NewStats: 3,264,114 , 8,182,639 topics. Date: Monday, 09 June 2025 at 05:39 PM m6v3o

*Takeaways from the Presentation by the Honorable Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, at the 5th edition of the 2025 Ministerial Press Briefing Series #FMINOBriefing, hosted by the Honorable Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, fnipr, in Abuja, 20 March 2025*

1.Federal Government has built a highly-sophisticated Technology Innovation Complex (including a Command and Control Centre, a 8.3-petabyte Data Centre, and a 4MW solar power plant) for the Nigeria Immigration Service, in order to strengthen the nation’s border security. The state-of-the-art Complex is the first of its kind in Africa, and integrated into all major security databases globally, facilitating the arrest of persons on the INTERPOL Red List at various points of entry into Nigeria.

2.The Federal Executive Council has approved the centralization of the issuance of Nigerian ports, in line with international best practices, to improve document security and integrity.

3.The Ministry has installed electronic gates (e-gates) at our international airports – Lagos, Abuja, integrated with the Advance enger Information System (APIS); thereby reducing human interface in immigration verification processes

4. At the outset of the Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo-led leadership, over 200,000 port issuance backlog were cleared in less than 3 weeks. Furthermore, Nigerians are now able to get their international port within two weeks after applying. The Ministry has also introduced a less port application system, enabling port renewals to be done virtually/digitally in minutes, from the comfort of home. The less system, in addition to making port renewal more convenient for Nigerians, has also saved the Nigerian Immigration Service an annual N800 million expenditure arising from operational logistics.

5.For the first time ever, Nigeria has now been enrolled into International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) Public Key Directory (PKD) and Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) systems, thereby boosting the acceptability of Nigerian ports at international borders and improving Nigerians’ travel experiences.

6.Plans are underway to introduce technologically advanced e-Visas to replace the existing Visa on Arrival system, improving service delivery without compromising security.

7.Currently, 60 percent of Nigeria’s 4,047km terrestrial border are under the coverage of a robust border surveillance system. Work is ongoing to ensure complete surveillance of the entire border.

8.Nigerian Correctional Centre, in collaboration with Nigerian Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has successful captured biometrics of all inmates in the centres. This was instrumental in the quick recapture of inmates who escaped from the prison during the Maiduguri flood disaster in 2024.

9.President Bola Tinubu has approved a 50 percent upward review of prison inmates’ feeding allowance from N750 to N1,125.

10.Following the approval of President Bola Tinubu, about 9 correctional centres across the country are undergoing massive rehabilitation, after many years of disrepair. 29 others have also been earmarked for relocation away from city centres and residential neighbourhoods.

11.Over 3,000 inmates were trained on various vocational skills in the second half of 2024, as part of measures to reintegrate them into the society upon freedom and reduce the rate of recidivism. Also, the Interior Ministry, working with the of private sector philanthropy, secured the release of over 4,000 inmates who had challenges paying mandatory fines, thereby decongesting our correctional centres by 5 percent and saving federal government a minimum of N1 billion a year.

12.The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in 2024 secured over 345 convictions, 187 other cases are in court. Federal Government has also procured over 100 operational vehicles and 12 gunboats to boost their effectiveness.

13.Over 10,000 personnel of NSCDC have been trained and deployed to secure farm settlements as agro-rangers; over 2,500 others deployed to secure mining sites as mining Marshalls.

14.All inherited promotion backlogs for all of Nigeria’s paramilitary services have been cleared by the President Bola Tinubu istration, with the implementation of approved promotions for 52,000 officers. The promotion exercise for 2025 has kicked off. Also, payment of a special ‘peculiar allowance’ to the paramilitary services has also been approved by Mr. President.

Prepared by the Information & Insights Unit (IIU)
Office of the Honorable Minister of Information and National Orientation (HMINO)
Abuja, Nigeria
20 March 2025

*Takeaways from the Presentation by the Honorable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, at the 5th edition of the 2025 Ministerial Press Briefing Series #FMINOBriefing, hosted by the Honorable Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, fnipr, in Abuja, 20 March 2025*

1. The Ministry is repositioning Nigeria globally, through the clear articulation of President Bola Tinubu’s 4D Foreign Policy Doctrine (Democracy, Development, Diaspora, Demography); clear definition of Nigeria’s global role and interests; and amplification of Nigeria’s voice multilaterally and bilaterally.

2. Spearheaded strategic global alliances and achieved diplomatic milestones: President Tinubu’s re-election as ECOWAS Chair, and chairing of pivotal ECOWAS summits; Re-election of Nigeria’s Ambassador Bankole Adeoye as AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security, reinforcing its leadership in continental security; Nigeria’s retention of its seat on the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) for another three years; Nigeria achieved partner hip in BRICS; Nigeria is now a regular invitee to the G20: India, Brazil, and now South Africa; new African Energy Bank and African Central Bank will be headquartered in Nigeria

3. Nigeria signed a Sealift agreement with the African Union under which Nigerian naval vessels will be used for conveying for African troops and equipment for peacekeeping missions

4. Achieved upgrading of Nigeria’s bilateral relationship with China to the level of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

5. Led humanitarian initiatives (evacuation of African students from Ukraine; negotiations for medical for Palestinian children affected by conflict)

6. Secured the release of Nigerians detained or stranded abroad (in Addis Ababa, Saudi Arabia, UAE)

7. Facilitated the transfer of $52.88 million in forfeited assets from the US to Nigeria

8. Deployed 213 Technical Aid Corps (TAC) volunteers to African, Caribbean, and Pacific (A) countries, strengthening Nigeria’s global influence through technical assistance and capacity building. Ministry is also exploring opportunities to commercialise the TAC for countries interested in benefiting from Nigerian technical capacity.

9. Launched the Nigerians in Diaspora Database to strengthens engagement with the diaspora community. The database now has more than 11,000 registrations.

10. Facilitated $14 billion in Investment Commitments from Indian Investors; Secured €250 million for Nigerian businesses from the Netherlands; ed Nigeria's successful Eurobond issuance, which achieved 300% oversubscription

11. Facilitated the g of strategic MOUs with , Saudi Arabia, China, Equatorial Guinea, , Cuba, Qatar, UK, India, Brazil

12. Middle East engagements: secured interest from Saudi Arabia and Egypt in investing in Nigeria’s River Basin Development Authorities (RBDAs), and opened up new vista of cooperation with Bahrain, the first country in the region to establish a petroleum economy

13. Strategic engagements with Brazil have led to JBS, the largest meat processor in the world, announcing a planned investment of $2.5 billion investment in Nigeria (including in the construction of six new factories); to the commercial take-off of the first phase of the $1.1 billion Green Imperative agricultural technology initiative, more than six years after the initial MoU was signed in 2018; and to the resumption of the Nigeria-Brazil Strategic Dialogue Mechanism, after a decade-long break

14. Facilitated removal of trade tariffs on Nigerian cashews and nuts by China

15. Facilitated the g of a landmark Gulf of Guinea gas pipeline agreement with Equatorial Guinea

16. Nigeria announced as co-chair of the Green Guarantee Group (GGG), alongside . The GGG is a German government initiative that aims to increase the use of guarantees to finance the green transition

17. Secured scholarships for 20 young Nigerians to study at the European School of Management and Technology (ESMT) in Berlin,

18. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs HQ Exhibition Atrium, launched in December 2023, has welcomed 1,500+ visitors, including diplomats, students, and artists, showcasing Nigeria’s history, democracy, and cultural heritage

19. Through Digital Platforms, the Ministry has achieved over 850 million global impressions in the media, utilizing social media and international media organisations like the Financial Times, BBC, and Bloomberg

20. Digitisation of the operations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is ongoing

Prepared by the Information & Insights Unit (IIU)
Office of the Honorable Minister of Information and National Orientation (HMINO)
Abuja, Nigeria
20 March 2025

MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND NATIONAL ORIENTATION, MOHAMMED IDRIS TO HOST THE SCORE CARD SERIES WHERE MINISTERS TELL THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY HAVE DONE, WHAT THEY ARE DOING AND ANY PLANS UNDERWAY.

HAPPENING TODAY 11AM
The second edition of Ministry Of Information and National Orientation’s Ministerial Press Briefing Series, holding at the National Press Centre, Abuja.
Featuring the Ministers of NigeriaGov's two newest Ministries: Regional Development, and Livestock Development.
#FMINOBriefing

Press Statement

Disregard Falsehoods Being Peddled by Tigran Gambaryan against Nigerian Government Officials – FG

The Federal Government of Nigeria notes with concern the outrageous allegations, uumisinformation, and defamatory statements being disseminated by Tigran Gambaryan, an American personnel of Binance who was recently tried in Nigeria for financial crimes.

While the Federal Government of Nigeria is hesitant to engage Mr. Gambaryan, given the high-level diplomatic intervention that resolved his case, we are obliged to set the records straight to stop his falsehoods from gaining grounds.

The first visit by Mr. Gambaryan and his colleagues to Nigeria was discretional on their part and Government was not officially involved. However, when the attention of the Government was called to an alleged bribery demand during that trip an investigation was immediately opened into it though there was no formal complaint by anyone.

Mr. Gambaryan's second visit to Nigeria was part of a wider probe into the criminal manipulation of the Nigerian currency through peer-to-peer platforms like Binance, but investigators were frustrated by the tactics deployed by Gambaryan and his team.

Mr. Gambaryan was released by the Nigerian government in October 2024 on humanitarian grounds and following a high-level diplomatic intervention that ended with tangible benefits for Nigeria. The government rejected Binance's offer of a $5 million down payment in exchange for Mr. Gambaryan's freedom, in favour of a more beneficial settlement with the American government.

We categorically deny the retaliatory claims made by Mr. Gambaryan against Nigerian officials involved in his case, and we urge the public to disregard these false accusations in their entirety.

It is essential to note that Mr. Gambaryan's allegations are not only unsubstantiated but also lack credibility, given his apparent motive to discredit and intimidate those who ensured he faced justice.

However, we are confident that both the Nigerian and American judicial systems will provide Mr. Gambaryan with a fair opportunity to substantiate his claims in court. Until then, we advise the public to exercise caution and not be swayed by Mr. Gambaryan's unfounded and malicious claims.

NASS Leadership: Tinubu Should Stay Away From Power Sharing. ~Alancha

Rev. Dominic Alancha, a Public Affairs Analyst and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, President-elect to stay away from power sharing in the National Assembly (NASS).

Alancha said that allowing the decision of the National Working Committee (NWC) as regards the leadership of the National Assembly to stand would destroy the independence of the legislative arm of government.

Faulting what NWC called consensus, Alancha in an interview on Wednesday noted that what the NWC has done is not consensus.

He said, “When you talk about consensus you will agree that Mr. A should take this, and Mr. B should take that, and all of them will agree, and that is when you can say that there was consensus.

“In this case, senators, were not consulted. You can see in the South-East when they met, there was no single senator contesting for that position that was consulted, whether Osita Izunaso, Orji Uzo Kalu, they are the two major candidates from the South-East that are contesting for Senate Presidency.

“It is the same for the House of Representatives. Aminu Jaji was not consulted, Betara was not consulted, Idris Wase, the current Deputy Speaker and the highest ranking officer in the House was not consulted, and even the only female contestant was not also consulted.

He added, “Which was why in the letter that the party released to the press a few days ago, they tactically advised the leadership to engage in further consultations. It also tells you that the party was not properly carried along. Believe me that has put the party in a very bad state, and in a very bad position.
“People are pointing accusing fingers at Aswiaju Bola Tinubu for endorsing this kind of a thing. I think he should stay away from that.

“Recall that about a year ago when the NWC came out and announced Lawn as a consensus presidential candidate, as a democrat he (Tinubu) said he was going into the election. He went against the position of the party, delegates ed him because he canvassed for their votes, and he was elected as the flag bearer of our arty and today he is the president-elect.

“We mobilised and worked for him. As a true democrat, I think he should stay away and allow the -elect and senators-elect to elect somebody they feel can lead the 10th Assembly and then they should be conscious of zoning.

