Senate: Ndume, Na’Allah, Alimikhena emerge as principal officers

Three out of the four principal officers of the Senate assumed office on Thursday after the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, read their nomination letters from their respective zonal caucuses in the red chamber.

Saraki at the resumed sitting of the federal lawmakers, read out the letters addressed to him by the APC senate caucuses from the North-East, North-West and South-South.

He said the North-East Senate caucus had endorsed and nominated Senator Ali Ndume as the Majority Leader, while the North-West caucus adopted Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah as the Deputy Majority Leader. 

He added that the South-South caucus members according to their own letter, adopted Senator France Alimikhena as the deputy whip.

Saraki was, however, silent on the Chief Whip because members of the South-West caucus which should produce a representative, did not write any letter.

He subsequently asked the Sergeant – at – Arms to lead the three principal officers to their respective seats and assume office immediately.

Our correspondent learnt that the South-West senators refused to write any letter because they claimed that the party’s decision as contained in its letter, was sufficient.

Attempts by the senator representing Zamfara Central Senatorial District, Kabiru Marafa, to make the Senate President read the letter from the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, containing lists of the principal officers, was again frustrated by Saraki

Marafa had cited Senate Standing Order 28 (1) and Constitution point of order Section 65, (1E), to drive home his arguments.

He said, “According to the provision, there should be a majority leader of the Senate who should be a senator nominated from the party with the highest number of senators.

“This point of order was raised yesterday (Wednesday) and another colleague raised another point of order distinguishing between the word, from and by, which was used there. That is why I am joining it with order 65 (1d) of the constitution.

“It says subject to the provisions of section 66 of the constitution. A person shall be qualified for election as a member of the Senate if he or she is a member of a political party and sponsored by the political party.

“Mr. President, there is a communication from the APC which is the party with the majority representatives in the Senate. However, for reasons best known to you Mr. President, you declined to read it yesterday (Wednesday ) on the floor of the Senate when your attention was drawn to the communication from the party.

“The constitution provision just cited, clearly put the party ahead of any other caucus from anywhere. Therefore, if the communication from the party, can so be regarded, I suggest that you, Mr. President cannot read any communication from any caucus because there is no caucus that is bigger than the political party.”

Marafa was immediately opposed by Senator Danjuma Goje ( Gombe Central ), who urged the Senate President to disregard his submissions because the same issue raised by him had been ruled upon.

He said, “Senator Marafa raised the same order yesterday (Wednesday) and the Senate President ruled that the issue had been discussed and should not be opened again. I don’t know why the issue is being reopened. This is contrary to the rules of the Senate.

“We are the highest law making institution in the country, if we cannot observe our rules, we don’t have any right to be making laws for the country. Therefore I will like Mr. President to stand by the ruling of yesterday (Wednesday)that the issue had been settled.

“Secondly, the issue of leadership within the chamber is our own responsibility as senators. We have been sponsored by political parties to come to the Senate. Nobody or law says the chairman of the party should appoint the Senate President.

“The law clearly states that we, the senators, should appoint our own leaders within the chambers. This is the first time this type of thing will be happening in the Senate since the return of democracy in 1999. Caucuses have been nominating their leaders and I have been participating.”

Saraki, as expected, ruled Marafa out of order, stressing that he had concluded on the issue during Wednesday’s sitting.

He said, “Let me refer to order 53 (6) which states that it will be out of order to attempt to reconsider any specific question upon which the Senate has come to a conclusion. This matter had already been raised and ruled upon… I will have to rule senator Marafa out of order.”

Ndume, who addressed his colleagues, explained that his job schedule included among others, leading the business of the Senate; managing legislative schedule; and liaising with committee chairmen.

He said, “I will not deceive myself. Every senator is more than qualified to lead the Senate. God normally chooses who He wants. Leading the Senate means that the success recorded is not going to be my own but for all of us.”

