The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Senate

  • Senate demands comprehensive report of Borno attacks

    The Senate on Tuesday demanded a comprehensive account of the devastating attacks carried out by suspected members of Boko Haram in parts of Borno State on Monday.

    The upper chamber was forced to reschedule its meeting with Service Chiefs due to the attacks.

    The crucial meeting was scheduled to allow the Service Chiefs to brief the Senate on security situation in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States especially the ongoing emergency rule in the states.

    The briefing, Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba said, would now take place on Thursday.

    Ndoma-Egba, who moved a motion to reschedule the briefing, told his colleagues that the Service Chiefs expected to appear and brief the Senate have moved to Borno State to observe things for themselves.

    “Because of the massive security breach that occurred in Borno State yesterday (Monday)” and the need for the Service Chiefs to be on top of the situation, the briefing would be differed until Thursday, December 5.

    The Senate Leader noted that apart from the effect of the ongoing emergency rule in the three north eastern states, the Senate will demand a comprehensive account of Monday bombings in Borno State from the Service Chiefs.

    The Senate Leader described the incident as “most unfortunate.”

     

  • Senate kicks against increase in electricity tariff

    Senate kicks against increase in electricity tariff

    • Summons minister, TCN

    Chairman, Senate Committee on Power, Senator Philip Aduda, yesterday said the Senate will not pander to the whims and caprices of the the new investors in the power sector by approving hike in electricity tariff.

    Rather, he said the Upper House would study the proposed tariff increase to ensure that the citizens are not overburdened with high tariff.

    Speaking with journalists during the inauguration of the 33/33/11kV National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP) injection sub-station project in Apo, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), he said he was yet to receive the proposal to raise electricity tariff from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

    He said: “I have not seen it(the proposed tariff increase) yet as they have not brought it to me. When I see it, of course, I will look at it and then I will see, because we can’t continue to overburden Nigerians with various tariffs.”

    Asked what the committee was doing about gas supply to the electricity generation companies, Aduda said the Nigeria Gas Company (NGC) was addressing gas supply, adding that it would be handled appropriately.

    He said the committee has summoned the Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo and the Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Don Priestman to appear before it over the challenges of power transmission in the FCT.

    The chairman explained that the megawatts of electricity being generated in the FCT remained stranded as it could not be wheeled to the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC).

    He said: “I am aware that much power is given to the FCT, but unfortunately to evacuate it becomes a problem. With the commissioning of the various sub-stations, I am sure that the evacuation of power and ensuring that power is delivered will be a thing of the past.

    “However, the minister, we must also get our transmission right. We must ensure that those we have saddled with the responsibility of managing our transmission get it right. And we have already invited the minister. We are inviting them to the committee tomorrow (today) because this is our commonwealth and if we give people our commonwealth to manage, we must see to it that it is managed properly. We must look at the protocol between market operators, systems operators.”

    The management of the TCN has been contracted to a Canadian firm, Maintoba Hydro International (MHI).

    The Managing Director, Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NPHC), Mr. James Olotu, said the power station has the state-of-the-art equipment.

    He said the station has a switch gear, facilities for two incoming 33KV power line and six outgoing feeders to enable the new owners of AEDC receive reliable and dependable power supply.

    Olotu said the station would increase Abuja Disco service potential to the customers and earn it more revenue for re-investment.

    He said: “Contractually, this project has 12 feeders out of the six. It is therefore the responsibility of the AEDC to increase and connect the remaining four to the network in order to recapture more customers.”

  • Senate rejects FIRS boss nomination

    Senate rejects FIRS boss nomination

    The controversy trailing the nomination of the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) played up on Thursday in the Senate.

    The nomination of Mrs. M’fon Akpan by President Goodluck Jonathan for appointment as chairman of FIRS suffered a setback in the upper chamber.

    The Senate was forced by mostly Northern Senators to reject a motion to refer the nomination to the relevant committee for screening.

    Although most Northern Senators insisted that the rejection of the referral was the end of the nomination of Akpan, Chairman Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Senator Ita Enang, said the nomination was still pending on the floor of the Senate.

    Although, Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba had moved that the consideration of the nomination be deferred to another legislative day, Senator Kabiru Marafa (Zamfara Central) opposed it.

    Marafa, who came under Rule 45 of the Senate Standing Orders 2011 argued that a motion to defer a matter to another legislative day can only be approved by a vote of two-third of the Senate.

    Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the session ruled Marafa out of order, saying it had not come to the time of raising an objection.

    “We are not taking any vote. So I completely rule you out of order. Can somebody second the motion so we can make progress,” Ekweremadu said.

    When the Senate Leader moved the motion a second time, it was seconded by Senator Boluwaji Kunlere (Ondo South).

    But the motion was roundly defeated by the lawmakers when it was put to vote as the “nays” had it.

    Obviously taken aback, Ekweremadu called on the Senate Leader to move the motion for the nomination to be forwarded to the relevant committee for necessary legislative action.

    Curiously, Marafa seconded the motion.

    But when it was put to vote by Ekweremadu that the nomination be sent to the relevant committee for necessary legislative work, the Senators again voted “nay.”

    Senator Enang explained that Akpan’s nomination is still valid because her confirmation and approval has not been rejected by the Senate.

     

  • Emergency rule: Senate, service chiefs meet Thursday

    Emergency rule: Senate, service chiefs meet Thursday

    The Senate and Service Chiefs will meet Thursday for briefing on the state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States.

    This followed the resolution of the upper chamber to receive the security chiefs in plenary and ask for the progress achieved since the declaration of state of emergency in the northeastern states.

    Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba said the meeting earlier scheduled for Tuesday had to be shifted till Thursday this week following the suspension of plenary on Tuesday.

    The Senate had suspended plenary to enable All Progressives Congress (APC) Senators to attend a board meeting of the party in Abuja.

    In addition, the sitting was suspended in honour of a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Raphael Oloye Nomiye, who died at the weekend.

    It is not clear whether the briefing will be in camera or open but feelers indicated the crucial meeting would be closed door briefing due to the sensitivity of issues at stake.

    Those expected at the meeting are – the Chief of Defence Staff, Vice Admiral Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim, Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshall Alex Badeh, Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Dele Ezeoba, the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar and the Director General of the State Security Service, Ekpenyong Ita.

    Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, explained that it was necessary for the Senate to suspend plenary in honour of the House of Representatives who lost a member and to enable APC Senators attend their meeting.

    Ekweremadu said: “We normally suspend plenary any time we lost any of our colleagues in the Senate.

    “Over the weekend we lost a member of the House of Representatives and after consultation with the leadership of the House, we felt that what we had is one National Assembly, that going forward anytime we lose any of our colleagues either in the House or in the Senate, we should be able to give the person the honour of suspending plenary in both chambers.”

     

  • Senate suspends NAMA’s new charges

    The Senate on Monday asked the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) to suspend the new charges for non-scheduled airline operators in the country.

    The Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Hope Uzodinma, spoke when the committee mediated between the management of NAMA and representatives of Non-Scheduled Airline Operators of Nigeria in Abuja.

    NAMA recently introduced new charges to the effect that operators of non scheduled airlines in the country would pay $2,500 if the aircraft is registered in Nigeria and $3,000 if it is a foreign registered aircraft.

    NAMA had mandated all foreign registered aircraft engaging in non-scheduled operations to pay $3,000 fee every departure except round trips without changes in passenger manifest or return ferry.

    Also, all registered Nigerian aircraft that engages in non-scheduled operations was asked to pay $2,500 before every departure.

    The Managing Director of NAMA, Engr. Nnamdi Udo, told the lawmakers that the charges include landing, parking, navigation and terminal navigation fees.

    Udo added that the fees would be charged in respect of the first 10 hours after which additional parking fees would apply.

    The operators kicked against the new fees.

    They argued that the imposition of the new charges would force wealthy Nigerians to patronise the scheduled operators in their business class at the expense of charter operators.

    The Legal Adviser to the Non-Scheduled Airline Operators of Nigeria, Hon. Bala Ibn Na’Allah, told the lawmakers that the new fees were “discriminatory.”

    He wondered what services NAMA renders to the non-scheduled airlines that it does not render to the scheduled airlines.

     

  • Tinted glass: Offenders face six months jail term

    The Senate on Thursday passed a Bill for an Act to amend the Motor Vehicle Prohibition of Tinted Glass Act 2011.

    The Bill aims at checking indiscriminate use of tinted glass vehicles by motorists.

    The bill proposes N50, 000 fine or six month imprisonment for anyone driving a tinted glass vehicle without due approval from appropriate authority.

