Tag: Senate

The Senate yesterday decried persistent insecurity in parts of the country.

It urged government at all levels to immediately review security strategies to curtail the menace.

The resolution of the Senate followed its consideration and adoption of a motion, titled: “Urgent need to review security approach in addressing banditry attacks in Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kaduna and Kebbi States in the Northwest of Nigeria” sponsored by Senator Sani Nasiru (APC, Katsina North).

Following the motion, the Red Chamber sought increased collaboration between security agencies and state governments on security amtters.

The Senate urged President Bola Tinubu to direct a thorough review and evaluation of the strategies employed by security agencies in the Northwest and the Northcentral.

It also asked the President to consider the deployment of additional security personnel/special task force to the identified hotspots to ensure the protection of life and properties.

The Red Chamber urged security agencies to take intelligence gathering more seriously.

In his contribution, former Senate Majority Leader Yahaya Abdullahi said residents were forced to make financial payments to kidnappers.

Read Also: Senate urges Fed Govt to review strategies to curb rising insecurity

He said: “Tthe entire Northcentral and the Northwest are on fire. There is no security anywhere. We pay kidnappers. This thing has become commonplace.

“We don’t see it as news again. It is ubiquitous. Are we going to continue to talk? There are no recommendations being made now that haven’t been recommended in the past.

“We must reach out to the President of this country to look at our recommendations. It is all encompassing. We have wasted a lot of resources at this National Assembly but nothing has been done. We won’t give up on this nation.”

Also, former Senate Deputy Majority Leader Abdul Ningi urged the President to consider giving a time frame to the appointments of Service Chiefs.

He accused some senior security officers of compromise, saying: “We need to sit down with Mr. President and give him the information that he doesn’t have. We must give them what they need. There must be a timeline. Once they know that they can lose their jobs, they will sit up.”

In his lead debate, Senator Nasiru noted that “Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, and Kebbi states have been plagued by escalating banditry attacks, resulting in loss of lives, kidnapping for ransom, displacement of communities and disruption of socio-economic activities”.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, Abdulaziz Yar’Adua said security agencies should be commended for what they have been doing.

He said: “I want to support the fact that there is need for a coordinated effort. However, we must realise that our security agencies need the right equipment and what it takes to be able to carry out this coordinated effort.”

The Senate yesterday decried persistent insecurity in parts of the country.

It urged government at all levels to immediately review security strategies to curtail the menace.

The resolution of the Senate followed its consideration and adoption of a motion, titled: “Urgent need to review security approach in addressing banditry attacks in Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kaduna and Kebbi States in the Northwest of Nigeria” sponsored by Senator Sani Nasiru (APC, Katsina North).

Following the motion, the Red Chamber sought increased collaboration between security agencies and state governments on security amtters.

The Senate urged President Bola Tinubu to direct a thorough review and evaluation of the strategies employed by security agencies in the Northwest and the Northcentral.

It also asked the President to consider the deployment of additional security personnel/special task force to the identified hotspots to ensure the protection of life and properties.

The Red Chamber urged security agencies to take intelligence gathering more seriously.

In his contribution, former Senate Majority Leader Yahaya Abdullahi said residents were forced to make financial payments to kidnappers.

He said: “Tthe entire Northcentral and the Northwest are on fire. There is no security anywhere. We pay kidnappers. This thing has become commonplace.

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“We don’t see it as news again. It is ubiquitous. Are we going to continue to talk? There are no recommendations being made now that haven’t been recommended in the past.

“We must reach out to the President of this country to look at our recommendations. It is all encompassing. We have wasted a lot of resources at this National Assembly but nothing has been done. We won’t give up on this nation.”

Also, former Senate Deputy Majority Leader Abdul Ningi urged the President to consider giving a time frame to the appointments of Service Chiefs.

He accused some senior security officers of compromise, saying: “We need to sit down with Mr. President and give him the information that he doesn’t have. We must give them what they need. There must be a timeline. Once they know that they can lose their jobs, they will sit up.”

In his lead debate, Senator Nasiru noted that “Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, and Kebbi states have been plagued by escalating banditry attacks, resulting in loss of lives, kidnapping for ransom, displacement of communities and disruption of socio-economic activities”.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, Abdulaziz Yar’Adua said security agencies should be commended for what they have been doing.

He said: “I want to support the fact that there is need for a coordinated effort. However, we must realise that our security agencies need the right equipment and what it takes to be able to carry out this coordinated effort.”

The Senate on Thursday, June 6, decried persistent insecurity in parts of the country and urged governments at all levels to immediately review security strategies to curtail the menace.

The resolution of the Senate was a sequel to its consideration and adoption of a motion titled: “Urgent need to review security approach in addressing banditry attacks in Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kaduna and Kebbi States in the Northwest of Nigeria.”