Ndume, after the Senate had concluded its legislative business of the day, announced an adjournment to July 21 to allow the ad-hoc committees on review of Senate finance and that of legislative agenda, had time to do their work.

Reps exchange blows, PDP blames Buhari

FEDERAL lawmakers in the House of Representatives on Thursday engaged in a free-for-all over the sharing of principal offices by the majority All Progressives Congress.

Reacting to the development, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party slammed President Muhammadu Buhari, saying “the disgraceful act” in the House was a direct consequence of President Buhari’s lack of democratic credentials and lack of respect for the independence and sanctity of the legislative arm of government.

But the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, insisted on Thursday that Buhari would not intervene in the leadership crisis currently rocking the National Assembly until the APC state governors asked him to do so.

Shehu said this while featuring on Sunrise, a programme on a Lagos-based private television station, Channels TV.

He said, “When the governors met with the President, they told him that ‘we are the leaders in our states and we have influence over all of these senators. They come from our places and from us and we can handle it.’

“The President will step into the crisis at the point when the governors say they can no longer fix it.”

Angry APC members on the floor of the House tore each other’s clothes, threw punches, upturned tables, threw bound copies of law books, kicked chairs and shouted on top of their voices for about 105 minutes the rowdy session lasted.

Some daring members, led by a lawmaker from Sokoto State, Mr. Balarabe Salame, actually made to snatch the mace, but the Sergeant-at-Arms and other lawmakers quickly rescued the authority symbol of the legislative House and deposited same in the Speaker’s office.

Directly behind Saleme was a member from Kano State, Mr. Ali Madaki.

Salame also made to attack the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, but he retreated as Dogara loyalists rushed at him and threatened to throw him out of the chamber.

Amid the shoving and punching, shouts of “Dogara”, “Dogara”, “Give us our leaders”, “Party is supreme’’, “PDP, power”, “APC, change” and “APC, shame”, were heard in a discordant manner.

The bone of contention, The PUNCH learnt, was the non-announcement of the names of principal officers of the House as directed by the leadership of the APC.

The party, had in a letter dated June 23, asked the Speaker to announce Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila (Lagos State) as the Majority Leader; Mr. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa (Kano State) as his deputy; Mr. Mohammed Monguno (Borno State) as the Chief Whip; and Mr. Pally Iriase (Edo State) as his deputy.

The party had explained that it took the decision following “consultations” with the various caucuses.

There had been tension in the House over the matter even before the Thursday’s sitting.

For example, the North-Central and South-East caucuses had protested their exclusion from the sharing of the positions.

They had protested against giving the South-West and the North-East additional positions, having produced the deputy speaker and speaker respectively already.

Thursday’s fracas was fallout of the lingering dispute in the APC following the emergence of Senator Bukola Saraki as President of the Senate and Dogara as the Speaker on June 9.

How Speaker ignited ‘riot’

Trouble started on Thursday when contrary to the expectations of many APC lawmakers, Dogara did not announce the names of the principal officers. Rather, he opted to call for an executive session soon after his procession entered the chambers.

The Speaker had beckoned to a member from Benue State, Mr. Orker Jev, to move a motion for the executive session.

But several hands promptly went up, with members shouting, “point of order, “point of order”, but Dogara ignored them and directed Jev to continue.

The Speaker’s action apparently infuriated some members hence the pandemonium that followed.

Ado-Doguwa climbed onto a desk right in front of Dogara and attempted to incite members, but he was chased down by those backing Dogara. The Speaker’s backers threw hard copies of law books they picked from the desk at Ado-Doguwa.

Also, some members suddenly produced and carried placards with an inscription, 

“Nigerians voted party; party is supreme.”

Some members of the APC, who were not favourably disposed to the decision of the party, as well as the Peoples Democratic Party members in the House, were also seen forming a protective human shield around Dogara.

The PDP members claimed that they were out to protect the House as an institution, not that they were part of the crisis in the APC. They were led by a member from Delta State, Mr. Leo Ogor.

