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Tag: Senate

Senate to summon Ngige over unemployment rate

The Senate on Tuesday resolved to invite the Minister of Labour and Employment to provide insight into government’s roadmap towards tackling unemployment in the country.

This followed a motion by Sen. Duro Faseyi (PDP-Ekiti), who called on the President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency on unemployment with a view to confront the challenge “frontally and radically”.

“The economic recession which has hit the country would integrally multiply the level of unemployment in the country as more companies have started considering downsizing in order to cut cost and optimise profit,” he said.

Faseyi lamented that the unemployment figure in the country had created social tension and crisis in the society, which was evident in cases of kidnapping and insurgency.

He advised that urgent and results-oriented steps should be taken to tackle the “unpalatable unemployment” situation in the country.

Supporting the motion, Sen. Sabi Abdullahi (APC-Niger) said that the time was ripe for the National Assembly to proffer solution to unemployment in the country.

“There is no better time than now, especially as we are moving towards next year’s budget proposal.

“The policy intent of government with respect to unemployment is not unambiguous because government has accepted that the unemployment rate is something to worry about,” Abdullahi said.

He said that what was worrisome was the issue of translating policy intent into programmes and actions that would address the issue of unemployment.

“The Committee on Labour and Employment was on oversight just last week.

“It was revealed that the National Directorate for Employment has very innovative programmes that cut across various sectors in various locations across the federation.

“In the budget of N1.8 billion, as at November, they were only given N74 million, yet it is expected that from the programmes they have, they are expected to train youths and various interest groups.

“This would enable the youths to begin to do something by way of employing themselves or even creating small and micro enterprises where they can employ one or two persons,” he said.

The lawmaker urged members of the senate to find a yardstick in determining how much the Ministry of Labour and Employment would receive to tackle unemployment. (NAN)

After debate on the motion, the lawmakers adopted it with a resolution to invite Labour Minister for some explanation.

The Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided at the plenary, directed the Clerk of the Senate to invite the minister.

November 8, 2016
Activists to Senate: confirm Magu as EFCC chairman

Anti-corruption groups yesterday urged the Senate to expedite action on the confirmation of Ibrahim Magu as Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

President Muhammadu Buhari’s letter for Magu’s confirmation is before the Senate.

According to the coalition, Magu’s confirmation will give the anti-corruption fight the impetus to sustain President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration’s agenda to curtail impunity in governance.

Having a substantive chairman for EFCC will be in compliance with Article 6(2) of the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) of which Nigeria is a signatory, they added.

The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders(CACOL); the Civil Society Network Against Corruption(CSNAC); Social-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP); Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ); Network on Police Reform in Nigeria(NOPRIN); Publish What You Pay(PWYP) Nigeria and the Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA), authorised the statement signed by Debo Adeniran(CACOL); Lanre Suraju (CSNAC); Adetokunbo Mumuni (SERAP); David Ugolor (ANEEJ); Okey Nwanguma (NOPRIN); Faith Nwadishi (PWYP) and Oluajo Babatunde (CTA).

The groups said: “ “This delay by the Senate sends a wrong signal of deliberate attempt by the Senate to frustrate the anti-corruption fight or at best, exert political pressure on the EFCC and force it into some compromise with the Senate.

“Having reconvened from recess almost two months ago, the group therefore calls on the Senate to treat Mr. Magu’s confirmation as substantive executive chairman of the EFCC as a matter of top priority and of urgent national interest.

“We also call on President Buhari to use the ongoing second review mechanism of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption(UNCAC), which Nigeria is undergoing to send a strong message to the international community that Nigeria is genuinely committed to the fight against corruption.”

They said Magu is qualified to lead the anti-graft commission.

They said: “Section 2 of the EFCC Act says ‘there shall be a chairman who shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the commission, and who shall not be below the rank of an Assistant Commissioner of police. He is to be saddled with the responsibility of running the anti-crime commission.

“The groups verily believe that Mr. Magu, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, meets and exceeds this requirement, and therefore his confirmation as EFCC Chairman without further delay will give the anti-corruption fight the boost it needs to end the culture of impunity and systemic corruption in Nigeria.”

The groups explained why the confirmation of Magu was necessary at this critical time.

