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Tag: Bukola Saraki

  • Saraki welcomes Anti-Tinubu APC faction to PDP

    Saraki welcomes Anti-Tinubu APC faction to PDP

    Former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, on Saturday, led a disgruntled faction within the All Progressives Congress in Lagos known as the ‘Lagos4Lagos Movement’ to the Peoples Democratic Party.

    Saraki, who is the Chairman of PDP National Reconciliation Committee, met with hundreds of members of the Lagos4Lagos Movement, and its leader, Olajide Adediran, at an event organised in Lagos for the defection of the APC members to the opposition party.

    The Adediran faction had in September 2021 held a parallel local government congress at different locations in the state.

    The group had alleged impunity, imposition and marginalisation in the party for its action but the congress of the movement was not recognised by the Mai Mala Buni-led caretaker committee.

    The Lagos4Lagos Movement had also been critical of the reign and stronghold of APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, saying no one has the right to impose governors and political office holders in the state.

    With the 2023 general elections fast approaching, there have been political permutations and serial defections in the country.

  • Saraki, CSOs Urge Govts to Make Insurance of Markets Mandatory

    Saraki, CSOs Urge Govts to Make Insurance of Markets Mandatory

    Former President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have called on governments at all levels to make insurance of market places mandatory in order to mitigate huge losses and disruptions associated with incessant market fires across the country.

    The Africa Politeia Institute (TAPI), presided over by Saraki and the Adopt a Goal for Development Initiative (AAGI), led by Dare Atoye, made the call during the second series webinar of “The Grow Nigeria Conversation (GNC)”.

    The webinar came on the heels of disturbing spate of market fires and its tolls on the ordinary people and the deepening poverty level.

    The groups noted that market fires occur due to carelessness, poor market planning or set up, electrical faults etc.

    According to them, most markets in Nigeria serve as accommodation spaces for a lot of people, which is a direct reflection of the poor economic situation of the country.

    They appealed to government to ensure that aside security personnel who guard marketplaces, other people should not be allowed to stay in markets.

    The groups said, ”Experts at the event noted that proper planning, central electricity generation and distribution system as well as the use of renewable energy sources like Solar can help solve this problem. Most markets are not insured and so when there’s an outbreak, huge losses are recorded and livelihoods affected. It was observed that rather than donate millions of naira to rebuilding markets after an outbreak, such funds should be channelled towards preventing these fires and insuring the markets.

    ”Also, there should be laws and policies that make insurance of marketplaces mandatory. The need for advocacy and sensitization of market leaders and traders is key towards mitigating fire incidences in our markets. Local governments, which should be the first responders during a fire outbreak, are incapacitated. Poor funding has remained a major problem of the LGAs.

    As such, the authorities look to the markets for revenue. Overtime, the market design does not matter to them so long as there are more people coming in who pay taxes.”

  • How Saraki sold off land allocated for courtrooms in Ilorin – Officials

    How Saraki sold off land allocated for courtrooms in Ilorin – Officials

    Several plots of land allocated in the 1980s for the construction of courtrooms in Ilorin, Kwara State, were sold off by former Governors Bukola Saraki and Abdulfatah Ahmed without following due process, state government officials have testified before a panel.

    Messrs Saraki and Ahmed governed the state for eight years each from 2003 to 2019.

    In August, the state government began a probe into the sale and unlawful acquisition of government properties in the state between May 29, 1999, and May 29, 2019.

    The Kwara State Judicial Commission of Inquiry on the Sales of Government Assets is chaired by a retired judge, Olabanji Orilonishe.

    At the sitting of the panel on Wednesday, the Director-General of the Bureau of Land, Bolaji Edun, testified that some plots of land in Tanke area of Ilorin originally allocated to the state judiciary were gradually sold off from 2009.

    However, he said the government did not first revoke the original allocations in line with the law before selling off the land.

    He said this in response to a petition filed before the panel by the state judiciary which is seeking the restoration of the land, citing a shortage of courtrooms in the state capital.

    Mr Edun said the earliest reallocation of the affected parcels of land was made in 2009 and the issuance of the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) started in 2013.

    However, the Bureau of Lands said it could not find the C of O of one of the new allottees, Candidate Hotel, in its record.