All the while, Gbajabiamila sat quietly at a corner, watching the unfolding drama.

But, after sensing that the matter was getting out of hands, he rose to meet and discuss with Dogara briefly at the Chair. At 12pm, he tried to address the rowdy members but his efforts failed.

It was not until 12.31pm that calm began to return gradually as Gbajabiamila and Ogor appealed to the warring members to return to their seats.

We’ll resolve our conflict, Dogara says

Dogara thereafter addressed the House, expressing disappointment over the conduct of the members.

He said the 360 members should consider themselves “fortunate” to be elected as representatives out of 170 million Nigerians.

Dogara noted that the members were sent to Abuja to promote national interest and not personal or sectional interests.

He said, “To be candid, we have promised so much in the course of our electioneering and even the very party I belong to, the APC, we have promised change and Nigerians expect us to really talk about those matters, those issues that bother them most.

“They want to hear us talk about unemployment, poverty; in my region, they want us to address insecurity and as long as this House is divided and not united, we cannot achieve that.”

On the issue that led to the fracas, Dogara said all available channels would be explored to resolve it.

“As to the issues that led to the fracas today, we will sit down as leaders and resolve whatever caused the fight. We have to ensure that this matter, as quickly as possible, is resolved and that is what we will do by the grace of God,” he stated.

The Speaker quickly adjourned the House till July 21, apparently to douse tension.

‘Action breached legislative proceedings’

In its official position, the House expressed regrets over the conduct of the members, accusing them of breaching legislative proceedings.

The Chairman, House Ad Hoc Committee on Media, Mr. Sani Zoro, said, “It was obvious from the action of these members that they were acting on a premeditated script, as some of them even carried placards with inscriptions on them.

“These members attempted to seize the mace, which is the symbol of authority of the House, and other sundry acts of fighting, fracas, misconduct, disruption and committed unparliamentarily actions unbecoming of the status of honourable members.

“The conduct of these members amounts to contempt of the House and is in clear violation of the Standing Orders of the House and Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act and the customs and traditions of Parliament.”

But, the majority of the APC members, who took sides with the party, described as “illegal” the refusal of Dogara to announce the names of the principal officers as directed by the party.

Mr. Nasir Zango-Daura, who spoke for the APC Caucus, argued that the positions in question were party positions and not House positions, hence Dogara could not dictate who occupied them.

“That is the responsibility that lies with the party and its caucuses. If I may ask, can he appoint principal officers for the PDP? His action will truncate our democracy”, Zango-Daura said.

He vowed that the members would continue to fight, “come rain, come shine”, until the matter was resolved in their favour.

On its part, the PDP caucus took the same position as the official position of the House.

Its leader, Mr. Leo Ogor, told a news conference that the APC members disrupted the House proceedings because of an issue that was “purely the internal affair of the APC.”

He added, “We ruled this country for 16 years, but now we are starting on a very bad note.

“We apologise to Nigerians for the conduct of the APC members and we appeal to the members that if they have a crisis in their party, they should resolve it within their party and not take the entire country hostage.”

Meanwhile, the APC caucus resolved at a late night meeting on Wednesday that Monguno should swap positions with Iraise.

Iriase is now to be the Chief Whip, while Monguno will be his deputy.

Iriase announced the switch at the same news conference where the APC members gave their reactions to the fracas.

It was a disgraceful act–PDP

The PDP condemned the fracas in the House, describing it as a show of shame and national embarrassment.

It said that the ugly development questioned Buhari and APC’s commitment to democracy, unity and the stability of the country.

The opposition party’s reaction was contained in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, in Abuja on Thursday.

“The barbaric attempt to physically assault a duly elected Speaker, seize the mace, the authority of the House, is a direct attack on the Nigerian parliament, which embodies the supremacy of the people and our freedom as a democratic nation,” it said.

The PDP said what Nigerians witnessed in the House on Thursday clearly underscored the fact that the APC had exhausted its excuses and had imported “its internal contradictions” into an independent arm of government as a way to further cover its lack of ideas for governance.

