STOP 2015 ELECTIONS OR... -- Citizens Advocacy for Social and Economic Rights

The Citizens Advocacy for Social and Economic Rights has approached the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice, seeking to stop the 2015 general elections.

Executive Director of CASER, Barrister Frank Tietie, told journalists yesterday in Abuja that the election must not hold due to the current security challenges in Nigeria. Barrister Tiete accused the two dominant political parties, PDP and APC are not moved by the primary motive of governance, but for self gain. 

Recalling the 2011 post-election violence, Tietie warned that the anarchy that will befall Nigeria might be greater, if the elections go on under the current situation. 

While stating that CASER is not being sponsored to scuttle the 2015 polls, Barr Tietie asked the National Assembly to apply Section 135 sub-section 3 of the constitution, as the nation was currently in a state of war.  

He further called for the invocation of the doctrine of necessity, for a Transitional Government, pending the right atmosphere to conduct elections. The Nigerian government intends to acquire one million electricity meters for consumers in the federation. 

Announcing this at a town hall meeting in Abuja yesterday, Minister of Power, Professor Chinedu Nebo said the meters will be distributed by the eleven electricity distribution companies in Nigeria.

He added that meters would be installed in homes of unmetered electricity consumers immediately they are acquired. Professor Nebo decried the high level of sabotage of the ongoing power reform. 

SENATE REFERS 2015 BUDGET TO COMMITTEES, ADJOURNS PLENARY TILL FEBRUARY 17

Senate has adjourned plenary till February 17 and referred the 2015 budget to its committees on Finance and Appropriation for further amendments. After deliberations on the bill which was presented by Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba, the lawmakers agreed that $65 crude oil benchmark was not feasible especially with falling price of oil globally. Senators who spoke extensively on the bill also accused government agencies for non-remittance of their revenue as captured by the Fiscal Responsibility Act. In his contribution, Senator Olubunmi Adetumbi, pointed out that the 2015 appropriation bill is a deficit budget with unrealistic projections. 

On his part, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu who presided over the session, urged the relevant committees to ensure that all revenue items are captured, stressing the need for federal government to explore other ways of revenue generation. 

As the global price of crude oil continues its downward trend, the senate has stepped up government’s effort in diversifying the economy by adopting the conference committee report on Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Board. The bill which was presented on the floor by Senator Smart Adeyemi, seeks to create an internal revenue board for the FCT in order to increase its own revenue. Deputy Senate Persident Ike Ekweremadu said the introduction of the bill was a welcome development.