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The Peoples Republic of China has kicked against interference with Nigeria’s affair, expressing support for President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Mao Ning, spokesperson of China’s Foreign Ministry, said this while reacting to the threat President Donald Trump issued against Nigeria recently.

Trump, who alleged that there is an ongoing genocide against Christians in Nigeria, had labelled Nigeria a ‘Country of Particular Concern’.

He had also accused the Federal Government of turning a blind eye to the alleged persecution of Christians, a claim that President Tinubu countered, explaining that such has no place in Nigeria.

Rather than listen to the Nigerian leader’s explanation, Trump asked the US Department of War to prepare for action in Nigeria.

He later said many options were on ground, including ‘boots on ground’, airstrikes, amongst others.

At a press briefing on Tuesday, Ning was asked to respond to the development.

‘It’s reported that U.S. President Donald Trump said he named Nigeria a ‘Country of Particular Concern’ because Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement said that the allegations do not reflect the true situation in Nigeria. Trump said the U.S. will immediately cut off all assistance to Nigeria if the Nigerian government continues to allow the killing of Christians and will very likely launch military operations. What’s China’s comment?’ the Chinese government spokesperson was asked.

Responding, she said, ‘As Nigeria’s comprehensive strategic partner, China firmly supports the Nigerian government in leading its people on the development path suited to its national conditions. China firmly opposes any country using religion and human rights as an excuse to interfere in other countries’ internal affairs, and threatening other countries with sanctions and force.’

Some analysts had traced the US threat to the growing influence of China in Nigeria.

The relationship between The West and smaller countries has reportedly been threatened by China, Russia and other emerging World Powers.

Chairman of the African Region of the (ICF), Nura Sani Kangiwa who confirmed this, stated that Nigeria is set to host the maiden African regional championship, a milestone event expected to attract teams from across the continent and spotlight the country’s equestrian sports capabilities.

Kangiwa who is the Chairman of the African Region of the International Chovken Federation (ICF) disclosed that African countries like Egypt, Morocco, South Africa and Ghana would be leading countries expected to vie for honours during the four days African festival in Nigeria.

He also stated that the choice of Nigeria as first ever African host of the glamorous event, follows on the country’s sterling performance at the maiden International Chovken Championship held in Baku, Azerbaijan last year, where Nigeria finished ahead of other countries across the world.

‘Hosting this championship will not only boost Nigeria’s image internationally but also stimulate interest and investment in equestrian sports across the country.

‘Countries like Kenya, and several others have already expressed readiness to participate.’

‘We are working with private and public stakeholders to ensure a seamless hosting experience.’

‘This is a legacy project that could redefine equestrian sports in Nigeria and indeed Africa,’ said Kangiwa.

The proprietor of NSK Polo Ranch also pointed out that the championship will bring together the finest riders and teams from across the continent and beyond, showcasing the pinnacle of equestrian excellence.

NSC Chairman, Alhaji Shehu Dikko pledged the commission’s support, noting that hosting such an event aligns with the federal government’s goal of expanding the country’s sporting portfolio beyond mainstream athletics.

Chovken is an equestrian team sport with historical roots and striking resemblance to the popular Polo sport. The game is played by two teams of four horse riders who drive a small leather ball into an opponent’s goal using curved wooden mallets.

It is a fast-paced, strategic equestrian team sport with ancient roots -and a legacy that predates and inspired modern Polo.

A Federal High Court in Abuja has threatened to foreclose the detained self acclaimed leader of the proscribed separatist group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, should he fail to enter a defence in his ongoing trial for alleged terrorism.

Justice James Omotosho issued the threat on Tuesday after Kanu failed, for the fourth day, to enter his defence after the prosecution closed its case and the court overruled his no-case submission.

Justice Omotosho said should Kanu fail to open his defence on November 5, he would be deemed to have waived his right to so do.

The court had, on October 27 adjourned till November 4 for Kanu to either file his final written address or open his defence.

At the resumption of proceedings on Tuesday, Kanu, who is conducting his case by himself, having fired his legal team, said he has not filled any final written address as ordered by the court, but filed a motion and a supporting affidavit.