“The North-West is taking the Speakership, it is also taking the Deputy Senate President position. It is unacceptable, even certain regions from their own permutation contributed less in of voting strength, not to talk of the region that gave their all to the party.

“I think that merit was not considered in this zoning and we are calling on the leadership of the party to reverse this decision.

“The way things are going in the National Assembly, they have ignited a situation where there will be rebellion, and the 2015 arrangement will come back to the table,” he said

APC, Wase And Reward For Loyalty.

The jury is still out on which particular geopolitical zone of the country the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) will narrow the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives to. However, if the strong feelers from the close associates of the President-Elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu are anything to go by, the pendulum is going to swing in favour of the North Central.

And specifically, the current Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase will emerge as the Speaker in the Green Chamber, on the 13th of next month, after the 10th National Assembly is inaugurated.

Let me declare from the outset that I am an irer of Hon. Wase. But my iration for him aside, any disionate observer of the affairs of our nation’s House of Representatives will it that this decision of the President-Elect, which I reliably learnt has equally been tacitly endorsed by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC, is the most rational action to take in this respect. And the reasons for this standpoint are quite convincing.

One, the North Central gave the President-Elect the third highest number of votes in the Presidential election of 25th February, 2023, only trailing the North West and South West geopolitical zones. The zone gave the President-Elect 1,670,091 of the 8,794,726 votes cast for him during the election. This is even higher than the 1,190,458 votes that he got from the North East zone, where his Vice President-Elect comes from.

Two, the APC won in 11 of the 19 senatorial districts in the six states that make up the zone, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The party also took away 35 out of the 51 House of Representatives seats in the six states and the FCT during the 2023 National Assembly elections. Much more so, it clinched four of the 5 governorship elections held in Benue, Nasarawa, Niger, Kwara and Plateau states. The governorship poll will hold in Kogi State in November this year. And here too, the APC is quite confident of winning.

The above facts are enough to prove the extent of loyalty and faithfulness of the people of the North Central geopolitical zone to the ruling party. And this makes it imperative for the leadership of the party to cede the post of Speaker to the North Central, having been said to have zoned the Senate Presidency to the South South, and the post of Deputy Senate President to the North West.

But beyond the above facts, Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase, the major aspirant from the North Central, who is also the candidate to beat in the Speakership race, has also undoubtedly proven himself to be a loyal partyman. It is widely known that Hon. Wase aspired to be the Speaker of the 9th Assembly, and had an excellent chance of winning the contest. However, he was prevailed upon by the leadership of the party to step down for the incumbent, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila. He humbly accepted the decision of the party’s leaders, making it a smooth sail for Gbaja

10th Assembly : Stakeholder Demands APC to Zone Speakership to North-Central

The North Central APC Stakeholders has demanded for the zoning of Speakership position to the region for the sake of Justice, Equity and Fairness.

This Demands were made by the convener of the group, Rev.Dominic Alancha at a world Press conference on Sunday in Abuja

See text of the press conference below ……….

Being the text of a press conference by the North Central APC STAKEHOLDERS on the 7th of May, 2023.

Gentlemen of the press, on behalf of the North Central APC STAKEHOLDERS I welcome you all to this press conference.

As you may have known, our group, the North Central APC STAKEHOLDERS was formed in 2015, stands to defend the tenets of democracy and to uphold the rule of law by ensuring fairness and justice to all and at all times.

With these noble aims, it has been our lot to commend acts that promote the rule of law and social justice and to speak out whenever we notice acts capable of undermining or threatening our hard earned democracy and to advocate for fairness and balance at all times.

We are again compelled to invoke our mandate to address you this morning due to an anomaly we have detected in the direction APC leadership in the country is taking in the course of zoning key offices in the 10th Assembly which we feel may not augur well for our democracy.

We are constrained to our disappointment and to protest the decision of the APC Leadership to zone two Presiding Positions Deputy Senate President and Speaker in the 10th National Assembly in favour of the Northwest to the total exclusion of the North Central and other zones in the country.

Having won the 2023 presidential elections fair and square, we had expected the Leadership of APC to be guided by the principle of justice and fairness in zoning leadership positions in the parliament and had thought that factors like commitment to the success of the party, level of contributions and the need for fairness, Equity and justice to all would guide the decision.

What we have seen emerging from the decision of the APC however, is a situation of total disregard to Justice Equity and fairness where personal interests has been put forward thereby bringing chaos and conflict in a situation that would have otherwise gone smoothly if national interest has been the guiding principle.

While the decision of the APC leaders to zone the Senate Presidency to the South South and the Deputy Senate Presidency to the North West conforms to the expectations of most Nigerians because it takes care of zones that are yet to be represented in the composition of the leadership of the next istration we cannot say the same for the zoning of other leadership positions for the 10th Assembly.

We therefore take strong exceptions to the bid to zone the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives to the North West zone because that will imply undue favouritism, lack of fairness and the marginalisation of other zones.

Because, while the North West will go home with two key positions in the National Assembly, the North Central and the South East would be totally excluded from the leadership of the 10th National Assembly.

This to us seems to be a deliberate act of provocation to the North Central zone which has contributed so much to the success of the APC as a party and to the victory of President-elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

In the last elections, the North Central apart from giving the APC presidential ticket an overwhelming number of votes, gave a greater number of parliamentary and governorship seats to the APC.

The APC won in Kwara, Niger, Benue and Kogi in the presidential elections and
in the governorship elections, the North-central with six states gave the APC the four states of Benue, Niger, Nasarawa and Kwara, while that of Kogi which is still in the hands of the APC is pending meaning it lost only one state to the opposition parties.

In the parliamentary elections the APC clinched majority seats in Kwara, Kogi, Niger and Nasarawa states and Benue where it won two out of the three senatorial seats and 10 of
the 11 House of Representatives seats leaving the PDP with only one seat each in both the Senate and House of Representatives.

Compare this with the North West where the APC failed to secure the key states in the Northwest like Kaduna, Kano and Katsina, Kebbi and Sokoto in the presidential elections which usually bring the deciding votes winning only Zamfara and Jigawa of the seven states in the zone.

The picture is even worse with the parliamentary elections where the APC lost majority seats in Kano with the NNPP clearing 18 out of the 24 House of Representatives seats in the state while in Kaduna, the APC lost all the three senatorial and 11 seats out of the 16 seats for House of Representatives to the PDP.

It therefore means that the North Central zone has contributed more to the success of the APC than the other zones apart from the South west.

We therefore fail to see the reason behind the decision to sideline a zone that has given a greater number of votes in all the elections to the APC while a zone that has given less is being considered for two key positions in the National Assembly.

This as they say is like robbing Peter to pay Paul which should not be the case in a democracy which is about inclusiveness and the people.

The President-elect will do well to that when in the build up to the APC presidential primary, the party’s national Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu announced Senate President Ahmed Lawal as the party’s consensus candidate, there was wide condemnation as all people of good will and conscience rose to oppose that unfortunate position due to its arbitrariness and illogic.

This was what paved the way for the emergence of Asiwaju Tinubu as the presidential candidate of the APC and the later President-elect of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This happened in less than a year and is similar to what is happening now with the plot by few individuals to corner the Speaker position to their cronies hence the need for the President-elect to intervene.

We are advising the President-elect to be wary of some people close to him who are trying to hear up the polity and are hell bent on putting their stooges to succeed them at the House of Representatives.

We also call on -elect not to be swayed by the antics of some selfish individuals but insist on doing the right on the D-day which is to vote for a credible, Competence, Experienced, and thorough leadership for the House.

THIS IS OUR DEMAND

All the North Central is demanding for is the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives since the President and Vice President-elect are from the Southwest and Northeast respectively while the South South and North West are taking the positions of Senate President and Deputy Senate President.

The North Central for fairness and equity, should be given the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives as a just compensation for the overhelming the zone has given the APC in the presidential, National Assembly, governorship and State Assembly elections.

The zone has experienced, tested and ranking to occupy the position especially the current Deputy Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase.

Added to these is the fact that the zone has not held the position of Speaker since the return of democracy in 1999 while the North West has had it for 12 years in the last 24 years alone.

It would be fair if the APC leaders reconsider their positions on the leadership of the 10th Assembly for justice to prevail.

Rev. Dominic Alancha CONVENER

Virtues That Qualifies Wase As Speaker for The Tenth Assembly.

By Rev. Dominic Alancha

As race for the next leadership of the 10th Speaker kicks off, the battle for whom becomes the next Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives tops the agenda of over 18 -Elect who have thrown in the challenge to contest for the number four seat in the country. For political observers and patriots concerned, the 10th Assembly will be inaugurated on Tuesday, June 13, 2023 after its formal proclamation by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who would by then be officially inaugurated as the 16th President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Reviewing the history of the National Assembly, particularly the House of Representatives and how it has contributed to the democratic growth of the country, the duo of Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila and his Deputy, Hon Ahmed Idris Wase, has brought about a tremendous change and legislative reformation to the institution.

For the first time ever, the House now conducts its legislative works electronically by installing digital system in the green Chamber. Within a year of their leadership, e-voting was introduced which now makes the chamber less paperless while every documents needed for legislative business are ed for easy access.

Speaker Gbaja and his Deputy, Hon. Wase have set a record in our nation’s history and both deserves commendation. Let me also put it that they have moved into the ranks of the most effective and vibrant legislators in the democratic history of Nigeria.

While some would have expected a rift between the two, both have worked hard to ensure that their t ticket was not a regrettably one. Since Wase’s reign as Deputy Speaker, he gave and still giving all the required to the Office of the Speaker and as well managing executive-legislative working relationship.

Rt. Hon. Wase, the certified Civil Engineer and a product of Harvard Kennedy School of Government in Strategic Governance was first elected in 2007 and served as Chairman, House Committee on Federal Character from 2011 until his appointment as Deputy Leader. He was a member of the Federal Government Delegation to the 89th Session of the United Nations General Assembly held in New York, United States in 2016. Hon. Wase has worked in so many Committees and known to be an effective advocate for youth empowerment and poverty alleviation.

Hon. Wase’s sterling performance in the House has made opposition ascribe to the fundamental objectives of the 9th Legislative Agenda initiated by the Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.

Wase’s cordial relationship with his colleagues and the grassroots has been cordial so much that when he presides, he does so smoothly and efficiently. He ensures every member is allowed to present his motions according to the House rules. He is sociable, accessible, approachable, and ready to listen to opposing views.

At the grassroot level, he is always willing and ready to solve their little problems and has helped many grassroot across the divides to fit into some government institutions.

Hon. Wase has been instrumental in pushing and ing Bills that contributes to the economic development of the country. His love for the entrenchment of democracy and raising a voice for the underprivileged knows no bound as he is the first to contribute to Bills and Motions raised in the House. His colleagues in the House are eager to share thoughts with him knowing that he has listening ears.

Hon. Wase is a loyal party man to the Core. The events of 2019 is still fresh to reckon with. Even when decision didn’t go his way, he has never contemplated to dump the progressives party to achieve his aim. Instead, he accepted the decision and has since stood with his party to further the ideals of the APC.

With the robust legislative experience of Wase garnered over the years, it is ony fair for the party to zone the seat to the north central and not just that, but to also unanimously adopt him as the candidate.

The quality of Bills, motions, legislative interventions made during his four years as Deouty speaker put him at edge over every other contenders.

More importantly is that Wase’s strong leadership skills has United every member of the divides. He has been able to manage the House even when there are revolts against some Executive decision that needs the House’s approval. Rather than stand aloof, he builds consensus and manage competitng interest and negoatiate with major stakeholders. His stong communication skills puts him at par over other candidates jostling for the position.

Whenever Wase presides, he has always used his power responsibly and with integrity. He places the interest of the Nigerian people above his personal or political agains. His commitment to public serive cannot be compromised. He has always conducted himself in ways and manners that qualifies him as a true democrat and a listening leader.

Undoubtedly, Hon. Wase has proven beyond every reasonable doubt that amog every other contenders for the race, he is the most qualified owing to his pedigree, records, and loyalty to the APC.

As Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila will be bowing out as Speaker of the Ninth Assembly, his Deputy, Rt. Hon. Idris Wase should continue with the progresves aganeda of the APC as Speaker of the Tenth National Assembly.

10th National Assembly: Top Lawyer Sends Important Advice to APC, Nigerians Over Speakership Position

Hon Ahmed Idris Wase has been described as one who is competent enough to become Nigeria's 10th speaker at the National Assembly.

The description of the current deputy speaker was given by a human rights and development lawyer Frank Tietie

According to Tietie, for equity, balance and fairness, the speakership position for the 10th National Assembly should go to the North Central

A human rights lawyer and political analyst, Frank Tietie, has suggested that the current House of Representatives deputy speaker is the right man for the speakership position in the 10th National Assembly.

Speaking on Arise Television on Tuesday, May 2, Tietie, who has remained vocal on issues of politics and good governance across Nigeria, said there is a need to ensure that the best candidates take up leadership positions in the 10th Assembly.

Frank Tietie says deputy speaker Ahmed Wase is competent for the 10th speakership position: House of Representatives Source: UGC

Seven -elect who won in their different federal constituencies during the February 18 election are contesting for the position of 10th Speaker.

The -elect are Wase, Aliyu Betara, Yusuf Gagdi, Tunji Olawu, Taju Abass Princess Onuoha and Benjamin Kalu.

However, throwing his weight behind Wase, the human rights lawyer said the deputy speaker has a history of competence and credibility.

"Well, if you mention those words, it is easy for the APC to locate a particular member who has shown a lot of credibilities and has a history of the qualities you have mentioned.
"Ahmed Wase stands tall. Before you locate and situate a particular individual, Ahmed Wase is the deputy speaker at the moment - he is the most experienced. This will be his fifth term in the National Assembly since the Fourth Republic, and he has chaired several committees until this moment that he is the deputy speaker.

"And he has enjoyed the reputation of having been a loyal party man, ive of the president-elect. He is also in a position where he can claim that he has ed Honourable Gbajabiamila to stabilise the House of Representatives."
While noting all the attributes listed for a good Speaker of the 10th Assembly, Tietie said it is essential to consider the country's geopolitics.

His words:

"It is based on balancing, it is based on equity and the principle of federal character."
He added that the ruling party is currently in the right position to determine the next speaker, having produced the president-elect.

Why Wase, lawmaker from Nigeria's North Central is fit for speakership position
Highlighting the best approach to electing Nigeria's next speaker, Tietie said some geopolitical regions cannot at the moment produce the speaker of the House of Representatives.

He noted:

"For example, the Southwest has produced the president-elect, Northeast, the vice president and looking at the contestants the south south is obviously not interested in the position while the southeast not an APC predominant region."
Tietie said the contest appears to have been left for the Northwest and the North Central.

He added that the race for the APC is a North Central affair for geopolitical balancing as the Northwest has produced Speaker a number of times in the past.

Tietie, who further spoke to Legit.ng on the matter said for equity, balance and fairness, the North Central should produce the speaker while the Southeast produces the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives.

The lawyer also pitched, Princess Onuoha, the lawmaker representing Okigwe North Federal Constituency, Imo state for deputy speaker.

ROAD TO 10TH NASS: Can Wase Make The Speakership Chase?

Fifth-term lawmaker-elect Hon Ahmed Idris Wase is not just ‘one of’ the eleven candidates eyeing the seat of Speaker in the Tenth House of Representatives.

He is the incumbent Deputy Speaker and, thus, a high-heeled political persona in the country. But will his ranking status and influence within the APC trump his controversial tenure as Deputy Speaker to become the number one legislator of the 10th House in June?

Honourable Ahmed Idris Wase was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2007 under the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) platform. Since then, he has been a consistent name on Nigeria’s federal lawmakers’ list in the last five electoral cycles.

He, however, remained obscure and largely lacked name and face recognition until he became a presiding officer in 2019. He was Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Character in the 7th and 8th Assemblies until his appointment in 2018 as Deputy Leader of the House of Representatives following the death of the then occupant, Buba Jubril. Not even his appointment into these positions was of much use in bringing him to national prominence, as he remained unknown beyond his close circle.

Following his success at the 2019 National Assembly elections, the Plateau lawmaker declared his intention to run for the seat of Speaker but was prevailed upon by his party to Femi Gbajabiamila as Presiding Officer of the House. His loyalty was eventually rewarded as he emerged as Deputy Speaker of the Ninth House of Representatives and doubles as the House Committee Chairman on the Review of the 1999 Constitution.

STRENGTHS

ers of the parliamentarian argue that he should be given the nod to occupy the exalted office, considering his rise to the position of Presiding Officer in the Green Chamber. An argument they hinge on Wase’s decision in 2019 to step down for the incumbent speaker of the Ninth House in the interest of party supremacy. This favour is what they believe will be returned to the Plateau lawmaker come June.

Predictably, this argument appears to have landed him some notable endorsements from state governors like Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa and Nyesom Wike of Rivers who are expected to influence the House of Representatives contingents from their states to back his ambition. How this will play to his advantage where the Rivers Governor would have been out of office by the inauguration day of the House or how Governor Sule will influence a bi-partisan Nasarawa delegation to the National Assembly remains to be seen.

Being the Deputy Speaker, Wase is empowered by the rules of the House to oversee the Constitution Review Committee in the Chamber. Thankfully thus, he is one of the major beneficiaries of sixteen successful amendments to the 1999 Constitution \by the Ninth National Assembly, which have since been assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari.

In the area of representation, the Deputy Speaker’s home state of Plateau and, indeed, Wase Federal Constituency has been bedevilled with insecurity. As a lawmaker, he has largely made contributions on the floor of the House and the Chamber under the leadership of Gbajabiamila, and himself held a Security Summit, which came up with very resounding positions on the sector.

Personally, he had in December 2021, while moving a motion of urgent public importance on recent attacks on Pinau in Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State, accused some officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) of conniving with bandits operating in the North to cause havoc in his State. Leading debate on the motion, he particularly cited three instances where police officers released suspected bandits, kidnappers and robbers, stressing that some security agencies are conniving with bandits to sabotage the effort of the government to tackle bandits.

On one occasion, speaking with journalists in Plateau, he also posited that the rising insecurity bedevilling his home Local Government Area is connected to the mining activities and the influx of bandits from Zamfara, Kaduna and other states experiencing similar criminal activities in the country.

In measuring his competence and capacity using the core duty of lawmaking as representative for Wase Federal Constituency, Maje, as his irers fondly call him, sponsored seventeen (17) bills in the first three years of the Ninth Assembly (2019 – 2022). Only three of these bills have however been ed by the House and sent to the Senate for concurrence, namely: Federal University Gashua (Establishment) Bill, 2019, Federal Medical Centre, Wase (Establishment, Etc.) and the Orthopaedic Hospitals Management Board Act (Amendment) Bill, 2020.

Three of the remaining fourteen bills; Federal College of Medical Laboratory Science, Jos (Establishment, Etc.) Bill 2021, Currency Conversion (Freezing Orders) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2019, and the National Social Investment Programmes (Establishment) Bill, 2020 have been laid on the table and awaiting report respectively. The other eleven pieces of legislation listed below are awaiting Second Reading, including:

Federal Character Commission Act (Amendment) Bill,2019
Public s Implementation Tribunal (Amendment) Bill, 2019
Federal Commissions (Privileges and Immunities) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2019
Miscellaneous Offences Act (Repeal) Bill, 2019
National Housing Fund (Establishment) Bill, 2019
Nigeria Football Federation Bill, 2019
National Sports Commission Bill, 2019
Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, 2019
National Institute for Sports Act (Amendment) Bill, 2019
Orthopedic Hospitals Management Board Act (Amendment) Bill, 2021

Importantly, in the Performance Scorecard of eleven federal lawmakers from Plateau State, comprising three (3) Senators and eight ( House of Representatives, he ranks fifth on the bills chart (based on volume) behind Rep. Dachung Musa Bagos (33 bills), Simon Davou Mwadkwon (23 bills), Yusuf Adamu Gagdi (21 bills) and Istifanus Dung Gyang (18 bills). With 17 bills standing in his name, Wase ranks top on the list of Presiding/Principal Officers from the North Central geo-political zone.

Wase’s strongest claim to the Speakership slot, however, appears to be the canvassing for zoning of political offices by the governing party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). Specifically, of the party from his North Central geo-political zone are clamouring for the seat of Speaker on the ground that the zone made one of the highest vote contributions during the presidential contest.

If the proponents of this school of thought eventually have their way, there are indications that he is likely to win the party leadership’s heart, being the most ranking member and given his experience as First Deputy Speaker of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament.

WEAKNESSES

According to Order 7, Rule 2(2) of the House, “the Deputy Speaker shall be the Chairman of Committee of the Whole House, save when the House goes into the Committee of Supply or Ways and Means.”

The highly controversial Deputy Speaker is often in the spotlight during the performance of this statutory function as Chairman of the House Committee of the Whole, which is mandatory for ing bills and petitions. In this light, he has consistently shown a low tolerance for dissenting voices.

Known also for his uncompromising loyalty to the Executive, he is able to deliver age of bills sent in by the Executive or those in which the House leadership has an interest in while denying the minority their say in the process. These controversial actions were most evident during the process leading up to the age of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), as well as the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2022, where his disregard for dissenting voices led to fists fights, four rowdy sessions and a walkout by some of the opposition.

At the peak of the EndSARS protests which had rocked the country, Rep. Shina Peller, on October 20 2020, in an attempt to raise a point of order to discuss the developments, was blatantly shut down by the Deputy Speaker who was the presiding officer at the plenary session. Speaking to the Oyo lawmaker, Rep. Wase was quoted to have said: “I will not allow you to speak.”

Peller, who represents Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Iwajowa/Kajola Federal Constituency of Oyo State, was at this point infuriated and then charged towards the Speaker’s box, threatening that he would speak with the media on the matter before he was held back by some lawmakers.

Interestingly, in July 2021, when the report of the t Committees that investigated the federal government’s suspension of operations of Twitter in Nigeria, the Deputy Speaker, who was the Presiding Officer over the House Committee of the Whole, vehemently opposed the report on flimsy grounds.

He initially opposed the report because the Committee on National Security and Intelligence Chairman, Sha’aban Sharada (APC, Kano), was not involved in the investigation and proceeded to ask that the report be stepped down because of the Committee did not sign after a first glance. Not even explanations by the Chairman of the t Committee, Rep. Segun Odebunmi (APC, Oyo) that all the Committees signed the original copy could stop the back and forth.

The Committee’s saving grace was Speaker Gbajabiamila, who then intervened for the report to be considered, though he was on the floor as a member.

Another unforgettable controversy came in early 2021 when the Deputy Speaker shut down a petition by Rep. Mark Terseer Gbillah on behalf of the Mutual Union of Tivs in America (MUTA) over killings by suspected Fulani herders in Benue State. A development that eventually became a huge subject of controversy as he ignored all arguments and ruled that an association in America cannot present a petition in Nigeria under the guise that those presenting the petition probably have dual citizenship.

“If they are in America, could they be an interested party here? Do they really know what is really going on? “I don’t want to make a blanket statement regarding those who are in the Diaspora. If this petition is coming from those within the country, I believe it has a block standard. But those living in America, then coming to lodge complaint?” Wase said.

A reminder of the fact that such petitions from Nigerians in the diaspora had been heard by the House in the past could not also convince the Deputy Speaker, who was hell-bent on the matter. Following protests by Nigerians in the Diaspora, the petition was eventually laid before the House when Gbajabiamila presided over plenary.

Unlike Speaker Gbajabiamila, who likes to indulge in having their say, the Deputy Speaker is reputed to be intolerant to long debates. He prefers that matters be referred to relevant Committees rather than have debate on the floor of the House. Latching on to the excuse of guiding the House, the Plateau lawmaker has further built a reputation of always involving himself in debates in attempts to sway the lawmakers or foist a position on the House.

10th Assembly: APC Youth Leaders Canvass For Wase As Speaker

The APC Youth Leaders Aspirant Forum in collaboration with the coalition of Peoples with Voters Card and 19 other Youth groups thrown its weight behind the ambition of the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Ahmed Idris Wase, to run as Speaker ahead of the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly in June, this year.

