Nigerian Newspapers on Wednesday, July 5, have focused on the face off between the Senate and acting President Yemi Osinbajo amongst other top stories.
The Nation reports that what appeared to be the resumption of the face-off between the Executive and the Legislature took place in the Senate yesterday.
The upper chamber resolved to ask Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to immediately implement its resolutions, including the removal of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Acting Chairman Ibrahim Magu.
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It drew a line in the sand, resolving to suspend confirmation of nominees until issues relating to the power of the Senate to confirm executive nominees as contained in the constitution are resolved.
The Senate insisted that its resolutions, especially the rejection of nominees, must be adhered to by the Acting President.
Those, whose nominations were rejected, the lawmakers said, must be relieved of their duties.
The lawmakers wondered why the EFCC Acting Chairman whose nomination was turned down was still being haboured by the Executive.
The Senate also resolved to ask Osinbajo to withdraw a statement credited to him that the Senate lacked the powers to confirm nominees.
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The resolutions came after over one hour closed session where the lawmakers were said to have discussed the issues that formed the thrust of the decisions.
The lawmakers warned of dire consequences should the resolutions be ignored by the Executive.
The EFCC is investigating some senators for alleged corruption.
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Vanguard in their lead story also reports that resuming from break, yesterday, the Senate immediately went into a standoff with the presidency, vowing to stand down all requests for confirmation into executive positions in the Federal Government.
Senators across partisan lines were particularly miffed by the continued stay in office of Mr. Ibrahim Magu as chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, despite his rejection by the Senate on two occasions.
In their resolution, the Senate asked the Acting President to apologise for his challenge to the Senate’s power to confirm persons into certain executive bodies. The Senate had at the resumption of plenary yesterday, entered into a closed session which lasted for almost an hour.
A source at the meeting said senators were not happy over what they termed, “flagrant refusal by the executive to implement resolutions passed by the Senate.”
The Acting President had last April in an interview said: “It is up to the Senate to make their judgment, and it is up to us to say what we want to do. If our candidate is rejected, we can re-present him. No law says we can’t re-present him. And again, there is the other argument, whether or not we need to present him for confirmation and that’s a compelling argument from Femi Falana,” he said.
Newspaper review
The Punch on the other hand reported the National Association of the Nigerian Traditional Medicine Practitioners has said its members can cure President Muhammadu Buhari of any ailment he is battling with if consulted.
The Patron of the NANTMP, Dr. Adesunmiboye Fawawo, said this in an interview with our correspondent in Osogbo on Tuesday on the sidelines of the inauguration of the new executives of the association.
He said many Nigerians died cheaply because the practice of medicinal and therapeutic use of plants was being looked down upon in the country while orthodox medicine was being promoted.
Fawawo said: “President Muhammadu Buhari is our national leader and we must guard him with all jealousy. We are a national body which is recognised by the Federal Government. The association was established during the tenure of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and he used our products. You can see how strong he is even at his age.
“We have been able to treat patients whose families had lost hope on their recovery. Unfortunately, we have not been consulted to treat President Buhari. We can treat him and the government must realise that travelling abroad for treatment may not solve the issue.
“If you get to mortuaries, many corpses found there are those of rich people because they don’t trust their health with local treatment. Many rich people believe in expensive drug and treatment but this will go a long way to deepen recession.”
Fawawo said those who were afraid of the potency of herbs usually frightened others by saying herbs caused kidney problems and other issues.
According to him, this is not true if the right dosage is used.
He said some herbal products were being exported to Europe and the United States while some were in hospitals, including seleru agbo which, he said, was at the Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo.
He noted that the Nigeria Educational Research Development Council, in partnership with the Osun state Government, was working on how to teach pupils the use of herbs to cure common ailments like stomach ache and others.
Also, the Assistant Secretary General of the association, Dr. Ade Adeagbo, lamented the neglect of traditional medicine in the country, saying Nigeria was wasting a huge amount on importation of drug.
He suggested that government should invest in local production of herbal mixtures instead of wasting money to import synthetic drug which, according to him, has many negative side effects.
Newspaper review
The Guardian meanwhile reported as their main lead that the row between the Acting President and the National Assembly regarding the confirmation of nominees is deteriorating. Yesterday, the lawmakers asked Osinbajo to immediately withdraw his earlier remarks that the Senate lacks the power to confirm nominees of the president.
Disagreements between the executive and legislature have almost become a permanent feature in the ongoing dispensation where, incidentally, the APC-led Federal Government also controls the National Assembly. The inability of the two arms to strike consensus most time on policy matters underscores the deep divisions within the ruling party. The net result is a stalemate that affects almost every other thing in the polity and economy.
Adopting a motion sponsored by Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi West) on the matter, the Senate suspended the consideration of any further request from the acting president for the confirmation of nominees.
Newspaper review
Recently, ZENITHBLOG.com took to the streets of Lagos to ask Nigerians if President Buhari has truly taken the country out of recession. Here are their reactions.
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