The statement added: The security of tenure for the leadership of the anti-corruption agencies saddled with the task of tackling the debilitating effects of corruption is a globally recognized principle for guaranteeing the independence of anti-corruption agencies.

“ Fighting corruption without the basic guarantee of security of tenure for the head of anti-corruption agencies as has become the trend in the recent past in Nigeria is one of the major limitations of the fight against the scourge of corruption in Nigeria and the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has a duty to reverse this trend.

“The guarantee of security of tenure of anti-corruption agencies officials is at the root of the independence, effective functioning and freedom from undue influence of anti-corruption agencies as prescribed by Article 6(2) of the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) of which Nigeria is a signatory.

“Anything short of such a guarantee renders the fight against corruption ineffectual, susceptible to political manipulation and compromises the independence of the anti-corruption agencies.”

They said Magu deserves to be confirmed because he has changed the face of anti-graft war in the country.

The statement added: “The EFCC has of late stepped up the fight against acts of corruption and abuse of public trust as exemplified in the tracking of those remotely and directly connected with the misapplication of monies meant to fight Boko Haram insurgency.

“The commission has also ensured the confiscation of the properties suspected to have been acquired from proceeds of crime linked to politically-exposed persons as well as the investigation and prosecution of alleged owners.

“Lack of a substantive head with a secured tenure has been a major set back in all these efforts.”

November 7, 2016
Senate threatens to revoke port concession agreement with defaulters

The Senate Committee on Marine Transport warned Friday that it would revoke the port concession agreement with any terminal operator that fails to keep its own side of the agreement.

Committee Chairman Ahmed Yerima said at the end of a five-day oversight supervision by the committee at Western and Eastern ports that some of the concessionaires had refused to perform their obligations.

He said the concession agreement should be reviewed every two years,and urged the terminal operators to fulfill their financial obligations as highlighted in the Memorandum of Understanding (Mou) with the Federal Government in order to reap the dividends of port concession.

“Since 2006, when the Federal Government approved the ports for concession, there has been no review of the agreement,” he said.

“We have the power to call for the cancellation of agreement with any concessionaire, who is not performing.

“If you look at the relationship between government and the concessionaires, some of the concessionaires have violated the agreement.

“We are going to look deep into it and ensure that the concessionaires operate within the ambit of the agreement,” the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted him as saying.

He said that the Senate had established a Sub-Committee on Investigation, which was new in the history of Senate to ensure proper operations of the concessionaires.

Yerima said that the Committee on Marine Transport had written letters to both NPA and terminal operators, requesting for information to enable the terminal operators to operate according to the concession agreement.

The committee chairman said efforts of members of the committee were meant to ensure that all revenue should be paid into government’s coffer for government to achieve its mandate.

He said that the committee would investigate deep into previous records of the terminal operators to ensure that nobody short-changed the government on revenue.

Yerima said that there was need to establish more deep seaports in the country.

He said that shallow waters would not allow bigger vessels into the Nigerian waters, adding that bigger vessels patronized Cotonou and other countries due to their deep seaports.

The lawmaker said that if both Badagry and Lekki deep seaports commence operations, the ports would develop Nigerian trade in the area of imports and exports.

Yerima said that the meeting held by President Muhammadu Buhari with some leaders in the Niger Delta would stop security challenges in the country.

He said once the security challenges become things of the past, abundant business opportunities would be available for Nigerians and recession would be erased from the system.

November 4, 2016
Senate okays new PIB for consideration

The Senate yesterday approved a new segment for the contentious Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) for consideration.

The bill was split into five segments owing to the controversy generated by attempts to pass the original bill wholesale.

The approval for the consideration of the new segment came through a presentation by the chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Upstream), Senator Tayo Alasoadura.

Alasoadura had noted that there was no provision for oil producing communities in the original bill, a development that threw up heated argument at plenary.

Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki stated that the segment in question centred on issues of governance and general administration of the petroleum industry.

He instructed the three standing committees on petroleum (upstream and down stream) as well as the committee on gas resources to work on the document and submit a report within four weeks.

He however directed that the segment relating to oil producing communities be submitted for prompt consideration, without prejudice to the new segment.