The Convener of the group, Kabir Hassan Sambo who stated the position of the group during a press conference held at the BIC plaza in Bauchi on Tuesday, said that electing good leadership for the 10th assembly is of utmost importance as it determines the direction and progress of the country, stressing that good leadership is essential for effective decision-making, policy implementation, and overall development.

Kabir said that the North Central geopolitical zone has never produced a Speaker of the House of Representatives since Nigeria’s independence in 1960, pointing out that some stakeholders believe that it is time for the zone to produce the next Speaker of the House of Representatives in the 10th Assembly.

“Zoning the seat of the Speaker to the North Central zone will promote national unity, equity, and fairness. Every region in Nigeria should have a sense of belonging and representation in the government. By zoning the position to the North Central zone, it will create an opportunity for competent individuals from the zone to occupy such a critical position in Nigeria’s government”

“Hon Ahmad Idris Wase is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and has been a member of the House of Representatives since 2007. He represents Wase Federal Constituency in Plateau State. He has served in various capacities, including Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Federal Capital Territory and Chairman of the Committee on Rules and Business. He is known for his commitment to legislative excellence and his ability to build consensus across party lines. He was the Deputy Majority Leader in the 8th Assembly and was seen as a highly experienced and capable legislator.

“Wase has also built a reputation as a bridge-builder and a unifier, having worked closely with from different political parties during his previous tenure in the National Assembly. He is a seasoned politician and lawmaker who has dedicated his life to serving the people of his constituency and Nigeria as a whole. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2007 and has since then been re-elected four times.

“As the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Wase has been instrumental in driving the legislative agenda of the House. He has played a key role in the age of several important bills such as the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, and the Police Reform Bill, among others.

“Hon Wase has also been a strong advocate for the empowerment of women and youth in his constituency and across Nigeria. He has initiated several programs aimed at providing skills acquisition and entrepreneurship training for women and youth, as well as providing financial for small
and medium-scale businesses. In addition, Hon. Wase has been a vocal advocate for the unity and progress of Nigeria. He has consistently called for peaceful coexistence among all ethnic and religious groups in the country, and has worked tirelessly to promote national unity and integration”

“We are proud of the achievements of Hon. Idris Wase and we believe that he will continue to serve his constituents and Nigeria with dedication, integrity, and commitment. Hon. Wase is an experienced legislator who has served in the House of Representatives for over a decade and has distinguished himself as a dedicated and committed lawmaker. He has also demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the ideals and principles of the APC, making him a worthy candidate for the position of Speaker”.

“We appeal to NWC of the APC to consider zoning the seat of Speaker of the House of Representatives to the North Central geopolitical zone, as the North Central region has been an integral part of Nigeria and has played a pivotal role in the success of the APC in the past elections.

“We are confident that if given the mandate, Hon. Wase will provide strong leadership and work tirelessly to promote the interests of the legislative arm and ensure a harmonious working environment with other arms of government for the betterment of our people to advance our shared goals of promoting good governance, economic development, and social progress”, the group said.

Now that Senate Presidency, Deputy have been zoned South South, North West


By Ibrahim Dasuki Nakande

The news that the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has agreed that the position of Senate President and Deputy Senate President should go to the South South and North West respectively is highly commendable given the need to accommodate all geopolitical zones in the next istration.

With the President of the incoming istration already in the Southwest and the Vice President, the North east; it is only fair that the remaining four zones that have been agitating for inclusion in the next istration be taken care of and it was kind of the President-elect to factor that in the bid to shape his government.

It has been argued that the South South and the South East did not give the APC presidential ticket overwhelming during the elections last presidential elections, but due to the fact that both the President-elect and Vice President-elect are of the same faith, it has necessitated the need to tilt consideration in asg top positions in the next Assembly beyond the level of votes contributed.

Because if that should form the yardstick for zoning, then the Senate President who is the chairman of the National Assembly may again go to the same faith.

But in a multi religious country like Nigeria, there will be the need to include the adherents of the other major religion in the country hence the clamour to zone the seat of the Senate President to a zone that may likely give a religious balance to the next istration.

Painful as that may be considering the contribution of the North Central and North West to the victory of the APC presidential ticket, it is understandable to make such concessions in favour of integration and national cohesion.

It is therefore heartwarming to see giving the report of the meeting between the President-elect and key of the parliament that the idea is being accepted.

As the North makes that concession however, it is important that it should not be left in the lurch but given the next positions which are the Deputy Senate President and the Speaker which can be shared between the North West and North Central.

Since the Northwest would by May 29, be coming out of an eight-year presidency, it will be fair to ask that it accepts the Deputy Senate President position to allow the North Central which has never held the position of Speaker to take it this time.

The highest position the North Central has occupied since the return of democracy in 1999 has been Senate presidency while the Northwest has had the privilege of producing the President for eight good years and the has held the speaker position for 12 good years.

Again, the North Central contributed more than any of the other zones in the last election in of percentage of votes by giving the APC presidential ticket four of the six votes in the zone.

The performance is surely better than that of the North West where the APC lost five of the seven states such as Kaduna, Kebbi, Katsina Kano and Sokoto but won only in Zamfara and Jigawa states.

Allowing the North Central to take the Speaker position will definitely come as a reciprocation for the kind of it has been giving the APC since the formation of the party.

In 2015, for instance, all the six states in the North Central namely, Kwara, Kogi, Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa and Niger all gave overwhelming to the APC and voted for APC governors.

In 2019, it lost only Benue to the PDP due to the Governor's defection but in gave APC the highest number of votes in the presidential elections.

In of totality of votes in the last election, the North Central is also ahead of the Northeast which already has the incoming vice president.

Zoning the Speaker position to the North Central will be a just compensation for a zone that has always ed and is ing the APC moreso as it has not had the opportunity of having the Speakership since the return of democracy in 1999.

Besides, the zone has the Deputy Speaker position in the outgoing 9th Assembly in the person of Rt. Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase.

Wase, having served well as Deputy Speaker, reserves the right to receive the promotion to the next level by taking the speaker slot.

He is tested and trusted Lawmaker who has rich experience in leadership having been chairman of various committee and was deputy minority leader, deputy majority leader ad now now Deputy Speaker.

The party would be setting a good standard for rewarding hard work and commitment if it zones the position to Rt. Hon. Wase as he has always delivered his federal constituency in all elections to the APC by devoting his time and resources to the growth of the party.

APC leaders in the zone would feel highly honoured to have a such a man as Speaker so as to further entrench and deepen the base of the party in the zone and in the country.

With the contributions the North Central has made to the success of the APC, it is only fair that the zone is allowed not just to take the Speaker position in the 10th Assembly but should zone it to the current Deputy Speaker who has the capacity to provide quality leadership and complement the efforts of the soon to be sworn in president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Re: Now That Senate Presidency, Deputy Have Been Zoned South South, North West by Onowu33

Now that Senate Presidency, Deputy have been zoned South South, North West


By Ibrahim Dasuki Nakande

The news that the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has agreed that the position of Senate President and Deputy Senate President should go to the South South and North West respectively is highly commendable given the need to accommodate all geopolitical zones in the next istration.

With the President of the incoming istration already in the Southwest and the Vice President, the North east; it is only fair that the remaining four zones that have been agitating for inclusion in the next istration be taken care of and it was kind of the President-elect to factor that in the bid to shape his government.

It has been argued that the South South and the South East did not give the APC presidential ticket overwhelming during the elections last presidential elections, but due to the fact that both the President-elect and Vice President-elect are of the same faith, it has necessitated the need to tilt consideration in asg top positions in the next Assembly beyond the level of votes contributed.

Because if that should form the yardstick for zoning, then the Senate President who is the chairman of the National Assembly may again go to the same faith.

But in a multi religious country like Nigeria, there will be the need to include the adherents of the other major religion in the country hence the clamour to zone the seat of the Senate President to a zone that may likely give a religious balance to the next istration.

Painful as that may be considering the contribution of the North Central and North West to the victory of the APC presidential ticket, it is understandable to make such concessions in favour of integration and national cohesion.

It is therefore heartwarming to see giving the report of the meeting between the President-elect and key of the parliament that the idea is being accepted.

As the North makes that concession however, it is important that it should not be left in the lurch but given the next positions which are the Deputy Senate President and the Speaker which can be shared between the North West and North Central.

Since the Northwest would by May 29, be coming out of an eight-year presidency, it will be fair to ask that it accepts the Deputy Senate President position to allow the North Central which has never held the position of Speaker to take it this time.

The highest position the North Central has occupied since the return of democracy in 1999 has been Senate presidency while the Northwest has had the privilege of producing the President for eight good years and the has held the speaker position for 12 good years.

Again, the North Central contributed more than any of the other zones in the last election in of percentage of votes by giving the APC presidential ticket four of the six votes in the zone.

The performance is surely better than that of the North West where the APC lost five of the seven states such as Kaduna, Kebbi, Katsina Kano and Sokoto but won only in Zamfara and Jigawa states.

Allowing the North Central to take the Speaker position will definitely come as a reciprocation for the kind of it has been giving the APC since the formation of the party.

In 2015, for instance, all the six states in the North Central namely, Kwara, Kogi, Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa and Niger all gave overwhelming to the APC and voted for APC governors.

In 2019, it lost only Benue to the PDP due to the Governor's defection but in gave APC the highest number of votes in the presidential elections.

In of totality of votes in the last election, the North Central is also ahead of the Northeast which already has the incoming vice president.

Zoning the Speaker position to the North Central will be a just compensation for a zone that has always ed and is ing the APC moreso as it has not had the opportunity of having the Speakership since the return of democracy in 1999.

Besides, the zone has the Deputy Speaker position in the outgoing 9th Assembly in the person of Rt. Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase.

Wase, having served well as Deputy Speaker, reserves the right to receive the promotion to the next level by taking the speaker slot.

He is tested and trusted Lawmaker who has rich experience in leadership having been chairman of various committee and was deputy minority leader, deputy majority leader ad now now Deputy Speaker.

The party would be setting a good standard for rewarding hard work and commitment if it zones the position to Rt. Hon. Wase as he has always delivered his federal constituency in all elections to the APC by devoting his time and resources to the growth of the party.

APC leaders in the zone would feel highly honoured to have a such a man as Speaker so as to further entrench and deepen the base of the party in the zone and in the country.

With the contributions the North Central has made to the success of the APC, it is only fair that the zone is allowed not just to take the Speaker position in the 10th Assembly but should zone it to the current Deputy Speaker who has the capacity to provide quality leadership and complement the efforts of the soon to be sworn in president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

*POWER OF HUMILITY: The Rise of Rt. Hon Ahmed Idris Wase, Incoming Speaker of the 10 Assembly*

*By Bunu Abdul'aziz Adamu*

I am very bad with prose writing (being a Young Social Commentator) But my recent crisis with overwhelming trails of thoughts over the meteoric rise of Honourable Ahmed Idris Wase to a Deputy Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives and Nigeria’s political centre stage compelled me to document these factual thoughts to mirror the lessons as a reckoning history for all of us in Wase federal Constituency. People are inclined to dismiss cliches, especially political ones for they generally represent manoeuvring rhetorics, political jargons if you like, by which politicians flirt with the minds of ordinary masses as they compete in chase moves to gain popular trust or consolidate their political dominance.

In contrast, *“all politics are local”* is one that stands out as a gospel certitude. This common saying is evident in Hon. Maje who was, as recent as (1989–1994), Said to be a Chairman, Non-Academic Staff Union, C.O.E., Gindiri up to Chairman, Non-Academic Staff Union, Plateau State Council (1999–2002). He clung-on to the masterpiece strategy of growth, gradual and consistent, and steadily rose to become a Deputy House Leader of the Federal House of Representatives, 2018–2019 and now doubling as the Deputy Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives and ECOWAS Parliament with multiple traditional titles. I try to examine the behaviour of Hon Maje in an attempt to find an explanation for the steep metamorphosis in his socio-political status. Character is the most defining factor in human development. Understanding rules of the game in any human endeavour is essential but is only efficient if accompanied by the right kind of character.