The motion was sponsored by Senator Sani Nasiru (APC – Katsina North).

Following the motion the Red Chamber also sought increased collaboration between security agencies and state governments on matters of security.

The Senate urged President Bola Tinubu to conduct a thorough review and evaluation of the strategies employed by Security Agencies in the North West and North Central region.

The Senate also asked the President to consider the deployment of additional security personnel/special task force to the identified hotspots to ensure the protection of lives and properties.

It urged security agencies to take matters of intelligence gathering more seriously.

It specifically sought “the establishment of a task force to evaluate the effectiveness and implications of negotiating with bandits, conducting a thorough analysis of the short-term gains versus the long-term consequences of such actions.”

Apart from this, the upper chamber also called on the Military/Security Agencies to be proactive and innovative in their strategies to secure farmlands so that farmers may return to their farms to ensure increased food production and food security.

Former Senate Majority Leader, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, in his contribution to the debate, opened up on how residents were being made to make financial payments to kidnappers.

He said: “The entire North Central and North West are on fire. There is no security anywhere. We pay kidnappers. This thing has become commonplace.

“We don’t see it as news again. It is ubiquitous. Are we going to continue to talk? There is no recommendations being made now that haven’t been recommended in the past.

“We must reach out to the President of this country to look at our recommendations. It is all-encompassing. We have wasted a lot of resources at this National Assembly but nothing has been done. We won’t give up on this nation”, stressed.

Also, former Senate deputy majority leader, Senator Abdul Ningi, said the president should consider giving a time frame for appointments of service chiefs

“The President is the appointing authority. I think he must give a time frame for his Service Chiefs when appointing them.

There must be a timeline for IGP and others when they are being appointed. 10,000 bandits can’t be holding over 250 million Nigerians to ransom.”

Ningi accused some senior security chiefs of compromise, saying “We need to sit down with Mr. President and give him the information that he doesn’t have. We must give them what they need, there must be a timeline. Once they know that they can lose their jobs, they will sit up.

“I have my fear that one of these days, if care isn’t taken, one of these states will be taken over by bandits.”

In his lead debate, Senator Nasiru noted that “Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa and Kebbi States have been plagued by escalating banditry attacks, resulting in ‘loss of lives, kidnapping for ransom, and displacement of communities and disruption of socio-economic activities”

He also drew attention to the need for collaboration and coordination among State governments, Security Agencies and relevant Stakeholders to develop holistic and sustainable solutions to the challenges posed by banditry in Northwest Nigeria.

He expressed concerns that incessant banditry attacks on communities in the Northwest region have significantly affected food production and agricultural activities.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, Senator Abdulaziz Yar’adua said our security agencies for what they have been doing should be commended. At the same time, knowing how they have been losing their lives, in the fight against insurgency.

Read Also: Senate probes death of 30 miners in Niger

He said: “I want to support the fact that there is a need for a coordinated effort. However, we must realise that our security agencies need the right equipment and what it takes to be able to carry out this coordinated effort.

“So it is important that we realise that whenever the security agencies come to us here seeking to get this equipment it is very important for us to realise that we have to pass their budgets. One of the impediments they are having is the issue of this envelope budget.

“As I’m talking to you, the supplementary budget of the army, the capital project appropriation is yet to be released to them. So how do you expect them to fight this battle?

“It was longed in the recurrent expenditure and yet they have not gotten what they need to fight this battle. So I think it is very important for us to understand.

“The issue of coordination, I think I even raise the motion here on the need for them to improve in their synergy. And if we remember, we invited them here and they won’t conform to us that there is a great effort in ensuring that the synergy among them.”

…mourns victims

The Senate on Thursday, June 6, directed its committee on solid minerals to conduct an on-the-spot assessment of the gold mining site in Niger state where a rockslide killed 30 miners.

The committee was mandated by the red chamber to ascertain the remote and immediate cause of the rockslide and accelerate the passage of the Mine Ranger Bill currently before the Senate.

This is even as the Senate observed a minute silence in honour of the victims.

It commended the minister of solid minerals, Dele Alake, for his swift and proactive response in monitoring the situation at the Mining site.

The Red Chamber also urged the federal government to “come out with strict safety measures and regulation on mining activities in Nigeria in line with international best practices and deploy adequate security apparatus to the mining communities to maintain vigilance around mining areas to prevent further incursions and intrusion by informal miners.”

Besides, the Senate urged the National Emergency Management Agency and other relevant agencies of government to expedite actions on the recovery of the remains of the deceased in the catastrophe to ensure that the bereaved families can have final closure.”

