Senator Peter Nwaoboshi is in hot soup as the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property has referred him to the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Etsu Umar, for prosecution.

In its letter signed on behalf of the chairman of the panel, Okoi Obono-Obla, by Dr. Celsus Ukpong, urged the DPP to prosecute the senator on charges bordering on his failure to declare his assets before the panel in violation of section 3(i)(a) of the Recovery of Public Property (Special Provisions) Act 2004.

The letter stated that the violation was punishable by the same provision of the Act.

It stated that it had forwarded draft charges to the DPP.

Accompanying the letter dated June 7, 2019, and received by the DPP office on June 10, 2019, were documents contained in the case file forwarded to the Ministry of Justice.

The letter read, “I am directed to you above-named case file for further action.

“The above suspect is under investigation before us for possession of suspicious assets far and beyond his legitimate earnings.

“He has refused to declare his assets before the panel after lawful demand by the special presidential investigation panel.

“This refusal is contrary to and punishable under section 3(i)(a) of the Recovery of Public Property (Special Provisions) Act 2004. It shall be appreciated if a charge is brought against him for his offence pending the conclusion of the investigation.”

Hon Femi Gbajabiamila has been elected Speaker of the 9th House of Representatives.

He secured 284 votes to defeat his only challenger, Umar Bago who garnered a paltry 76 votes.

His supporters, including National chairman of All Progressives Congress(APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, couldn’t hide their excitement immediately he got the threshold.

Moments ago, Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan, a senator who represents the All Progressive Congress in the Yobe North Constituency of Yobe State emerged as Nigeria’s new Senate President.

Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan was born in 1959 and became a senator in 2007. He received a bachelor’s degree in geography from the University of Maiduguri, a master’s degree in remote sensing from Ahmadu Bello University and a doctorate degree in remote sensing/GIS from Cranfield University, UK.

He was elected to the House of Representatives for the northern state of Yobe in 1999, at different times Lawan chaired the House Committees on education and agriculture. In 2008, he was a member of the National Assembly’s Joint Committee on Constitution Review.

In 2009, as chairman of the Senate committee on Public Accounts, Lawan initiated and sponsored the Desertification Control Commission Bill. In August 2009, Senator Lawan spoke against the proposed Kafin Zaki Dam. He stated that the Tiga Dam and Challawa Gorge Dam had already reduced water flow drastically, and the Jama’are River was now the main source of water in the Yobe River. He said the dams caused intense poverty, increased desert encroachment, migration and conflicts between arable farmers and herdsmen.

Lawan ran for re-election in Yobe North Senatorial District on the ANPP platform in the 9 April 2011 elections. He won with 92,799 votes, trailed by Hassan Kafayos Hussaini of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) with 76,960 votes.

After meeting with President Buhari on Thursday, June 6, 2019, Senator Danjuma Goje stepped down for Senator Lawan from the Senate Presidency race.

Senator Ovie Omo-Agege has won the Deputy Senate President election.

He was up against former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu,

Omo-Agege who represents Delta Central Senatorial district polled a total of 68 votes to defeat Ekweremadu who polled a total of 37 votes.

Senator Ahmed Lawan has been elected Senate President of the 9th Assembly. The senators-elect had the election for Senate President this morning.

Lawan who represents Yobe North Senatorial district, was endorsed by the APC to run for the position.

Lawan polled a total of 79 votes. 107 senators were in attendance.

His main rival, Ali Ndume who had the backing of PDP, polled a total of 28 votes.

Lawan takes over from Bukola Saraki.

Former Imo state governor, Rochas OKorocha has been denied accreditation at the National Assembly.

The 9th Assembly is currently being inaugurated and Okorocha who won the March 9th Imo West Senatorial district in controversial circumstances, had arrived the Assembly complex and expected that he be inaugurated.

However, he was denied accreditation and even the clerk of the National Assembly failed to mention his name during the roll call.

Recall that four days ago, an FCT High Court ordered that INEC release the Certificate of Return of the former governor after the electoral body held on to it. The resident officer during the election had came out to say he was forced to announce Okorocha the winner of the election

……seize 7000 bags of rice

The Ogun State Area Command, Nigeria Customs Service, says it has generated N1.413bn N1.131bn revenue between 1st to 31st May 2019.

