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Tag: Senate

  • Senate divided over inclusion of card reader in Electoral Act

    Senate divided over inclusion of card reader in Electoral Act

    The Senate was sharply divided yesterday over a Bill seeking to include Card Reader in the Electoral Act.

    The Bill pitted senators fromthe North and the Southagainst one another.

    Most senators from the North, who contributed to the general principle of the Bill supported it.

    Their counterparts from the South, who posited that though they were not against the use of Card Reader, said its perfection should be assured for them to back it.

    Those who opposed the bill wondered why Card Reader worked in certain sections of the country and failed to work in others.

    The bill, however, scaled second reading despite the opposition.

    The Senate mandated its Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a public hearing on the Bill and submit its report in four weeks.

    Senator Tijani Kaura (Zamfara North) is the Bill’s sponsor.

    Senate President Bukola Saraki, asked the committee to go beyond the issue of Card Reader to also consider all other issues in the Act that would require amendment.

    Saraki said: “It is important that we amend the Act now. The longer we delay it, the more difficult it would become.

    “Once we start getting into the electoral arena, it becomes more and more difficult.”

    Saraki also asked the committee to come up with amendments that would be easy to implement so as not to create more ‘lacuna’ in the electoral process.

    Senator Kaura, in his lead debate, underscored the need for the Act to be amended in view of the challenges witnessed in last year’s general elections, especially with the Card Reader.

    In his contribution, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekwerenmadu noted that an amendment to the Electoral Act of 2010 was passed by the Seventh Senate but was not accented to by the President.

    Ekweremadu, who cited the example in Kogi State, where a candidate died after the primary election had been concluded, agreed it is pertinent for the Act to be amended.

    He, however, said the amendment should not be limited to inclusion of card reader in the Act alone.

  • Again National Assembly fails to lay 2016 budget

    Again National Assembly fails to lay 2016 budget

     

     

    The two chambers of the National Assembly Thursday reneged on their promise to lay the 2016 budget preparatory to its consideration and passage on Tuesday.

    It became clear that the budget might not be laid as promised when it was not listed in the Order Paper of the Senate and House of Representatives.

    Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, had told reporters that the budget would be laid Thursday.

    That was not to be as no mention of the Appropriation Bill was made during Senate plenary Thursday.

    At a joint press briefing by the two chambers, the lawmakers claimed that the need to “sit down and check what we call data cleansing and integration” made them to back down on the promise to lay the fiscal document.

    Abdullahi who was the first to speak at the briefing also said that the two Appropriation Committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives “must integrate, harmonise and consolidate” the budget before it could be laid.

    He described the budget as “something very technical and tedious and if you recall, this is a very voluminous document.”

    The National Assembly, he said, does not “want to rush just because we want to keep to a promise that Wednesday the budget must be passed.”

    He said that what the National Assembly owe Nigerians is a budget that is implementable, a budget that will kick-start the reflection of our national economy; a budget that will help to create jobs and therefore stimulate our economic rebirth.

    He added that “for those of you who know statistics, in everything you do, you must give freedom for degree of error.”

    Abdullahi said that the entire process of laying and passing the budget would be completed next week, “God willing.”

    Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Media, Hon. Abdulrazak Namdas, blamed the failure to lay the budget as promised no the need to pass a budget that will be “applauded by the entire country than to rush and make some few mistakes.”

    Namdas who pleaded the understanding of Nigerians added that as the first Appropriation Bill of the 8th National Assembly, “we cannot afford to make any mistake.

    Abdullahi said, “You will recall we promised we promised Nigerians that by today 17th March, we will pass the 2016 appropriation. Thursday, I also confirmed to you that today, that same appropriation bill will be laid, bearing any last minute technical hitches or otherwise.

    “We are here to let you know that as of today, we are unable to lay the 2016 appropriation bill and thus we are hoping next week that process will be completed.

    “When I briefed you, I recalled you were asking if the passage will be completed by next week. And we said ‘yes’ when you lay the budget the next thing is for you to discuss the budget and get it passed. The two activities will be carried out next week God’s willing.

    “Let me pre-empt you because I know you will be saying perhaps we have failed to keep to our promise. As far as we are concerned, we have not failed.

    “What is happening is the seriousness with which we take the 2016 appropriation. It’s such that we cannot also afford to make errors that will become very costly to this nation.

    “We have finished all necessary work within the context of the various committees. But remember when you do the paper work, you have to also get people who will sit down and check what we call data cleansing and integration; that is the two Appropriation Committees must integrate.