    The Senate adopted the report of its Joint Committee on Police Affairs and Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters on the Bill.

    The Chairman of the committee, Senator Paulinus Nwagu, said the Bill “seeks essentially to amend the extant law in order to check indiscriminate use of tinted glass vehicles which beat security checks and carry out nefarious activities.”

    Nwagu noted that the bill was sponsored following the spate of reactions from Nigerians on the recent announcement by the Nigerian Police of its intention to arrest and prosecute those driving cars with tinted glass.

    He said the development became necessary to bring to the fore the fact that the police was not trying to introduce a new law but was merely trying to enforce an already existing regulations 66 (2) of the National Traffic Regulations of 1997 and the Motor Vehicles (Prohibition of Tinted Glass) Act.

    Nwagu said, “The bill also seeks to address the persisting injustice meted out to Nigerians through embarrassment and harassment, which constitutes a serious affront to the fundamental rights of Nigerians against discrimination as enshrined under section 42 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).”

    He noted that presentations by stakeholders during a public hearing in support of the bill, captured the need to address current upsurge in terrorism and other crimes like kidnapping and child trafficking.

     

     

     

  • Senate to set up anti-money laundering, terrorism agency

    David Mark1A bill which seeks to establish Nigerian Financial Intelligence Centre to combat money laundering and terrorist activities scaled second reading in the Senate on Thursday.

    The Executive bill was consolidated with another bill on the same issue sponsored by Senator Victor Lar, (Plateau South).

    Lar, who is also Chairman, Senate Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes strongly supported the passage of the bill.

    He noted that as the Senate debates the bill, “Nigeria is on the Financial Action Task Force targeted list, a list of countries that are considered “unsafe or high-risk jurisdiction” due to certain observed institutional and operational deficiencies.

    He noted that the implication of being on the list is that Nigerian businessmen and women seeking financial instruments and facilities outside the country or from international financial institutions cannot get them.

    Lar listed some observed operational and institutional deficiencies to include deficient anti-money laundering Act, weak ant-terrorism Act, absence of an independent financial intelligence unit, absence of mutual legal assistance Act, absence of Proceed of Crime/Asset recovery and management body and absence of Whistle Blowers Act.

    Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, in his lead debate noted that financial intelligence is a law enforcement strategy employed by governments the world over to gather information in relation to cash and currency transactions in financial system within and across national boundaries.

    Ndoma-Egba said that such information gathering is necessary to understand the nature and capabilities of financial transactions as well as to predict their intentions and take pro-active steps to prevent negative consequences.

    He noted that currently, the country has Financial Intelligence Unit domiciled within the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as an autonomous unit.

    He explained that the shortcoming of the unit as currently constituted and operated is that it is domiciled in the EFCC as an administrative unit with limited level of capacity and autonomy to effectively carry out its functions.

     

     

  • Senate to boost oil exploration in the North

    Senate to boost oil exploration in the North

    A bill for an Act to create the National Frontiers Basins Exploration Agency, yesterday scaled second reading in the Senate.

    The bill sponsored by Senator Smart Adeyemi, (Kogi West), received unanimous support as senators described the Bill as long over due.

    The lawmakers believe that the agency, when created, would create an avenue for opening up new oil frontiers across the country and increase its oil-based revenue.

    Adeyemi, in his lead debate, said the essence of the bill was to establish the National Frontiers Basins Exploration Agency to execute, promote and oversee exploration activities in the inland sedimentary basins and for other related matters.

    He said it was imperative to continue to search for more oil and gas to add to the national reserves, especially since petroleum is the mainstay of the country’s economy.

    He said Nigerians know that petroleum accounts for about 90 per cent of the country’s foreign exchange earnings.

    He said: “The bill has, as part of its objective, the promotion of efficient, sustainable exploration of hydrocarbons in the frontiers basins of Nigeria.

    “The evaluation of all unassigned concessions in Nigeria and to undertake activities that will stimulate exploration interest of local and international oil companies towards increasing the country’s oil and gas reserves.

    “Some have entertained fear that Nigeria has to avert the financial challenges that may arise for its economy, as more and more wells in the Niger Delta begin to record a consistent decline in outputs.”

    Adeyemi who said the idea was to look beyond the Niger Delta Basin, assured that the venture will give equal opportunity for all parts of the country to contribute to the national coffers through the instrument of oil revenue.

