Sen. Uche Chukwumerije is dead.

Chukwumerije, a former Chairman, Senate Committee on Education, died on Sunday in a Turkish Hospital in Abuja at the age of 75.

He was a three-time senator that represented Abia North, he was elected into the Senate  in 2003.

Chika Chukwumerije, son of the deceased told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a telephone interview that his father died of lung cancer at exactly 4.30 p.m., on Sunday.

“We are trying to organise some things; he died at exactly 4.30 p.m., this evening.

“He died here in Abuja and was surrounded by his friends before his last breath.

“He has been an inspiration in ways I cannot explain,’’ Chika said.

Chika also told NAN that burial arrangements would be communicated once it had been concluded.

Chukwumerije, elected a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in April 2003, represented Abia North Senatorial District.

He served as minister of information in the dying days of the military regime of Ibrahim Babangida and later served in the same capacity in the interim national government of Ernest Shonekan.

NAN recalls that Sen. Chukwumerije was rumoured to have slumped and died in 2014 after the legislator lost his return bid to the Senate in a PDP primary election.

The rumour was later described as the handiwork of “a few ungodly and irresponsible individuals.”

The Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, said on Friday that the Federal government had the capacity to deliver 5,500 megawatts of electricity to Nigerians regularly if there was adequate gas supply.

Nebo said this when he fielded questions from State House correspondents after the meeting of the Board of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC)  in Abuja.

According to him, the benefits of the power projects were denied the citizens by the activities of pipeline vandals

“With regard to our generation today, I would like to make a differentiation between installed capacity and available capacity.

“Because of the projects that have commissioned, we have a capacity now to deliver minimum of 5,500mw with gas because when I talk about availability, we are also talking about gas.

“The problem today is still vandalism. Whether it is the Eastern or Western axis, we keep suffering vandalism and it happened almost predictably every two weeks.

“Once they hit the Western axis, the Excravos – Lagos pipeline, the only reason they hit it is apparently for sabotage because you can’t collect the gas, you can’t sell the gas or store the gas.

“Only gas flows through these pipelines.

“Anybody who is doing that is only trying to sabotage the effort of the government and to make sure that Nigerians are kept in darkness.’’

According to the minister, when vandals “hit the trans-Forcados pipeline and so on they steal oil but because of the associated gas and the oil as the condensate gets built up and the condensate tanks are full, you have to also shut down the gas lines.

“At a time we had to lose 1,600mw of power supply to Nigerians because of vandalism. This is so painful.’’

He said that in spite of the regular vandalism which occurred every two weeks, “ the most painful aspect of it is that between 24 and 36 , latest 48 hours of repair, they go to another place and vandalise.

“In other words we are in a constant maintenance exercise, constant repair exercise,’’ Nebo said.

The minister said that it got to the point where four massive vandalism took place between February and March.

He said consequently, the government had to test the reliability of the entire system to be sure that it was still strong enough technically to handle gas flow.

Nebo said the losses were at huge costs to the government every month.

“And it costs the gas transport company a minimum of N120 million every month to repair these vandalised gas pipelines.

`You are talking about N1.5 billion every year minimum, just to repair the vandalised pipelines.

“There is no reason why they should be vandalised.

“So, when you see a situation where we can give Nigerians 5,500mw of power if we have the gas and our own compatriots have refused to  allow that to happen, you now see the frustration that all of us go through.’’

The minister called for a lot of security measures to effectively protect the pipelines.

“We synergise with the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, with the office of the National Security Adviser, with the army with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

“We are working together but I think a lot more need to go into place and there has to be a digitised mechanism of surveillance so that the entire length and breadth of the oil and gas pipelines are under constant surveillance system in a digitised format.

“That is the only way we are going to find out what is happening at any moment, be able to locate exactly where the vandalism is taking place and even possibly to forewarn those who are trying to do that to know that they are being observed.

“Availability wise, I think no administration has done as well as this administration.

“We have actually taken Nigeria to a different level but unfortunately the saboteurs have refused that Nigerians should share the benefits. That is where we are today.’’

One time National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
Alhaji Bamanga Tukur believes the PDP shall rise again after what
happened in the 2015 elections.