Saraki said: “Clearly, what we have done here is really to make us to move forward in this important bill; to see that after so many years, we finally pass this Petroleum Industry Bill. And that is why it has been put into different sections.”

November 3, 2016
Senate’s bid to amend Electoral Act fails

Attempts by the Senate to amend the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) to cure certain mischief identified in the electoral system suffered a setback in the Senate yesterday.

Chairman, Senate Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Senator Abubakar Kyari, presented the report of his committee on the requested amendments.

It was apparent that the issues tabled for amendment were too hot for the senators to handle.

After about two-hour debate, Senate President Bukola Saraki was forced to send the report back to the committee to seek answers to some thorny issues.

Essentially, Senators failed to agree on who should succeed a candidate of a political party who died before the announcement of an election result.

The lawmakers specifically referred to the last Kogi State governorship election describing it as “the Kogi mischief.”

The committee recommended in Clause 6 to amend Section 36 of the Electoral Act by inserting a new subsection (3) which provides for the substitution of a candidate of a political party who dies before the declaration of the result of the election with the first runner up in the party’s primaries (which was won by the deceased candidate).

Many Senators were vehemently opposed to the recommendation.

Those opposed to the recommendation wondered why the running mate to the deceased candidate should not be allowed to succeed his principal.

They argued that since a candidate could only be deemed to have been validly nominated if he has a running mate, it is natural that the running mate should succeed his principal in the event of death of the principal.

But those who supported the recommendation insisted that allowing the running mate to takeover from his principal could serve unintended purposes for an ambitious running mate who could go after the life of his principal knowing that he stood to benefit in the event of the death of his principal.

The proposed amendment also included amendment of a paragraph of Section 49 of the Electoral Act, with regard to the processes of voter accreditation using Smart Card Reader introduced by INEC in the 2015 General Election.

The amendment also sought to insert criminal penalty for a member of a political party who misrepresent his status for the purpose of being engaged in INEC; replacement of a candidate at an election who dies between commencement of polls and declaration of the result of the election; proceeding with an election where there is only one valid nomination, criminal penalty for obtaining registration of a political party fraudulently and granting INEC power to over rule manipulation of result of primaries by party officials.

Senator Kyari noted in the report that the sad demise of Prince Abubakar Audu a former Governor of Kogi State, just before the announcement of the result of the last governorship election in Kogi State, brought to focus a major lacuna in the law that required quick legislative action.

He noted that it was therefore discussed that Section 36 of the Electoral Act should be amended with respect to the death of a nominated candidate who dies before the declaration of the result of an election.

On direct party primary system, Kyari said it is a known fact that party primaries system have led to instances where elected public leaders are removed by Tribunals or Courts and replaced by candidates who were adjudged to be the winner of the party primaries but were not voted for by the public.

The committee also recommended in Clause 2 to amend Section 8 of the Electoral Act by inserting a new subsection (5) which prescribes imprisonment of at least five years or a fine of at least N5 million, or both for a member of a political party who is guilty of misrepresenting himself in order to secure an appointment with INEC.

In Clause 10 to amend Section 49 of the Act with regards to the use of Smart Card Readers and other technological devices for elections by INEC.

In Clause 17 to amend subsection 78(5) of the Act with regards to provision of false and misleading information by an Association to INEC for purpose of registration as a political party.

After listening to the discordant views especially on the death of a nominated candidate of a political party who died before the declaration of the result of an election, Saraki sent the report back to the committee to conduct more legislative enquiry into the matter with a view to arriving at acceptable position.

November 3, 2016
Amendment of Electoral Act suffers set back in Senate

Attempts by the Senate to amend the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) to cure certain mischief identified in the electoral system suffered set back in the Senate Wednesday.

Chairman, Senate Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Senator Abubakar Kyari, presented report of his committee on the requested amendments.

It was apparent that the issues tabled for amendment were too hot for the senators to handle.

After about two-hour debate, Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, was forced to send the report back to the committee to seek answers to some thorny issues.

Essentially, Senators failed to agree on who should succeed a candidate of a political party who died before the announcement of an election result.

The lawmakers specifically referred to the last Kogi State governorship election describing it as “the Kogi mischief.”

The committee recommended in Clause 6 to amend Section 36 of the Electoral Act by inserting a new subsection (3) which provides for the substitution of a candidate of a political party who dies before the declaration of the result of the election with the first runner up in the party’s primaries (which was won by the deceased candidate).