“We state unequivocally that the onus lies on President Buhari to ensure that all democratic institutions are harnessed for effectiveness, a responsibility he has apparently abdicated by allowing his personal interest to instigate division in the parliament, a tendency that poses great threat to the survival of our democracy and the stability of the nation,” the party added.

DSS officials barred from ‘close protection’ of Buhari

Authorities of the Presidential Villa, Abuja have formally removed officials of the Department of State Services from spots where they can perform “close protection roles” for President Muhammadu Buhari.

The decision to restrict the officials’ access to the President was the peak of the inter-agency rivalry that has been rocking security agencies in the seat of power since Buhari was inaugurated on May 29.

Our correspondent on Thursday saw a copy of a memo redeploying the DSS officials from 10 beats that they had hitherto been manning inside the Villa.

The memo issued by the Aide-De-Camp to the President, Lt. Col. Lawal Abubakar, and dated June 24, 2015 was titled, “Redeployment of Department of State Services personnel from close protection roles for Mr. President and some duty locations within the Presidential Villa, Abuja.”

Abubakar explained that the decision to strip the DSS officials of their roles was part of efforts to enhance security within the villa.

He said the development was necessitated by “recent events.”

He however did not disclose what the events were.

The ADC directed personnel of the Armed Forces and the Nigeria Police who he said were trained as presidential body guards to take over the DSS officials’ duties of providing “close and immediate protection” for the President with immediate effect.

He listed the beats and locations from where DSS officials were withdrawn and replaced with PBGs to include the administrative reception and passage; service chiefs’ gate; residence reception; resident gate and office reception.

“However, the personnel of the DSS in conjunction with other security forces are to man other duty beats and locations within the immediate outer perimeter of the Presidential Villa,” the ADC wrote.

Meanwhile, officials of the DSS who were chased away from their beats on Wednesday were also not allowed access to their duty posts when they resumed work on Thursday morning.

Their beats had already been taken over by plain-clothed military personnel.

Many of them were seen under the trees discussing the development in hush tones.

Those who were manning the two of the gates leading to the villa as well as the gate of the old Banquet Hall were however not affected as they were seen at their duty posts.

Some of them, who spoke with our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, wondered why whatever issue that could have arisen could not be resolved with the DSS authorities.

“If they feel that the DSS erred during the campaigns, some of us expect that they should also vent their anger on the management and not the entire DSS who served the President bewteen 1984 and 1985,” one of them said.

Another official said, “Instead for the government to be promoting inter-agency rivalry in the country, they should have simply called the DG SSS to withdraw his operatives and not to set the military against the DSS. They should post us out instead of encouraging this unwarranted inter-agency rancour.”

Our correspondent learnt that the development may also claim the current Chief Security Officer to the President and the Administrative Officer who are also DSS officials.

It will be recalled that the Presidency had in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, on Wednesday said Buhari had not given any order for the expulsion of DSS officials from the Presidential Villa.

Adesina however admitted that a reorganisation of security at the seat of power was underway.

Obama, Buhari meet July 20 to discuss B’Haram

The United States President, Barack Obama, will host President Muhammadu Buhari at the White House on July 20 to discuss how to fight the Boko Haram militant group, among other issues, the White House said on Thursday.

“The visit will underscore the United States’ commitment to strengthening and expanding our partnership with Nigeria’s new government,” the White House said in a statement.

During the visit, Obama will discuss “a holistic, regional approach to combating Boko Haram” with President Buhari, who has led Africa’s biggest economy and most populous country since being elected in March.

During the visit, advancing economic and political reforms in Nigeria will also be discussed between senior government advisers from both countries, the White House said.

Obama and other leaders met with Buhari at the G7 Summit earlier this month where they discussed efforts at combating Islamist militants.

US officials have also said the US could send more advisers to Nigeria to train its military and it could help boost the nation’s economy through more investment in its oil and gas sector.

