The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Senate

  • Fed Govt tackles Senate for padding votes

    The Senate erred by marking up the reimbursement approved for Delta and Taraba states by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), it was learnt yesterday.

    The Federal Government, which faulted the approval of N90.2 billion for contracts the two states executed on its behalf, also tackled the Red Chamber for not approving reimbursement for Bauchi and Kogi states.

    In a letter dated March 5, President Muhammadu Buhari said the National Assembly’s approval was in excess of the amount approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

    The letter, read by Senate President Bukola Saraki,  reads: “Wish to inform the Senate that we have received approval of the National Assembly via letter ref: NASS/CAN/106/Vol.11 /004 dated 29th January 2019 for the refunds to Delta and Taraba state governments through the issuance of Promissory Note for projects executed on behalf of the Federal Government.

    “The Senate may wish to note that following a review of the approval from the National Assembly, the following were observed:

    While the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved a total sum of N78,601,631, 430.16 as reimbursement to Delta and Taraba State Governments, the National Assembly approved N90,236,461,031.36 which is higher than the amount approved by the FEC.

    Read also: Cut NASS salaries; no VAT hike

    The National Assembly did not approve any reimbursement to Bauchi and Kogi states government whereas the FEC had approved reimbursements for them.

    “The Senate may note the provisions of the Public Procurement Act 2007 which empowers the Bureau of Public Procurement to approve vendors and contract sums.

    The amounts presented to the National Assembly for approval were duly certified for reimbursement by the BPP before they were approved by FEC.

    “Since the BPP is charged with the responsibility of approving contract sums and there is need for compliance with the BPP Act 2007, I wish to request that you forward to us details relating to the amounts approved by the National Assembly for Delta and Taraba states in excess of what was certified by the BPP, for necessary certification and approval.”

     

  • 9th NASS: APC zones Senate key offices

    There were indications last night that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has tentatively agreed on power sharing formula for five more principal offices in the 9th Senate.

    The party will soon name its favourites for the coveted offices after more consultations with the presidency and national leaders in order to ensure early rapprochement with its Senators-elect before the inauguration of the National Assembly in June.

    But the APC NWC will meet next week to decide on the formula for the House of Representatives in spite of strong signals that the South-West might produce the Speaker.

    Although the NWC was expected to hold an emergency session on Thursday on power sharing in the House, it was called off at the last minute.

    The APC on Monday night picked the outgoing Senate Leader, Sen. Ahmed Lawan, as its choice for Senate President.

    The development has left the race open for the remaining five principal offices.

    According to investigation conducted by our correspondent, the APC has zoned the five offices as follows: Deputy Senate President (South-South); Senate Leader (North-Central); Deputy Senate Leader (North-West); Chief Whip (South-East/South-West) and Deputy Chief Whip (South-West/South-East).

    It was learnt that there had been pressure on the party leadership to concede the Chief Whip position to the South-East for a reasonable power balance in the upper chamber.

    Read also: I’ll base appointment of new ministers on merit, spread — Buhari

    Those lobbying for the South-East claimed that since the outgoing holder of the office of Chief Whip, Prof. Olusola Adeyeye, is from the South-West, it will be fair to give the slot to the South-East.

    The party will, however, consult soon on the ranking senators that will occupy the remaining five principal offices in the Senate.

    A top source, who spoke in confidence, said: “We have tentatively agreed on how to zone the five remaining principal offices in the Senate.

    “The formula agreed upon is as follows: Deputy Senate President (South-South); Senate Leader (North-Central); Deputy Senate Leader (North-West); Chief Whip (South-East/South-West) and Deputy Chief Whip (South-West/South-East).

    “The party leadership is still consulting with national leaders and senators-elect on how to fill these slots without acrimony in the APC caucus in the upper chamber.

    “Depending on mutual agreement by stakeholders, we may still tinker with one or two offices.

    “For instance, while the party favours the South-West for Chief Whip, some stakeholders have made a strong case that the slot should be for the South-East because the South-West had occupied it in the last four years.

    “There is pressure to concede the Chief Whip position to the South-East and the Deputy Chief Whip to the South-West because Prof. Olusola Adeyeye from the South-West is the outgoing Chief Whip.

    “We are still holding series of meetings with relevant stakeholders in line with the promise of the President for an all-inclusive government.”

    Responding to a question, the source added: “The need to share power equitably at the Senate has actually delayed the announcement of APC’s decision on the 9th Speaker of the House of Representatives.”

    But a ranking member of the House, who is deeply involved in the power game, said the “National Working Committee of APC will meet next week to choose the next Speaker and work out zoning modalities for all the offices.

