Zamfara State House of Assembly, at its plenary session on Wenesday, officially reinstated the suspended member representing Talata Mafara North Constituency, Hon. Shamsudeen Hassan Basko, following the submission and acceptance of his written letter of apology to the House.

This was contained in a statement issued by the chief press secretary of the House Speaker, Comrade Bello Madaro and made available to newsmen in Gusau, the State capital.

The Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Bilyaminu Ismail Moriki, while reading the contents of the apology letter during plenary, sought the collective consent of the members present, who unanimously resolved in favour of lifting the suspension placed on Hon. Basko.

The Speaker emphasized that the House remains open to receiving similar expressions of contrition from the remaining seven suspended members, to facilitate their reinstatement and foster unity in the legislative arm.

Several members contributed to the debate on the floor in support of the reinstatement, including Hon. Nura Dahiru Sabon Birni Birnin Magaji, Hon. Kabiru Mikailu Dangulbi (Maru South), and Hon. Rilwanu Marafa Nagambo Anka.

They collectively welcomed Hon. Basko’s return to the House and encouraged the other suspended colleagues to emulate the gesture in the interest of legislative harmony and the socio-political development of their respective constituencies and the state at large.

In his brief remark, Hon. Shamsudeen Basko expressed gratitude to the House for the opportunity to return and pledged his commitment to the legislative ethics and discipline of the Assembly.

He further assured the Honourable members of his resolve to distance himself from any group or influence that seeks to undermine the integrity and authority of the House.

Recall that on 26th February 2024, the House, through a motion moved by the Majority Leader, Hon. Bello Mazawaje, PDP Tsafe East, suspended eight members for acts deemed to be in violation of the Standing Orders of the Assembly (Order 10, Rule 9).

The motion cited actions, including forceful entry into the offices of the Clerk and the Sergeant-at-Arms, unlawful sitting, obstruction of legislative processes, and conduct unbecoming of Honourable Members, as grounds for the disciplinary measure.

The Donald Trump administration could shut down nearly 30 United States embassies and consulates across the world, including some in Africa, as part of a his reforms to cut cost and reduce the country’s diplomatic foreign presence.

A CNN report on Wednesday, citing an internal US State Department document, states that the embassies in the Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Lesotho, and South Sudan are among those proposed for closure, the Punch had reported.

A US consulate in South Africa may also be shut down.

“The document recommends closing 10 embassies and 17 consulates. Many of the posts are in Europe and Africa, though they also include locations in Asia and the Caribbean.

These include embassies in Malta, Luxembourg, Lesotho, the Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, and South Sudan.

According to the report,“The list also includes five consulates in France, two in Germany, two in Bosnia and Herzegovina, one in the United Kingdom, one in South Africa, and one in South Korea,”

The proposal is part of a broader effort by the Trump-led government, reportedly influenced by the Elon Musk-backed Department of Government Efficiency to drastically reduce the size and spending of federal agencies, including the State Department.

The internal document also suggests reducing the US presence in countries such as Somalia and Iraq, which have been central to America’s counterterrorism efforts.

There has been no official confirmation that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has approved the proposal, and a spokesperson for the department declined to comment on the leaked document.

Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has expressed concerns that the progress of work has stalled on the Umuahia to Enugu section of the railway corridor.

The projects, he said, were scheduled for completion by the first quarter of last year but have remained stalled.

Otti raised the concern during a meeting with the new Managing Director of the Nigeria Railway Corporation, NRC, Kayode Opeifa, and the NRC team.

He expressed confidence that, under the new Managing Director, the trajectory of NRC work would bring the much-needed speed and quality to the railway projects across the nation, especially the South-East corridor.

Governor Otti, who described transportation as a key sector for economic development and national growth, reiterated his administration’s commitment to transforming the transport sector, which includes ongoing efforts to modernize the transport system in the state.

“The speed with which the other parts of the corridor were executed and the speed at which the execution is happening right now are different, but I am sure you’ll change the trajectory very soon,” Otti said.

On concerns raised about the security of NRC assets in Aba, Governor Otti assured that he would look into the issue and provide the necessary support, including logistics, emphasizing that his government does not discriminate between federal and state projects.

Speaking earlier, the Managing Director of the Nigeria Railway Corporation, Kayode Opeifa, disclosed that the meeting was to deepen discussions and plans on how best to revive the Aba-Umuaahia rail line, adding that their mandate is to ensure that all major cities in the South-East are connected to the national rail line.