Meanwhile, President Buhari on Thursday insisted that regional and international cooperation was needed to ensure victory over terrorism in Nigeria and other countries.

According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President said this during a meeting he had with the President of the Economic Community of West African States Commission, Mr. Kadre Ouedraogo, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Buhari was further quoted as welcoming efforts aimed at strengthening cooperation between ECOWAS and the Economic Community of Central African States on the war against terrorism.

He assured Ouedraogo that Nigeria would hold further consultations with other stakeholders to agree on a new date for the ECOWAS-ECCAS security summit on Boko Haram, earlier scheduled to hold in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on April 8, 2015.

The summit was postponed because of the general elections in Nigeria on March 28 and April 11, 2015.

The statement added, “President Buhari also assured Mr. Ouedraogo that Nigeria will continue to fulfill its financial obligations to ECOWAS to enhance the regional body’s ability to attain its objective of regional integration and development.

“The President commended the ECOWAS Commission and other ECOWAS institutions for progress made on the Biometric Identity Card system, which will come into force in 2016, saying that its introduction will be a major milestone to full regional integration and the free movement of ECOWAS citizens within the sub-region.”

Also, the US has condemned the latest Boko Haram attacks in Borno State which resulted in the death of more than 40 people.

According to the US, the recent attacks are a reminder of the terrorist group’s capability to wreak major havocs.

In a statement issued in Washington by the US Department of State’s spokesman, John Kirby, the US called on the Federal Government to hold those responsible for the attacks accountable.

“We offer our deepest sympathy and condolences to the families and friends of the victims of recent attacks in Borno State — attacks that resulted in more than 40 deaths. We condemn in the strongest terms the continued and widespread violence inflicted by Boko Haram on innocent men, women and children in Nigeria. Those responsible must be held accountable.

“These latest attacks serve as a reminder that despite progress on the battlefield, Boko Haram remains capable of deadly and destabilizing acts of terrorism. We commend the efforts by the Nigerian military, as well as the militaries of Chad, Niger and Cameroon for the gains they have made fighting Boko Haram,” Kirby stated.

Why the emergence of Saraki is a recipe for disaster.

Editors note: Barely one month after coming into power, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been plunged into crisis following the political scheming of Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara. Having started on a poor note, is there any hope that the eight National Assembly will make positive impacts on Nigerians?

In this piece, Kess Ewubare focuses on the emergence of Saraki as the president of the eight Senate and what future it holds.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the original author. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Naij.com, its editors or other contributors.

Story highlights:

– A treacherous win

– Ambitions can make you Senate president, but cannot keep you there

– A disaster waiting to happen

– (Naij.com) On June 9, the battle for the leadership of the 8th National Assembly came to an unprecedented end with the emergence of Senator Bukola Saraki representing Kwara central as Senate President and Yakubu Dogara, who represents Bogoro/ Tafawa Balewa federal constituency in Bauchi state, as the Speaker of the House of Assembly.

The election of the duo has thrown the All progressives Congress (APC) in a state of confusion as the party maintains that neither Saraki nor Dogara is its preferred candidate.

But as controversial as the election of Yakubu Dogara is, he’s is less of a sham compared to that of Bukola Saraki, who rode to victory in the absence of Senator Ahmad Lawan, his rival. Dogara may claim that he defeated Femi Gbajabiamilla, who represents Surulere federal constituency, Lagos state, in a keenly contested election.

The same however, cannot be said of the victory of Saraki, which was more of a selection than an election. No wonder the former Kwara state governor opened his mouth in glee to celebrate his treacherous victory, knowing fully well that in a keenly contested election, he stood no chance at all.