    “I think the party has made up its mind on the next Speaker; it will only unveil him next week.

    “We were told the NWC wanted to hold an emergency on the zoning of offices on Thursday but it was called off at the last minute in order not to heat up the system.

    “A lot of meetings at different levels are presently going on. We want to be fair to all. We are expecting a smooth take-off for the 9th National Assembly.”

  • Senate Presidency: ‘we’re well consulted before endorsement of Lawan’

    The last may not have been heard of the endorsement of Senator Ahmed Lawan for Senate President by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The spokesperson for “Ahmed Lawan for Senate President Group of Senators, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, told reporters in Abuja on Wednesday that APC senators-elect were carried along in the adoption of Lawan for Senate President.

    This is contrary to the position of Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume who claimed the announcement of the adoption of Lawan by the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, surprised APC Senators-elect, who attended a dinner meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Although Abdullahi did not mention Ndume, he was categorical that “it is not good for somebody to peddle lies.”

    He added that when Oshiomhole announced the adoption of Lawan as the party’s choice for the Senate President of the ninth Senate, the party chairman spoke in the presence of some governors including those of Oyo, Kebbi and Borno States.

    Read also: We won’t challenge Kano rerun elections, says CUPP

    Abdullahi, who is also Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, said Oshiomhole appealed to them to support Lawan to avoid the mistake of the past.

    “Immediately he said that, there was instantaneous and spontaneous applause by senators who were there.

    “For somebody to say there was surprise and shock following the announcement, he was economical with the truth. There was no shock, rather there was relief,” Abdullahi said.

    Abdullahi, who said the APC has learnt its lesson from the mistake of 2015 when Bukola Saraki emerged Senate President against the directive of the party, assured that there would be no such crisis this time around.

    He said that there was no clear directive by the party in 2015 leading senators to go their different ways in the chamber.

    The APC, he said, has a great role to play in who emerges the Senate President.

    According to him: “If the party has promised Nigerians good governance, it is only fair and proper for the party to play some role to deliver that good governance. For me, we have learnt our lessons from whatever happened in 2015.

    “Even when I’m walking on the street people say please you people should make sure you learn from your past mistake. As far as I’m concerned, we have unity of purpose.

    “We the Senators-elect, we have made a choice. We have the right to say this is who we want. Our choice is Ahmed Lawan.

    “Do you expect that Mr. President and the party should abdicate their responsibility? This is what they accused us of in 2015. Now they have spoken, why are you complaining.”

    He insisted the announcement by Oshiomhole should have been enough for a genuine party loyalist to abandon his ambition and toe the line of the party.

    Abdullahi said that there was no doubt that Nigerians would be the best for the emergence of Lawan.

    “It is not good for you to have bills that are not assented to,” he asked.

    He said that on the day of inauguration of the ninth Senate in June, by the grace of God, Ahmed Lawan will be Senate President.

  • Ninth Senate: Gumel laments depletion of ranking senators

    A member of the National Assembly, Sen. Abdullahi Gumel, has expressed concern over the decline in the number of Senators returning to the 9th Senate.

    Gumel (APC-Jigawa) told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview on Tuesday in Abuja that the continuous turnover of lawmakers to the National Assembly, particularly the senate had negative implications.

    He said the development had led to loss of experience in legislative activities and waste of the nation’s resources, among others.

    He stressed that the country often spent a lot of money training and retraining lawmakers to master the act of effective lawmaking, only to stay for four years or at most eight years.

    According to him, only few senators have been in the national assembly since the return of democracy in 1999.

    “In developed democracies you see someone spending 30 to 40 years in the parliament, gathering experience and not wasting the nation’s resources.

    “In every set of the legislature the lawmakers undergo capacity building in terms of training within and outside the country and the nation spend a lot to build their capacity.

    “Unfortunately, in every election we lose such talents and we have to start all over again,” he said.

    Gumel hoped that Nigeria would learn from other countries by ensuring that lawmakers won their re-election bids as many times as possible.

    He, however, urged lawmakers to live up to expectations in order to gain the support of their constituents to get re-elected to the national assembly as many times as they wanted.

    On beliefs in some quarters that former governors who are first timers in the national assembly are not novices in matters of legislation, Gumel argued that they might be experienced in governance but not lawmaking.

    The lawmaker pointed out that they still needed extensive training to carry out the mandate of the legislature, which is the second arm of government.

    “The experience they have is executive experience not legislative experience. The legislature is a world of its own and its rudiments must be learnt,” he said.

    Gumel, who lost his reelection bid to return to the senate for the second time, hinted that he was retiring from elective politics.

