Tag Archives: david umaru

Nigeria Can’t Be Fixed Overnight – David Umaru

Posted on by
1

Senator David Umaru representing Niger East Senatorial District in the National Assembly has said that the 16 years of destruction of Nigeria by the former ruling party cannot be fixed in a short period.

The senator who spoke over the weekend at a Thanksgiving service organised by the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), Shiroro District Church Council (DCC) at Gwada area of the state, called for patience from Nigerians.

David Umaru assured that the present administration will soon find lasting solutions to the problems of underdevelopment and economic deprivation caused by several years’ negligence.

He, however, stated that the people must be patient and show understanding with the Senate and the federal government as they settle down to provide the real dividends of democracy that are sustainable to the country.

He stated, “My advice to Nigerians is that we should show understanding. It is said that Rome was not built in one day. It should be noted that we have had 16 years of initial neglect and destruction of our economy and that we have just come on board trying to find solutions to these problems”.

“This cannot be done overnight. So, I will advise that people should be patient with us and give us time to get ourselves organised both in the National Assembly and the federal government”.

He expressed appreciation to his constituents especially the leaders of ECWA Church for finding it appropriate to thank God for his victory at the 2015 Senatorial election.

The senator said he dedicated the victory to the people of Niger East, saying “in fact, they are the people that actually voted. For them to organise the Thanksgiving in appreciation of what God has done for us is heartwarming”.

“We are now charting a course whereby we have constant interactions for me to listen to their problems and for me to within the limit of what will be available try to address some of these problems. I am really grateful to God that they found it worthwhile to thank God for my success at the polls. I am really humbled by the expression of support by my people”, he said.

Earlier in a sermon entitled “Reflections after Victory”, Rev. Luka Turaki Zazzaga of the ECWA Church, said the defeat of the former Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu of the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by Barrister David Umaru was akin to that of the biblical David and Goliath.

External Interferences Caused NASS Crisis – David Umaru

Posted on by
1

The Senator Representing Niger- East , David Umaru has said that the crisis rocking the National Assembly is due to undue external influence on the National Assembly.
The senator who spoke to Journalists in Minna yesterday, stated that the election of Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki and that of Speaker of House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara is not negotiable at his party’s ( APC) National Executive Council (NEC) meeting scheduled for weekend.
Umaru stated that interference from outside the National Assembly has made it difficult for the legislature to freely elect leaders of their choice in conformity with laid down democratic principles.
“The existing laws are very clear; it is the senators or House of Representatives’ members that should elect who their leaders should be. There is a very good reason for this and that is because the lawmakers are the ones to work with their leaders. The issue of the election of Dr Bukola Saraki as Senate President and Yakubu Dogora as Speaker is not negotiable” he posited.
He added that It cannot be negotiated outside the National Assembly, insisting that the election of principal officers of the National Assembly has come to stay and that it was not that of loyalty to the party.

On David Umaru’s Purported Remark on Niger State Transition Committee By Garba Aliyu

Posted on by
1

A matter of devastating consequence which needs urgent clarification has just been reportedly raised by Barrister David Umaru, the Senator-elect of Niger East Senatorial District. In his unfortunate statement that sought to discredit the composition of the transition committee set up to ensure smooth handing over of power by the outgoing Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu to Mallam Abubakar Sani Bello of the All Progressive Party, winner of the April 11 Gubernatorial Election in Niger State, the senator-elect made several accusations without justifying any. For those in know of what exactly transpired in setting up the committee, and also aware of the antecedents of the members and their contributions to the political causes and struggles in Niger State, Umaru’s criticism of the committee may be understood as, at best, unnecessary and, at worst, hypocritical.

As a witness to the events that led to composition of the committee, I’ve every right to dismiss Umaru’s reaction as unnecessary. This is because David Umaru, contrary to his claim in the said statement, was actually consulted and even contributed to the selection of members of the committee. There was no way, whatsoever, that David Umaru was kept in the dark of any decision taken before the membership of committee was officially made public.

The most amusing irony in Umaru’s claim that “proper consultation must be done to recruit credible and capable people” is the fact he was not only consulted, as prescribed, but he even nominated a member who, out of respect for his view by the APC officials in Niger State, was chosen and is now a part of the committee he now makes a U-turn to dismiss as incompetent. So, if consultation is meant to ensure selection of credible people and Umaru is known to have been among those consulted, obviously his decision to go public over what he had contributed to wasn’t statesmanlike or carefully considered.

The man who David Umaru nominated to be a part of the committee may be just as stunned as me to read that a committee of which he is a part, and to which he was recommended by the critic, is being questioned and dismissed as a wholly incompetent. This is the most unfortunate thing to say about a committee led by the Deputy-Elect of Niger State. Or is it that the Senator-elect has no regard for the person and imminent Office of Niger’s Deputy Governor-Elect, HE Mohammed Ahmed Ketso? This is a believable inference because David’s accusation is an obvious doubting of Mallam Ketso’s competence, and a charge as that, against a democratically elected leader that hasn’t even been sworn in portends a clearly shaky relationship.