Many Senators were vehemently opposed to the recommendation.

Those opposed to the recommendation wondered why the running mate to the deceased candidate should not be allowed to succeed his principal.

They argued that since a candidate could only be deemed to have been validly nominated if he has a running mate, it is natural that the running mate should succeed his principal in the event of death of the principal.

But those who supported the recommendation insisted that allowing the running mate to take over from his principal could serve unintended purposes for an ambitious running mate who could go after the life of his principal knowing that he stood to benefit in the event of the death of his principal.

The proposed amendment also included amendment of a paragraph of Section 49 of the Electoral Act, with regard to the processes of voter accreditation using Smart Card Reader introduced by INEC in the 2015 General Election.

The amendment also sought to insert criminal penalty for a member of a political party who misrepresent his status for the purpose of being engaged in INEC; replacement of a candidate at an election who dies between commencement of polls and declaration of the result of the election; proceeding with an election where there is only one valid nomination, criminal penalty for obtaining registration of a political party fraudulently and granting INEC power to overrule manipulation of result of primaries by party officials.

Senator Kyari noted in the report that the sad demise of Prince Abubakar Audu a former Governor of Kogi State, just before the announcement of the result of the last governorship election in Kogi State, brought to focus a major lacuna in the law that required quick legislative action.

He noted that it was therefore discussed that Section 36 of the Electoral Act should be amended with respect to the death of a nominated candidate who dies before the declaration of the result of an election.

On direct party primary system, Kyari said it is a known fact that party primaries system have led to instances where elected public leaders are removed by Tribunals or Courts and replaced by candidates who were adjudged to be the winner of the party primaries but were not voted for by the public.

The committee also recommended in Clause 2 to amend Section 8 of the Electoral Act by inserting a new subsection (5) which prescribes imprisonment of at least five years or a fine of at least N5 million, or both for a member of a political party who is guilty of misrepresenting himself in order to secure an appointment with INEC.

In Clause 10 to amend Section 49 of the Act with regards to the use of Smart Card Readers and other technological devices for elections by INEC.

In Clause 17 to amend subsection 78(5) of the Act with regards to provision of false and misleading information by an Association to INEC for purpose of registration as a political party.

After listening to the discordant views especially on the death of a nominated candidate of a political party who died before the declaration of the result of an election, Saraki sent the report back to the committee to conduct more legislative enquiry into the matter with a view to arriving at acceptable position.

November 2, 2016
Senate dumps Buhari’s bid to borrow $29.96bn

SENATORS yesterday rejected President Muhammadu Buhari’s request to borrow $29.96 billion under the 2016-2018 External Borrowing Plan.

The upper chamber voted massively against the request.

Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki put the question twice – “that the Senate do consider the request of the President C-in-C on the 2016-2018 External Borrowing Rolling Plan”. Twice it was rejected.

Senate Leader Mohammed Ali Ndume moved the motion for the consideration of the request. Deputy Minority Leader Emmanuel Bwacha seconded.

The lawmakers were not comfortable with “some glaring omissions in the Executive Communication” forwarded to them by President Buhari.

A source said the President failed to “attach draft of Federal Government 2016-2018 External Borrowing (Rolling) Plan for consideration of the Senate” as indicated in the Executive Communication.

The source noted that “by asking the National Assembly leadership to approve the borrowing plan that involves huge sums of funds without formal consideration of the Senate in session smacks of some blackmail”.

The last paragraph of the communication said, “Given the emergency nature of these facilities and the need to consolidate the peace and return the region (North East) to normalcy and considering the time it will take to get the National Assembly’s approvals, it has become inevitable to request for the National Assembly leadership approval pending the consideration and approval of the 2016-2018 borrowing plan by the National Assembly to enable us disburse these funds immediately.”

Senator Ndume who spoke on the rejection of the President’s request said there was technical error in the request.

He however promised to represent the request on a later date.

Ndume said: “I was shocked as the Senate leader that they rejected the programme. I was not anticipating what happened. It was rejected on technical ground. If you look at the letter, it said ‘attached’ but there was no attachment. There are no details. I will appeal to my colleagues and represent it for consideration. There is nothing to worry about. We cannot throw away the baby with the bath water.”