It added that it also seized 7000 bags of rice, 372 kegs of vegetable oil (25liters each), 3 units of motorcycles, 5 sacks, 1, 835 pairs of new and 264 pairs of used footwear, 3 bags of sugar (50kg each), 1 sack of secondhand clothing, 411 kegs of PMS (Petrol) of 25 litres and 38 vehicles which included smuggled ‘tokunbo’ cars and others used as means of conveyance of smuggled goods.

The Area Controller of the command, Michael Agbara, disclosed this on Tuesday at the Idiroko border office of the command.

Agbara said, “The seizure of over 7000 bags of rice for the month of May 2019 is the highest monthly seizures of rice made by the Command during the 2019 fiscal year.

“The aforementioned was achieved due to strategic enforcement measures put in place in line with the Federal Government Policy on Agricultural Development in the area of boosting local rice production.

“The Command will continue to dialogue, engage, sensitize and educate the public on social/economic implication of smuggling and on the other hand, the statutory functions of enforcing compliance with strict adherence to rules of engagement will not be relinquished”, he said.

The National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress on Monday ordered all the party’s members-elect in the National Assembly to vote Senator Ahmed Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila as Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives, respectively during the inauguration of the 9th federal legislature on Tuesday (today).

The NWC gave the directive after a meeting with the APC governors and its members-elect in the National Assembly in Abuja on Monday.

This is as the Peoples Democratic party directed its members-elect to vote the former Senate Majority Leader, Ali Ndume, and Umar Bago both of the APC, as the 9th National Assembly’s Senate President and Speaker, House of Representatives, respectively.

The APC NWC’s meeting also endorsed Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and Idris Wase as Deputy Senate President and Deputy Speaker, respectively.

Ndume from Borno State, who had also declared for the Senate President, was absent from the APC meeting.

Among the contestants also absent from the APC meeting were Senator Francis Alimikhena, Kabiru Gaya and a former Abia State governor, Orji Uzor Kalu.

Addressing journalists at the end of the meeting, the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, said, “We have all agreed as a caucus to endorse senator Lawan for Senate President and Senator Omo-Agege as the Deputy Senate President.

“We have also agreed to endorse Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila as the Speaker of the House of Representatives and Wase as deputy speaker. These four are the APC nominees for the respective positions. The governors and members-elect were unanimous in adopting this position.”

He thanked other aspirants for agreeing to step down despite being qualified to contest the positions in order to preserve the unity of the APC and the interest of the country at large.

Specifically, Oshiomhole thanked Senator Danjuma Goje from Gombe State for stepping down for Lawan and Senator Francis Alimikhena for assuring him to support Omo-Agege.

He also thanked Senator Ajayi Boroffice (Ondo State), Olusegun Odebunmi and Nkiruika Onyejeocha among others for agreeing to step down for the party’s candidates.

Oshiomhole noted that those that stepped down were eminently qualified to contest the positions.

Abia North Senator-elect, Orji Uzor Kalu, has shelved his ambition of contesting for the Deputy Senate President of the ninth Senate.

His decision followed the position of his party, All Progressives Congress (APC) to support another candidate for the position.

The party on Monday announced Delta Central Senator, Ovie Omo-Agege, as its preferred candidate for the position

Before the announcement, Mr Kalu had vowed not to step down for any candidate.

However, in a statement by his media office Monday evening, the Senator-elect hinged his decision to step down on party supremacy and his loyalty.

Endorsing Mr Omo-Agege, the senator said he would now throw his weight behind the party’s candidates across board.

Mr Kalu added that he will always abide by the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC.

“I decided to throw my hat into the ring to contest for the position of Deputy Senate President after wide consultations with stakeholders especially my political associates, friends and colleagues (returning senators and senators–elect),” he said.

“However, I use this medium to announce my withdrawal from the race in the interest of the APC and Nigeria at large.

“I contested and won election as a Senator on the platform of the APC and as such, I cannot go against the decision of my party.

“The party, I am optimistic will consider the South East for other principal positions in the Senate and House of Representatives for the sake of national unity.

“The 9th national assembly will work harmoniously regardless of party affiliations to ensure that the executive and judiciary arms of government are complemented in a bid to build a prosperous Nigeria.”

The lawmaker pledged his loyalty to the party and thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for his fatherly role in the affairs of the party.

He also thanked associates, followers and colleagues while calling on members of the ninth National Assembly to place the collective interest of Nigerians above selfish ambitions.

The election of principal officers of the National Assembly will hold today.