As legislators, what comes to mind while assessing ourselves is not the platforms we occupy but what we do for our people says Hon Maje, our capacity for debates, oversight, representation, lobby and persuasions to attract democratic dividends to our respective constituencies. Truth be told, Hon Maje is today one of the best federal legislators that has built experience and a wall of solid political friendship with other political players across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. There is no state of the federation that he has no friend or that he has not helped one way or the other. These estimable traits made him easily ired, trust-worthy to even the most paranoid amongst his political contemporaries. And these, in my opinion, are the secret of his remarkable pervasion largely due to unforeseen circumstances, either as a necessary (dependable?) partner or as a consensus messier when the searchlight is on for one.

This exceptional grassroots politician came to limelight first when his fellow elected found a leader in him and quickly made him their Deputy speaker of the Federal House of Representatives unopposed, (as he is fondly called) quietly grew to become a revered political figure in Plateau state within a very short while. This shining star, through his diplomatic approach to leadership, has, so far, resolved a chunk of the internal crisis, and under his watch, some opposition big-wigs were able to ed the all Progressive Congress.

Hon Wase has exhibited a shift from the norm in political appointments, bringing for the first time, a group of young educated progressives to hold important positions. In of infrastructure, The near Completion of National Open University Wase study Center, the Smart Model School, modern Skills acquisition Centers across the the four Districts, The ongoing Road Construction from Jarmai, Bashar linking to Karin Lamido of Taraba State, the near Completion Bashar road Linking to Yola wakat, in addition to a Gigantic Federal Medical Center Wase, the Orthopedic Hospital Jos and Many other's. Let Considered the achievement and Re elect Rt. Hon Ahmed Idris Maje 2023.

Rt. Hon Ahmed Idris Wase has been rated as one of the most successful of the 9th Assembly in of parliamentary activities, and this success story resonated with Wase federal constituency where his effective representation at the Green Chamber of the National Assembly is felt directly.

10th Nass Speakership; Groups Endorses Wase.

Prior to the commencement of the 10th National Assembly, Northern groups endorsed deputy speaker Hon Ahmed Idris Wase as their top choice for the speakership.

The Northern Patriotic Front and Arewa Youths Leaders Forum both declared their for Hon. Wase as the house speaker, citing his qualifications, experience, and leadershSpeakershipip skills.

In separate press releases, the groups’ national presidents Alhaji Ali Abacha and Mohammed Muazu said they had closely observed Hon Wase’s activities and contributions as deputy speaker of the 9th Assembly and his tenacious of the party. They had come to the conclusion that it was time for the party to reward loyalty and sacrifice.

While, urging the ruling party to zone the position of the speaker to the North Central zone, they argued that the bipartisan approach of the Plateau legislator is needed to stabilise the 10 house of Representatives.adding that the house needed a member with cognitive experience and bipartisan approach.

The group noted that as the ruling party is thinking of zoning the position of speakership of the house it must place loyalty, merit above other sentiments . It further noted that Wase having served Ggbajoabmila without rancour Wase should be considered as a result of the in road and contribution made to the success of the 9 th Assembly and the party.

The statement reads in parts ” We the Northern Patriots Front and Arewa Youths Leaders Forum having keenly watched the contributions of Hon Ahmed Idris Wase in the floor of the 9 Assembly as well as his bipartisan approach to politics, we do hereby endorse him as our preferred Candidate for the position of speaker. We urge the national leadership of the ruling ,All Progressive Congress APC to rally round his candidature. We believe that party loyalty should be adequately rewarded . Hon Wase has shown commitment to the success of the party defending policies and position of the party and entire nation. Besides, he is humble , easy going , unassuming and a bridge between the executives and the legislature”

In thesame vein , the Arewa youths forum said ” we have followed Hon Wase and have known him for sometime now , his brilliant outing as a deputy Speaker was impressive. We have no doubt in our minds that he has the right experience to lead the 10 house at this auspicious time, we therefore call on Nigerians and the of the All Progressive Congress APC to zone the position of speaker to the North Central and him as the incoming speaker of the house of Representatives “, the statement further stated

10th NASS: Group Calls On APC Stakeholders To Endorse Wase For Speaker.

JOS – Plateau Group, Wase/ Bogghom Development Association Jos Branch has called on the leadership of the ruling Party in Nigeria, the All Progress Congress, the President-Elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the outgoing President Mohammadu Buhari to endorse the aspiration of Ahmed Idris Wase to become the speaker of House of Representatives in the 10th National Assembly.

The Plateau Group made this appeal on Thursday in Jos NUJ Press centre while addressing newsmen on the recent political developments in the country specifically on the zoning of the position of Speakership of the Federal House of Representatives in the 10th Assembly.

Spokesman of the group Bala Mohammed Gar said It is on record that the North Central Zone of this country contributed immensely towards the victory of the APC at the just concluded polls, which Plateau Governor Simon Bako Lalong served as Campaign Director General.

Mohammed Gar hinted that it is equally on record that North Central geo-political zone has never produced a speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, stressing that it is on the
strength of this and in the interest of justice and equity which APC has always been known for and demonstrated that his group is appealing to the leadership of the party (APC) and the authorities concerned to zone the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives to the North Central and specifically endorse the current Deputy Speaker Rt. Hon Ahmed Idris Wase for that position.

“There is no gainsaying the seamless transition would afford the party and nation at large quantity leadership with the emergence of Rt. Hon Ahmed Idris Wase as Speaker, saying his qualities as an astute legislator and loyal party man with a high experience of legislative business is worthy of commendation.”

He reminded his party leadership and party stakeholders that Hon Ahmed Idris Wase began his legislative sojourn in 2007 as a Member representing Wase Federal Constituency under the ACN and was a pioneer House Member of APC post-merger and that since then, he has been elected five times to represent his good people of Wase Federal Constituency at National Assembly, which he said is a testimony to Wase sterling leadership qualities and grassroots mobilization skills.

“In the House of Representatives business Hon Ahmed Wase, was viewed by Pan Nigerians who looked and saw to his appointment as Chairman of the Federal Character Committee twice from 2011 – 2019 and was also the Deputy Majority Leader in the 8th Assembly and currently the Deputy Speaker ECOWAS Parliament.”

He added that Hon Ahmed Idris Wase legislative track records in Bills sponsoring and lobbying to influence projects and personal interventions are too numerous to mention here, saying Wase deserves the backing of his party leadership and stakeholders to achieve his loft aspiration to Provide leadership to House of Representatives in the 10th National Assembly.

“In June 2019 in the 9th Assembly Rt. Hon Ahmed Idris was a leading contender for the position of Speaker but as a faithful party man he bowed to the wishes of his party and ensured the emergence of Rt. Hon Femi Gbajabiamilla as Speaker.

“It is in this light that we call on President Muhammadu Buhari, President-elect Ahmad Bola Tinubu, APC National Chairman Abdullahi Adamu and other party loyalists to endorse Hon Ahmed Wase for Speakership of the 10th Assembly.”

The Plateau Group spokesman equally called on their brothers in the North Central Zone to this national cause and personally en their brothers on the Plateau regardless of party affiliation to this endeavour.”

*PRESS BRIEFING ON ZONING OF SPEAKERSHIP OF THE 10th ASSEMBLY TO NORTH CENTRAL ZONE & RT. HON AHMED IDRIS WASE BE CONSIDERED.*

Our dear gentlemen of the press, fellow Nigerians good morning all.

We stand here before you today as of the Wase Bogghom Development Association Jos Branch to brief you on our position and stand as a concerned association.

Our press briefing has been necessitated by recent political developments in the country and specifically on the zoning of the position of Speakership of the Federal House of Representatives in the 10th Assembly.

It is on record that the North Central Zone of this country has contributed immensely towards the victory of the APC at the just concluded polls, with our amiable Executive Governor His Excellency RT. Hon. Barrister Simon Bako Lalong serving as Campaign DG.
It is equally on record that the zone has never produced a speaker of the Federal House of Representatives.

On the strength of this and in the interest of justice and equity which APC has always been known for and demonstrated we are appealing to the leadership of the party (APC) and the authorities concerned to zone the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives to the North Central and *specifically* endorse the current Deputy Speaker Rt. Hon Ahmed Idris Wase for that position.

There is no gainsaying the seamless transition that would be afforded the party and nation at large with the emergence of Rt. Hon Ahmed Idris Wase as Speaker but we must also appreciate his qualities as an astute legislator and loyal party man with a high experience of legislative business.

Rt. Hon Ahmed Idris Wase began his legislative sojourn in 2007 as a Member representing Wase Federal Constituency under the ACN and was a pioneer House Member of APC post-merger. Since then he has been elected 5 times to represent his good people of Wase Federal Constituency, a testimony to his sterling leadership qualities and grassroots mobilization skills.

In the House of Representatives, business Hon Ahmed Wase was viewed by Pan Nigerians who looked and saw to his appointment as Chairman of the Federal Character Committee twice from 2011 - 2019. He was also the Deputy Majority Leader in the 8th Assembly and is currently the Deputy Speaker ECOWAS Parliament.
His legislative track records in Bills sponsoring and lobbying to influence projects and personal interventions are too numerous to mention here.

In June 2019 in the 9th Assembly Rt. Hon Ahmed Idris was a leading contender for the position of Speaker but as a faithful party man, he bowed to the wishes of his party and ensured the emergence of Rt. Hon Femi Gbajabiamilla as Speaker. It is in this light that we call on President Muhammadu Buhari, President-elect Ahmad Bola Tinubu, APC National Chairman Abdullahi Adamu, and another party loyalist to endorse Hon Ahmed Wase for Speakership of the 10th Assembly.

We would also like to call on our brothers in the North Central Zone to this national cause and personally en our brothers on the Plateau regardless of party affiliation to this endeavor.

We would hereby like to thank our President Muhammad Buhari, President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senate President Ahmed Lawan, Speaker Femi Gbajabiamilla, APC Chairman Abdullahi Adamu, Gov Simon Bako Lalong, APC Leadership, and the party faithful.
Thank you very much.
And
God bless you all.
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Long live Plateau State.

Yusuf calls on APC to Zone Reps Speaker to North Central.

A member representing Okene/Ogori-Magongo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Yusuf Tijani Damisa, has called on the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, to zone the speakership of the House of Representatives to the North Central geo-political zone.

While speaking with one of our correspondents on why he is hell bent that Hon Ahmed Idris Wase becomes the speaker of the 10th House of Representatives against his other colleagues vying for the revered position, Hon. Tijani said his for him is primarily based on character, competence and capacity.

“Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase is an astute politician, a de-tribalized Nigerian, a technocrat per excellence, a team player, a unifier, a man who believes in the ability of humanity irrespective of religion or region, a high ranking legislator full of legislative experience both in Nigeria and beyond, an advocate for peace and peaceful coexistence. He is the most experienced of all other aspirants currently eyeing the seat.”

On the issue of zoning, Tijani said, “In line with the principle of Federal Character enshrined in the constitution, after the presidency in the South West, Vice President in North-East and the senate presidency expected to be zoned to the South-East or the South-South, the next zone to be settled is the North-Central or North-West.

“But looking at the advent of democracy in Nigeria since 1999 till date, the North-West has produced four speakers, namely: Salisu Buhari, Ghali Na’abba, Aminu Masari and Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.

“And again, we cannot take the speaker to the North-East where our Vice President is from or put it in the North-West that has produced four speakers before and now abandoned the current Deputy Speaker who hails from the North-Central, a region that has never occupied that seat; the Deputy Speaker whose shoulder the famed anchor of stability of the 9th House has been resting due to his diligence and loyalty to the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Gbajabiamila and the party, APC.

“If such thing is allowed to happen, by the time a Speaker emerges, where will he be placed? Do you want him to be a floor member, where a whooping number of 300 out of 360 will be stepping into the chamber for the first time ever? No, I don’t think it will be fair enough.”