Speaking in an interview in Yola the Adamawa State Capital, the
country’s Ambassador at large noted that lessons must be learnt from
what happened.

According to him, it was for this kind of reason that he had kicked
against imposition and impunity in the party.

He was however quick to say that despite the setback, the party will rise again.

Alhaji Bamanga Tukur stressed that what must be realized is that
internal democracy and not imposition must prevail else there will
continue to be a problem.

In a response to a question, the former chairman of the PDP said like
two football clubs, one must win and the other looses.

He then congratulated the APC Governor elect of Adamawa state and all
the legislators for their success in the elections.

Alhaji Bamanga Tukur urged those who loss to embrace the winners
adding that tomorrow was another day.

The ambassador at large who has met with so many world leaders urged
the incoming administration to fight corruption which he says was a
societal ill which must be addressed.

He then urged all to be peaceful so that the new administration will
strive at developing decaying infrastructures.

President Goodluck Jonathan and the Senate may be heading on war path, following Jonathan’s refusal to give his assent to the amendments made by the National Assembly to the 1999 Constitution.

Jonathan had written to the leaderships of both the House of Representatives and Senate, telling them that he would not sign the amended document.

The letters, which were dated April 13, were received at the offices of the Speaker of the House (Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal) and Senate President (Senator David Mark) on April 14.

They were, however, read on the floors of the Green and Red chambers on April 15.

According to Jonathan, the document did not meet some provisions of Section 9(3) of the 1999 Constitution.

Jonathan particularly accused the National Assembly of planning to whittle down some executive powers of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with the document.

He also faulted some amendments, which would give executive powers and duties to the legislature and the judiciary.

Of the 12 errors that were listed in the amendments, the President said: Alteration to constitution cannot be valid with mere voice votes unless supported by the votes of not less than four-fifths majority all members of National Assembly and two-thirds of all the 36 State Houses of Assembly.

Shocked by the development in view of the fact that the bill cost the National Assembly a whopping sum of N1 billion within the last three years, the Senate President mandated the Senate Committee on Constitution Amendments to study Jonathan’s letter and report back next week.

Mark also directed that the letter be circulated to all the senators to enable them digest the contents properly in order to make valid contributions during the debate next week.

Unfortunately, the Committee, led by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, could not go ahead with its two-day retreat, which was supposed to start on Wednesday because Jonathan did not return the original bill, which is against the practice.

Briefing his colleagues on the development during plenary on Thursday, Ekweremadu reported that the Committee has asked him to inform the Senate to ask Jonathan to return the original copy specifically containing the signature page to the chamber.

“We slated to have two-day retreat to consider the letter and advise the Senate appropriately. In the course of our sitting yesterday, (Wednesday), we noticed that second to the last paragraph of that letter, the President said (that) he was returning the Bill with the letter.

“Unfortunately, the Bill was not returned with the letter, and we could not proceed because we would like to see the returned Bill.

“The Committee has asked me to raise this point, to request the President of the Senate, to ask the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to send back the original copy of the Bill as sent to him, especially the signature page.

“This is to enable us to proceed with our work, especially since he had indicated in his own letter that it was accompanied by the Bill. So, we would like to have the Bill in its original form, especially the signature page,” Ekweremadu said.

It was learnt that the Senate’s insistence to have the original copy of the Bill, containing the signature page from Jonathan was sequel to information at its disposal that the President had initially signed the Bill before withdrawing his assent allegedly due to intense pressure on him.

In his remarks, Mark agreed with Ekweremadu’s submission and subjected the request to a vote and the senators, voted in its support.

“I think the important thing is that, if the floor accepts that I send that letter, then I will write a letter to Mr. President to return the original copy of the Bill to us.

“This was referred to your (Ekweremadu’s), Committee. So, if that is the decision of the Committee, then we have little or no option on the floor here. There is a bit of urgency of this. So, in writing that, we should have it at the earliest possible time,” Mark said.

Mark assured his colleagues that he would write the letter within two to three days because of the urgency involved.

There are indications that the National Assembly was spoiling for war over Jonathan’s action because the lawmakers see the constitution amendments as the hallmark of the Seventh Senate to which a whooping N1 billion  was spent to put together.

However, Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Senator Ita Enang, has described Jonathan’s refusal to assent to Constitution Amendment Bill as another act of statesmanship.

Enang, who stated this in an interview with journalists in Abuja on Thursday, observed that in spite of the fact that the President’s tenure would soon end, he was magnanimous to point out some anomalies in the Bill, and as such, withholding his assent.

“Let me, for one thing alone, congratulate and appreciate President Goodluck Jonathan. He did not say ‘I am not going to be the President in the next 30 days, let me just assent to it’.

“He did not say, ‘whatever problem there is, let it be a problem that the Buhari administration will come to face’.

“He believed that he should be as a soldier; standing at his post to the end and I commend him because he would ordinarily  have signed it and said ‘I wash my hands off like Pilate’. He still put his thoughts together and said; this I refuse to do on these accounts.

“To that extent I commend his honesty, I commend his statesmanship,” Enang said.

Enang, however, noted that the observations made by the President were coming late as the National Assembly had already passed the Bill.

He specifically blamed relevant officers in the presidency, who according to him, should have pointed out the issues at the point of the public hearings.

“At this stage, we have gone through public hearing at different stages and this is a bill that passed through the National Assembly for three years. When we had  the public hearings, those making these observations did  not appear.

“The President didn’t need to appear, but the Attorney General, Secretary to the Government, Accountant General and all the other institutions ought to have appeared. It is indolence on the part of the Attorney General and the SGF, who ought to have called President’s attention to these matters when the hearing was going on.

“In view of the development, the National Assembly would  hold close consultations with the President to look at the observations made and vote on some of them,” he added.

As the Bayelsa state Governorship election draws nearer, a group under the aegis of Network for Bayelsa People’s Forum (NBPF),has expressed  concern over the possibility of the People Democratic Party ( PDP), to return the Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson, as  the party flag bearer in the state.

The Chairman of the group, Mr Ibipa Oweiza, in a statement issued yesterday in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, lamented that Governor Dickson has squandered the goodwill of the party in the state, as majority of the electorate
in the state are already yearning for change.

The group is of the view that if PDP insist on fielding the incumbent governor as the party  candidate in the next governorship election in the state,  they should as well consider loosing the state to any opposition political party that will also be vying for the Creek Heaven seat of power.

According to them, going by the trend in the country as witnessed in the just concluded general election, any attempt to impose the incumbent governor on the people of the state, will lead to mass decamping and serious anti-party activities as most PDP members will work against the interest of the ruling parting in the state.

The leadership of the group said they are particularly worried about the governor’s penchant to instigate controversy which has already divided the party.

His words, “ Two months ago, Governor Dickson caused the suspension  of
Col. Sam Inokoba, the state chairman of the People Democratic Party, against wise counsel. This action has already polarised  the party in
the state.

“Recently  the governor instigated a sectional leadership of the party in the state to institute investigation and probe of very senior party members including a serving Senator, Emmanuel Paulker and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Domestic Matter for anti-party activities with the deliberate intention of fanning embers of discord.

“ Governor Dickson  is doing battle from all flanks within the PDP family, the party may lose the next governorship election if Dickson retains the party ticket. For the party to do well in the forthcoming governorship  election, the party should as a matter of urgency begin to shop for a popular and acceptable candidate as Dickson has made himself and the party very unpopular in the state. The party is already in disarray and something must be done to salvage it”.

Mr Oweiza recalled the recent action of  Governor Dickson, over his disruption   of court proceeding at a Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa the Bayelsa State capital.

The preferred candidate of Governor Dickson in the just concluded National Assembly  election to represent Bayelsa West Senatorial District, Mr Foster Ogola, has been having a running legal  battle with Rt Honourable Heineken Lokpobiri, over who is the authentic candidate of the People Democratic Party ( PDP) to represent Bayelsa West.

He lamented that Governor Dickson had thrown caution to the wind when he visited the court premises on the 30th  of  March, following the fixing of  hearing judgment by the presiding Judge, which according to him was  without proper notification to both parties, even as the matter has been moved away from his court.

The group  wondered why a governor should physically desecrate the temple of justice, noting that as a lawyer and former lawmaker he should lead by example, even as they are also worried about the intolerance and over-bearing disposition of Governor Dickson against critic of his administration.