    “That is the essence of what you call harmonisation. This is something very technical and tedious and if you recall, this is a very voluminous document. So, in our own understanding, we don’t want to rush just because we want to keep to a promise that today that budget must be passed.

    “What we owe to Nigerians is a budget that is implementable; a budget that will kick-start the reflection of our national economy.

    “It’s a budget that will help to create jobs and therefore stimulate our economic rebirth. So, that is what we have seen as a key objective and I want to assure you that for those of you who know statistics, in everything you do, you must give freedom for degree of error.

    “And plus or minus five is the basic standard that I’m aware of. Within this context, if next week, we will be able to take this, then within that margin of error, the National Assembly is still on course.

    “We call on Nigerians to understand that we are as eager as you to get this budget out but at the same time, we owe you a duty to ensure that the budget that will be out is one that is implementable.

    “I think those handling this assignment are having sleepless night just to ensure that we do a thorough job.”

    Asked to confirm whether the reported errors in the budget are partly responsible for not laying the budget Thursday, Abdullahi said

    “I never alluded to the fact that there was such errors that you are referring to. What we said is data integration and consolidation, which means at the end of the day, the Appropriation Bill has to come in the same form to be laid in the two chambers.”

    He added, “The House of Representatives worked as an independent chamber, the Senate worked as an independent chamber. We came back again at that level of the Appropriation Committee to harmonise.

    “What we have tried to do is to work together all along. But at the last end of the work, that harmonisation must be done very thoroughly. So, this is not a simple job because they have certain things that they believe should be done.

    “We have certain things here that should be done and we must meet and agree on one position. That is the essence of this exercise.

    “Having done that on paper, those who will go on to the computer and do the punching, we must give them time. That is where the errors can come in. And we don’t want to come back here and start telling you that there is a printer’s devil.

    “Let me also reiterate that as official spokesmen of the two chambers, we are not here to corroborate rumours, neither are we here to lend credence to rumours.

    “Those who have their facts know where they got their facts. And I think it is in their own right that you go to them to make explanations.

    “Based on all the work that has been done, I don’t think I have an official copy (of the budget) because that work is still to be completed.

    So, you wait. When we lay our budget that document that is laid, when you have any issue with it you relate to us and then we shall answer the questions. But for now, please go to the source. “

    On whether his use of the words ‘God willing’ and ‘hopefully’ meant that he is not sure if the budget will be laid and passed next week.

    He said, “I’m a Muslim and in everything I do, I don’t think if I say God willing there is anything wrong with that.

    And if I say ‘hopefully’ remember if I am the one to give it to you and it’s in my pocket, then I am talking with that guarantee.

    “This is work process; we are working as a team. So, in a team work, you must hope.  We are saying that we are hoping, we have absolute confidence in the capacity and willingness of those people doing this work to do their work.

    “And they are there doing their work. What is important for us to understand is: there is nothing wrong in setting a target. The essence of setting a target is for you to have something in which you will be working and hoping to achieve. And so, you keep your work rate along that line.

    “These people working are human beings, they have families. If you ask somebody to do a work, he is supposed to finish it in two hours and something crops us that will not allow him to finish it in another 30 minutes, is there anything wrong with that?

    “Let’s look at it from this perspective: the budget is a very serious matter. And I don’t think we are here to joke. We are here to make sure we have a budget that is implementable.

    “And by saying a budget that is implementable, it does not allude to the fact that the budget brought to us is battered.

    “What is important is that as legislators, we have a responsibility to appropriate for this country because we are representing different constituencies. And so, everybody must come with the lenses of the problem from the constituency in which he’s representing.”

    “So, what we are saying is that the legislature has received a document from the Executive. It has become the property of the legislature. And we are working on it.

    “At the end of the day, when we finish and hand it over to them, that is when you can decide whether we have done a thorough job or not.

    “We are not a rubber stamp. And so, the document coming from the Executive must go through proper scrutiny. And we are praying and hoping that by next week, we will be able to complete it.”

  • Senate seeks N10b for resettlement of IDPs

    Senate seeks N10b for resettlement of IDPs

    The Senate Tuesday asked its Appropriation Committee to allocate N10 million in the 2016 budget for the relocation and resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States.

    The fund, the upper chamber said, should be sourced from the Service Wide Vote as provided in the budget.

    The resolution followed a motion by Senate Leader, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume and eight others entitled “interim financial and material support/ assistance to IDPs returnees in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States.”

    Apart from the fund, the Senate also asked the Federal Government to release grains from the strategic grain reserve to the insurgency affected states.