    “I have paid my dues. I have been in politics for the last 40 years. I am satisfied and proud to say I have been in politics for this length of time.

    “I have reached the pinnacle of my ambition which is to become a senator. I do not have the attraction of being a governor and I will be too old to start seeking to be president.

    So far, only 43 serving senators out of 109, have been cleared to return to the senate.

    With this, not less than 60 new lawmakers will make it to the 9th Senate and it would take them a while, in spite of their experience in various fields of endeavor, to adjust to the legislative environment.

  • Some actions, decisions of 8th Senate regrettable, says Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari has frowned at some actions and decisions of the 8th National Assembly, saying such activities remain regrettable.

    The president, who made his feeling known when he hosted state governors and senators-elect of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to a dinner at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday night.

    President Buhari particularly cited the deliberate and persistent delay in passing the nation’s annual budget by the national assembly.

    He, therefore, challenged the in-coming 9th national assembly to do things differently from the outgoing 8th senate so as to enable his administration to achieve its target of transforming the nation.

    “This is my fifth and last time of standing for an election – for that reason I’ll like to leave something behind.

    “And what I want to leave cannot be successfully done without your support.

    “So, that is why I’m appealing for your support. What happened in the last senate and so on is regrettable because I still feel it shouldn’t take seven months to pass a budget. You have a very, very serious job ahead of you.

    “So, what I’m appealing is that any major decision you are going to take please reflect more on the country than yourself as a person – what effect will it have on the country,’’ he said.

    While promising to work and partner with the 9th national assembly in promoting peace, stability and economic prosperity in the country, the president thanked the governors and senators-elect for their support and understanding.

    The National Chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, who spoke to State House correspondents after the dinner, said the whole purpose of the event was to bond the new and old senators, to establish a new of relationship between the executive and the legislature.

    He said: “The system talks about the separation of powers between the executive and legislature and the two must handshake for things to happen.

    “And when you have a president that is determined to drive changes, fundamental changes that will affect our habits, our life style, review the economy, deal with the security situation, fight corruption as fiercely as he is trying to do, he will need a very supportive legislative arm of government.

    “And happily, the Nigerian people have given us the number in the legislative arm of government.

    Read also: Buhari moves to prevent National Assembly hijack

    “All we have agreed today is that we will use these numbers as a functioning whole to determine the leadership of the Senate in a way that we are not going to go to the floor of the Senate and allow the opposition dictate who becomes the senate president.

    “Because, we have a comfortable majority to drive that, what we have to do is to manage that majority.’’

    Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau, who also spoke on outcome of the meeting said: “What the president has done today, I think is the right step in the right direction.

    “The last time we did not have the opportunity of this politics but today, Mr. President invited us. Because, we are governors and we also dialogue with our senators.

    “Mr President said in order to avoid rancour, let me lay the way forward and we are very happy he has laid the way forward and because of that we are all going to work towards achieving the desire of Mr President for the good of this country.’’(NAN)

  • ‘Minority will not lead next Senate’

    Kwara South All Progressives Congress (APC) senator-elect Lola Ashiru yesterday said the Ninth National Assembly will not make the mistake of the Eighth Senate in its choice of leadership.

    He added that a minority party would not be allowed to lead the majority, saying political abnormalities that characterised the election of leaders in the outgoing National Assembly would not happen in the new legislative assembly.

    Ashiru, an architect, spoke with reporters in Offa, Offa local government, saying, the new National Assembly would witness a cohesive and acceptable leadership to support President Muhammadu Buhari’s efforts.

    The senator-elect said: “With my interactions with other senators-elect in APC, they have common mind of one Nigeria devoid of parochial interest to make the nation move ahead.

    “ Few of our members have signified intention to take a slot at the Senate presidency and they are credible members to take the leadership.

    “I believe that politics is about competition and I know that this Ninth Assembly would not be like that of the Eighth Assembly because there is no more room for political  abnormalities as experienced during the Eighth assembly.

    “During the period, a lot of abnormalities happened where minority party emerged as the leadership of the National Assembly and I am saying it now that such act will never happen in the Ninth Assembly because APC is in majority and more united now than ever  to provide a good leadership and to make laws for the good governance of the country.”

    Ashiru also said the struggle for political freedom in the state, which lasted 40 years, would not be wasted.

    “We went through political hell in the last 20 years and thank God we are finally out of it. We will never go back to that era, we won’t return to Egypt,”he said.

    Speaking about his plans, he  said in the first three months in office, he would bring about a political rebirth in the political nomenclature of Kwara South.

    He added that the political rebirth would ensure continuous development and provide opportunity for people to remove any non-performing elected officers as was done through O to ge movement in the last election.