When asked if his state governor is in of Hon. Wase’s aspiration, he said, “His Excellency, Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello is my leader and great benefactor. Thus, I cannot take such a decision alone without his directive or approval. Of course, he gave his blessings. And as we all know, Governor Yahaya Bello doesn’t mince his word. He is not only courageous but straightforward. And by the grace of God, he will be the most senior governor on May 30 as many other governors will go on May 29. Therefore, he has a significant role to play which he has already started.”

10TH NASS SPEAKERSHIP: WHY WASE IS THE BEST.

There is no doubt that the nation is in dire straits hence the need to get competence, experience and capable hands to drive the process of the renewed hope agenda. this , therefore, means that in as much another sensitive factors are being considered in the sharing of positions, competence, experienced and character much not be sacrificed at the alter of primordial considerations.

Mean while Rt Hon Ahmed Idris Wase is not only the deputy speaker of the house of reps but also the highest ranking lawmaker from north central zone , who was first elected in 2007. in fact because of his experience, it would be appropriate to say that wase Should be accorded the right of 1st refusal.

It can only be proper if takes introspection and sees how best the lawmaker achievements by wase led leadership could be sustained and improved upon. He is one of the most experience of all the returning lawmaker in the house with 16years cognate experience in the parliament holding key positions, wase stands shoulders high.

In his four as a legislative, wase has held chairmanship key committees such as federal character, his experience is indeed not in doubt as he has amassed many ground breaking bills to his credit. one of such bills is the creation of additional orthopedic hospitals in the three of the nation's six geopolitical zones, jos north Central, Benin ,(south_south) and taraba (north east) another one is the federal medical center, wase(establishment)acts.

He was the deputy majority leader in the 8th assembly and is currently the 1st deputy speaker of the ECOWAS parliament. this is not mean feat. as the 1st deputy speaker of ECOWAS parliament,he has been a champion of Nigerians national interest within the broader interest of the west African sub region.

NASS Leadership: Adamu Must Convene NEC Meeting – APC Chieftain

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Rev. Dominic Alancha, has asked the party’s national chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu to convene an emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.

In a letter dated April 15, addressed to Adamu and copied the president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and vice president-elect, Kashim Shettima, the APC chieftain said the meeting has become imperative in view of the “desperate scramble” for the leadership of the 10th National Assembly.

Alancha, a founding member of the APC, said the meeting should discuss the issue of consensuse regarding the zoning of the positions of the presiding officers and other principal officers of the incoming 10th National Assembly.

He said asking any aspirant to shelve his or her ambition at the eleventh hour could result in acrimony and dissension, as witnessed in 2015 during the elections of the 8th National Assembly.

The letter reads in part, “The implication of not coming out early enough with a clear position on our zoning formula is that the various aspirants for the top seats would proceed with their campaigns and lobbying, and might have invested a lot of resources and emotions in the race at the time the party finally reveals its zoning formula.

“If we do not approach the issue of the 10th NASS leadership with wisdom, tact and precision, we may create excuses for some desperate aspirants to forge unholy alliances with the opposition, which could tip the balance of probabilities against our interest.”

10th Nass Speakership,: Five House Of Reps-Elect Root For Wase.

Five out of the eight House of Representatives -elect of the All Progressives Congress(APC) in Ondo State are rooting for Hon Ahmed Idris Wase to emerge Speaker of the 10th Assembly.

A source told The Nation that the remaining three -elect have either optedFive to remain neutral or somebody they believe would provide better leadership irrespective of the zoning formula adopted by the APC.

The source, who allayed fears about a possible hijack of the House leadership by the opposition political parties, said the APC would work hard to ensure preferred leaders emerged.

Others in the race for the Speakership included Chairman House Committee on Appropriation, Muktar Betara; Chairman of, House Committee on Navy, Yusuf Gadgi and Chairman, House Committee on Media and Publicity, Benjamin Kalu.

Another source said the Ondo APC -elect in of Wase would toe the line of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.

It was learnt that some of the first-time lawmakers were making moves to be made Chairmen of Committees that would enable them to deliver returns to their constituents.

According to the source, “We are not too worried about the PDP or other opposition political parties. Our worry is betrayal from our party .

“There is no way we will allow opposition to hijack the leadership of the 10th Assembly. We are working on the opposition lawmakers as they are planning to get at ours.

*10TH NASS SPEAKERSHIP: NORTHERN REGION GROUPS, PLATEAU STATE CHAPTER, DRUMS FOR RT. HON. AHMED IDRIS WASE, URGE GAGDI, OTHERS TO STEP DOWN.

The Northern Region groups, Plateau State chapter, has resolved to drum for Rt. Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase, urged Gagdi, others to step down for the race and the clamour best on his track record and antecedents in the National Assembly.

Therefore, the group drums for Rt. Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase, as Nigeria needs a leader with the capacity, credibility, experience, decipline, and focus, described it as the attribute that stood him out of other candidates.

The group disclosed that the North Central geopolitical zones had often helped for others to produce a speaker of the national assembly, it's high time, equity, fairness and justice for every zone to us.

However, we have shown strength, we have shown commitment, we have shown respect, we have shown honour and this is the time for pay back that Speakership should consider North Central geopolitical zone.

Group also disseminate that the of the group, were people with respect, and adding values, we are not beggars, and we are serious minded people, only that we have decided to Rt. Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase in the 10th National Assembly speakership.

The group said Rt. Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase speakership race would require little or no Campaign, as Nigerians across board are already agitating for him to become the speaker. It is, therefore, political wise to his aspiration.

*Signed:*
*Musa Inusa. Member, ( Groups) North Central for Tinubu/Shettima presidential Campaign Council PCC.

10th Assembly Speakership Race.

Wase is a performer with well-crafted agenda to address the plethora of challenges restraining the House of Representatives from performing optimally as a major institution of Democratic governance.

*10TH NASS SPEAKERSHIP: APC-PCC NORTH CENTRAL STAND FOR RT. HON. AHMED IDRIS WASE, STAND FOR WHAT IS REAL, AND STAND FOR WHAT IS RIGHT~Planman.*

The APC-PCC, North Central stand for Rt. Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase, stand for what is real, and stand for what is right, regardless of who you are, where he come from, your social standing, or economic status, but for those who are fully engaged in the interest of people surround them.

If you stand for something, you will always find some people for you and some people against you, and If you stand for nothing, you will find nobody against you, and nobody for you.

If we don't fight hard enough for the things we stand for, at some point we have to recognize that we don't really stand for them. And In every generation, the world is changed by a few people, who stand for something, and dare to make a difference.

They are the people who care about others, who will extend a helping hand to someone in need or will speak up about an injustice when they see it, and truly, need a clear sense of direction, commitment to something bigger and more important than yourself.

The most fulfilled people in the world are the ones who get up every morning and stand for something larger than themselves with a valuable contribution to the development of the Nation.

*Signed:*
*Musa Inusa. Member, (North Central) group

10TH NASS: CONSIDER EXPERIENCE, CREDIBILITY AS INDICES WHILE VOTING.

The 10th National Assembly Speakership, need Rt. Hon Ahmed Idris Wase as a professional politician with credibility, and experience indices by popular choice as legislator by trust, that shown enough political dexterity to make him one of the most respected political figures in the National Assembly today.

Credible leaders are respectful of others, and to gain that credibility, you must consistently demonstrate respect, honesty, that you have to get up, to make sacrifice and maturity to grow up, because is what holds leaders and followers together.

Therefore, Wase, has builded a national relationship and leadership over a time by maintening focus on consistence, rather than intense, isolated actions to ensure that he always consistent with what he say, and demonstrate what he do, on a daily basis.

Now the most essential quality for leadership is not all perfection but credibility and character, without character, there's no credibility, without credibility, there's no trust, and most of the time leaders are responsible for their actions and for the decisions they make down.

However, we urged the of the National Assembly to choose wisely during the election of the 10th Speaker by electing credible and responsible person into the position, because Nigerians need to articulate their thought and mind to see that only credible and qualified leader will be emerge as the 10th speaker of the National Assembly.

10th Assembly Speakership: Ahmed Idris Wase's Midas Touch of Loyalty and Excellence Should Not Be Foreclose.

2023 General Elections, like many previous elections held in the Nigerian Democratic history, has come and go. The burning anxiety that bedecked the minds of many Nigerians at the moment, is the issue/debate of zoning the principal officers of the National Assembly by the All Progressives Congress - APC, the party that produced the highest number of Senators and of the House of Representatives (MHRs) during the recently concluded polls.

In the House of Representatives, there are many contestants jostling for the plum job, top among them is the current/substantive Deputy Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase, who in 2019 sought for the of his colleagues to be elected as the speaker of the 9th Assembly, but later rescinded his ambition in an attempt to respect the decision of the party that zoned the position of the speaker to the South West sub-region and subsequently endorsed the candidature of Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila as the party's anointed candidate, Hon. Wase was prevailed upon to pursued a t ticket with Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila by the APC power brokers and executives, a development he welcomed without any reservation being a loyal party man and a parliamentarian of inestimable moral rectitude, experience and wisdom, he was nominated and elected unopposed to deputized the speaker of the house in June 2019.

As the pendulum for the 10th Assembly leadership swing continually, APC need to be reminded that Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase stand a better chance of galvanizing the of both the returning and the newly elected of the House of Representatives, he is a unifier whose scintillating disposition has earned him the of many of the house across party lines, religion and regions, he is a true democratic that never allow his personal interest to override the overall interest of the nation.

Hon. Wase is a thorough bred parliamentarian with cognate legislative experience that spanned almost two decades, he is a stabilizing force and a leader that is well respected by all of the house, his interpersonal relationship, legislative prowess and managerial ability are his major selling points, he belongs to the category of that has never derailed from the ideological path of the APC, from 2007 to date, Hon. Wase has consistently serve as a member representing Wase Federal Constituency under the platforms of Action Congress- AC, Action Congress of Action- ACN and All Progressives Congress- APC; he was part of the ACN that merged with the C to formed an alliance that gave birth to the APC in 2014 and since then he has being instrumental to the successful outings of the APC in Plateau state and the country at large.

Hon. Wase's contributions in the floor of the House are always laced with wisdom and experience, whenever he speaks, the rendition in his voice and the seriousness in his submission always stand out, he has sponsored many motions and bills that have direct bearings on the lives of Nigerians among which are, a bill for an act to establish Federal Medical Centre Wase which has since been ed and signed into law by Mr. President, a bill for an act to establish National Orthopaedic Hospital Jos, also ed and signed into law last year among others.

Hon. Wase is a leader with a torch of excellence and ability, his footprints in the constituency he represents are indelible, he has constructed many roads, built schools, hospitals, ICT centres, skills acquisition centres, stadia, palaces, police outposts and many more.

Hon. Wase has ed through many rudiments/ranks in the house that will invariably help him to deliver as the speaker of the 10th Assembly, he was a two term chairman of house standing committee on Federal Character, a deputy majority leader, member of many adhoc and house standing committees and presently the deputy speaker of the house, first deputy speaker of ECOWAS parliament and chairman House of Representatives adhoc committee on constitutional review.

Hon. Wase has consistently remained relevant and instrumental to the successes of the present House of Representatives under the leadership of Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, who has openly showered encomiums and praises on him in countless occasions, one of such eulogies by Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila to the Deputy Speaker is captured in quote "I want to specially thank my brother, Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase for leading the constitutional review process with courage and determination."

For fairness, the APC should therefore, zone the 10th Assembly speakership to the North Central sub-region and endorse Hon. Wase as it's preferred candidate solely for his competence, acceptance, loyalty and to the party right from the beginning; as this can be the only way to reward people that are loyal to the party and has laboured for the growth of the party over the years.

Consequently, by anointing /ing the candidature of the incumbent deputy speaker of the House of Representatives to succeed his boss in the 10th Assembly, APC will be sure of parading a candidate that doesn't need any introduction or reintroduction as he is already a household name in the green chambers and beyond, and has the capacity to maintain a stable house that can add value to the Asiwaju's Presidency and prioritise the interest of the Nigerian populace.

Adamu Adamu
Convener, Wase Media Team

Experience Counts in Choice of 10th House Speaker’.

