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CONSTITUTION REVIEW: WE’LL CONTINUE TO ENGAGE GULAK’S CHAMBERS – SENATE

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DEP PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, SEN. OVIE OMO-AGEGE, ADDRESSING HAJIA JEMILA GULAK, WIDOW OF THE LATE ALHAJI AHMED GULAK
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Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, has explained that a successful outcome of the ongoing constitution review by the 9th Assembly would be an unforgettable tribute to the memory of the late Alhaji Ahmed Gulak who was killed in Owerri, Imo State while on national assignment.

Omo-Agege who made this disclosure when he led a delegation of the National Assembly leadership on a condolence visit to Hajia Jemila Gulak, widow of the slain lawyer and All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, described the death as a personal loss going by his deep and close relationship with Gulak spanning several years at both political and professional levels.

Members of the delegation included the Senate Leader, Senator Abdullahi Yahaya; Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Robert Ajayi Boroffice and Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe.

Omo-Agege, while disclosing that Gulak was one out of the three consultants that were in Owerri for the Constitutional Review zonal public hearing, assured the family members that the professional services of Gulak’s chambers would still be retained by the committee, assuring that everything would be done to cushion the effects of the loss on the family.

He said: “Before the unfortunate incident involving the demise of our friend and brother, we engaged him as a consultant to the committee and he had, on our mandate, gone to Owerri as one of three consultants to assist members of the committee that were sent to Owerri to conduct the zonal hearing. So, he had been there in his capacity as a consultant during this unfortunate incident that occurred. He was on national assignment on behalf of the National Assembly.

“We would have come to condole with you much earlier, but a lot of us here have very personal relationship with Gulak and for me, it was so many years with him and we find it very difficult to confront the fact that we have actually lost him. It is easy for others to condole and just move on but most of us are in denial and that is why we kept away until this time but it is something we must do. We cannot shy away from the fact that we lost him and we thought that as leaders of the committee, it would be proper that we come in today and condole with you.

“In the course of his services to us as a committee, he was everything we expected. He wasn’t there because of political relationships but in his capacity as a brilliant lawyer, apart from being the former Speaker of the Adamawa State House of Assembly and Political Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan.

“I knew him in terms of those capacities but more importantly that he was a member of my own legal profession where he excelled and finally, it was in that capacity that we engaged him into the committee. So, this is a very deep, personal loss to me, to all of us and frankly to the country”.

The Delta Central lawmaker said the best tribute the National Assembly can give the deceased is to ensure that the Constitution Review exercise meets the yearnings and aspirations of most Nigerians.

“He (Gulak) wanted us to have a very thorough, professional constitutional review job and I think that is the least we owe him and we are determined to ensure that his memory will be remembered at the end of the exercise.

 

“So, on behalf of the President of the Senate, I would like to extend our deepest condolences to the whole family. I want the family to know that we are always here; always feel free to stay close and don’t let his demise be the end of that relationship,” Omo-Agege added.

Speaking on behalf of the family, Senator Abubakar Umar Gada, a personal friend to the late Gulak, tasked the delegation on the need to assist the family and immortalise his name by ensuring that nothing is done to frustrate the outcome of the amendment of the Constitution.

His words: “We cannot use any words to express our appreciation and gratitude for this visit. It shows the importance and caliber of the person the nation has lost and the nation mourns his demise but we are submitting ourselves to the will of Allah.

“There is not much to say because the leader of the delegation, His Excellency, the Deputy President of the Senate has already spoken”.

With Gada were Ambassador Umar Damagum, Alhaji Mainasara Sokoto and two children of Gulak, Dr. Mustapha Gulak and Zainab Gulak Esq.

 

 

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Natasha Not Suspended for Sexual Harassment Allegation, But Violation of Standing Orders, Senate Clarifies

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The Senate has faulted pervasive claims that one of its members representing Kogi Central, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended for accusing the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment.

Rather, the upper chamber clarified that Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended specifically due to her flagrant disobedience to Sections 6.1 and 6.2 of the Senate Standing Orders 2023 (As Amended) and her unparliamentary behaviour during its plenaries and proceedings.

The Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele made these clarifications in a three-page statement released on Saturday amid the deliberate misinformation and false narratives being circulated by certain media organisations.

Contingent on the report of its Committee on Ethics and Privileges, the Senate had suspended Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months over alleged misconduct and refusal to comply with its sitting arrangement during the plenary.

The Senate upheld her suspension with a proviso that if Akpoti-Uduaghan “submits a written apology, the leadership of the chamber may consider lifting the suspension before the six-month period expires.”

Rather than submitting to the Authority of the Senate, Akpoti-Uduaghan had been misinforming the unsuspecting public that she was suspended because she accused the senate president of sexual harassment.

In a statement he released on Saturday, however, Bamidele clarified that the disciplinary action against Akpoti-Uduaghan was unequivocally a response to her repeated violations of legislative decorum.

In the same vein, the statement further clarified that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s petition on sexual harassment failed to meet the clear and established procedural requirements for submitting petitions to the Senate.