    It urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the refugee commission to make special arrangement for repatriation and resettlement of Nigerian refugees in Cameroun, Niger and Chad.

    The upper chamber asked its relevant committees to write a letter of appreciation to the embassies of the host countries where the refugees were accommodated.

    It said that the Victim Support Fund should also allocate reasonable amount from the fund for immediate relocation and resettlement of IDPs pending the short and medium term plans they might have.

    Taraba, Plateau, Benue and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, it said, should also benefit from the arrangement.

    Ndume in his lead debate noted that there was no doubt that the Federal Government is winning the war against insurgency in the north east particularly Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States.

    He said that most of the local governments, towns and villages hitherto occupied by the insurgents have been recaptured and secured by the Nigerian security forces particularly the army.

    Ndume added that he is aware that the highways leading to the local governments from the state headquarters of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States have been demined and opened for commuters.

    He noted that the IDPs who ran away from their homes during the heat of insurgency lost everything to Boko Haram insurgents.

    He said that most of the IDPs are relatively poor with no savings, source of income or gainful employment.

    The Borno South lawmaker expressed concern that for two years consecutively, the people in the affected states have not been able to farm while many people especially children are dying due to hunger and sanitation related diseases.

    He also expressed worry that IDPs that are eager to return home or are being relocated have nothing to take home and have nothing meet at home from what they left behind when they ran away.

    Ndume concluded for the IDPs to return home, “they need immediate and interim financial and material assistance in term of cash transfer and food relief to start their lives all over in the short term before the intervention from proposed North East Development Commission, Save School Initiative or any form of intervention.”

    Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, said that the Senate should commend the efforts of the security agencies “because without their efforts the idea of the IDPs going home will be impossible.

  • Senate votes against gender bill

    Senate votes against gender bill

    The Senate voted has against the Gender and Equal Opportunity Bill.

    The bill on Tuesday failed to pass second reading when it was put to vote at the sitting.

    Majority of the senators voted against the bill which seeks to promote equality, development and advancement of all persons in Nigeria.

    If the bill was passed, it would have guaranteed women’s freedom of movement, female economic activity and girls’ access to education.

    More details later.

  • NNPC restructuring: Senate backs Kachikwu, Reps disagree

    NNPC restructuring: Senate backs Kachikwu, Reps disagree

    The National Assembly was split yesterday over the restructuring of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) announced by Minister of State Ibe Kachikwu.

    The Senate backed the action, saying restructuring of the corporation was in order, especially when no law was breached, but the House of Representatives took a contrary position.

    It declared the step taken by Kachikwu as wrong. “The House is not averse to any form of reform that would reposition the NNPC, but due process must be followed by the executive by reverting to the National Assembly for such reforms,” House spokesman Abdulrazak Namdas said at a news conference.

    The senators, who okayed the step, nevertheless, scolded Kachikwu for his failure to consult the National Assembly before carrying out the reorganisation.

    Three standing committees of the Senate grilled Kachikwu on the motive of his action.

    Senator Tayo Alasoadura, Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum (Upstream), Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), Senator Jibrin Barau and Chairman, Senate Committee on Gas, Senator Bassey Albert Akpan, conducted the session, which later moved into a closed session.

    Alasoadura told reporters after the closed session that they were satisfied with the measures taken by the minister whose objective is to make the NNPC more functional.

    The Ondo Central lawmaker added that Kachikwu did not breach any law.

    Senate Chief Whip Olusola Adeyeye (Osun Central), who led the question-and-answer session, noted that the Act that established the NNPC, especially cap1, 23© 1d, gave the management a free hand to operate as an entity.

    Adeyeye said the Act, however, did not give them the power to create autonomous firms that would be independent of the NNPC.

    He also said the Act clearly stated that the affairs of the NNPC must be conducted by a board.

    A member of the committee, Senator Chukwuka Utazi (Enugu North), urged the minister to go ahead with far reaching restructuring of the NNPC.

    Utazi, who stressed that change in the NNPC was long overdue, said the Minister should not mind vested interests in the oil and gas sectors who are working to compromise changes in the corporation.

    Utazi said: “Mr. Minister, you must understand the sort of resistance that would come when you want to change things. But you must continue doing what you are doing. Don’t be deterred; don’t be tired of the reforms you are carrying out.  We understand what you are doing. Just go on with what you are doing; we are behind you.”

    Another member of the Committee, Senator Biodun Olujimi, said the government must have a human face in its actions.

    Mrs Olujimi said that there was no doubt that the minister, by his action, effectively pre-empted the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).

