said, “There is an appeal against the judgment, according to media reports. But I cannot be speaking for the Senate and reply on what was reported, I must get the facts from the relevant people within the institution. Now, I am not in Abuja. I’ve been asked and I said no, until we resume. When we resume on Tuesday, whatever facts are there, we are going to get the facts and we will be able to know what is happening.”

It was learnt that the Senate had filed for a stay of execution of the judgment and that it had no plan to recall Omo-Agege

Senate files stay of judgment execution

Counsel for the Senate and its President, Mr. Mahmud Magaji (SAN), told one of our correspondents on Friday that he had filed along with his notice of appeal, an application for stay of execution of the judgment reinstating Senator Omo-Agege.

“We filed an application for stay of execution of the judgment alongside our notice of appeal,” Magaji said.

An aide to the Senate President, Bankole Omisore, had on Thursday indicated that the Senate would appeal the judgment.

Omo-Agege had, one week after his suspension, attended Senate plenary. The lawmaker’s attendance had occurred same time when suspected thugs invaded the Senate chamber while plenary was ongoing and made away with the mace.

Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, had disclosed that the sergeants-at-arms and security personnel had been ordered to block Omo-Agege whenever he tries to enter the chamber.

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The Senate had on April 12, 2018, suspended Omo-Agege for 90 legislative days for dragging the chamber to court over the amendment to the Electoral Act 2010 which seeks to reshuffle the sequence of polls during a general election.

However, the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday nullified the 90-day suspension imposed by the Senate on Omo-Agege. Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, in the judgment, said the order nullifying the suspension was “with immediate effect.”

https://iso.keq.mybluehost.me/reason-we-suspended-omo-agege-saraki/

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Oyo: Rep Oseni Inaugurates N120m Earthmoving Equipment for Grassroots Development

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Engr. Aderemi Oseni, the House of Representatives member representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency in Oyo State, on Monday, inaugurated N120 million worth of earth-moving equipment, aimed at enhancing grassroots development and ensuring food security within the federal constituency.

Oseni noted that the dire state of road networks in his constituency compelled him to procure the equipment, which includes a grader and payloader, to facilitate the seamless movement of people, goods, and services.

The lawmaker, who spoke shortly after the inauguration of the equipment in Ibadan said: “We are currently starting the rehabilitation of 80 roads in phase one of this project. Once completed, we will proceed to phase two. Additionally, we have selected certain roads in both Ido and Ibarapa East local governments for asphalt tarring.

He added, “Hiring equipment for road rehabilitation is no longer fashionable nor economical. That’s why we’ve invested in our own. In addition to ongoing health and education projects, we’ve finalised plans to dig 50 boreholes in polling units to enhance water supply. Currently, we’ve finished three boreholes, in addition to several others commissioned prior to the elections.”

While also distributing bags of rice to numerous communities as part of the measures to cushion current hardship, the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) lauded President Bola Tinubu for the release of N100 million each to lawmakers through the Federal Government Ministry of Agriculture to address the plight of the masses.

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The legislator tasked Nigerians to be actively involved in the intervention of the Federal Government on road projects across the nation by reporting any contractor that indulges in the poor handling of projects to the agency’s offices.

“I have been telling our committee members in the House of Representatives that fixing our roads is our major challenge. But as community leaders and members of society wherever we find ourselves, we should be involved in monitoring these contractors. A lot of money has been appropriated for road projects.

“When you see contractors saddled with the responsibility of fixing the roads in your area and you see that the job is not being done properly, you don’t need to be a qualified engineer before you know when something is not being done very well or the way it should be done. Raise your voice and go to our offices in various states to report such incidents and we will be able to take it up from there”, Oseni posited.

Earlier in his remark, the Senior Legislative Aide (SLA) to the lawmaker, Alhaji Abdul-Hakeem Okedina urged the people to support him (Oseni) in his drive to improve infrastructural facilities in the constituency, assuring that more dividends of democracy will be available to all irrespective of political, religious and ethnic affiliations.

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Economic Hardship: Rep Oseni Lauds FG’s N100m Palliative for Each Constituency

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Hon. Aderemi Oseni, the lawmaker representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency in Oyo State, has commended the proactive stance of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration towards addressing the welfare needs of Nigerians.

The lawmaker applauded the government’s commitment to ameliorating the prevailing hardships faced by citizens, particularly through the significant intervention of One Hundred Million Naira (N100,000,000) allocated to each federal constituency via the Ministry of Agriculture.

Oseni, in a statement on Thursday by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele, in Ibadan, emphasised the importance of such interventions in providing essential support to communities and constituents grappling with economic challenges, notably in the distribution of grains to cushion the impacts of the hardship in Nigeria.

The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), said the allocation, aimed at cushioning the adverse effects of hardship, signifies a crucial step towards fostering sustainable development and resilience across the nation.

He informed that the palliative has no bias for partisan politics as it is meant for all vulnerable members of the public in the Ibarapa East/Ido Federal constituency, irrespective of political affiliations, adding that the contractor had supplied the rice in the amount of the money approved.

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“I want to commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the several initiatives and interventions of the federal government to bring ease to the people. I also want to reassure all the constituents in Ibarapa East/Ido federal constituency of my commitment to their welfare at this time and always,” the lawmaker assured.

The APC chieftain appealed to members of the public to remain patient and calm as lawmakers are making frantic efforts to ensure the effective implementation and equitable distribution of democratic dividends for the benefit of constituents in their various constituencies.

Renewing his commitment and promising more dividends of democracy for his constituency, Oseni also hinted that in line with his campaign promises, he would be commissioning road construction equipment for the rehabilitation of rural roads this Saturday.

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APC criticises Makinde for alleged education decline in Oyo

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APC criticises Makinde for alleged education decline in Oyo

 

Oyo state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed deep concern over the deteriorating state of education in the region, accusing Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration of negligence and insincerity in addressing the challenges faced by the sector.

In a statement issued by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, and made available to Mega Icon Magazine,  APC highlighted issues such as scarcity of teachers, deplorable infrastructure, lack of teaching aids and equipment, poor monitoring and supervision, erosion of competent administrators, and outdated policy and curriculum implementation as contributing factors to the decline in education standards.

Oyo APC emphasized the need for urgent intervention, stating, “It is time well-meaning citizens and residents of the state began to ask questions on why a key sector like that of education has had to be handled with levity in the last five years.”

The party disputed the state government’s claims of improvement, citing examples of severely understaffed schools and inadequate resources.

The statement pointed out specific cases like St. Joseph Primary School in Ibadan North West LGA, SDA Primary School in Egbeda LGA, Baptist Basic School in Tede, AUD Primary School in Igboora, Muslim Community Primary School in Itesiwaju LGA, and Christ Church School in Ona-Ara LGA, where an alarming shortage of teachers was evident.

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The APC also drew attention to the critical situation in public secondary schools, highlighting the lack of staff to teach core subjects.

“Examples included Baptist Secondary Grammar School in Atisbo LGA and Methodist High School in Ibarapa North LGA, where the Old Student Association and a mere four teachers, respectively, struggled to meet the educational needs of hundreds of students”.

The party urged residents to question the Seyi Makinde-led administration’s commitment to education, stressing the need for immediate action to prevent further deterioration.

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