Now, he has emerged as the president of the Senate against the decision of APC leaders. He was also elected when most Senators from the APC were at the International Conference Centre waiting to hold a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari to discuss the election of the Senate president and Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Since his infamous win, Bukola Saraki has been gallivanting the country struggling to buy legitimacy for his back door victory. He started by reaching out to the APC leadership and his colleagues opposed to his controversial selection

Intimating the public about Saraki’s peace initiatives, Senator Rafiu Ibrahim, a loyalist to the Senate president told the Punch on June 15 that:

“We are currently meeting with our colleagues in the Senate. Apart from the fact that the Senate President has been meeting with those who are aggrieved, we, members of the Like Minds Senators, are also engaging them on one-on-one basis.

“We are also meeting with our party leadership and I think the peace moves are achieving good result. It is in the interest of everybody that we have a united Senate.”

On June 20, Saraki embarked on another peace mission by visiting former president, Olusegun Obasanjo in his Abeokuta, Ogun State Hilltop residence, in an apparent move to douse the tension caused by his cheap victory.

Sources privy to the meeting between Saraki and Obasanjo said the Senate president was in Abeokuta to beg Obasanjo to reconcile him with President Muhammadu Buhari and his party.

Although the party leaders say they have accepted his emergence, this has done little to heal the wounds of aggrieved party members who have demanded for the immediate resignation of the party’s National chairman,Chief John Odigie-Oyegun over allege complicity in the process that saw Saraki emerge as Senate president.

No doubt, Saraki’s selfish ambitions will further dent the image of the members of the legislature who are viewed by many Nigerians as more interested in jumbo allowances than making legislations that advance the course of the country.

It takes more than ambition to succeed as Senate president in a country that has lost trust in its legislators both at the state and federal level.

It takes more than ambition to lead other Senators representing various constituencies of the country and pilot the National Assembly to make essential contributions to the nations development.

The sterling example exhibited by Senator David Mark who oversaw the Senate for eight years in a manner that was befitting of honour, shows that selfish ambition devoid of experience, willingness to serve and political acumen cannot guarantee success, as in the case of Saraki.

While the Seventh House of Representatives will be remembered for fighting and defeating leadership imposition and intimidation among others.

The Seventh Senate will ever radiate of the maturity displayed by David Mark who ensured that the Senate confirmed to the sterling standard of behavior expected of it by Nigerians.

Senator Bukola Saraki has succeeded in winning the war by outwitting his opponent  to become Senate president, but he will always be faced with the battle of trying sell his legitimacy first to his colleagues in the chamber and to Nigerians, at the expense overseeing credible laws that should impact the lives of Nigerians. Added to the future wars that await him on his hallowed seat.

From the way Bukola Saraki has started, no one needs a soothsayer to tell that his reign as Senate president will surely be a disaster. I de laugh.

Why reps exchanged blows during Thursday’s plenary – Daura

The All Progressives Congress member in the House of Representatives, Nasiru Sani Zangon Daura, representing Zango/Baure Federal Constituency of Katsina State, has issued a press statement on the physical battle that ensued in the Green Chamber during plenary on Thursday.

At the plenary, the tension and divided interest among the legislators led to a brawl between the two factions in the chamber.

The statement reads, “We are here on behalf of our colleagues of the APC House Caucus to explain to you the unfortunate occurrence during today’s plenary session. 

“The action that occurred inside the chamber of the House of Representatives was in reaction to the illegal and unconstitutional action taken by Speaker Yakubu Dogara of the House of Representatives, an action in his usual tradition of total disregard to the wishes of the majority members of the APC Caucus, the Party itself and the spirit of the Party.

“We are aware of a letter sent by our Party, APC, dated 23rd June 2015, conveying the approval of the party’s principal officers vis a vis the APC House Leader, the APC Chief Whip, the APC Deputy House Leader and the APC Deputy Chief Whip for the House of Representatives.

“This letter by the Party is in compliance with the expressed wish and mandate of the Majority Members of the APC Caucus in the House of Representatives.

“This action of the party and the APC House Caucus is in compliance with the Nigerian Constitution, the House rules and parliamentary tradition, practices and precedents in Nigeria and all over the World.