    Senator Emmanuel Paulker said the minister should have carried unions in the industry along.

    Kachikwu insisted that what his ministry did was not unbundling, but restructuring.

    He also said that it was not true that the exercise was carried out without the approval of a board and the Federal Executive Council­­ – as stated in the Act.

    He said that the approval process began long ago.

    The minister said the chairman of the NNPC Board is the Minister of Petroleum.

    He said with the measures taken by the ministry, there will slightly be less control from the head office.

    He noted that other than aging equipment, the refineries, for instance, have not been given the independence they require to operate.

    Kachikwu said: “You cannot bring in loanable funds into the refineries because for you to bring loanable funds, you have to have the cash flow to fund the loan.”

    The minister said that there was already a committee of staff and management in the NNPC looking at the measures being taken by the ministry.

    But the Chairman, House Committee on Media, Namdas, said President Muhammadu Buhari must present an executive bill to give the restructuring a legal backing.

    He said: “The Act of parliament that established the NNPC had provided that there ‘Shall be the inspectorate department which shall be an integral part of the Corporation,’ but that same was conspicuously absent in the new arrangement.

    “The key word here is ‘Shall’. Of course, the law gave room for agencies to make their own laws for administrative convenience but with the ‘shall’ the agency has no power over that, which was the case here.

    “The House is not averse to any form of reform that would reposition the NNPC, but due process must be followed by the executive by reverting to the National Assembly for such reforms.”

    To emphasise the determination of the House’s support for NNPC reform, the Spokesman disclosed that Speaker Yakubu Dogara had earlier contacted President Buhari over reforms in the petroleum sector.

  • Fine: MTN proposes N300b settlement deal with FG

    The Senate Committee on Communications has faulted the court settlement arrangement between the Federal Government and the Mobile Telecommunication Network (MTN) is being conducted regarding the N1.04 trillion fine imposed on company.

    The committee also frowned at the alleged shutting out of the Ministry of Communications Technology and the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) from the deal.

    The committee which conducted investigative hearing on the controversial matter, expressed shock that an account in the name of “recovery account” was opened for the N50 billion fine paid by the MTN as part of the settlement..

    Chairman of the committee, Senator Gilbert Nnaji, noted that members of his committee are worried that a proposal initiated by the MTN for the reduction of the fine to N300 billion had been accepted by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, without recourse to the Ministry of Justice and the NCC.

    The committee said that it has emerged that an initial 25 per cent reduction of the initial N1.04 trillion fine to N780 billion was on the order of the President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The committee brandished a document which showed the proposal by MTN indicating to pay N300 billion made up of N150 billion instalmental payment.

    The document further indicated that the N50 billion already paid by MTN is part of the settlement deal..

    It said that parties have agreed that the N50 billion paid in good faith and without prejudice by MTN Nigeria on the 24th of February, 2016, in order to commence settlement negotiations will form part of the monetary components of the settlement.

    It said that MTN Nigeria shall pay a total of N100 billion by electronic funds transfer to the Federal recovery account of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

    The payment, it said, will commence by 31 December, 2016 and will be made by 31 December of each subsequent year”

    The proposal also stated that the MTN would buy N80 billion worth of Nigeria’s foreign bond.

    The proposal which the committee said it got from the office of the Attorney General of the Federation was admitted by MTN.

     

     

     

  • Senate opens probe of military invasion of Ogoni land

    Senate opens probe of military invasion of Ogoni land

    The Senate Thursday opened investigation into alleged military invasion of Ogoni land, River State.

    Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions charged with the investigation following petitions on the matter took testimonies from some interested parties.

    Four Ogoni villages were alleged to have been invaded by the military.

    The Civil Liberties Organisation and the traditional ruler of Mene Bua-Yeghe community in Ogoniland, Chief Barinaada Gbaranee, defended their separate petitions against the Nigerian Army before the committee.

    Gbaranee, claimed that the unlawful occupation of his territory and three other communities by soldiers,  started on February 22, 2016.

    The Monarch noted that the armed military personnel who allegedly invaded his community also invaded the house of a former Niger Delta militant, Mr . Solomon Ndigbara.

    The armed military men, he claimed, vandalized his cars and buildings without just cause.

    He told the lawmakers that prior to the attack, the soldiers had allegedly arrested Ndigara’s wife and his siblings.

    He said;”The military occupation of Ogoniland, escalated on 23 February to the extent that the army engaged themselves in the brutal killing of men, women and children numbering about 12.

