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DEPUTY Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, yesterday, dissociated himself from the amendment of the 8th Senate Standing Rules, saying he was no longer  a senator when the rules were made.
Senator Ekweremadu spoke through his Special Adviser on Media, Uche Anichukwu,  on a Ray Power Radio morning programme, tagged: “Political Platform”, where he responded to questions on the alleged forgery/amendment of the Senate Standing Rule, 2011.
He washed his hands off the allegation, saying at the time the said Senate Standing Rule/Order 2015 was made, he had ceased being the Deputy Senate President and so was no longer a principal officer to have contributed to the making of the document in question.
He said the making of a new Rule/Order for a new Senate or House was entirely the business of the National Assembly bureaucracy and asked those striving to frame him up to look elsewhere.
He said: “Let me just explain here that every National Assembly, that is every Senate or House has its Standing Rule/Order as every Standing Rule/Order normally has a life span of four years. So, if you go to the Office of the Clerk to the National Assembly now, you are likely to find Standing Rules/Orders of 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011 and the current 2015.
“From the point of the valedictory session of the 7th Senate on 4th June, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Distinguished Senator David Mark and the rest of other members of the 7th Senate ceased to be senators until the 9th of June, when the 8th Senate was inaugurated; and as usually done, the new senators received new Standing Rule/Order 2015.
“The making of that 2015 edition of the Senate Rule/Order is the business of the bureaucracy of the National Assembly. What the 8th Senate can do, which its predecessors have sometimes done is to amend as suitable. And the process of the amendment is spelt out in the that document.
“So, if you say that the current Senate or Ekweremadu or whoever altered the Standing Rule that brought them to power, it is just like saying that former President Olusegun Obasanjo forged the 1999 Constitution upon which he was inaugurated as a president. You know it wasn’t his making and the governors that came that time too, it wasn’t their making. What happens is if Nigerians don’t like what is contained in the 1999 Constitution, they try to amend it. It’s the same with the Rules/Orders of the National Assembly. But you cannot even amend it until you are inaugurated as a Senator or Member. So, haven been inaugurated, anybody not comfortable with any part of the Standing Rule/Order 2015 upon which the Senate was inaugurated can follow the laid down procedure in the Rule within the lifespan of the Senate.
“So, you can see that what they call an amendment is a new document with a life of its own. It couldn’t have been done by any member of the 8th Senate. It is just impossible for it to have been made by Ekweremadu. I guess it is all politics”
Asked whether his principal did not work behind the scene to influence the alleged changes in the Senate Rule, Mr Anichukwu said: “How could he have worked behind the scene to amend it because from the 4th of June, when the 7thSenate ended, he ceased to be a senator, just like every other senator.
“You could remember that after the valedictory session on that day, Ekweremadu and Senator David Mark left without their usual official cars. That showed they were no longer senators or occupying their offices in the Senate. So, how could he have worked from behind the scene? And do not forget that even the main matter they are contesting is not Ekweremadu’s eligibility. They claim the old Rule for the 7th Senate prescribed open ballot in which you mention the name of the person you want to vote in as the Senate President or Deputy President of the Senate, while the Clerk to the National Assembly used the open secret ballot system in which your name is called, you are given a piece of paper to write down the name of your preferred candidate and drop in the box in the full glare of everyone and on live TV watched all over the world. No one has complained that the election was rigged. Even Senator Ali Ndume crossed over to Ekweremadu and gave him a very warm congratulatory embrace”
He explained further: “There is an important point I want to make here,  how a new Senate or House is inaugurated is entirely the business of the National Assembly bureaucracy
“Remember that in the 6th Senate, Senator George Akume ran against Senator David Mark for the position of the Senate President. You would remember that some people said no, he was not qualified to run for that office going by the old Rule because he was a new Senator. But the then CNA, Mr. Ogunyomi, said no, ‘this is how I want to run it.”
When told that some people, especially from the opposition APC felt that his principal took a seat that rightly belonged to the APC, Mr Anichukwu said the seat did not belong to any political party.
He said: “Going by Section 50 (1) of the 1999 Constitution, that Office doesn’t belong to anybody or party. It belongs to Nigerians. That is why APC lawmakers became Speakers in Plateau and Benue State Assemblies last June even when the APC was in minority. By the way, are some people trying to tell Nigerians that if the PDP had won majority in the National Assembly, which is an independent arm of government, and head both chambers, the President Buhari Administration would cease to function?”