Kanu said he would not enter any defence because he was convinced that there is no valid charge, known to any extant law, that is pending against him.

He threatened not to return to detention and demanded that he should be set free and allowed to go home immediately because, according to him, there is no valid charge in respect of which he should be further subjected to trial.

Responding, prosecuting lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) faulted the competence of the fresh court documents filed by Kanu, arguing that they were not properly filed.

Awomolo urged the court to desist from further indulging the defendant, who he claimed was only interested in wasting the court’s time.

He urged the court to deem the documents recently filed by Kanu as his final written address, order parties to adopt the final addresses, and adjourn for judgment.

Ruling, Justice Omotosho said the documents recently filed by Kanu were in order and would be considered at the time of judgment.

The judge stated that, having taken judicial notice that the defendant is not a lawyer, he should be given an opportunity to consult a lawyer and get necessary support.

Justice Omotosho proceeded to adjourn till November 5 for the defendant to either enter his defence or be deemed to have waived his right to so do.

On October 24, 2025, President Bola Tinubu effected mid-term sweeping reshuffle of Nigeria’s top military hierarchy, appointing General Olufemi Oluyede (Chief of Defence Staff), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu (Chief of Army Staff), Vice Admiral Idi Abbas (Chief of Naval Staff) and Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke (Chief of Air Staff). He retained Lieutenant General Emmanuel Parker Undiandeye as Chief of Defence Intelligence.

On October 29, their appointments were confirmed by the Senate while House of Representatives confirmed them on October 30 in accordance with Section 18 (1) of the Armed Forces Act. On October 31, they were decorated with their new ranks by the President.

Daily Trust congratulates them on their appointments and new ranks but reminds them that they are confronting old multifaceted threats ranging from the ongoing battle against terrorists, bandits, farmer-herder clashes mainly in the Northern region, with oil theft and piracy in the Niger Delta, to secessionist violence especially the South East.

We implore them to study President Tinubu’s charge at their decoration that they should carry out their duties with patriotic zeal.

‘Nigerians expect results, not excuses. I also urge you to be innovative, pre-emptive, and courageous. Let’s stay ahead of those who seek to threaten our peace. We must be decisive and proactive. Work with other security agencies and defeat this enemy once and for all. We need to clean them up, clear them out. I promise to provide all the support you need to get the job done,’ he said.

While we agree with the President that this should herald a new dawn in Nigeria’s long battle against insecurity, we urge him to go beyond the issuance of the Presidential matching orders and insist on a target date to stop terrorism, banditry and other criminals’ activities across the nation. The deadline must be monitored and enforced.

Second, the President must deploy a new political will to confront the vested interests profiting from the insecurity and cut off all political interference crippling needed operational decisions. Towards this, we demand that he exercises fresh moral courage which shields the CDS and service chiefs and their field commanders from power brokers or their proxies.

Already, it is an indictment on the country’s political leadership alongside those of defence and security forces that insecurity has lingered for so long with ungoverned spaces where vast communities are under the control of non-state actors. The new CDS and service chiefs must confront, reclaim and secure these spaces especially areas where government authority is weak at best or absent generally.

The defence helmsmen should know they don’t have the luxury of honeymoon as Nigerians demand and deserve to see measurable results. Also, the era of rhetorical beatitudes of phrases in place of verifiable reductions of terror attacks, killings and safety on the highways are gone. Nigeria would never be secured through proclamations, propaganda or mere changing the musical chairs but with new transformative strategy which builds on old successes while avoiding past mistakes.

Therefore, we urge them to operationalise synergy among themselves and their commanders while working in concert with other paramilitary, intelligence agencies and police in order to align their objectives through seamless collaboration.

We also urge them to embrace and rely more heavily on real-time intelligence gathering and technology to improve multi-domain and multi-agency operations through sharing the intelligence across military and actionable paramilitary agencies like Nigeria Police and Department of State Services (DSS).

