Protesters storm NASS, urge senators, Reps, to make BVAS mandatory for elections
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A group under the aegis of Concerned Kogi Citizens Forum yesterday stormed the National Assembly, calling on the Senators and members of the House of Representatives to ensure that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC make the Bi- Modal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS mandatory for elections.
The group which also took to the street in the Federal Capital Territory, however protested against what it described as the bypass of the BVAS technology in recent elections in the country.
The group took its protest from the Unity Fountain, Maiitama, to the Federal Ministry of Justice and the National Assembly, just as it called on the two arms of government to ensure that BVAS is made mandatory to safe guard the country’s democracy.
The letter of protest which is titled “LETTER OF PROTEST AGAINST BVAS FRAUD” read: “Our Protest Letter is premised on one issue which is the recent BVAS fraud in the just concluded Kogi State Governorship Election of the 11” day of November, 2023 where the BVAS Technology was bypassed.
Peter Obi backs Dangote, says monetary, fiscal policies slowing economic growth
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Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, says the current monetary policy is slowing economic growth.
In a post on X on Thursday, Obi said the recent outcry of Aliko Dangote, chairman of Dangote Industries Limited, supports his earlier criticisms of the negative effects of the monetary policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
On July 2, Dangote said the increase of interest rate to almost 30 percent by the CBN will stifle growth.
He added that the country is battling “a very high” interest rate.The monetary policy committee (MPC) of CBN, on May 21, raised the monetary policy rate (MPR) — on which banks benchmark their interest rate — from 24.75 percent to 26.25 percent.
Obi said the negative impacts of the policy on micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which are the engine of economic growth, are significant.
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Bill establishing Police Pension Board passes second reading in Senate
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A bill seeking to establish a Police Pension Board passed second reading at the Senate on Thursday.
Sponsor of the bill, Senator Binos Dauda Yaroe representing Adamawa South, in his lead debate said men and officers of the Nigeria Police Force have been disadvantaged in payment of their pensions under the contributory pension scheme, managed by the Pension Commission, PENCOM.
He explained the importance of making the Police’s pension arrangement to be at par with other frontline security agencies like the Army, Navy, Air Force, Department of State Security Service, DSS, Defence Intelligence Agency, DIA and the National Intelligence Agency, NIA.
The lawmaker said: “A cursory look at the difference between the pension and gratuity benefits of the Nigeria Police and her counterpart in the Military shows that the benefit of a Deputy Superintendent of Police, DSP, under the current pension scheme is N2.5million, while the equivalents of DSP in the Army, Captain, Navy Lieutenant, Air Force, Flight Lieutenant, and DSS Captain, are paid N12.8million.”
Appeal Court Nullifies Order On Defection Of Pro-Wike Lawmakers
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The Court of Appeal in Abuja, on Thursday, dismissed the order of a Rivers high court which restrained Martin Amaewhule and 24 others from parading themselves as lawmakers of the state assembly.
In the appeal, marked: CA/PH/198/2024, the pro-Wike lawmakers urged the appellate court to stay the execution of the high court judgement.
They further prayed to the appellate court to invalidate all the legislative actions that have been taken by the Jumbo-led Rivers State House of Assembly.
The lawmakers, who won their elections on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had on December 11, 2023, announced their defection to the APC.
Subsequently, the Rivers Assembly led by the then Speaker, Hon. Edison Ehie, on December 13, declared their seats vacant owing to their defection.
A three-member panel of the appellate court led by Jimi Olukayode-Bada, held that the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the suit, as such matters can only be heard and determined by a federal high court.
It therefore, invalidated all the restraining orders that were issued against them by the high court.