Television Nigerian

On Saturday, President Bola Tinubu congratulated the recently elected President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Eze Anaba, calling the electoral process an excellent representation of Nigerian politics.”By its peaceful and rancour-free conduct of elections to elect its new officers, the NGE has sent a resounding message to the larger Nigerian polity that elections for desired offices can be intensely competitive without degenerating into bitterness, acrimony, and unnecessary malice,” read a statement from Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Special Duties, Communications, and Strategy, Dele Alake, on Saturday evening. ⁣ ⁣
The Guild chose Anaba, the Editor of Vanguard Newspapers, at its 2023 Biennial Convention on Friday, June 16 in Imo State. Bolaji Adebiyi, a former employee of ThisDay Newspapers, was his lone opponent; he received 250 votes to defeat him.Anaba takes over for Mustapha Isah of the Silverbird Group, whose two-year term was up.Despite the ferocity of the competition for the various positions up for grabs, Tinubu said it is most satisfying that the result was successful and sour-free.⁣ ⁣
He asserted that it is crucial that the various newspaper industry unions, including the NGE, the Nigerian Union of Journalists, and the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria, adopt an internal democratic ethos in support of professional integrity for the country’s good governance, stability, and long-term development. “The NGE has, in this regard, made a strong statement for the Nigerian media as a worthy exemplar,” the President said. In this regard, Tinubu commended those who came up short in the elections on various levels, including Adebiyi, for embracing the results and pledging support for the victorious candidates. “This is a light that the NGE is showing that the rest of us may find the way to a mature, tolerant, stable and sustainable democratic culture,” he stated. The President did point out that the media faces greater obstacles than in the past when it comes to strengthening Nigeria’s democracy, maintaining constant check on the exercise of power, and promoting good, responsible, and accountable governance.

Read Also: Lagos police arrest dismissed corporal impersonating inspector⁣ ⁣
Going down memory lane, Tinubu emphasised the media’s historic contribution to the fight against colonial imperialism and how it had been closely tied to the fate of the Nigerian state and its citizens. It is impossible to write the history of the democratic benefits we have experienced since the start of this dispensation in 1999 without emblazoning the late Chief MKO Abiola’s victory in the June 12, 1993 presidential election. Beyond the emergence of new leaders, Tinubu argued that the bigger picture is to make sure that the Guild members put the profession in a strong position to consistently fulfil its constitutional obligation of acting as a watchdog of the people in policing government excesses and advancing the greatest good of the greatest number of our citizens. Therefore, he promised that his administration would work with the media and support him in achieving “these lofty objectives in the best interest of our country.” ⁣

At any gathering, whether public or private, the average Nigerian legislator would take advantage of every chance to demand recognition and respect from the community. The claim made by the lawmaker is based on the justification that the legislature, out of all the branches of government, is the best representation of democracy because it is frequently the only one to perish when tyrants violently seize power. Because of this, it is claimed that lawmakers are the only true representatives of the people. But if the truth must be told, the majority of Nigerians are not happy with the way their purported real representatives have been acting in their official capacities or generally. At the state level, Nigeria does not have legislators; instead, state governors’ special assistants for lawmaking are present. This article, however, specifically refers to federal legislators.

Some might think it’s unfair to start the new legislative year with harsh criticisms of lawmakers who haven’t started working yet, given that the 10th National Assembly was only inaugurated five days ago. Many of the members aren’t really new, but it makes sense to give them time to adjust before analysts start shining any sort of spotlight on them. In fact, this is a good time to point out the subtle differences between legislators in developed democracies and those in developing societies, whose main concern should be how to support rapid national development so that the general standard of living can be raised.

Read Also: Lagos police arrest dismissed corporal impersonating inspector

The best time to ask those regarded as high-ranking Nigerian legislators is at this point so they won’t contaminate the minds of newcomers. This is due to the large number of harmful events that have occurred in our National Assembly in the past. Furthermore, what Nigerians have seen of their lawmakers over the past month indicates that things will likely continue as they have in the past. First off, the 10th Assembly may be a sharper rubber stamp than its immediate predecessor because, in violation of our constitution’s provisions, the legislators were unable to choose their own presiding officers. Instead, the executive branch of government personally selected those who eventually became presiding officers.