The deployment of such advanced surveillance systems as drones, satellite imagery and AI analytics and even human intelligence (HUMINT) networks to track terrorists and bandit movements and financing, targeting high-value individuals will help monitor enemy communications and movements in real-time. This has become imperative as the terrorists have started launching coordinated drone attacks on multiple military and other strategic bases.

Nigerians expect them to immediately deny all non-state actors every operational freedom while disrupting and eliminating their safe havens and hideouts. This must entail pre-emptive strikes which move operational guidelines to proactive offensive missions that wipes out and neutralises any threat on sight, while exercising full domination of all joint operational areas (JOAs). There should also be surveillance and disruption of the possible linkages between local extremist groups and their foreign counterparts through heightened regional security coordination.

The Nigerian military has rich history as a dominant power. The 2025 Global Firepower (GFP) Index ranks the nation’s military as the third most powerful in Africa and 31st globally. And this same military summarily defeated rebels through enforcement of peace in Liberia (1990-1997), Sierra Leone (1997-2000) under the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) multinational peacekeeping force.

Daily Trust implores the CDS and service chiefs to rise up to the plate and show their battlefield prowess by defeating all non-state actors across the country. They must also understand that the fight they’re entrusted to finish has taken too long and it is their onerous duty to bear down on them and defeat them. This is the time to show they earned their esteemed appointments and new ranks. They should learn from their predecessors who came, saw and left with unfulfilled security outcomes. Let their tenure be remembered as a turning point in Nigerians’ desire to live in a nation where peace reigns.

Most importantly, they must ensure that under their tenures, military shortcomings which resulted in ambushes, gunfights, suicide bombings and raids on bases including daily terror attacks on civilians stop. Nigeria’s territorial integrity must be safeguarded in the real sense of it. And providence has thrust them on the driving seats to this realization. Failure is not an option.

Borno traditional rulers, lawyers and government officials have decried alleged rampant child pregnancy and unsafe abortions in Internally Displaced (IDP) camps in Maiduguri, Borno.

This was revealed at a two-day stakeholders’ dialogue, organised by the Grassroots Researchers Association (GRA) with the support of We are not Weapons of War (WWoW) in Maiduguri over the weekend.

The dialogue brought together 500 survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, traditional rulers, lawyers, government officials and development partners in search of lasting solutions.

A traditional ruler and chairman of EYN IDPs Camp in Jerusalem, Wulari area, Maiduguri, Mr John Gwoma, regretted how minors and innocent young girls are quietly selling sex and aborting their pregnancy in the camp. ‘Men from the town will come in big cars, carry these small girls and impregnate them. As a result, we now have rampant cases of unsafe abortions in the camp.

‘The female toilets have turned into butchery, frequently covered with blood. These girls will enter the toilet, terminate pregnancy and leave the foetus inside,’ he said.

Corroborating his story, a female facilitator, Zaynab Abdallah, said the juvenile sex trade and feticide are flourishing in Maiduguri.

She said some of the teenage girls and underage girls were engaging in prostitution to raise money to feed their families.

‘Parents should fear God. Most of them are fully aware of what the children are doing, but stay quiet due to the material gain.

‘Apart from the economic hardship, sex has become part of their lives, and you can’t stop them, no matter how hard you try. And, when they get pregnant, they abort it quietly to avoid stigma,’ she said.

During the session, survivors and stakeholders shared painful stories of rape, juvenile sex and how poverty is forcing women into prostitution.

They also shared success stories on how the awareness campaign carried out by the GRA broke the survivors’ stigma and improved their access to justice.

The Executive Director of GRA, Mr Friday Bitrus, said the valuable feedback gathered from stakeholders would be used to produce a call-to-action document and push for advocacy.

Opposition parties and voters have rejected the results of Saturday’s local government election across Niger State, alleging widespread irregularities, disenfranchisement, and manipulation in favour of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Reports from across the 25 local government areas indicated the late arrival or in some cases, the complete absence of electoral officials and materials at polling units. Opposition parties accused the Niger State Independent Electoral Commission (NSIEC) of colluding with the APC to suppress voter turnout and manipulate results, an allegation yet to be refuted by the commission or the ruling party.