“But to our surprise and in breach of our privilege and rights as contained in the Constitution and extant House Rules, Mr. Speaker refused to read the letter from our party.  

“The Speaker and Deputy Speaker are not Party Principal Officers but are House of Representatives Presiding Officers and by precedent and practice are expected to provide a level playing ground for all members, while the Party Principal Officers are supposed to be the main advocates for their individual party positions.  

   

“The Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives are elected by all members of the House of Representatives irrespective of party affiliation and it is also possible under our extant rules for a Speaker and his Deputy to be elected from a minority/opposition party in the National Assembly.

“Therefore, Speaker Yakubu Dogara of the House of Representatives cannot under extant laws and House rules appoint, choose, select, dictate or even provide guidance on how Party Principal Officers emerge or are elected or selected. That responsibility and authority lies with each Party and Party’s Caucus members in the House.

“If I may ask, is Speaker Yakubu Dogara empowered to do that for the PDP House Caucus? 

“This action by Speaker Yakubu Dogara cannot and will not be allowed to stand as it will set a dangerous precedent in our parliamentary practice as it will give the Speaker the right and authority to appoint, choose, select, dictate or even provide guidance on how Principal Officers emerge or are elected or selected by the Majority and Minority Parties in the House of Representatives. This action is capable of truncating our democracy.

“As for the claim being made that a particular zone should not be allowed to produce more than one Principal Officer, we say this with all sense of decorum, that this claim is absolute rubbish.

“Precedences were set in the 6th & 7th Assemblies where a single zone, the North-West, produced two and three Principal Officers, respectively.

“We, the loyal and disciplined majority APC Caucus in the House of Representatives are fully committed in ensuring that our party’s and President Muhammadu Buhari’s manifesto, agenda and positions prevail despite the efforts and shenanigans of the opposition party(s) and the few disloyal and undisciplined APC party members in the House of Representatives.

“We are determined in our efforts to utilise all legislative strategies available to us, so as to ensure the compliance with due process and democratic norms and values. 

“We shall persevere, come rain come shine!

“We the loyal and disciplined majority APC Caucus in the House of Representatives and the All Progressives Congress have dished out enough of the carrots, it’s time to crack the whip so as to ensure party discipline and maintain order.

“Dare I say, we rode to power on the platform of the party, the party is supreme and thus no one is above the party.

“God Bless the All Progressives Congress.

“God Bless The House of Representatives.

“God Bless Nigeria.

“Thank You for listening.”

5 tips on how to get a promotion

Office workers. File photo.
Image by: Thinkstock

Most companies are keen to develop and promote those employees who have proved themselves, rather than looking outside the organisation.

Peter Kriel of private higher education provider The Independent Institute of Education, said: "If graduates understand what companies seek from the beginning of their careers, they will be able to position themselves as high-potential candidates, allowing them to be recognised as such and included in either formal or less formal development plans."

Here are some ways to increase your chances of promotion:

1) Earn the respect and trust of the people you work with.

This matters whether they are managers, peers or subordinates. "To be trusted and respected is simply linked to ethical behaviour, by delivering what you promise, asking when you don't know and always respecting those around you," said Kriel.

2) Be competent in the technical and functional aspects of your job.

Do not oversell yourself. Once you are employed, learn what you need to know and begin applying it as quickly as possible.

3) Develop a thick skin

You musn't fall apart when given constructive criticism. Most people who give feedback do so because they have more experience and can teach you new skills. If you become too defensive, people will stop trying to help you.

4) Be creative when faced with challenges.

"It is good to follow a 'what if' approach, rather than a 'do this, I know best' approach," said Kriel; and

5) Maturity and humility

If you are unpredictable and immature, you will find yourself passed over for promotion year after year. "Maintain a position of humility and keep a cool head at all times."

 - Margaret Harris

Face facts, a no-frills font on your CV will impress your future boss

Helvetica is no-fuss and honest, experts say
Image by: Thinkstock

A CV, that piece of paper designed to reflect your best self, is one of the places where people still tend to use a typeface to express themselves.