    “The sporadic shootings against the harmless and defenseless peace loving people of Ogoniland, led to the displacement of natives of even neighbouring towns as Zaakpon and Wiiyakara communities, in fact even extending up to Babbe Kingdom.

    “Consequent upon this, all economic activities in Ogoniland especially Bori town and other adjoining villages have been grounded to a halt.

    “Men, Women and children have deserted their homes and are taking refuge in the bush and forest due to heavy presence of the military personnel, patrolling in armoured cars with sophisticated weapons.”

    He noted that Ogoniland had remained peaceful prior to the military invasion.

    The Monarch asked the senators to use their legislative powers to stop the killings and tension.
    He said, “The continued exposure of vulnerable men, women and children, certainly is beginning to cause hunger, sicknesses and diseases, the resultant effect Is sudden death.”
    He noted that members of his community were still scattered in the bush due to fear and apprehension.

    The South-South Zonal Chairman of the CLO, Mr.Chinedu Uchegbu, in defence of his petition, claimed that the military invasion affected four communities in two local governments in Ogoniland.

    Uchegbu noted the people of Yeghe, Zaakpo, Bori, and Babbe in the Gokhana and Khana council areas were violated by the military invaders.

    He listed those allegedly killed by the soldiers to include, Nwibari Mbu; Bariture Ziibo; Lesi Ledee (a pregnant mother); Saturday Gbarazia;  Kelechi Nwafor and his brother Linus Nwafor,  among others.

    The CLO leader also listed those arrested and still being detained to include Messrs Gambo Festus; Dennis Macaulay Nbinna: Ndikwa Tekpe; Nwii Peter and two others from Tai local government area of the state.

    He claimed that Messrs Gabriel Ndigbara Piabari; Richard Ndigbara; Mrs. Kate Ndigbara;  Bob Nkue;  and Smart Deedom,  among others are still being held by the soldiers.

    He also claimed that Messrs Chikwodo Nwankwo; and Azubuike  Iga among others, sustained various degrees of injury and currently on admission in the various hospitals in the local government.

    Ukaegbu described as worrisome, a situation whereby a federal government agency which ought to guarantee security for everybody in the society and which ought to maintain law and order, is being associated with plots to cause insecurity”

    Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, assured that his panel would ensure a thorough investigation into the allegation.

    Anyanwu however said that for a thorough investigation to be seen to have been conducted, the committee needed to hear from the military that is being accused of invading the communities.

    He said that the committee would invite the military to get their own side of the story before presenting a report to the Senate in plenary.

  • Senate vows to stand by federal character

    Senate vows to stand by federal character

    The Senate yesterday said it would stand by the principle of Federal character in appointments and distribution of economic and social amenities.

    It warned the Federal Character Commission (FCC) against skewed appointments into the Federal Civil Service.

    Chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Character, Senator Tijjani Yahaya Kaura (Zamfara North), gave the warning at an interactive session with the Acting Chairman of the FCC, Dr. Shettima Bukar Abba, and his commissioners.

    Kaura noted that the Senate through the committee, would strictly observe federal character in appointments to ensure there was no bias and breach of the 1999 Constitution in number and manner of appointments.

    He said: “We will ensure the promotion and enforcement of equitable and proportional distribution of infrastructural facilities and socio-economic amenities among the federating units.

    “Our mandate is to stick to these principles and discourage executive and administrative arbitrariness.

    “You are aware that non- compliance is an offence under the law or Act establishing the FCC.

    “I want to state that the committee will ensure enforcement of this provision. The FCC was established through the Act in 1999.

    “It was entrenched in Section 14 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended: ‘the composition of the government of the federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character  and the need to promote national unity and to command national loyalty, thereby enduring.

    ‘’That there shall be no predominance of persons from a few states or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that government or in any of its agencies.”

  • Senate to probe invasion of Ekiti Assembly

    Senate to probe invasion of Ekiti Assembly

    The Senate yesterday mandated its committee on National Security and Intelligence to investigate alleged invasion of  the Ekiti State House of Assembly by the Department of State Services (DSS).

    This followed a motion by Senator Biodun Olujimi (Ekiti South) entitled: “The invasion of Ekiti State House of Assembly by armed men of the Directorate of State Services (DSS) on March 4.”

    Senate President Bukola Saraki, who gave the committee two weeks to submit detailed report of what transpired in the House of Assembly, noted that the Senate would however not jump into conclusion without investigation.

    Saraki described the alleged invasion as a serious issue but insisted that the Senate should not jump into hasty conclusion on the issue.