It was very interesting watching the convoys of eminent dignitaries arrive the Eagle Square, Abuja, for the official hand-over ceremony on May 29: While President  Muhammadu Buhari, came in an Infiniti SUV, the Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, was seen earlier alighting from what was either a Land Cruiser or Sequoia, but clearly a Toyota. Just before the oath-taking, President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, arrived in a premium luxury Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

The former Vice President, Arch. Namadi Sambo’s motorcade was not noticed on arrival, but a common denominator was that neither did any of the state dignitaries ride in a made-in-Nigeria car to the venue, nor did a car from the domestic auto industry seen in all the fleets of mainly black cars. Not even the open-body Mercedes-Benz G-wagon that drove the new president round the square was home-made.

Some auto industry stakeholders who also observed the scenario recalled above, have been wondering why locally made cars were denied their well deserved roles at that very important and symbolic national ceremony. It is not easy to forget that the last time a made-in Nigeria car was so honoured, was in 1979, when the then Head of State, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, rode in a Peugeot 505 produced by Peugeot Automobile in Kaduna, to the Tafawa Balewa square, Lagos, where he handed over to the incoming president, Alhaji Shehu Shagari.

Apart from the symbolic role he let the 505 play at that hand-over ceremony, Gen. Obasanjo, as a matter of policy, ensured that locally made cars were the official vehicles at all levels of government while his tenure lasted. And this helped to drive the patronage of the products of auto plants, like Volkswagen in Lagos and Peugeot (both car makers).

Ditto for truck assemblers, including ANAMMCO (Mercedes-Benz), Enugu, National Trucks Manufacturers (NTM, for Fiat/Iveco) in Kano, and Steyr in Bauchi.

Curiously, Obasanjo’s civilian regime that began in 1999, did not re-introduce the same policy of making vehicles from the domestic industry dominate the convoys of government officials. So, it did not surprise the auto makers that preference for imported vehicles in government circles was the order of the day, regime after regime, until the automotive policy (popularly called the Nigerian Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP) took effect in 2014, one year to the end of the tenure of Dr Jonathan’s government.

But, with the May 29 ceremony in mind, it appears to industry watchers that government has not been promoting the products of its own policy, because Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company (IVM, Nnewi) which was the first to produce an SUV in the country, and VON Automobiles Nigeria Ltd with its own Nissan Patrol, have vehicles that can be added to the official state car fleet. The duo also has a line-up of other models of passenger cars.

Same for United Vehicle Assembly Limited (UVAL), the car-making corporate sister of Kia Motors Nigeria Limited which now produces, apart from sedans, Kia Sportage, Sorento and the top-of-the-range Mohave (all SUVs).Presently, PAN Nigeria produce sundry passenger cars that can conveniently fit into any official convoy.

And, if armouring is a requirement, the stakeholders argue, Proforce Limited, in Ode-Remo, Ogun state, has been rendering the service for years, in addition to partnering with the DICON (Defence Industries Corporation) to produce hardware for the military. So, why not to do same for government?

To one of the auto industry chieftains who watched the Eagle Square ceremony, Mr. Rasheed Adegbenro, the absence of locally made vehicles in the official convoys and the disdain for the extant laws and directives on the patronage of products of the assembly plants in the country, is unpatriotic and injurious to the interest of manufacturers in the sector.

“This development has made nonsense of government campaign concerning patronage of local industries. In addition, government has lost the moral right to galvanise the general public to support made-in-Nigeria products”, remarked Adegbenro, who was the Assistant General Manager (Sales/Public Relations), in the first generation Volkswagen of Nigeria, and until recently, the Ag. Director-General, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN).

Recalling that the first unit of Nissan Patrol with V8 engine VON Automobiles produced last year in Lagos was presented to the then President Jonathan to show what the plant could do, the Managing Director, Mr Tokunbo Aromolaran, confirmed that the auto makers in the country have the capacity to produce car for official use and the local market.

Also reacting, an auto industry analyst, Mr. Banwo Omagbitse, drew attention to an existing law (Gazette No 28 Vol. 81 of April, 1994) and circular which prohibit all ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) patronizing imported vehicles, except where such cannot be produced by the domestic auto industry. According to him, in line with the auto policy, PAN is migrating from SKD (semi-knocked down) to CKD (completely knocked down) production of the 301. Therefore, he said, the plant and other auto makers, should be encouraged through government-driven patronage.

Not only did the Jonathan regime discourage MDAs from patronising imported vehicles, it also introduced (through the auto policy) a tariff regime with a differential of at least 60 percent between fully built up vehicles and CKD imports by the local auto plants, which favours the latter.

The introduction of NAIDP has since encouraged Innoson, initially a bus, utility trucks, pick-up and SUV-producing plant, to widen its vehicle range to include passenger cars (Umu and Fox), while VON Automobiles, also rolled out sundry models of Nissan and Hyundai.