Why was it necessary to expand a leadership selection procedure that was explicitly intended by the constitution to be internal to the legislature to the rest of the world? Why did our legislators spend millions of naira on media placements and other forms of nationwide campaigning, even for those of us who were eligible to vote? What message did the nation receive from the commercialization of the procedure? Could those who engaged in such displays of wealth have hoped to provide assistance without recovering their enormous outlays? We are not about to see a different type of legislators, according to logical answers to these questions, especially in light of the fact that many members of minority parties reportedly negotiated to join “lucrative” committees before endorsing the executive’s chosen candidates.

According to the senator who was defeated for senate president by the executive candidate, both the winner and the loser of the election compromised the senators-elect. Maybe it would be simple to understand the executive’s motivations if they were trying to prevent the election of opposition presiding officers who might subvert the ruling party’s mandate through mischief. However, when all of the candidates were from the same ruling party, such interest became incomprehensible. Few people understood the executive’s desperation to install “friendly” presiding officers as a result. Irrational requests, such as those for large loans, are they approved without being scrutinised? Or, to put it another way, does the executive not intend to run a transparent and reliable system of governance and, as such, need the cooperation of the legislature?

Intriguingly, the eight years of events have demonstrated that the executive does not benefit from having a so-called friendly legislature. For instance, during the final four years of President Buhari’s administration, the president grew enraged by the legislature’s exploitative attitude to the point where he had to scream in protest over what he called the latter’s “worrisome changes” to annual budgets. There were as many as 6, 576 new insertions into the budget at one point, which were not included in the discussions between the relevant members of the executive and legislature. It was discovered that many of the inserted items were not covered by the federal budget. It was also found that 500 items, totaling at least N380 billion, were duplicated. Buhari must have abruptly realised how difficult it would be to battle a “friendly” legislature. Thus, the new story of reliable friends conflicts with historical precedent.

Additionally, it didn’t appear that the National Assembly was aware that Nigerians were not impressed. Legislators did little to nothing to assist Nigerians during the Covid 19 pandemic. Additionally, they did nothing about the legislators’ political class, which hoarded and kept palliatives out of the hands of the general public. Nobody helped the rural populace during the disastrous new naira policy by erecting temporary financial infrastructure to lessen suffering in areas devoid of banks. All bills in favour of women were also rejected by the male-dominated legislature. These are the unique characteristics of a developing society that those in high political positions should not ignore.

Sadly, our legislators continued to be self-serving like their elected predecessors. The legislature granted itself immunity and started to look into and confront officials of all other government institutions implicated by the auditor’s report when, for the first time, the Auditor-General of the Federation was able to muster the courage to expose irregularities and illegal spending in government. The financial scandals detailed in the National Assembly report went unnoticed until the end of its term. However, the House of Representatives was specifically charged with spending over N5.2 billion at various points on numerous unfinished projects and giving advances of N258 million to 59 employees who never retired. Will the new House be able to recover these funds to raise more money for development?

The public should be informed about the conditions and limitations of the current friendly alliance between the executive and the legislature. If it’s about cooperative federalism, the legislature needs to shed its constructivist timidity to be more attentive to its constitutional obligations. For example, before a nominee can be appointed to a position, the senate has the authority to confirm them. Maintaining a system in which some nominees are asked to “bow and go” is a dereliction of duty because everyone should be thoroughly vetted and found suitable before being approved. No known law exists in Nigeria today that gives senators the authority to exempt any nominee that the law specifies needs to be approved.

The project Nigeria, to which both parties should be committed, would remain a mirage if the legislature didn’t help its friend, the executive, appoint only fit and proper people into offices. Therefore, the Senate ought to insist that the nominees for the positions to be filled go along with them in order to perform their duties more diligently. This is neither unfavourable nor hard to come to terms with. If not, the hateful, outdated system of blind clearance will never succeed. We had a contentious general election earlier in the year due in large part to the number of unqualified people the executive sneakily added to the otherwise impartial INEC, which the senate defiantly cleared.