The list of 46 non-career ambassadors was also rejected but Saraki used his veto power to over turn the nay vote.

Saraki also put the question twice for the Senate to consider the request of the President on the confirmation of the nomination of the following persons for appointment as non-career ambassadors-designate.

November 2, 2016
Senate raises alarm over alleged abuse of N500b social fund

THE Senate yesterday raised the alarm over alleged mismanagement of the N500 billion social intervention fund captured in the 2016 budget.

The upper chamber lamented that already over N80 billion of the fund had been disbursed supposedly to the poor without any noticeable evidence of where the money went to.

It asked the Federal Government to take another look at the disbursement of funds under the programme, especially by incorporating manual registration of beneficiaries from all wards and local governments.

The measure, the Senate said, would enable the government to avoid the pitfalls of the past intervention schemes.

The upper chamber said it was concerned that “with the way the programme is being run, nothing of meaningful value is going to be achieved with the N500 billion, neither is it going to create the future value it could, if not implemented effectively.”

The resolutions followed the consideration and adoption of a motion entitled: “The need to avoid the mismanagement of the 500bn Social Intervention Funds,” sponsored by Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume

The Senate resolved to ask the government to “present a clear framework that does not marginalise any segment of our society, no matter where they may be in the country and present same to the National Assembly for passage into law.”

The lawmakers wanted the government to “ensure that the implementation of the intervention programme going forward is framed to be robust enough to reach the poorest in our community for whom the programme was first conceived”.

It said: “A clear channel of accountability for the implementation of the programme must be created and be audited on a continuous basis and its report presented to the National Assembly.”

Ndume, in his lead debate, observed that one of the cardinal policy thrusts of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government has been the use of social-safety nets through interventions schemes to foster inclusive growth and opportunity for the people.

He expressed his supports for the government’s programmes aimed at creating opportunities for the less-privileged and the reduction of poverty through intervention schemes.

Ndume noted that the 8th National Assembly, in consonance with the Executive’s request, “fully approved the N500 billion in the 2016 annual budget for the purpose of facilitating the Federal Government N500 billion social intervention fund for this objective”.

He acknowledged that of this amount, government stated that it intended to create job opportunities for 500,000 teachers.

“It also stated that 5.5 million children are to be provided with meals through school feeding programmes, conditional cash transfer schemes, financial support to one million vulnerable beneficiaries.

“The programme also targets to have a complementary enterprise programme, which is targeted at empowering up to one million market women, 400,000 artisans and 200,000 agricultural workers nationwide,” Ndume said.

He said the National Assembly without insisting on the implementation template approved the programme in the budget to fast track the process of implementation of the programme for the benefit of the poor.

He expressed concern that “the implementation of such a huge programme is now being carried out in the same manner as the other failed social interventions funds like the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme SURE-P, without a proper framework which led to their failure”.

He noted that the new concept on MPower requiring teachers, market women and graduates, to register online, is faulty and discriminates against rural women and men, who are technologically disabled.

The situation, he said, is especially so with the people of Borno State in general who are technically off grid and off line.

He voiced concern that the intervention programme was set up for “the poorest amongst us, meaning those of us that can hardly afford to eat and meet their basic needs, but the implementation targets those who are far ahead of these segment, those who are not only connected to but can afford technology and are able to use them effectively.”

He noted that “these are not the most vulnerable of our society, they are not the neediest amongst us, and they may be vocal but not the segment we believe this intervention should target.

“A proper social intervention scheme that we need must be robust enough to capture all segment of the Nigerian population; we are not building a nation for elite alone, but a nation for all citizens.”

November 2, 2016
Buhari seeks re-appointment of Ibrahim as NDIC MD

President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday asked the Senate to confirm Umaru Ibrahim for re-appointment as Managing Director, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC).

This is contained in a letter of request for confirmation of appointment of the Managing Director, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation President Buhari sent to the Senate.

The letter was read by the Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki.