Although official results were still being collated at press time, the APC appeared to be leading with wide margins in both chairmanship and councillorship races. However, protests broke out in Suleja, Wushishi, Lavun, and several other LGAs, where voters alleged result tampering and intimidation by security agents.

Voter complaints and missing materialsAt the Veterinary Polling Unit in Nassarawa A Ward, Chanchaga LGA, voter Musa Usman Wada told Daily Trust that the register used had been altered, disenfranchising hundreds of voters.

‘We expected about 1,500 voters based on the register used in past elections, but the one displayed was under 500 names,’ he said. ‘Many came as early as 6 a.m., but voting didn’t start even by 11 a.m. People got tired and left.’

In Rijau LGA, opposition parties claimed that no election took place. In a viral video, the PDP Returning Officer for Rijau, Abdullahi Shehu Mohammed, alleged that most electoral materials were withheld at the NSIEC office.

‘Of the 40,000 ballot papers meant for Rijau, only 35,800 were distributed,’ he said. ‘As of 5 p.m., the Electoral Officer was nowhere to be found, and no supervisors or presiding officers were seen. We want the world to know that no election was held in Rijau.’

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) Chairman for Chanchaga LGA, Hon. Isah Barau, said the exercise was ‘neither credible nor transparent.’

‘There were 220,000 registered voters, but only 110,000 ballot papers were distributed,’ he said. ‘In polling units with 1,000 registered voters, just 300 ballot papers were provided. Voting began late, and materials were shared at the Minna Central Police Station instead of the NSIEC office.’

Bello Nasiru Gabas, PDP Secretary in Chanchaga, alleged that party officials were harassed and detained.

‘On Friday night, when we demanded to know what happened to the missing ballot papers, security agents fired shots and teargas to disperse us,’ he said. ‘Our deputy chairman was arrested and our vehicles seized. This was not an election; it was daylight robbery.’

Efforts to reach APC State Publicity Secretary, Musa Danjuma Sarkinkaji, for comments were unsuccessful as calls to his phone went unanswered.

Governor’s convoy attacked in Bida

Meanwhile, Governor Umar Bago’s convoy was attacked on Sunday by angry youths in his hometown of Bida. The mob reportedly pelted vehicles with stones, injuring several people, including one of the governor’s close aides, Abubakar Mustapha, Chairman of the New Niger Development Project.

Sources told Daily Trust that the unrest followed a failed cash-sharing exercise allegedly organised by the governor ahead of the elections. Bago was said to have distributed money to only a few among hundreds who gathered at his residence, sparking outrage.

The youths reportedly destroyed the governor’s billboards and vandalised several vehicles. The attack came two days after a stampede at a similar event in Bida, where a teenage girl reportedly died and several others were injured. Some women were said to have faced domestic repercussions after attending the event without their husbands’ consent.

Several calls put across to the Chief Press Secretary went unanswered. Similarly, calls to the Special Adviser to the governor on Communication Strategy, Jonathan Vatsa, were not answered.

APC suspends lawmaker over alleged anti-party activity

In a related development, the Niger State APC has suspended Yusuf Kure Baraje, member representing Bosso/Paikoro Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, for alleged anti-party activities during the council polls.

The suspension letter, signed by Baba Achi, APC Chairman of Paikoro LGA, stated: ‘This letter serves as formal confirmation of your indefinite suspension from our party following a recommendation by the executives of the Amale B Polling Unit of Ishau Ward.’

Baraje was directed to withdraw from all party activities and stop parading himself as an APC member. He was accused of working against the incumbent council chairman, Aminu Umar Yadayi.

The development deepens existing cracks within the party in Paikoro LGA, where factions have been at odds since last year’s controversial consensus arrangement.

In July, Justice Abdullahi Mikaili of the Niger State High Court, Minna, ordered the withdrawal of the certificate of return issued to the incumbent council chairman after ruling that Ibrahim Abdullahi Aloma was the duly selected consensus candidate.

As the dust settles from the contentious polls, questions persist over the credibility of the exercise and whether NSIEC can restore public confidence ahead of future elections.