Could the 10th Assembly guarantee that it won’t do so in the interest of friendship with the

Eze Anaba, the editor of Vanguard Newspapers, was chosen as the Nigerian Guild of Editors’ new president on Friday for the ensuing two years.

He won an election held during the biennial NGE convention in Owerri, Imo State, in 2023.

Anaba received 250 votes, defeating Bolaji Adebiyi, his lone rival, who received 81 votes.

Husseina Bangshika, the Deputy President, Kabir Alabi Garba, the Vice President for the West, Gabriel Akinadewo Folajimi, the Assistant Secretary, Umoru Ibrahim, the Vice President for the North, Muhammad Sanusi and Paulyn Owhievbie Ugbodaga, both members of the Standing Committee from the North, Charles Kalu, the Social/Publicity Secretary, Sheddy Ozoene, the Vice President for the East, Chinedu Eger

A dismissed corporal in Lagos State was arrested for impersonating an Inspector of Police.

The suspect was arrested on June 4 at Gaskiya College Road Junction, Ijora-Badiya, according to SP Benjamin Hundeyin, the police spokesman.

Hundeyin said a preliminary investigation showed that the suspect had been using the uniforms since his 2017 dismissal from the police.

The 35-year-old suspect from Sango Ota, Ogun, was arrested while riding an unregistered motorbike, he said.

He added that a police stop-and-search team questioned the suspect about riding a motorbike on a major road despite the order.

“The suspect identified himself as a Police Inspector and produced a police identification card with his name and photo.

Read Also: Kano to improve bilateral relations with French Republic

“During the investigation, police obtained a court order to search his Sango Ota home on June 8.

“In the process, a pair of uniforms with Sergeant rank, one operational jacket with inscription `SARS LAS SCORPION’, one pair of camouflage with Inspector rank, and one jacket with `Special Forces’ inscription were recovered.

“One police belt, a pair of police boots, one camouflage tee-shirt, one police beret with crest, and one pair of unsewn blue uniform were also recovered from the suspect,” he said.

He added that the suspect changed his rank whenever the police promoted his serving recruited mates.

After the investigation, Hundeyin told NAN that the suspect would be arraigned.

The administration of Kano State Governor, Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf, has reiterated its commitment to strengthening the existing diplomatic ties between Kano State and the French Republic.

This promise was made by the governor during a Friday meeting with the French ambassador to Nigeria at the State Government House.

Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the former governor of Kano State, worked hard to build and maintain a positive relationship with the French government, and Yusuf, through his deputy Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, emphasised this.

Gwarzo was quoted as saying that Sen Kwankwaso established French-speaking secondary schools in Madobi Town and two other locations in the Republic of Niger in a statement by the Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor, Ibrahim Garba Shaibu.

Earlier in her remarks, the French ambassador to Nigeria, Emmanuelle Blatmann, stated that the delegation’s trip to Kano was intended to present the state government with a number of development projects in order to increase employment opportunities and the state’s economic standing.

Blatmann also mentioned that the French government has long promoted women’s apprenticeships and agricultural technical education while working with the private sector to cooperate in agriculture.

According to Blatmann, over the past 12 years, the French government has invested close to three billion euros through the French Agency for Development in a number of Nigerian citizens’ welfare projects, of which Kano State has benefited.

The Urban Water Supply Project, Urban Mobility Project, Energy Grid Project, Projects on Higher Education, Mass Transportation Project, Request for Rehabilitation/Revival of Kano French Culture Centre, Rural Access Project, Agricultural Marketing Project, and others are among these projects.

The Kano state government will carefully review all the proposed projects, Gwarzo assured the French ambassador on behalf of the governor.

Following that, the state government will invite France to a meeting to discuss how to carry out these projects, according to Gwarzo.