    He added that the rebirth would bring about unprecedented developments in the senatorial district and would also provide a sound  leadership platform that would outlive him.

    Ashiru. added that the traditional rulers in the area would be engaged to effectively perform their traditional obligations to the people of their domain.

  • Why Senate passed 30,000 minimum wage, by Ibrahim

    Chairman of Senate Committee on Labour and Productivity, Senator Abu Ibrahim, has thrown light on why the Senate passed N30,000 national minimum wage instead of adopting N27,000 proposed by the Federal Government.

    Senator Ibrahim, who was a member of the Senate ad-hoc committee assigned to work on the minimum wage bill, said the upper chamber concurred with the House of Representatives on the bill to avoid unnecessary delay and bickering in passing the bill.

    The House of Representatives passed N30, 000 new national minimum wage bill higher than the N27, 000 minimum wage bill President Muhammadu Buhari submitted to the National Assembly for consideration and passage.

    Ibrahim said that the passage of N30, 000 minimum wage was informed by the need to avoid the commotion likely to result from harmonization of the differences by the two chambers.

    The Katsina South senator noted if there was disagreement between the two chambers, it may lead to the National Assembly not passing the new national minimum wage for workers.

    He said when members of the Senate committee, during its deliberation on the bill, considered the difference between what the House of Representatives passed and what was submitted by the executive, a difference of N3000, the committee felt that it could be addressed after the passage of the Bill.

    Ibrahim noted that it was in view of this the committee recommended that after the passage of the new wage bill, the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation, and Fiscal Commission, could review the federal allocation formula to give more fund to the States and Local governments.

    The review of the allocation formula, Ibrahim said, would enable the States and Local Governments to pay the new national minimum wage rather than waiting for the federal government to come to their rescue through granting them interventions funds.

    Ibrahim said, “We looked at it (bill), the difference of what the executive asked for is N3, 000 and the commotion that it will create if we disagree with the House of Representatives, we may not pass it, because we may have to go back and start again and go into harmonization

    “We are closing for budget defence. So we may end up leaving the National Assembly without finishing the minimum wage.

    “So we felt at the committee that it does not worth it, the problem that it will create for saving N3, 000.

    “Then, we brought another solution that the federal government revenue allocation should be looked into to make it possible for the states to be able to pay.

    “So, rather than the federal government giving them interventions, we can change the revenue allocation formula to give them more money, both local and state governments.”

    He went on: “We came up with additional suggestion after the N30, 000 minimum wage, we suggested that the revenue allocation should be looked into to make the states and local governments more viable.”

    The lawmaker promised to contribute his quota as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Labour to ensure that there is stability between the government and Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

    He also stressed the need to develop a system of industrial harmony between NLC and the Federal Government.

  • UPDATED: Senate in rowdy session over alleged militarisation of elections

    Senators on Wednesday came short of exchanging blows in the chamber over alleged militarization of the just concluded 2019 general elections.

    Another bone of contention that pitched the lawmakers against themselves was alleged inconsistent application of electoral laws by the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Tempers rose. Discordant and acrimonious voices became the order in the hallowed chamber. The chamber was sharply divided along party lines.

    All Progressives Congress (APC) Senators and their People’s Democratic Party (PDP) counterparts, squared up for a possible offensive.

    Senate President, Bukola Saraki, came to the rescue to no avail. The chamber boiled as the lawmakers shouted and threw punches into the air.

    A motion on “The militarization of the Nigerian electoral process and the inconsistent application of electoral laws by the INEC” sparked the row in the chamber.

    It was sponsored by Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi West) with Senators Mao Ohuabunwa (Abia North), Matthew Urhoghide (Edo South), Samuel Anyanwu (Imo East), Clifford Ordia (Edo Central), Ahmed Ogembe (Kogi Central), Biodum Olujimi (Ekiti South) and Obinna Ogba (Ebonyi Central), as co-sponsors.

    Melaye in his lead debate said: “Conscious of the need to grow our nascent democracy through the institutionalization of procedures, application of civil laws and the restriction of excessive use of military force in the civil affairs of the state;

    “Aware of the growing militarization of our nations electoral process, and the inconsistent application of electoral laws by the institutional umpire the IN EC, especially as witnessed in the recent national election 2019, where the presence of the use of extreme military force akin to a war campaign was applied in electoral polling stations, and the declaration of ’inconclusive elections,’ as a term being used inconsistently, and partially at the whims of electoral officers in occasions that appear solidly as similar cases;

    “Concerned that this extreme militarization of a democratic electoral process and the inconsistent application of electoral laws by INEC in matters of national elections pose serious threats to our democracy, and has security implications that must be nipped in the bud.”