The President said that the letter was in accordance with the provisions of Section 5(4) and 8(3) of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation Act, CAP. N102 laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

November 1, 2016
Ambode urges Senate to revisit special status for Lagos bill

….Senate’ll take a second look at bill, Yerima assures

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Tuesday appealed to the Senate to revisit the bill seeking one percent allocation to Lagos from the revenue accruable to the Federal Government, saying a passage of the bill would translate to economic prosperity and well-being of Nigeria.

Ambode, who spoke at the Lagos House, Ikeja when he received on courtesy visit members of the Senate Committee on Marine Transport who were in Lagos to perform oversight function on federal institutions, said Lagos being a cosmopolitan city and the economic capital of Nigeria must be assisted by the Federal Government to address infrastructure challenges confronting it.

The Governor said considering the fact that Lagos used to be the capital of Nigeria and is home to every tribe in the country, the passage of the bill by Senators should be viewed from the point of its importance to the country, and not just to Lagos.

He said: “Come December 12, 2016, it will be 25 years that the capital of Nigeria was moved from Lagos to Abuja. So, 25 years after, this is where we are. I welcome wholeheartedly when Senator Sani Yerima said that anything that Lagos needs, the Senate will support us. So, I like to use this platform firstly to say a big thank you to the Senate President and the Deputy Senate President for allowing us to table our one percent special status because we have been struggling to put that up in the seventh Assembly, it was not done but it was through this eight Assembly that it was actually tabled and so we thank them for that.

“If we have about twelve Senators here and we are looking for two-third, we are saying here that it would not be out of place to revisit our appeal and our bill. Lagos is thoroughly cosmopolitan; it is a mini-Nigeria and then the wellbeing of Lagos is the total well-being of Nigeria and everybody has a stake here in Lagos and as a government, we have continually addressed the cosmopolitan nature of Lagos in a way that is suitable and comfortable for all Nigerians irrespective of tribe, creed or religion,” he said.

While clarifying the essence of the bill, the Governor said it only seeks one percent special allocation from the revenue accruable to the Federal Government, adding: “If we are able to do that, you can imagine what we would have done 25 years ago based on the understanding of gentlemen that Lagos would not be left behind or forgotten.

“So, that is the platform we want you to try and help us to have a re-look, a re-think and then think more of Nigeria in the bill rather than of Lagos because that is what that one percent assistance will address and then tends to create the image of the kind of commercial capital we want Lagos to be.”

The Governor, who described the visit by the members of the Senate Committee as apt and timely, said it came just after he had fruitful discussion in Denmark on the development of $2.6billion Badagry Deep Sea Port, aside the ongoing Lekki Port, adding that it was a pointer to the fact that there is convergence of vision and mission to grow Nigeria’s economy.

Besides, the Governor justified the development of additional ports in Lagos, saying it was now obvious that only Apapa Port cannot meet the demand of commerce and expansion required by the State, and therefore solicited the support of the Senate in that regard.

He said: “Another very important point is that the infrastructure around Apapa Port is not really befitting of what it should be. The real estate around Apapa Port has actually overtaken the activities of marine business there and that is why we are forward looking thinking there must be a different way to do business or commerce and we like to use this opportunity also to appeal to the Federal Ministry of Works to assist the haulage business in the Apapa area so that we can get federal roads well prepared for the kind of commerce we have there.

“We also believe that the only major means of transportation in Lagos is road and that is why we are doing a lot on rail and water transportation to ensure that we are able to disperse our people from one point to the other with ease and comfort and allow the marine business to thrive in Lagos,” he said.

Earlier, Chairman of the Senate Committee, Alhaji Sani Yerima, said members of the Committee were in Lagos to perform oversight function on federal institutions in the State to ensure that they are up and doing in their functions.

He commended Governor Ambode for the massive development going on in Lekki especially the Lekki Deep Sea Port situated at the Lekki Free Trade Zone, among other massive projects across the State, adding that the Senate would support anything that has to do with Lagos being a small Nigeria.

He specifically assured that the Senate would revisit the issue of the special status for Lagos, noting that as former capital of the country, everything must be done to support the State.

“Lagos is not only for Lagosians. If you look at Lagos, it has been the national capital and up till this moment, you find people from all states of the federation earning living here and so anything we do for Lagos, we are not doing it for Lagos alone and I will call Lagos a mini Nigeria. So, by the grace of God, we are going to look at the bill again,” Yerima said.

November 1, 2016