Nigerian Bulletin » Speaker of the House of Representatives Dimeji Bankole

Bankole, Nafada deny buying bulletproof cars – Daily Trust

Bunmi Awolusi — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:18:54 +0000

Speaker of the House of Representatives Dimeji Bankole and his deputy Usman Bayero Nafada yesterday denied allegation that they bought 18 bulletproof vehicles.

A national daily alleged the duo purchased the vehicles for their offices use.A statement by the Speaker’s Special Adviser on Media Mr Ebomhiana Musa said the publication was an attempt to smear their image.

“We wish to state unequivocally that there is no iota of truth in the story, rather it was a figment of imagination of the writers.

“The story was nothing but a rehash of a story published by two Lagos based newspapers on November 2, 2008 over a year ago and the House, through Hon. Ita Enang, the chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business on the same day addressed a press conference refuting the story as baseless.

“The rebuttal was promptly published and aired on Monday November 3, 2008. Interestingly, this same medium that allowed it pages to be used now for this story published the rebuttal as other media houses.

“We have therefore come to the conclusion that the story is a plot calculated to damage the image of Rt.Hon Bankole and pull him down from his exalted position. Or how else would one describe the action of this medium which pride itself as the oldest surviving privately owned newspapers allowing it pages to be utilized for such a plot.”

Bankole threatens to sack c’ttee chairs – Daily Trust

Bunmi Awolusi — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:30:44 +0000

Speaker of the House of Representatives Dimeji Bankole yesterday threatened to sack committee chairmen who have failed to turn in reports on the bills for which public hearings have been conducted.

He made the threat at the commencement of yesterday’s plenary session, saying they have one week to do so or lose their positions.

He said: “Committee Chairmen who have failed to make reports on the bills financed over seven months ago have until next week to do so. Sanction has been recommended by the leadership, and they may be relieved of their duties”

According to him, the relevant committees which have a total of 55 Bills on which funds have been released in the ongoing session to conduct public hearing also have until November, 2009 to complete their assignments.

NPAN, NUJ, others condemn The Guardian man Ohu’s murder – The Nation

Bunmi Awolusi — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 09:21:14 +0000

Newspaper proprietors yesterday condemned Sunday’s killing of The Guardian reporter Bayo Ohu, describing it as “another sad page on what has become a regular diary of violent crimes”.

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) urged the Lagos State government to set up a corner’s inquest into Ohu’s death.

Beside, it sent a protest letter to the Inspector-General of Police (IG) Ogbonna Onovo over the incident.

Speaker of the House of Representatives Dimeji Bankole, Kwara State Governor Bukola Saraki, his Abia and Delta states counterparts Chief Theodore Orji and Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, said the incident was disturbing.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Senator Smart Adeyemi, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly Adeyemi Ikuforiji, Methodist Church of Nigeria, the Ebonyi State Council of the NUJ, Publisher of the defunct Third Eye newspaper Chief Akani Aluko and a socio-political pressure group in Ekiti State, the Patriotic Front, have also condemned the incident.