What this means, according to auto industry stakeholders, is that the domestic auto plants have the capacity to produce a variety of vehicles for local consumption, including the official state cars. Saying they are not unmindful of the advanced specifications of vehicles for use even at the presidential or gubernatorial level, including luxury, communications, special convenience features and armour plating (bullet-proofing), stakeholders believe that the industry is equipped for the task.

“It is patriotic and normal for the president, prime minister, governor, and other top government officials, to use vehicles made in a country”, argued the Chairman of the Innoson Group, Dr. Innocent Chukwuma, who prides himself on being the owner of the first indigenous auto brand in Africa. “This is what happens in other countries of the world. Innoson has models of SUV plus other saloons. PAN has models of Peugeot, just as other assembly plants have others products. So, the industry can give government officials whatever they want”.

Chief Chukwuma is right: In the United States, the presidential car is a Chevrolet Kodiak-based, Cadillac-badged limousine often referred to as Cadillac One (made by General Motors of the US). In the United Kingdom, the Prime Ministerial Car refers to the British manufactured vehicles used by the Prime Minister – currently they are armoured, custom built Jaguar XJ Sentinel supercharged 5.0-litre V8 models, built by Jaguar Land Rover of the UK. The German Vice Chancellor’s official car is usually provided by the country’s leading luxury car makers – Mercedes-Benz, BMW and the Volkswagen Group, while the French President makes his choice from either Peugeot or Renault, both of them indigenous to France.

“I can understand President Buhari and his deputy not arriving in made-in-Nigeria cars on May 29. Maybe they simply made use of what was provided by the out-going regime. But, Nigerians will watch out to know what cars they and other government officials will be having in their motorcades”, remarked Dr. D.V.C. Obi, a vocal auto industry chieftain and MAN sectoral chairman.

COSON Chairman, Tony Okoroji, is so passionate about reggae legend, Majek Fashek; he is calling on cor­porate bodies to reach out and save the singer.

Okoroji took to facebook to announce his new passion when he posted this recently: “We cannot afford to allow the prodigious talent of Majek Fashek to be flushed down the drain. I am therefore compelled today to ask my many friends at Nigerian Breweries, Guinness, Coca- Cola, Pepsi, MTN, Glo, Airtel, Etisalat and the other organizations who deploy music as their major communication platform to give Nige­rians a chance to once again enjoy the musical wizadry of the mystical and magical Majek Fashek. It is both a good business decision and a sound humanitarian decision. Please put Majek Fashek on your shows.”

Earlier he had posted: “Early in his career, I was involved in a tour that featured this guy. On a hot day, with the sun shining so bright at Crystal Park in Aba, Majek mounted the stage and once he started singing, ‘The sky is misty and cloudy’ the weather suddenly changed. It began to drizzle. As soon as he got to the chorus line, “Send down the rain’ the skies opened up and it began to rain like the stuff was getting out of fashion. This happened from city to city that it became difficult for me to insist that it was co-incidence. Majek became known as the Rainmaker. This born performer still holds his audience spell­bound.”

Are you a fan of Majek’s? Are you touched? Do you want to reach out to the rain maker? AMajek Fashek Fund has been set up at Diamond Bank.

“This is an appeal to all lovers of good music and all fans of Majek Fashek to please contribute today to the Majek Fashek Fund,” Okoroji pleaded.

Taylor Swift on Thursday announced that she had dropped her opposition to release her latest album “1989” on Apple’s new music streaming service.

The move came days after Swift blocked her multi-platinum album from the service to protest Apple for not paying recording artists during Apple’s three month free trial.

Apple later changed its tune and agreed to pay the musicians.

“After the events of this week, I’ve decided to put 1989 on Apple Music… and happily so,” Swift tweeted out to her nearly 60 million Twitter followers on Thursday.

“In case you’re wondering if this is some exclusive deal like you’ve seen Apple do with other artists, it’s not,” she said in a series of tweets. In a third, she added, “This is simply the first time it’s felt right in my gut to stream my album. Thank you, Apple, for your change of heart.”

On Sunday, Swift wrote a blog post entitled “To Apple, Love Taylor” that explained why she was holding back “1989” from the service.

The post went viral and led to Apple executive Eddy Cue to tweet, “we hear you @taylorswift13 and indie artists. Love, Apple.”

Apple said on Thursday, “We are thrilled to offer Taylor Swift’s entire catalog including 1989, along with over 30 million songs by other incredible artists when Apple Music debuts next week.”

The news on Thursday brings a resolution to the tiff between the 25-year-old pop artist and the tech giant while also allowing the new Apple Music to stream one of the biggest albums in recent memory.

Swift’s “1989” has sold 4.93 million copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen Music.

In November, Swift pulled her albums from Spotify due to a dispute regarding proper compensation for artists and streaming music.

Swift has yet to return to Spotify, but as for Apple it appears that this mini-break up has ended with a happy ending.