What also makes Umaru’s dismissal of the committee as mischievous is the calibre of highflying technocrats, bureaucrats and professionals invited to serve on it. The committee not only has on it Umaru’s professional senior, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Barrister Ibrahim Isyaku (SAN), a renowned Minna-based legal luminary but also well-celebrated academic, Professor Musa Galadima. Another incomparable asset on the committee is the accomplished technocrat, Mohammed Nda, whose name has been on Nigeria’s currency as the Director of Currency Operations at the Central Bank of Nigeria. This is to mention just a few on the 36-member committee. All of these people are internationally acknowledged experts who have excelled in their professions.

Since Umaru refused to mention any particular member or members he considers undeserving, we are now to beg him to mention names, because even in propagating political mischief, he cannot question the feats of the likes of Barrister Isyaku in Law, Professor Galadima at the Ivory Towers and Mohammed Nda at Nigeria’s highest financial institution, the Central Bank. Is it membership of some politicians that Umaru finds undesirable? Is there a way that a transition can be achieved without those who know the terrains or had once been there to guide or advise the political novices who joined from professions unrelated to the political? I think Umaru needs to be realistic.

What I also don’t get is, a transition committee is a government cabinet and none of the people on the committee is promised appointment. They are only there to serve this interest of handing over power to a new government. And so long as the Deputy Governor-Elect remains the Chairman of the committee, the fear of their activities being jeopardised is an obvious paranoia.

David mentioned General Muhammadu Buhari as an exemplar in the choice of members of APC’s presidential transition committee unaware that the same committee is the butt of all jokes and being furiously criticised in the media. The media is even awash with appointment of an octogenarian, Alhaji Ahmed Joda, as the head of a committee that seeks to represent the interest of an incoming government that promises to promote the ideals of a new Nigeria. Critics say that a man of Joda’s age, far older than Buhari, should be at home taking care of his great grandchildren and not be laboured with tasks this challenging. While I don’t seek to hold a view over this Joda controversy, mine is to point out that it’s impossible to please everyone and David really needs to start reading newspapers to be in tune with our political reality. Even a member of a Civil Society Organisation, Hadiza Bala Usman, is being criticized as member of the committee, partly for her civic associations and also because some see her as a product of sheer privilege and not professionally qualified. Is Hadiza a match of Mohammed Nda? No! Is she a match of Professor Galadima? No! Is she a match of Barrister Isyaku? No. So, what’s David talking about in advising the people of Niger State to imbibe the ways of the presidential committee?

If David holds a grudge against any politician as a result of past political discords, let him say it. It will, however, be unfortunate if Umaru is unable to get rid of past grudges for a united struggle to take Niger State to a greater height. The national officials of the APC really need to call David to order now that he wants to divide the house.

By Garba Aliyu

@garbaaliyou@gmail.com

Views expressed are solely thta of author and does not represent views of www.omojuwa.com nor its associates

Finally, Senate Swears In David Umaru

Posted on by
Reply

The Senate yesterday finally swore in David Umaru of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the senator representing Niger East after the Appeal Court granted him victory last month.

Senate president David Mark administered the oath to Umaru after the Senate leader Victor Ndoma-Egba moved a motion that Umaru be allowed into the Upper Chamber.

The seat became vacant last year following the death of Senator Dahiru Awaisu Kuta, with David Umaru (APC) and Shem Nuhu Zagbayi (PDP) contesting the Niger East senatorial seat.

LEADERSHIP recalls that David Umaru had petitioned the tribunal seeking to be declared as the winner of the by-election having won majority of the lawful votes.

The petitioners, David Umaru and APC, had prayed the tribunal to declare the declaration of Dr. Zagbayi of PDP as winner of the by-election null and void, claiming that the election was characterised by malpractices that affected several polling units and that the first petitioner should be declared winner after counting the lawful votes cast.

On January 31, this year, the National Assembly Election Tribunal sitting in Minna granted a consequential order to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue a certificate of return to Barr David Umaru of the APC as the duly elected senator for Niger East Senatorial District, after nullifying the election of Dr Shem Nuhu Zagbayi of the PDP in last year’s Niger East by-election.

Delivering judgement at the Niger State High Court 7 in Minna, chairman of the three-man tribunal, Justice Ibrahim Bako, said the order was given based on the malpractices and non-compliance established by the petitioners (David Umaru and the APC).

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) then appealed the judgement at the Appeal Court.

However, the Court of Appeal in Abuja on March 11 turned down the appeal filed by the Niger State chapter of the PDP and that of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against the verdict of the Election Petition Tribunal that declared Barrister David Umaru of the APC as the authentic winner of the Niger-East Senatorial by-election.

Senator Umaru who has less than two months to stay in the 7th Senate fortunately won the March 28 senatorial elections for Niger East on the platform of the APC and defeated the incumbent Governor Muazu Babangida who contested on the ticket of the PDP.