It does not always go well, according to those who spend a lot of time looking at fonts.

Bloomberg asked three typography wonks which typefaces make a CV look classy, which should never, ever been seen by an employer, and whether emoji are fair game.

We went digging for a complete set of professional fly fonts and returned with just one consensus winner: Helvetica.

"Helvetica is so no-fuss. It doesn't really lean in one direction or another.

"It feels professional, light-hearted, honest," said Brian Hoff, creative director of Brian Hoff Design.

"Helvetica is safe. Maybe that's why it's more businessy."

There are other options that, like Helvetica, are sans serif, meaning their letters do not have the tiny "feet" that adorn the "T" in Times New Roman, for example.

Do not choose a cheap imitator, the experts counsel.

"If it's me, [I'm using] Helvetica. Helvetica is beautiful," said Matt Luckhurst, the creative director at brand consultancy Collins in San Francisco. "There is only one Helvetica."

Unless you are applying for a design job, human resource professionals probably would not notice a knockoff font.

But you would be on the wrong side of good taste. Could you live with that?

Say you are a high roller and want to actually purchase a font. Go with Proxima Nova, which Hoff calls a "cousin to Helvetica" with less of an edge.

"It has a softer feel. Helvetica can be more stiff, and Proxima Nova feels a little rounder," he said.

Proxima Nova is apparently a hit among suits. "I never met a client who didn't like that typeface," he said.

That kind of popularity does not come cheap: just one style of the font costs $29.99 (about R360) at myfonts.com, and the entire 144-member family costs $734.

If you are very experienced, use Garamond to get your long rap sheet to fit into a single page.

"Garamond is legible and easy for the eye to follow," said Luckhurst. "Garamond has all these quirks in it, so what that does is allow the eye to see where it should go."

There is some controversy over the classic Times New Roman.

"I don't have any problem with Times New Roman," said Martina Flor, a letterer and designer in Berlin, Germany.

She acknowledges that it has the reputation of being staid, but said the font was not to blame. "It has been a system font for a long time. It's been used and misused a lot."

Using old faithful might send the wrong sign to your future boss, though. "It's telegraphing that you didn't put any thought into the typeface that you selected," said Hoff. "It's like putting on sweatpants."

If you want something intentionally upscale, try Didot. "It's very tall, it's a little fancy, it's a little feminine," said Luckhurst. It's a good option for a fashion job, but not much else, he added. "It's like wearing the black dress to the ball. Do you wear a tuxedo to your job interview?"

It may go without saying, but do not use the flowery Zapfino type on anything you will show an employer. "It's just really swooshy. If it's your wedding invite and that typeface is for you, go for it," said Luckhurst.

Do not even use anything that looked like Zapfino, said Flor. "All the fonts belonging to this family of connected scripts wouldn't be right for your résumé." They were hard to read, she said, and not designed to express anything longer than a headline.

"You don't have a typewriter, so don't try to pretend that you have a typewriter," Luckhurst said.

"You have been using a computer to do a handwritten thing. You haven't used a computer properly, and you haven't handwritten properly." Damn. Don't use Courier, I guess.

We probably do not even need to discuss this, but you should never use Comic Sans. Do not even look at Comic Sans.

It should not be on your CV "unless you are applying to clown college", said Hoff.

"There are other whimsical fonts out there that you can buy that would give a similar impression and feel, but not necessarily be a Comic Sans."

Hoff is being gentle, but take it from me: do not look for a Comic Sans-like font. Just let it go.

Should you put emoji in your CV? Prayer hands, a cat with hearts for eyes, followed by a dress shirt with a gold tie?

"I think it's a great idea. Put a lot of emojis on the bottom. Some chicken wings. They will love it," said Luckhurst.

"Maybe an emoji is your logo. Maybe you just really key in on the 100 logo, that's your thing, you put it everywhere." Maybe.