Executive Chairman of Ikorodu Local Government, Hon. Prince Adedayo Ladega, has marked 100 days in office.

At an event held on Tuesday, 4th November 2025, Ladega hosted the Hon. Ladega Mega Empowerment Programme.

During the event, artisans, traders, women, and youths received business tools and vocational equipment to support their trades and enterprises.

Items distributed included sewing machines, hairdryers, grinding machines, welding machines, mini tractors, catering equipment, freezers, generators, barbing and vulcanizing equipment, and other work tools.

The empowerment exercise attracted a massive turnout from all wards under Ikorodu Local Government.

In a statement, Akeem Mustapha, Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman, said since assuming office on 28th July 2025, Hon. Ladega had led with purpose under his administration’s SEED Agenda – Security, Education, Enhanced Healthcare, and Development.

He quoted Ladega to have said: ‘Our SEED Agenda is not just a policy-it is a pact with the people. We are building a government that listens, acts, and delivers for every resident of Ikorodu.’

President Bola Tinubu’s initiative of empowering at least 1,500 people in all the 8,809 wards across the country will have a positive impact on the poor and vulnerable in the country.

Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State who described the Ward Development Plan as unprecedented in the history of Nigeria, said that the policy will take the peculiarities of each ward into account.

The Governor disclosed this at the commissioning of free houses to 100 widows by the Family Homes Funds Limited, under the Social Housing Project at Rigachukun in Igabi local government of Kaduna state on Monday.

Speaking at the occasion, Governor Uba Sani disclosed that he will convene a townhall meeting with all the elected officials and relevant stakeholders in Kaduna State, to fashion out the special needs of each community. According to him, the Family Homes Funds Social Housing Project ” aligns with our administration’s commitment to the provision of affordable houses for Kaduna State citizens.

”Access to safe, affordable and secure housing is the foundation of human dignity. We have been partnering with local and international investors to frontally address our housing deficit.

”We recently distributed houses to families of victims of banditry under the Qatar Sannabil Project, a collaborative initiative between the Kaduna State Government and Qatar Charity.

”We have also flagged off the construction of the 3319 Hectares Nuru Suraj Ungwar Dosa New Extension Layout and Urban Shelter’s 200 hectares housing project in Millennium City, Kaduna,” he added.

The Governor also said that the Nigerian Airforce, Customs Service, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, and the Federal Housing Authority have all embarked on mass housing projects in Kaduna State ” because of the conducive atmosphere we have created, coupled with our attractive incentives.”

He recalled that ”we recently organized a hugely successful International Housing Exhibition which offered a unique platform for stakeholders to discuss and share housing development initiatives, explore emerging technologies, and proffer practical solutions to Northern Nigeria’s housing challenges.”

In his remarks, the Chairman of Family Homes Funds Limited, Mr Ademola Adebise noted that the project ”symbolizes renewed hope and restored dignity, particularly for the 100 resilient women empowered through this initiative.”

According to the Chairman, the Social Housing Project ” also reflects our shared vision of inclusive growth, where affordable housing becomes a foundation for economic participation and improved quality of life.”

”Through this development, FHFL has demonstrated a new model of social housing delivery in Nigeria – one that integrates home ownership with skills training, livelihood support, and climate-smart construction.

” This project reflects our commitment to environmental responsibility. These homes are energy-efficient, incorporating solar energy and sustainable materials. In doing so, we are not only reducing energy costs for these families but also setting a standard for green living.

”By deploying Expanded Polystyrene System (EPS) technology, we have achieved faster, more sustainable, and cost-effective housing aligned with Nigeria’s low-carbon and climate-resilient objectives,” he added.

Mr Adebise disclosed that each of the beneficiaries ” has received extensive livelihood support training, designed to kickstart small businesses and support enduring income generation.

”Each of the homes has been provisioned with a cottage yard where agricultural produce can be grown, processed and sold at the sprawling market and communal space situated within the estate,” he added.

In his speech, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, recalled that the project was inherited from the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

”Government is work in progress. President Boal Ahmed Tinubu is determined to ensured that anything started by his brother is completed and value is even added to it.