The statement reads in part: “It has come to the attention of the Senate that some media reports are attempting to falsely suggest that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension was due to allegations of sexual harassment.

“This is completely untrue, misleading, and a calculated attempt to distort the facts. If Akpoti-Uduaghan had strictly followed our guiding principles, the Senate would have treated her petition based on merit in line with its practice. But she never obeyed the established practices of the institution where she was serving,” the statement said.

Specifically, the statement revealed that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension was “a decision of the Committee of the Whole Senate, following the submission of a report by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges.”

The statement noted that the report found Akpoti-Uduaghan guilty of violating Sections 6.1 and 6.2 of the Senate Standing Orders 2023 (As Amended) and recommended her immediate suspension.

As established in the findings of the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges, the statement pointed out that the disciplinary action was “a response to Akpoti-Uduaghan’s repeated violations of legislative decorum stated as follows:

” Refusing to sit in her assigned seat during plenary on 25th February 2025, despite multiple pleas from the Minority Leader and other ranking Senators—an act of open defiance and disorderly conduct.

“Speaking without being recognized by the presiding officer, in clear violation of parliamentary practices and procedures on 25th February 2025.

“Engaging in unruly and disruptive behavior, obstructing the orderly conduct of Senate proceedings. Making abusive and disrespectful remarks against the leadership of the Senate.

“Defying and refusing to comply with the summons of the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges mandated to investigate cases of misconduct,” the statement highlighted violations of the Senate Standing Order 2023 (As Amended) by Akpoti-Uduaghan.

The statement, therefore, noted that these actions represented a direct challenge to the Authority of the Senate and a violation of the Senate Standing Orders 2023 (As Amended) that govern the business of the Senate and the conduct of all its members without any exception.

The statement noted that the disciplinary measure was imperative, necessary and justified to restore order and uphold the integrity of the Senate as the country’s foremost democratic institution.

“Contrary to the false claims being circulated, Akpoti-Uduaghan was not suspended for making any sexual harassment or for submitting a petition. Her petition was rightfully discountenanced because it failed to meet the clear and established procedural requirements for submitting petitions to the Senate.

” The rules of the Senate apply to all members without exception, and no petition—regardless of its subject—can be considered if it does not follow due process. To suggest that her suspension was linked to her petition is not only a distortion of facts but an intentional and malicious attempt to mislead the public,” the statement noted.

While thanking some media organisations for their reporting, the statement urged the media not to distort facts to suit a false narrative expressing dissatisfaction with an attempt to politicise a disciplinary action that was strictly based on clear violations of Senate Standing Orders 2023 (As Amended).

The statement said: ” This coordinated misinformation campaign is nothing more than an attempt to politicise a disciplinary action that was strictly based on clear violations of Senate Standing Orders 2023 (As Amended).

“It is reckless, misleading, and a disservice to the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who deserve truthful and factual reporting. We, therefore, urge all foreign correspondents and responsible media houses to correct these misrepresentations and avoid propagating falsehoods that undermine the integrity of Nigeria’s legislative process.”

 

 

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Bill To End HND, BSc Dichotomy Scales Second Reading In The House

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Federal House of Representatives
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A bill to abolish the dichotomy and discrimination between Bachelor’s Degree holders and Higher National Diploma (HND) holders has scaled second reading in the House of Representatives.

According to the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, the bill sought to replace HND with Bachelor of Tech so that graduates of polytechnic would be able to compete favourably with other university graduates.

The bill, which was sponsored by a member, Fuad Laguda from Lagos State, also emphasised the importance of technical education.

Speaker Abbas said the position taken by all boards of polytechnics in Nigeria is “the abolition of HND and in place of it to have Bachelor of Technology so that at least graduates of polytechnics will be able to compete with those from universities”.

“At the same time, they are calling for hybrid supervision where the degree component of the polytechnic education will be handled by the NUC (National Universities Commission) while the national diploma will continue to be handled by the NBTE (National Board for Technical Education).

“Because of the degree component of this amendment, they felt that the qualification for being rector should also be upgraded to a Ph.D holder at the minimum since you will now be talking about degree programmes, it is only proper for such kind of establishment to have a Ph.D holder as the head of the institution,” he said.

Abbas subjected the bill to a voice vote and the lawmakers approved it to scale second reading.

 

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Tax Reform Bills: Senate To Consider Viable Opinions Of Stakeholders

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The chairman, Senate committee on Finance, Senator Sani Musa, says the Senate will consider viable opinions of all stakeholders in the passage of current Tax Reform Bills .

Senator Musa who stated this during an interview with newsmen in Abuja emphasized the need for Nigerians to be patient for a tax regime that would be beneficial to all and sundry.

He explained that the red chamber would evolve a legislation that is workable in line with international best practices.

Senator Musa told newsmen that president TINUBU needs one trillion dollar economy adding that the proposed Tax regime would outlive every individual including the lawmakers.

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