THE Senate has been a beehive of activities in the last two weeks for the right and wrong reasons. Apart from consideration of motions and bills, the upper chamber had in audience at least five top government functionaries.
An ill cultured senator unashamedly unleashed his brash mannerism on his colleague provoking in the process a wave of condemnation to himself and the institution of the Senate.
The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mallam Abubakar Malami was one of those who appeared before the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions to clarify why it became necessary for him to drag Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki and his deputy Ike Ekweremadu, to court over alleged forgery of Senate rules 2011.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama on their parts, appeared to throw light on alleged irregularities and lopsidedness of a list of 47 ambassadorial nominees sent to the Senate for consideration and confirmation by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Plateau and Ondo States Senators raised objections to the list questioning why their states were left out in the compilation of the list of nominees.
The Senate has however resolved to begin immediate screening of the nominees following recommendations by its Foreign Affairs Committee which said among others that states omitted in the list lacked qualified career diplomats to be nominated.
Senators from the affected state felt otherwise. For them, fair is fair especially in the compilation of a list of 47 in a country of 36 states.
As it stands, Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Plateau and Ondo States may have to wait for the list of non career ambassadorial nominees which insiders say does not necessarily has to do with knowledge of diplomatic nuances but created essentially for political patronage.
Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele was also in the Senate to brief the lawmakers on the dwindling economic fortunes of the country especially why the country’s economy appears not to respond to fiscal and monetary policies aimed at retooling it.
The CBN boss who appeared in camera was said to have painted a gloomy picture about the economy but also educated the lawmakers about monetary measures in the works to rescue the economy.
Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, also came calling on the Senate for the same purpose Emefiele was invited.
Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, inaugurated a public hearing on the urgent need for effective implementation of the Joint Venture Cash Calls Obligations by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation according to the appropriation of the National Assembly.
The joint committee on Gas, Finance, Appropriation and Petroleum Resources Upstream was given the onerous task of unravelling the operations of the NNPC Joint Venture Cash Call Obligations with debt over hang standing at over $6 billion.
The lawmakers, had busy weeks with their hands overflowing with parliamentary activities, you may say.
The major snag about the sweeping invitation of government functionary by the Senate is the glaring inadequate preparation by Senators for the assignment.
Most often than not when the invitees appear you discover to your consternation that deep and penetrating questions that would force out desires answers are lacking.
Conflict of interests, business and pecuniary interests and political interests are also painfully exhibited by lawmakers to the extent that the probe from inception turns out a mission impossible.
Some invitees are known to have seized the momentum to call the shot at committee sessions to the embarrassment of onlookers.
A particular invitee last week enjoyed himself while Senators who summoned him disagreed and quarreled openly about the nature of questions to ask. It was so embarrassing that the invitee busied himself working his phone while the lawmakers bicker over procedural mode. It was as if nobody was in charge.
This is not limited to committee work alone. Some Senators have shown that they lack mental and intellectual capacity to be in the chamber. As a result, debates on the floor are not only drab but lack dept. Necessary research that should engender quality serious engagement and contributions is not done.
What follows is that expression of crude sentiments and unbridled ethnic emotion on important national issues become the norm rather than an exception.
After over 16 years of unbroken democracy, it should be expected that quality of debate including investigative hearing should improve remarkably.
Incidentally, rather than look up, quality of contributions both in the chamber and at committee assignments appear to be going down.
Perhaps the low out put of some members may be a function of flawed recruitment process. A parliamentary recruitment process that focuses on ability to pay no matter the source of funds with less and less emphasis on educational background cannot be expected to produce the best.
On the floor of the Senate a set of Senators make contributions continuously while majority of others busy themselves as perpetual bench warmers. The Senate may do well to educate —-
This is certainly not the best of time for the House of Representatives. With the opening of investigative hearing into the allegations of sexual misconduct leveled against three members and the sudden removal of the Appropriation Committee Chairman, Abdulmumin Jibrin, the House may begin to quake.
Speaker Yakubu Dogara may have calculated well to replace Jibrin with another Kano lawmaker, Mustapha Dawaki.
Jibrin was one of those who campaigned vigorously for the position of House Speaker. He was apparently compensated with the Appropriation committee chairmanship when he lost out.
Future events will tell the direction of the Senate and House.