According to him, the project is a collaboration amongst the determined woman who led that Adashe Cooperative and reached out to the Family Homes Funds, through the Ministry of Women Affairs.

”This couldn’t have been possible without the local government. This couldn’t have been possible without the state government. This couldn’t have been possible without the Federal Government and its agencies.

Senator Bagudu said that he and his Finance Ministry counterpart ensured that the project was funded and delivered to the beneficiaries who are widows, free of charge.

He said that he is not surprised that the first project took place in Kaduna because ”we have a Governor who will knock on every door, who will ensure that nobody sleeps until things are done for the benefit of the people.”

According to the Minister, Governor Uba Sani demonstrated this love for his people by sacrificing all programmes on his agenda and personally attending the commissioning of the Family Homes Funds.

President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to take immediate steps to end the ongoing strike by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja during a press briefing following NARD’s declaration of an indefinite strike.

The resident doctors said their nationwide ‘total, comprehensive, and indefinite’ strike, which commenced on Saturday, will continue until the federal government meets its demands.

Findings by Daily Trust showed that many health facilities where resident doctors provide essential services were largely deserted on Monday.

NARD listed 19 unresolved demands, including unpaid arrears, allowances, and entitlements such as the 25/35 percent CONMESS review, promotion arrears, upgrade arrears, and accoutrement allowance, some pending for over five years.

The association described the list as the minimum requirement to sustain the nation’s healthcare system and restore dignity to medical practice.

It decried prolonged delays in promotions and upgrades, noting that many doctors wait years to receive benefits despite approved promotions, while others face ‘severe bottlenecks’ after passing postgraduate exams.

NARD also criticised the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), calling it ‘a tool of frustration’ responsible for salary shortfalls of up to N100,000, and demanded a specialised health-sector payroll platform for accurate payments.

The group condemned the partial reinstatement of dismissed doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, insisting all five must be reinstated unconditionally.

Other grievances include unpaid salary arrears at hospitals in Benue, Owo, and Ile-Ife, denial of specialist allowances, poor implementation of the one-for-one replacement policy, casualisation of doctors, downgraded entry levels, and excessive work hours.

NARD said its ongoing indefinite strike aims to save Nigeria’s healthcare system, not punish citizens.

Hours after NARD declared its indefinite strike, the federal government said it would release the sum of N11.99 billion within 72 hours to offset some of the salary and allowance arrears owed to medical professionals in the country.

However, NARD questioned the figures mentioned.

Salako told reporters on Monday that ‘President Tinubu has expressly directed that we do everything possible and legitimate to ensure that the resident doctors return to their duty posts as soon as possible.’

While apologising to Nigerians affected by the strike, he assured that the government was engaging with the doctors to resolve their grievances.

He said most of the resident doctors’ demands are already being addressed.

He said a July circular from the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission had created division among health workers, prompting government intervention.

‘We approached the National Salaries and Wages Commission and the Presidential Committee on Salary Increase, and the circular was withdrawn,’ he said.

The minister said a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) process was initiated in August to harmonise discussions among health unions, including the Nigerian Medical Association, National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, and the Joint Health Sector Unions.

He noted that two contentious issues – pay relativity and the appointment of non-doctor consultants – temporarily stalled the talks.

‘You cannot talk about parity and relativity at the same time; they are mutually exclusive. We engaged an external negotiator, who has submitted an interim report, and the government is reviewing the recommendations,’ he added.

Salako said despite CBA rules discouraging strikes during negotiations, the ministry had continued meeting with NARD and other stakeholders, including finance and labour ministers.

‘All 19 demands must be met’

NARD said its nationwide strike will continue until the federal government meets its 19 demands.

‘There are 19 items on the demand list. That’s what the National Executive Council has asked for. All 19 issues must be sorted out,’ NARD president, Muhammad Suleiman, told our correspondent in a telephone interview on Monday evening.

Meanwhile, the federal government has announced the establishment of a task force in the ministry to conduct unscheduled visits to hospitals to monitor those not participating in the current strike.