    Melaye said that he is persuaded that the country is on the edge of a precipice, “and our democracy can be saved for future posterity, if only we can build strong institutions that can operate within established laws, and with our military forces restricted to their traditional roles of defending the nation.”

    The Kogi West Senator claimed that on the eve of the Presidential and National Assembly elections, the ADC to the Governor of Kogi State, allegedly “mounted a roadblock with over 200 security agents, some of who were fake.”

    Many politicians of the PDP extraction, he said, were denied access to Kogi State.

    According to him, a former governor of the State, Idris Wada, was forced to return to Abuja when his security aides were seized.

    He added, “Some Senators here and members of the House of Representatives were stopped from coming into Lokoja. I had to consult some celestial powers and that was how I got into Kogi State and my village through celestial powers.”

    Melaye insisted that “this is not about PDP or APC. This is about Nigeria. Where is NPN, where is UPN. All these things will come and go. The Senate cannot look the other way, while these things are ongoing. Lecturers and youth corps members were killed during the elections. We can’t keep quiet in the face of obscurity.”

    “It is pathetic that there is no national broadcast from the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. We must not have this kind of elections again in this country,” Melaye concluded.

    Melaye prayed the Senate to accordingly resolve to: “Condemn the massive use of military forces in the national electoral process of the nation;

    ii. Urge the INEC to ensure the unrestricted and consistent application of all electoral laws without bias to a candidate or a party in all elections;

    iii. Direct the Senate Committee on INEC to investigate all perceived inconsistent application of electoral laws by INEC in the 2019 Elections; and

    iv. Urge the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to give assent to the recent amendment to the Electoral Act to ensure a level playing field and adoption of equal standards in our national elections for a strong and peaceful democracy in Nigeria.”

    Senate Leader, Senator Ahmad Lawan who seconded the motion said the essence of the Senate is to ensure the provision of necessary legislative intervention whenever the need arises.

    Lawan said, “We are here to smoothen processes in all affairs of governance. The challenges of elections in Nigeria have been here with us.

    “We should consider those things we feel need the intervention of the Senate.

    “I believe that our process remains a journey. Our electoral process in Nigeria needs a lot of refine and fine tuning.

    “The Executive is also concerned. Here, we have an opportunity to discuss with INEC what the challenges have been so that we can have an evaluation of the entire situation.

    “The ball is in our court. We should review what happened and see where legislative intervention is required. Then we will put it up before the Executive.

    “When INEC postponed the election, we were concerned because it was becoming a trend that must be stopped.”

    Trouble started when Minority Leader, Senator Biodun Olujimi went into specifics and spoke about election rigging.

    Olujimi said: “What happened on the 23rd of February have been captured by Melaye. We are Nigerians and we are in Nigeria. For this country to favour us, we must speak truth to power. Whoever is siding what happened during the elections because of partisanship, he or she is unfair to Nigeria.

  • Senate boils over alleged militarisation of 2019 general elections

    Senate on Wednesday boils over alleged militarisation of the just concluded 2019 general elections.

    This followed the consideration of a motion on militarisation of Nigeria electoral process sponsored by Senator Dino Melaye and seven others.

     

    Details shortly…

  • Senate may pass budget 2019 in April

    The Senate yesterday resumed the consideration of the general principles of the 2019 Appropriation Bill with more knocks on the budget.

    The upper chamber slated the passage of the N8.83 trillion budget estimates for next month.

    Senate President, Bukola Saraki, after the conclusion of the debate of the general principles of the fiscal document, gave the Appropriation Committee where the budget proposal was referred to, two weeks to turn in its report for consideration and passage.

    The upper chamber resolved to ignore heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), who may fail to appear before the sub-committees to defend their budget proposals.

    Sub-committees were mandated to adopt the proposals as submitted by President Muhammadu Buhari to a joint session of the National Assembly at the event that any MDA failed to appear before them.

    The lawmakers resolved, like it was the case in the past, not to run after heads of MDAs who may refuse to appear before the sub-committees to defend their budget proposals and estimates.

    Saraki gave the Appropriation Committee April 2, 2019 to submit its report for the consideration of the Senate.

    He said: “The relevant committees should swing into action and ensure that they conclude work on this budget within two weeks. The Committee on Appropriations should submit its  report on the 2nd of April so that we can pass the budget.

    “Let me also add that the various committees should not run or force any head of agency to appear. If they don’t appear before the given time, adopt what was submitted by the President and submit your report. That is what you should do.”

    In his contribution to the debate, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South) said the budget christened “budget consolidation” is actually “a budget of consolidation of poverty.”