    In his contribution, Senator Barnabas Gemade, said it will be wise to pass the bill so that an agency would be made responsible for the handling of funds meant for oil exploration in the frontier basins.

    Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, said perhaps the country had not been zealous enough in its exploration of oil in the contiguous geological basin.

    He said: “We need to legislate an agency that will force the hands of the operators of the oil sector to explore for oil in the frontier basins.”

    Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi (Ekiti North) who also supported the bill said, the bill has helped to call attention to the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) which had remained pending.

    He said, the issue of frontier exploration is a component of the mother PIB. “We are giving attention to this bill. We should extend the same action to PIB by getting the government committed to hasten all the process to fast-track its passage into law.”

  • Senate probes N135b police reform funds

    Senate probes N135b police reform funds

    The Senate yesterday asked its Committee on Police Affairs to investigate how N135 billion released for the reform of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) between 2010 and this year was used.

    This followed the adoption of a motion by Abubakar Tutare (Taraba Central) on the level of funding and implementation of the NPF reform programme.

    Besides the probe of the fund, Senate President David Mark; Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu; Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba; Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos Central) and others supported the creation of state police.

    The senators argued that there was no longer doubt that state police would ensure the protection of lives and property in the country.

    Tutare, in his lead debate, recalled that the Federal Government, in 2010, initiated a police reform to address the lack of offices, accommodation, operational vehicles as well as communication equipment.

    He said the reform was aimed at overhauling the police force and to make it “more professional, effective and efficient in the discharge of its duties with a take-off grant of N75 billion”.

    The senator noted that despite the take-off grant and the N57 billion appropriated between 2011 and this year, there was “nothing to show that the reform agenda is ongoing in the Nigeria Police Force”.

    Ndoma-Egba noted that beyond poor funding, the police were being hampered by “structural defect”.

    The Senate Leader said the unhealthy situation in the Nigeria Police Force called for the creation of state police to ensure effective policing of the country.

    Tinubu said the Senate should avoid trivialising the security of Nigerians.

    The senator noted that it was obvious the country was not happy with the way the police functioned in the country.

    She regretted that the studied request for creation of state police was turned down by the Senate.

    Tinubu expressed her frustration about “pumping money in an old engine (Nigeria Police Force) that will not function”.

    She added: “We, as the Senate, can do something about it in the interest of our country.”

    James Manager (Delta South) urged the Senate to reopen the debate on the decentralisation of the police.

    He said: “There is something organically wrong with the Police and Nigerians have to decide whether a central Police or decentralised police is appropriate.”

    Smart Adeyemi (Kogi West) said there was need to review the way the police funds were being managed to ensure adequate welfare for their personnel.

  • Air crashes: Senate makes U-turn on Oduah

    Air crashes: Senate makes U-turn on Oduah

     …Minister now to appear before committee

    The Senate on Thursday rescinded its resolution that the Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah, should appear and brief the Senate at plenary about recurring air crashes in the country.

    The rescission followed a motion by Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, entitled: “Rescission of Senate resolution on the invitation of the Minister of Aviation to brief the Senate.”

    The motion was seconded by Deputy Minority Whip, Senator Ganiyu Solomon.

    Before he read the wordings of the motion, Ndoma-Egba invoked Order 53 rule 6 of Senate standing Orders (as amended)

    Order 53 rule 6 states “It shall be out of Order to attempt to reconsider any specific question upon which the Senate has come to a conclusion during the current session except upon a substantive motion for rescission.”

    Armed with the Order, Ndoma-Egba recalled that on Tuesday, 8th October, 2013, the Senate among others resolved to invite the Minister of Aviation and Chief Executives of the Aviation parastatals to brief the Senate on the state of the aviation sector and the high number of aviation incidents in the country.

    He added that the Senate at its Executive Session resolved that the briefing (by the Minister) should be now held before the Senate Committee on Aviation.

    He prayed the Senate to resolve to rescind its earlier resolution that the Minister of Aviation and Chief Executives of the Aviation parastatals brief the Senate at plenary.

    He further urged the Senate to resolve that the Minister of Aviation and Chief Executives of Aviation parastatals do brief the Senate Committee on Aviation on the state of aviation sector and high number of aviation incidents in the country.

    The two prayers were unanimously adopted, but before their adoption, Senate President, David Mark, asked “any comment from anybody?”