By Umar Muhammad Puma

President-elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in a statement titled “Nigeria at the Cusp of Renewed Hope,” recently declared that he would rather seek a government of national competence in putting together his cabinet, instead of considering primordial sentiments such as religion.

The president-elect said: “I seek a government of national competence. In selecting my government, I shall not be weighed down by considerations extraneous to ability and performance…Whether your faith leads you to pray in a church or a mosque will not determine your place in government. Character and competence will.”

With the governorship and state House of Assembly elections over, all eyes will be on the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as it settles down to roll out a zoning formula for the presiding and principal officers’ positions in the National Assembly. And in doing so, it is imperative that the party should be guided by the position enunciated by the national leader of the party and president-elect.

There is no doubt that the nation is in dire straits hence the need to get competent, experienced and capable hands to drive the process of the ‘Renewed Hope” agenda.

This, therefore, means that in as much as other sensitive factors are being considered in the sharing of positions, competence, experience and character must not be sacrificed at the altar of primordial considerations.

Of course, looking at the geopolitical zones, one would discover that the North Central has never occupied the position of speaker since the return to civil rule in 1999. The North Central has held the position of the Senate president, deputy Senate president and deputy speaker. And in the just concluded governorship and House of Assembly elections in the North Central, the APC was able to win Benue, Kwara, Nasarawa and Niger.

The party already controls Kogi State and returned massive votes during the presidential and National Assembly elections. So, it is only natural to reward the geopolitical zone with the position of the speaker. Coming down to the North Central, Ahmed Idris Wase (CON) is not only the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives but also the highest-ranking lawmaker from the zone, who was first elected in 2007.

In fact, because of his experience, it would be appropriate to say that Wase should be accorded the right of first refusal. It can only be proper if the APC takes introspection and sees how best the landmark achievements by the Femi Gbajabiamila-led leadership could be sustained and improved upon.

One man who towers above others in this regard is the current deputy speaker. But, does Wase deserve the position? The deputy speaker is one of the most experienced of all the returning lawmakers in the House. With 16 years of cognate experience in the parliament holding key positions, Wase stands shoulders high. In his four as a legislator, Wase has held the chairmanship of key committees such as Federal Character.

As chairman of the Federal Character Committee, Wase’s sense of generosity knew no bounds. He didn’t care about your family background or creed. It is on record that children of the less-privileged in society were able to secure more employment in top MDAs such as the CBN, FIRS, NCC, and NDIC through him, a privilege that used to be reserved only for the children of the elite.

His experience is indeed not in doubt as he has amassed many groundbreaking bills to his credit. One such bill is the creation of additional National Orthopaedic Hospitals in three of the nation’s six geopolitical zones (Jos, North Central), Benin, South-south) and Taraba (Northeast). Another one is the Federal Medical Centre, Wase (Establishment) Act.

He was deputy majority leader in the 8th Assembly and is currently the first deputy speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament. This is no mean feat. As the first deputy speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, he has been a champion of Nigeria’s national interest within the broader interest of the West African sub-region.

Last year, when there were concerns about the recruitment process at the regional parliament, which tended to have undermined Nigeria’s leading role in the body, Wase stood his ground in the fight to place Nigeria in its rightful place.

As the chairman of the Adhoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, Wase achieved uncommon milestones as the president has just assented to some of the bills ed in the amendment of the constitution. Some of these assented bills will promote true federalism, devolution of powers from the centre to the states and the strengthening of government institutions.

As the chair of the House Committee of the Whole, Wase has been very key to the age of critical bills and his efforts towards the successful age of the Petroleum Industry Bill (now PIA) and the new Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), for ease of doing business, cannot be erased.

It is axiomatic that Deputy Speaker Hon Ahmed Idris Wase is a party man to the core and who, following in the steps of the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has never defected or changed parties. He started with the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) until the party collapsed into the APC in 2014. He has remained consistent to date. One thing the party must not lose sight of is Wase’s humility and loyalty to the party’s decisions.

Recalled in the build-up to the election of the speaker in 2019, Wase as a loyal party man obeyed his party’s zoning formula and stepped down for the candidate of the party, Femi Gbajabiamila despite the overwhelming he enjoyed from his colleagues.

This popularity was confirmed when he was subsequently elected unopposed as deputy speaker. Four years after such a huge sacrifice, he’s on the threshold of the speakership race again. Up till today, his popularity is still intact.

Most significantly, Wase is a reliable team player and a humble man. It will be recalled that Wase and Gbajabiamila have been working together since 2017 when he deputised the speaker, who was then the House Leader. The duo never had any issues up to the end of the 8th Assembly. In the 9th Assembly, as deputy speaker, he has maintained a cordial working relationship with the speaker.

In almost four years, there has never been any conflict between the two presiding officers. This has created an ambience of peace and tranquillity in the lower chamber. In fact, Wase’s stabilizing effect in the chamber is unequalled.

There is no doubt that he is a hard and relentless worker. He is recorded to be the deputy speaker with the highest number of sessions chaired and the highest number of reports considered in the history of the House of Representatives.

A highly principled and respected man, who believes in equity, fairness and justice in resource allocation and distribution, Wase has over the years developed a reputation amongst colleagues and non-colleagues alike of being a very generous Legislator who freely gives his time and resources for the benefit of all.

The deputy speaker is known for his persistent and unrelenting quest to pursue the interest and welfare of fellow .

Flowing from these, the party will do itself and Nigerians a big favour by zoning the position of the speaker to the North Central and thereafter endorsing the candidature of Ahmed Idris Wase as the speaker of the 10th House of Representatives. What is good for the goose is good for the gander.

•Umar Muhammad Puma is the Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.

*Wase a Perfect Fit as Next Speaker, Says Group*

Abuja, April 2, 2023.

A group known as the PL-25: Twenty-five APC Progressive Leaders have said that the speaker of the incoming 10th National Assembly must be a team player who will build on Femi Gbajabiamila's achievements.

Mr Lekan Ogunleke, Secretary of the group said this while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja, stressing that the composition of the 10th National Assembly would be completely different.

He added that the next speaker must have the ability to carry all house along in spite of the political divide, especially because a lot of first-timers would be coming into the house.

Ogunleke added that a perfect team player and an experienced leader would therefore be needed as house speaker to ensure stability and good leadership.

He noted that Alhaji Ahmed Wase, the current Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives would be a perfect fit as the country's next speaker because of his long legislative experience.

Ogunleke said the PL-25 formed in 2019 to promote the ethos and values of the progressive party was committed to good governance, charity, philanthropy, progressivism, egalitarian society and due process.

Mr Ade Omole, a member of the group who also spoke to NAN, said the just concluded elections showed that power had returned to the people.

He added that the introduction of the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) by INEC became the game-changer in the Presidential and National Assembly elections as it returned power to the people.

This, Omole said, was because the device has made rigging nearly impossible during the elections.

He noted that there were surprises at the polls and the bookmakers got their permutations wrong following major upsets and earthquakes that characterised the election.

"Even the APC lost Lagos State which is one of its strongholds to the Labour Party which had never happened in the country's political history.

"Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, APC National Chairman also lost his senatorial zone to the Social Democratic Party’s candidate, Ahmed Wadada who emerged the winner of the Nasarawa South Senatorial District election.

“At least seven outgoing Governors could not win the election in their bid to cross over to the Senate after their second term as Governors," he said.

Omole noted that Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State also lost Enugu North Senatorial District to Labour Party’s Okechukwu Ezea, while Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu equally lost.

He added that all this would certainly play up at the 10th Assembly as many first-timers and new lawmakers would be coming in, saying that a strong match with great legislative experience would therefore be needed as speaker.

He described Wade as a fine gentleman with unparalleled legislative experience that could perfectly fit into that position, saying there was no need to look further.

Omole noted that the success of every democracy rested on the quality of the parliament which underscores the need to always have in place a team player as the head.

Also speaking, Dr Wole Aboderin, a member of the group said what the country needed at this point in time, was a stabilizer, a go-getter and a team player.

He added that while Sen. Bola Tinubu, the President-elect had proved himself as a man with the capacity and ability to turn things around for good while he was governor of Lagos State for two , he needed a speaker with experience to work with.

Mr Ajibola Akindele, another member of the group said looking at the performance of some key political players in the country, Wase stood out as a man with great capacity and legislative experience.

He noted that Wase had contributed immensely in giving shape and life to the country's legislature since the birth of democracy in 1999.

Akindele added that in spite of challenges, Nigeria's parliament remained one of the best in the comity of democracies around the world.

"The quality of the legislature determines the direction all government policies go and are implemented because besides making laws, the legislature oversights the execution of the laws.

"And because of these critical constitutional roles, the legislature has provided a solid foundation to the pillars that hold democracy everywhere it is practised.

Akindele noted that Wase was a household name on the Plateau and in the politics of the state and within the legislative community in the country.

He further noted that since 2007, Wase had remained a force to reckon with in the country's legislative scheme and the world generally.

"He is not just the Deputy Speaker in Nigeria's House of Representatives, but also the Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS parliament.

"He is today, one of the finest legislators that have built experience and a wall of solid political friendship with other political players across the country's six geopolitical zones," he said.

(NAN)

10th Speakership Race; NMCYC Commends Gov, Sule for Endorses Wase.

Northern Muslims and Christians Youth Coalition ( NMCYC), have commended Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule, for endorsing, Hon. Hon Ahmed Idris Wase for the Speakership Job of the 10th assembly.

This was contained in a latter addressed to the Gov. Sule, signed by Mallam Yahaya Ali Ali and EVANG. Ibrahim Aliyu Co- Chaimen respectively.

" Our attention was drawn on a series media publication both in print and electronics on your executive decision not only endorsed, Hon. Wase but availed yourself to champion his campaign team for the Speakership position. Latter.

In view of the above we tly write as coalition of Northern Muslims and Christians Youth organisation to express our profound appreciation for your and commitments towards ensuring the success of, Hon. Wase as the 10th speaker of house of representatives. The latter continued.

" The aspiration of, Hon. Wase is not far from his wealth of experience in the lawmaking process of this country henced there is a need for all to him.

" This Coalition NMCYC has issued release which collaborated with you position (Sule's), regards to whom to be the next speaker of, national assembly should be best on merit and experience to pilot the affairs of the 10th assembly with hitches. According to the latter.

10th National Assembly Leadership: Competence, Character, Experience or Regionalism?

By Rev. Dominic Alancha

The Federal Legislature is the major crucible where the laws guiding our corporate existence as a nation are enacted. It’s at the National Assembly that we have the highest convergence of elected public officials in Nigeria; making it undoubtedly the key fulcrum of our democracy. Practically every ethnic group and tribe in the country is duly represented at the Federal Parliament.

Interestingly, all the parliamentarians in a particular Chamber are regarded as equals. Therefore by composition and function, the National Assembly as an institution is duly reflective of the Federal Character Principle. However, it’s imperative to delineate functions amongst the various Senators and of the House of Reps to foster harmony, coordination, efficiency and focus; necessitating the election of Principal Officers, with the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House designated primus inter pares, in other words, first amongst equals.

From the foregoing, what should constitute the basis for determining the Principal Officers of the National Assembly, particularly the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Reps? Should our legislators latch onto the primordial sentiments of religion, ethnicity and regionalism in electing the leaders amongst themselves, or should they consider the competence, experience and capacity of the individual lawmakers jostling for the top positions?

Notwithstanding the equality status enjoyed by all of a particular Chamber of the National Assembly, not all the parliamentarians are truly equal in of their educational qualifications, pedigree, competence, experience and capacity. Hence, it is absolutely important that only the most eligible contenders are elevated to the prime positions of Senate President and Speaker, as only then can they command the loyalty and respect of their fellow lawmakers, as well as the Executive, the Nigerian public and the international community, which is indispensable if they must discharge their functions effectively.