‘Those who are not on strike should be on the ground doing their work,’ Salako said.

Asked if the ‘no work, no pay’ policy would be implemented for the striking doctors, he said: ‘The ‘no work, no pay’ policy is a federal government directive, not from the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. It is up to the government to decide if it will be implemented or not.’

There was a rowdy session at the House of Representatives on Tuesday as lawmakers engaged in heated arguments over which committee should handle the probe into alleged irregular sale and allocations of federal government’s assets at the International Trade Fair Complex in Lagos.

This followed a motion of urgent public importance by Hon Ademorin Kuye who called for an investigation into alleged illegal sale of government assets at the Trade Fair Complex.

In his motion, he proposed that the House Committee on Public Assets should handle the investigation.

However, the Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Francis Waive raised a Point of Order, drawing the attention of House to the point that the motion in question fell within the mandate of the Committee on Commerce and should be referred to the Committee on Commerce to handle. This Point of Order led to back and forth debates, as lawmakers argued over which committee should chair the investigation between the Committee on Public Assets and Commerce.

The disagreement continued as Hon. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi (APC, Plateau) raised a point of order citing Order 109, Rule 1 and 2 of the House Standing Rules, which, according to him, gives the Committee on Public Assets jurisdiction over all government properties, including those situated within and outside the country.

Gagdi argued that since the Lagos Trade Fair Complex is a public property of the Federal Government, oversight responsibility rests with the Committee on Public Assets.

‘If you check Order 109, it clearly states that the Committee on Public Assets oversees ministries and agencies charged with the management and disposal of public assets. The Lagos Trade Fair is one of such public assets,’ Gagdi said.

However, Hon. Mark Esset (PDP, Akwa Ibom) disagreed, insisting that the Trade Fair Complex falls under the purview of the Committee on Commerce.

‘Trade fair is not a public asset being sold. It is a commercial entity, and the House Rules on page 153 clearly list it under the functions of the Committee on Commerce. If the House has made a mistake by its earlier decision, we have the powers to reverse it,’ Esset maintained.

Amid the back-and-forth, Hon. Ali Isa J.C. (PDP, Gombe) appealed for caution, urging members to follow due process and respect the guidance of the Rules and Business Committee.

He proposed that a joint committee be formed, with the Committee on Commerce taking the lead while Public Assets and other relevant committees participate.

But the suggestion failed to gain traction as it was not seconded by lawmakers.

Amidt the stalemate, Hon. Gaza Jonathan Gbefwi (SDP, Nasarawa) later intervened, backing the idea of a joint committee but with the Committee on Public Assets taking the lead role, given that the matter involved the ownership and possible sale of federal property.

‘Since it has to do with the premises and land, which are federal assets, Public Assets should lead the investigation, while Commerce can support since the activities there relate to trade fairs,’ Gbefwi suggested.

Adding to the controversy, the Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Commerce, Hon. James Shaibu (PDP, Taraba), revealed that his committee had already begun oversight visits to the Lagos Trade Fair Complex and that giving the responsibility to the Committee on Public Assets would amount to duplication of functions.

‘We have visited the complex twice on this same issue and are already on top of it. To now reassign the matter to another committee would amount to taking away our responsibility,’ he stated.

As the tension rose, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Okezie who presided over the session intervened to restore order, clarifying that the motion before the House concerned the allocation of premises where trade fair activities take place, not the commercial operations themselves.

After several points of order and counter-arguments, the Speaker ruled that, to resolve the impasse, an ad hoc committee comprising members of both Public Assets and Commerce Committees would be constituted to investigate the matter jointly but lawmakers still blocked the move.

‘It’s only an investigation. To bridge the divide between both committees, we will have an ad hoc committee involving members from both sides to handle it,’ the Speaker ruled.

However, the arguments continued among lawmakers especially from the proponents of the motion.

Eventually, when the main motion was put to a voice vote, lawmakers rejected the motion with nay, leading to further rowdy session, with the presiding Deputy Speaker struggling to calm down the situation.

Following the rowdy session, Kalu dissolved the House into an executive session to resolve the issue.