10th NASS: Tolu Bankole tells Akpabio, Abass, others not to amass wealth Let Nigeria’s interest guide your legislative activities - CNPP tells Akpabio, Abbas

By Christiana Ekpa

Conference Of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has congratulated the new leadership of the National Assembly and all the lawmakers on their inauguration on Tuesday, urging them to prioritise the overall interest of Nigeria and Nigerians in their decisions as they begin to exercise their constitutional powers as legislators.

In a statement signed by the

By Christiana Ekpa

Aformer member of the House of Representatives, Sani Mohammed Takori has condemned the recent utterances of the Vice President, Kashim Shettima over the Senate President contest.

The Vice President, Shattima had declared that, in the current dispensation, “the worst and incompetent Southern Christian was better than the Northern Muslim in the senate presidency.”

Takori in a statement,

CNPP’s Secretary General, Willy Ezugwu, the umbrella association of registered political parties and political associations said that “while party may be supreme, national interest outweighs party interest.”

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his party had nominated Senators Godswill Akpabio and Barau Jibrin for Senate president and deputy Senate president, as well as Hon Tajudeen Abbas and Hon Benjamin Kalu for Speaker described the assertion as a direct attack to the North and particularly, North West, Senatorelect, former Governor of Zamfara State, Abdul’Aziz Yari.

The former lawmaker, while condemning the position of the Vice President, quickly, urged him to retract his word and ask for forgiveness of the northerners.

“We felt aggrieved by this assertion as it comes directly from no other person but the Vice President who is our own, it was quite unfortunate”, he added Takori, a lawyer, urged and deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.

“The CNPP urges the new President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio and Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, to ensure that they did not go down in history as rubber-stamp leaders but consider the interest of the country in any relationship with the executive.

“As one of the three arms of government, there is need for harmony among the other arms but it must not be at the detriment of good governance and rule of law.

President Tinubu to disregard such sentiment as a true democrat and allow free and fair contest in the chamber. He reminded President Tinubu of the efforts he and other compatriots made in the struggle for the survival of the current democratic dispensation.

“We are quite aware that President Tinubu is a true democrat, so he would never succumb to undemocratic posture, especially, in the election of National Assembly leadership”, he added.

“While we congratulate all the lawmakers for a successful inauguration, we call on individual Senators or members of the House of Representatives to consider the interest and wellbeing of the electorate within their respective constituencies before any decision is taken”, the CNPP urged.

According to him, any attempt to deny Yari from contesting for the Senate Presidency was a clear denial of the right of the entire northern people.

He called on senators-elect to reject any act of imposition by the government and elect leadership of their choice, as that would ensure independence of the parliament.

“As Senators-elect, don’t allow a stooge to lead the Senate if at all you want true democratic development to strive in the country,” he added.

Kenyan president urges adoption of local currencies for intra-African trade

Abubakar Yunusa, Abuja

Kenyan President William Ruto has called on African countries to shift away from using the US dollar for intraAfrican trade.

During his address at the Djibouti parliament on Tuesday, Ruto spoke on the need to abandon dependence on the US dollar for trade transactions between African nations.

“From Djibouti selling to Kenya or traders from Kenya selling to Djibouti, we have to look for US dollars. How is US dollars part of the trade between Djibouti and Kenya? Why?” Ruto asked.

Ruto said the African Export–Import Bank (Afreximbank) has provided a mechanism that enables traders within the continent to engage in trade using their respective local currencies — the pan-African payment and settlement system (PAPSS).

The president clarified that the intention is not to oppose the US dollar, but rather to ease trade on the continent.

He suggested that purchases made from the United States can still be settled in US dollars, while transactions with Djibouti and other African nations can be conducted using local currencies.

“That is why Kenya champions the Pan African Payment and Settlement System that is done by our own institution — the Afreximbank. Why, members? Why is it necessary for us to buy things from Djibouti and pay in dollars? There is no reason,” he said.

“We are not against the US dollar. We just want to trade more freely. Let us pay in US dollars what we are buying from the US. But what we are buying from Djibouti, let’s use local currency.”