This piece intends to highlight the credentials of Rt. Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase, the current Deputy Speaker, who was recently re-elected to the House. He is undisputedly a foremost contender for the position of Speaker in the 10th National Assembly, having previously indicated interest for the position in the 9th National Assembly before stepping down for the current Speaker, in deference to the resolve of his political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

A consummate civil engineer, public servant, unionist and alumnus of the prestigious Kennedy School of Government at the Harvard University, U.S.A., Rt. Hon. Wase is arguably the highest ranking serving House of Reps Member that would be returning to the 10th National Assembly. He was first elected into the Green Chamber to represent Wase Federal Constituency in 2007, on the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). He is presently serving his fourth consecutive term as a Member of the House, and billed to return for his fifth term.

With hundreds of relevant Bills and Motions to his credit, Rt. Hon. Wase enjoys the untrammelled respect and iration of his entire colleagues.

They fondly christened him the “Stabilizer,” in view of his rare comportment, maturity and tact in speech and conduct. These qualities are essential for the holder of the position of Speaker, as it means that he can easily rally his colleagues to a common cause, which would no doubt be in the overall best interest of the nation.

Born 1st of June, 1964 in Plateau State, Rt. Hon. Hon Ahmed Idris Wase attended the Plateau State Polytechnic, where he obtained an OND in Civil Engineering in 1986, and subsequently the Kaduna State Polytechnic for his HND in Civil Engineering in 1995. He further bagged an Executive Certificate in 2016, following the completion of a course in Strategic Governance at the Harvard University, U.S.A.

The current Deputy Speaker unleashed his innate disposition as an activist/unionist at the Kaduna State Polytechnic, where he served as the President, Civil Engineering Students Association (KADPOLY Branch) between 1994 and 1995; and concurrently as the Director of Organization for the Gamji Memorial Club, Kaduna Polytechnic Branch.

Before his expedition into partisan politics, Rt. Hon. Wase worked with the Bauchi State Ministry of Environment, between 1988 and 2002, rising steadily through the ranks from a Technical Assistant to attain the position of Acting Director of Works, and subsequently Acting Director of Physical Planning. He equally served as a Non-Academic Staff of the College of Education, Gindiri, between 1996 -2005 where he held the position of the Chairman, Non-Academic Staff Union between 1989 and 1994; serving concurrently as the Chairman, Senior Staff Welfare Committee from 1990 to 1993. He was eventually elected Chairman, t Academic & Non-Academic Staff Union of the entire tertiary institutions in Plateau State from 1992 to 1994.

His sterling pedigree as an activist/unionist stood him out as a frontline advocate for the masses and of the working class. Hence, Rt. Hon. Wase was appointed as the Executive Secretary of Plateau State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board from 2005 to 2006.

Following his successful first term at the House of Reps, Rt. Hon. Wase was re-elected in 2015 on the same dais of the defunct ACN, and subsequently in 2015 and 2019 respectively on the platform of the APC. As a clear testament to his astuteness, popularity and acceptability in the House, Hon. Wase was elected UNOPPOSED as Deputy Speaker in 2019. It’s on record that he is the Deputy Speaker with the highest number of Chaired Sessions, and highest number of Reports considered, in the entire history of the Nigerian House of Representatives.

As the Deputy Speaker of the 9th Assembly, Rt. Hon. Wase sponsored several bills targeted at improving access to healthcare in different geopolitical zones of the country. He championed the establishment of Orthopaedic Hospitals in each of the Six Geopolitical Zones by amending the Orthopaedic Hospitals Management Board Act to create 3 additional Orthopaedic Hospitals in geopolitical zones that previously had none, viz: Edo (South South), Jos (North Central) and Jalingo (North East). The Deputy Speaker also sponsored a Bill for an Act to Establish a Federal Medical Centre at Wase, Plateau State, to promote access to quality and affordable healthcare services for his people.

Furthermore, as Deputy Speaker and Chairman of the Committee of the Whole, Rt. Hon. Ahmed Idris galvanized popular for the age of the Companies and Allied Matters (Repeal and Re-enactment) Act, 2020; and the Petroleum Industry Act, 2020 – two critical Acts that became the cornerstones of the Buhari istration with respect to the national economy.

As the Chairman of the House Committee on Constitution Review, Rt. Hon. Wase championed several constitutional amendments that were meant to entrench true federalism; establish local government autonomy; grant financial autonomy to state legislatures and the Judiciary; ensure devolution of powers from the Centre to the States; allocate special quota of political offices to women and several other far-reaching amendments. On 17th March 2023, President Muhammadu Buhari signed 16 of the 35 amendment bills into Law; making it an unprecedented achievement for the Wase-led Ad hoc Constitution Review Committee of the 9th National Assembly.

Rt. Hon. Idris was appointed in 2015 as a Member of the Governing Board, National Institute of Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) and in June 2018, as the Regional Representative for West Africa to serve on the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (A) International.

In 2017, Rt. Hon. Wase was appointed through popular as the Deputy House Leader, to replace the late Buba Jubril who ed on in June of the same year. In the first few weeks of his appointment, he led the debate over 5 Executive Bills, including:

DEEP OFFSHORE AND INLAND BASIN PRODUCTION SHARING CONTRACTS (AMENDMENT) BILL 2018 intended to plug leakages in Government revenue streams and ensure that FG maximizes sufficient royalties from Production Sharing Contracts between NNPC and International Oil Companies.

COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990 CAP C.20, LFN 2004 (REPEAL AND RE-ENACTMENT) BILL 2018; a revolutionary bill intended to totally overhaul Nigeria’s corporate regime and promote ease of doing business.

NIGERIAN MINERALS AND MINING BILL 2018, meant to reorganize the Nigerian Mining Industry to effectively develop and harness mining potentials in Nigeria in line with global best practices.

In August 2016, our Deputy Speaker was selected as a member of the FG Delegation to the 89th Session of the United Nations General Assembly held in New York. He was also elected as 1st Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament in 2019, a position he used to defend and promote the strategic interests of Nigeria within the ECOWAS sub region.

Indeed, it is a herculean task to summarize the stellar pedigree of Rt. Hon. Wase, a man who has undoubtedly brought good governance and quality representation to bear in impacting positively on the lives of not only his immediate constituents, but all Nigerians. However, the aforementioned should suffice to project him as the very best material for the position of Speaker of the 10th House of Reps.

*Dominic Alancha is a Social and Political Commentator*

Gombe State has huge potential that is yet to be fully realized. The State is at a point of strength with a rapidly expanding economy, improving infrastructure and institutions, a large number of young people, growing digital connectivity, a stronger standing in the national arena, and continuing inherent geographical and environmental advantages. These positive developments and advantages provide a sound basis for future prosperity. The Plan builds upon these strengths to expand the development frontier to further transform Gombe.

We welcome you to the Summit to learn about multibillion-dollar investment opportunities in 11 thriving sectors in an economy that is competitive and driving the North East into Economic recovery.

The Summit will be attended by over 3000 participants including key players and investors from the private sector, government officials, thought leaders and policy experts.

Investors, financiers, FDI intermediaries and companies interested in doing business with Gombe are invited to participate and benefit from Investment Projects Ready to Offer (IPRO), Public Private Partnership (PPP) Projects, as well as opportunities for Business to Business and Business to Government meetings.

His Excellency- Mohammed Inuwa Yahaya will host a high-level closed-door pitching meeting meeting to fast-track new investment leads and promote the Gombe as a preferred investment destination as well as facilitate engagements between potential investors and the state’s entities.

Gombe State Development Pillars
• The Development Pillar - An inclusive economy that creates income and employment opportunities
• The Infrastructure Development Pillar - A sustainable infrastructure that improves living standards and catalyses economic growth and development
• The Social Development and Welfare Pillar - An educated, productive skilled, enterprising, healthy and secure citizen
• The Sustainable Environment Pillar - A clean, green, healthy and sustainable environment
• Governance, istration and Institutional Capacity Pillar - Setting out the principles that underpin for good governance
• Through collaborative efforts with all State Ministries, Departments and Agencies, the state has taken steps in the design and implementation of innovative investment policies and strategies that will enhance the competitiveness of the State. This event will promote the State in the National and international market place to attract domestic and foreign direct investment with a view to exploiting the vast potentials in the State.

Reasons to invest
• PERFECTLY LOCATED in the centre of the North East offering excellent access to the nineteen states of Northern Nigeria.
• Effective Governance – Despite security challenges in the North East, Gombe state government committed to making the state the safest haven for investors by implementing sound policies. This is seen in the state's NUMBER 1 ranking as the best place to do business.
• Skilled Workforce - The availability of educational and training institutions, as well as the government's purposeful attempt to have a pool of skilled labor force for the industries, contribute to the young population.
• Gateway to Northern Nigerian Market - A BETTER BRIDGE across Nigeria's 19 northern states, resulting in a more efficient and cost-effective outlet to key markets, with access to over 100 million clients.
• Efficient Land Management System - With its efficient land management agency GOGIS, it provides efficient access to land information. The land acquisition procedure is accelerated, making it more convenient. Aids in the identification of the best sites and locations for your company.
• Raw materials availability – Gombe offers large agricultural land that is suitable for various types of agriculture, as well as substantial mineral resources that are ready to be exploited.
• Favourable Market Access to Global Markets - The African Continental Free Trade Area will boost intra-Africa trade and create a market that will unlock industrial development. The state new Agro-Industrial Park being developed in the step is a step towards providing a platform for investors into global markets.
• Hot Emerging Market – Gombe is a strategically situated and promising emerging location. The state boasts a wealth of natural resources, world-class infrastructure and for a potentially established manufacturing base.

• No 1 EODB Ranking even during the Pandemic - A breakdown of the results showed that out of an average of Infrastructure and Security, Gombe scored 5.86 in Electricity, 5.86 in Transportation, Primary Healthcare 7.50 and Security, 7.99, with an average score of 6.80. In Transparency and Access to Information, the state scored 9.35 in Investment Promotion and 8.69 in State Information Structures, with an average score of 9.02. In the regulatory environment, it scored 5.75 in paying taxes, 8.21 in Starting a Business, 6.44 in Enforcing Contracts and 7.64 in Land, Property Acquisition and Development. Its average was 7.01. Lastly, in Skill and Labour, Gombe scored 7.94 in Technical and Professional Skills. The cumulative average of the state was 7.69, shooting it to the top of the list of states with the best enabling environment for doing business in the country.

Key themes during the summit
• Industrialization
Investors must manage the existing pandemic-hit environment, while forging strategies for post-pandemic growth. Explore the key elements of the Agro-industrial Park being developed to facilitate economic growth in Gombe.

• ESG and Investment
How can we help Investors integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) norms into investment decision-making?

• Strategies for Gombe
In Gombe’s changing business environment, what are the best strategies for Investors to mitigate risk and take advantage of the opportunities in Gombe?

• Strategies for a Green Economy in Gombe
Key questions the summit will provide answers for include - How can sustainability become the competitive advantage for the Nigeria as a whole? How can the strategies and activities of the state underpin that theme? How can the state navigate a post-pandemic investment landscape? How can the North Eastern states boost each other? And certainly, what do investors themselves think?

The Muhammadu Buhari Industrial Park- One of the highlights of the Investment Summit.
About: The Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya istration has commenced construction works at the 1,000ha Muhammadu Buhari Industrial Park, Dadin Kowa in Yamaltu Deba for the purpose of fast-tracking industrial development in the state.
Aim: To create a manufacturing and industrial processing hub at the heart of the North-East Geopolitical Zone by providing an enabling environmental and necessary infrastructure for the establishment of small, medium and largescale manufacturing, processing and service companies.
The park will tap from the following comparative advantages that Gombe State has to become an industrial powerhouse in the area:
✓ Location in the centre of the northeast
✓ Relative peace and security to guarantee good return for investment
✓ Availability of raw materials for manufacturing and processing
✓ Extensive transportation network and facilities that link to all locations in the country and beyond
✓ Availability of energy and water sources
✓ Young and relatively skilled population

Size: The Industrial Park will occupy a land area of 1,000 hectares
Expected benefits:
✓ 10,000 direct jobs
✓ 100,000 indirect jobs
✓ Local economic growth
✓ Reduction in the cost of providing infrastructure to small industrial clusters
✓ Reduction in environmental and social impacts of industrialisation
Capacity
✓ 10 mega factories
✓ Several small and medium industries