These resolutions by the Senate followed its consideration and adoption of a motion titled: “Urgent need to address the incident of the rockslide that buried alive over 30 informal miners in a gold mining site in Farin Doki Community, Shiroro local government, Niger State” during plenary.

The motion was sponsored by Senator Sani Musa (APC -Niger East).

Senator Musa in his lead debate said the Senate: Notes that on Monday, 3rd June 2024, a catastrophic rockslide occurred at the open-pit gold mine, which led to at least over 30 local/informal miners being buried alive in the Farin Doki Community, near Erena in Shiroro Local Government, located within the Niger East Senatorial District of Niger State.

He said the miners, in their quests for gold and lithium minerals, met their untimely deaths, as the avalanche caved in, burying them under tons of rubbles.

Musa said that the unfortunate and tragic incident underscored the urgent need for comprehensive and holistic action to be taken in order to frontally address the dangers faced and posed by local mining activities taking place across the country;

He noted that in view of the vast mineral resources in the region, “it is imperative to secure the mining site in order to forestall future occurrence and avoid further loss of life.

“This will go a long way to ensure that mining activities are conducted safely and legally to prevent future tragedies and improve the overall well-being of miners across the country.

“Worried that the bodies of the deceased, who are victims of this unfortunate event, are yet to be recovered for proper and dignified burial by their respective families.

“To this end, conscious efforts should be made by relevant agencies of government for the recovery of the bodies of the deceased for burial.

“Aware that at a time like this Nigeria is desirous of diversifying its economy, the mining sub-sector is lucrative enough and should be adequately exploited for the socio-economic development of this country.

Read Also: Senate steps down action on N98.5b FCT Supplementary Budget

“At such, the appropriate authorities should as a matter of urgency and necessity, initiate a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident so as to identify any existing lapses as they relate to safety regulations and enforcement in the sector.

“And as part of remedies to bring sanity to the system, strict regulations should be introduced to protect the lives of those who depend on this industry for their livelihood.

“It is also apt for the relevant Committees of the National Assembly to step up the oversight mining activities taking place across the country, for the purpose of harnessing the benefits that abound in the mining sector.”

Senators in their contributions supported the motion and approved the prayers when they were put to voice vote by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin.

The Senate yesterday stepped down the consideration of N98.5 billion Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Supplementary Appropriation Bill, 2024.

The Senate’s resolution followed complaints by members that essential details, including the budget performance, sources of revenue, and the specific areas the amount would be expended on, were not included in the Bill.

Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele had presented the Bill for consideration by the Red Chamber.

In his lead debate, the Ekiti Central senator said this year’s FCT Statutory Supplementary Appropriation Bill sought to authorise the issue from the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federal Capital Territory Administration Account the total sum of N98.5 billion only “to accommodate additional inflow from Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), resulting to a revised total FCT-IRS 2024 Statutory Revenue Appropriation to the sum of N348.720 billion only”.

He added: “The FCT 2024 Supplementary Budget is to consolidate on the magnitude and scope of the ongoing projects simultaneously within the City Centre and across the six Area Councils in the territory to ensure that the vision of the Renewed Hope mantra for a befitting Capital City for Nigeria and Nigerians is accordingly achieved.”

Bamidele said the N98.5 billion proposed represents the total proposed expenditure of N98.5 billion.

Ede Dafinone (APC, Delta Central) raised concerns over the unavailability of a breakdown of the budget.

He called for further clarifications to be made before the Bill would be passed for second reading.

Responding, Senate President Godswill Akpabio said: “The Leader of the Senate, you have heard these observations. There is nothing before us to debate.”

This subsequently led to a brief rowdy session.

In calming the tension in the chamber, Bamidele moved that the Bill be temporarily stood down pending when copies of the breakdown would be made available to all senators.

The Senate yesterday passed a Bill seeking to prescribe 300 per cent increase in the salaries, allowances, and fringe benefits of judicial office holders in Nigeria.

The resolution of the Senate followed its consideration and adoption of the report of its Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters at plenary.

The report was presented by Committee Chairman Mohammed Monguno (APC, Borno North).

The House of Representatives had, on March 20, passed the Bill, which provides a monthly package of N5.39 million for the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).

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The Executive Bill also provides for a total package of N4.21 million for Justices of the Supreme Court, while the President of the Court of Appeal is to earn a total monthly package of N4.48 million.

Besides, Justices of the Court of Appeal are to earn a total monthly package of N3.73 million, while the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, President of the National Industrial Court, Chief Judge of the FCT High Court, Grand Khadi, FCT Sharia Court of Appeal, President of Customary Court of Appeal, Chief Judge of State High Court and Grand Khadi of State Sharia Court of Appeal and President of State Customary Court of Appeal are to earn a monthly package of N3.53 million.