Tag Archives: Aisha Alhassan

I have spent a month without electricity in my office – Women Affairs Minister

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Aisha Alhassan, minister of women affairs, says sometimes she stays in her office for a month without electricity.

Alhassan said this on Tuesday when she appeared before house of representatives committee on women affairs and social development for the defence of her ministry’s budget.

She blamed consistent blackout for the delay in submitting the documents required for her ministry’s budget defence.

“The challenge we had is that, sometimes at the secretariat, we stay for three, four, five weeks without light; right now, this is the third week that we have stayed without light,” Alhassan said.

“The permanent secretary and I had to raise money personally to buy diesel at the Women Centre to do it. At the time, because there was no light we couldn’t retrieve data from the desktop computers.

“Unfortunately, we did not have the data in flash drives, so it was partly our fault and partly not ours. But all I can say is that, honourable chairman, we sincerely apologise. We are very sorry for that and it will not repeat itself.”

On her part, Stella Uchenna, chairperson of the committee, expressed her displeasure at the late submission of the documents.

She said there was need for ministries, departments and agencies (MDA’s) to cooperate with the national assembly.

The legislator explained that early submission of documents would have given the committee time to understudy them before budget defence.

“On January 30, we requested that you send to us the budget implementation of 2016, the document didn’t reach us. Then on February 9, we wrote a reminder and still we did not get a reply,” Uchenna said.

“And because we were short of time, we now wrote requesting for the budget performance for 2016 and the proposal for 2017, and we got the centre and the ministry yesterday.”

 

Source: The Cable

Taraba Tribunal Ruling Will Deepen Democracy – VOTAS

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The Nigerian Voters Assembly (VOTAS) has said that the recent ruling of the Taraba State election petition tribunal sitting in Abuja, will deepen the nation’s democracy.

The tribunal had declared Senator Aisha Alhassan winner of the April 11 election and ordered the removal the Taraba State governor, Darius Ishaku.
President of the group, Comrade Mashood Erubami, said the tribunal ruling validating Senator Aisha Alhassan as governor-elect of Taraba is in consonant with best standards and conforms with the Electoral Act.
“It is heart warming and timely, coming at a time when Nigerians are looking up to the judiciary to confirm its place among nations upholding the rule of law. It is worthy of note that the judgement trailed other judgements that reversed elections results to rightful winners against those that INEC had earlier declared as witnessed in Rivers and Akwa Ibom States”, he said.
He added: “The number and nature of elections results upheld and reversed is a confirmation that there is new re-orientation among the judges and lots of them are now judging according to law and their consciences. The judgement so far has shown that some of the judgements of the past were not independently delivered and that not all those who were declared winners deserved it”.
Erubami said the judgement affirmed the need for political parties to always adhere to the provisions of the Electoral Act and also revealed that INEC did not perform its duty in respect of party nomination and sponsorship of candidate.
“It INEC had done its job, the sacked governor should have been stopped before the election on the basis of qualification as enshrined in Section 85 and 87 of the Electoral Act. The judgement cleared all doubts and was not in my opinion shrouded in any mysterious declaration that can stand against it at the Appeal, more so, when the issues of jurisdiction and petitioner locus standi have been dismissed by the tribunal at the early stage before the judgement.”

Group Calls For Calm In Taraba Over Tribunal Verdict On Governorship Poll

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The Taraba Volunteer Group, a pressure group, has urged residents of the state to shun violence and allow the judiciary handle the tribunal verdict on the election of Gov. Darius Ishaku.

 

Mr Joseph Terence, the Coordinator of the group, made the appeal at a news conference in Jalingo on Friday.
Terence said the call had become necessary following the outbreak of violence in Wukari, Taraba, over the verdict.

 

The coordinator said the group believed that a higher court would reverse the judgment of the Taraba Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, which nullified the victory of Ishaku of PDP and declared Aisha Alhassan of APC winner.

 

“We want Taraba people to remain calm and law-abiding despite the tribunal’s ruling. We believe that the appellate court will reverse the ruling because Sen. Alhassan in her petition to the tribunal acknowledged the fact that Ishaku is a member of the PDP and was sponsored by the party,’’ he said.

 

He urged Ishaku not to be discouraged by the judgment but to concentrate on his efforts to restore permanent peace in the state.

 

(NAN)

Minister Of Women Affairs, Aisha Alhassan, Solicits Support From Stakeholders

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Sen. Aisha Alhassan, the Minister of Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development (FMWASD) has solicited support from stakeholders to ensure that the plight of women, children and the vulnerable is alleviated.

 

Alhassan made the appeal on Thursday in Abuja while addressing the management staff of the ministry as she assumed office.

 

She urged staff of the ministry and stakeholders to cooperate and work together for sustained development among women, in line with the change mantra of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

 

According to her, it is expected that all and sundry work together as partners in progress for the nation.

 

Until her appointment, Alhassan was the Senator representing Taraba North constituency of Taraba.

 

She also contested for Taraba governorship on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 general elections and was upheld winner of the election by the Taraba Petitions Tribunal on Nov. 7.

 

Responding, Hajiya Binta Bello, the newly appointed Permanent Secretary of the ministry had assured the minister of maximum support.

 

She pledged the support of all in the ministry for sustained development, adding that they were team players for the development of the nation.

 

(NAN)

Ministerial list: Fashola, Amaechi, Ngige, Onu, Aisha Alhassan, Fayemi, Malami Abubakar, Kachikwu, 12 others make list

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Senate President, Bukola Saraki, on Wednesday received the ministerial nominees list at about 4:56pm from the Presidency but said the content of the presidential communication would be read during plenary next week Tuesday.

The Senate had adjourned plenary at 2:00pm on Wednesday till Tuesday, October 6.

21 names were contained in the list, according to a report by Punch Newspaper which read:

“The PUNCH learnt that a former Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola; and a former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, made the list.

Also said to be on the list are Kayode Fayemi, a former governor of Ekiti State; a former Governor of Anambra State, Chris Ngige; and a one-time Governor of Abia State, Ogbonaya Onu.

Malami Abubakar, SAN, a former National Legal Adviser to the defunct Congress for Progressives Change; Aisha Alhassan, a former governorship candidate of the APC in Taraba State; and Amina Mohammed, a special adviser to the Secretary-General of the United nations, Ban Ki-Moon, also made the ministerial list. Same for a former finance commissioner in Ogun State, Kunle Adeosun.

The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Ibe Kachikwu, is said to be on the list, perhaps to combine his headship of the NNPC with junior petroleum minister. portfolio. Buhari has already announced himself as the substantive Minister of Petroleum.

The Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, in company with the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Ita Enang, delivered the list in a sealed envelope to the Senate President in his office.”