Party approves sale of nomination form

The committee also asked the National Assembly to expedite action on the minimum wage bill to avert further national strike by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC).

The National Executive Committee of the National Movement of Progressive Party (NMPP) has approved the sale of its presidential nomination form for N1.5 million.

It also fixed the forms for the governorship election at N1million; Senate N800,000; House of Representatives, N500,000; and state houses of assembly N200,000. Lawrence Atuana, the party’s National Chairman, who announced this in Abuja yesterday, said that female aspirants are exempted from the fees as a way of encouraging them to vie for elective positions in the country. He stated that the committee, which met on Tuesday, urged eligible Nigerians to participate in the January 2011 voters’ registration as “power resides with the people”. “The outcome of the elections must reflect the wish of the electorate,” he said.

More requests

The committee also asked the National Assembly to expedite action on the minimum wage bill to avert further national strike by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC). It, however, expressed dismay that the National Assembly members have applied delay tactic in handling crucial national issues and bills, contrary to the lightening speed in which they pass bills affecting them including their jumbo pay that made them the highest paid legislators in the world. The committee also called on the federal government to review and increase the pension being paid to the nation’s senior citizens who had served the country. “The recent screening of pensioners in the country showed the extent the government has neglected these retired civil servants.”

It also frowned at the rate of poverty in the country in the midst of abundance, and urged various governments to take steps to alleviate the sufferings of the citizenry in accordance with section 14 (2)b of the 1999 Constitution as amended which provides; “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.” It also condemned the high rate of corruption in the country and urged the anti-corruption to intensify efforts with the view to “arresting and prosecuting those who looted our common patrimony and use the ill-gotten wealth to oppress the masses.
Source:http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/5643582-147/party_approves_sale_of_nomination_form.csp