The Nation Newspaper

Tag: The Senate

Senate to FG: Declare security emergency in Southern Kaduna

The Senate on Tuesday urged the Federal Government to declare a “security emergency” in Southern Kaduna.

The call followed a motion by Sen. Danjuma La’ah (PDP-Kaduna), who told the senate at plenary that since 2011 many communities in the senatorial district had been consistently attacked by herdsmen.

He said that such attacks had resulted in deaths, loss of property and displacement of indigenes of the communities.

La’ah noted that the district was substantially agrarian with large arable and fertile lands.

“We are aware that there has been regular attack by armed herdsmen, the latest being on the 15th and 16th Oct. 2016 in Godogodo community in Jama’a Local Government Area.

“Subsequent to the attacks, these herdsmen have virtually occupied the displaced communities and are grazing their cattle freely,” he said.

According to him, the Kaduna State Government and the Federal Government had made efforts at restoring peace in the area but apparently, the efforts are neither adequate nor effective to prevent more attacks.

Contributing, Sen. Shehu Sani (APC-Kaduna) said that the motion was an ample opportunity for senators to intervene in the crisis.

“It is not that it is the first time a government will intervene, but there have been series of interventions that have not produced any result.

“It is very clear that security agencies and the government have failed to provide security for people who live around that area.”

He explained that “what we can do is not simply about condemning what has been happening because there has been lots of condemnation that has not produced any result.”

“The lawmaker said that what was needful was for the senate to see the killings as “a matter of life and death.”

“I believe the intervention of the senate will seriously help the people of Southern Kaduna to get out of the quagmire which they have found themselves,’’ he said.

In his remark, the President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, said that it was clear and very important that the increase in violent killings was of great concern and that something needed to be done.

“We must as a society, be able to live happily and harmoniously together and anything that threatens that is a threat to the country in general.”

November 15, 2016
Senate moves to avert ASUU strike

The Senate on Tuesday pledged to engage relevant stakeholders to avert the warning strike being planned by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

ASUU had on Monday announced plans to embark on a one-week warning strike over the inability of government to implement agreements reached with it since 2009.

The move by the Senate to intervene in the matter followed a motion moved by Sen. Jibrin Barau (APC-Kano North) under matters of urgent national importance.

The President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, urged the chamber to intervene and ensure that the eight -year- agreement was fully implemented.

“We must find a way of seeing to the implementation and we will look into the matter quickly.

“We will also get the relevant parties to quickly come to the table so that we can find a way of moving forward and report back to us,” he said.

While reading the motion, Sen. Jibrin Barau, who is Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TetFund, urged government to implement all agreements.

He also urged government to as well carry out certain actions that were necessary for the wellbeing of the development of Nigerian public universities.

The lawmaker, however, commended ASUU for choosing the path of dialogue rather than confrontation as a means of resolving all the outstanding issues between it and the Federal Government.

In his contribution, Sen. Danjuma Goje (APC-Gombe Central) noted that the history of strike in the country was a recurring decimal.

“It is a disturbing issue to parents and students. There is need to nip it in the bud. We should not allow it to escalate,” Goje said.

Goje said the motion was apt and called on the senate to engage the leadership of ASUU in order to suspend its planned warning strike.

The Majority Leader, Sen. Mohammed Ndume, described the senate as a stabilising agent and called for the immediate intervention of the senate leadership in the matter.

November 15, 2016
Senate threatens to suspend plenary over Rivers rerun elections

By a unanimous vote the Senate Wednesday resolved to suspend plenary if the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to conduct rerun elections in River State on or before December 10, 2016.

The resolution followed a motion by Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu on conclusion of all pending elections in Rivers State.

The motion described as “very important” by Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, was co-sponsored by Senate Leader, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume.

Ekweremadu in his lead debate, observed that in spite of Senate resolution 016/02/16 of 27th day of September, 2016 calling on the INEC to immediately conclude all pending rerun elections in the country “INEC has failed, refused and or neglected to conduct rerun elections in Rivers State into the Senate, House of Representatives and States House of Assembly.”

He noted that the Senate also observed that “the failure of INEC to conduct the rerun elections in Rivers State within the time frame ordered by the respective elections tribunals and the courts is in breach of the Electoral Act and Section 76 of the 1999 Constitution does endangering the nations democracy.”

Ekweremadu further observed that “non-representation of the entire people of Rivers State in the Senate and some constituencies of Rivers State in the House of Representatives and States House of Assembly is in breach of section 14 (2c) of the 1999 Constitution which enjoined the participation of every part of this country in the governance of Nigeria and this endangers peace and order in Rivers State.”

The Deputy Senate President added that the failure of INEC to conduct elections in Rivers State has continued to deny the people of Rivers State their constitutional guaranteed rights to be represented in the legislative houses where laws affecting them are being made and endangered probable anxiety amongst people of the state.

Ekweremadu prayed the Senate to resolve to ask INEC to conducts all the rerun elections in Rivers State before the end of September failing which the Senate shall suspend plenary until such a time the elections are conducted.

Ndume urged the Senate to note the content, intent and the urgency of the motion.

The Senate Leader said that since the emergence of INEC new leadership, the history has been inconclusive, suspension and confusion in electoral matters.

Ndume said, “You can imagine today we are about to discuss Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) without any member from Rivers State. You can imagine our colleagues that were seated with us here, conducted election they believe they won, somebody elsewhere say they didn’t win.

“But the truth of the matter is that anyone of us here could have been in that position. Let us remember this: whatever happens to you, you should think of another person. If it is our colleagues from Rivers today, it could be you any day.

“You can imagine for whatever reason, for example, myself who had been a victim and our people who have been victims of insurgency, if elections were not conducted I will not be here, let alone being the Senate Leader.

“How would it be for my people who are ravaged by insurgency not to have somebody to tell my colleagues what is actually on the ground. Just imagine the motions we raised that led to the passage of the bill on the North East Development Commission. Our colleagues are out there and you cannot genuinely say it’s their fault.

The second fear is that we have a new leadership in INEC. And we know the history now: inconclusive, suspension and confusion. And we have to do something.

“Very soon, we will be preparing for general election. If we cannot conduct one election in Rivers, I know there are problems in Rivers but elections must hold. We have a government that is capable. It is not that this government is not capable or doesn’t have the will to conduct the election but the voice should come out from here, just as it is everywhere that it is better to take a wrong decision than not to take a decision at all.”

Senator Mao Ohuabunwa suggested that instead of suspending plenary, the Senate should resolve not to consider any issue that has to do with INEC until the elections were conducted. The suggestion was dropped because it was not seconded.

Chairman, Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Abubakar Kyari rose to inform the Senate that members of his committee approached INEC Chairman Mahmoud Yakubu who assured that the Rivers State rerun election would be conducted on December 10, 2016.

Many Senators said that the INEC boss should not be trusted since he had promised and failed in the past.

Saraki asked Ekweremadu in view of the information by Kyari whether he (Ekweremadu) wanted to amend his prayer to reflect the information provided by Kyari.

Ekweremadu said, “The INEC Chairman has given his word, we have to take him by his word. It is a test for him to ensure that the elections are conducted as promised because we are not properly constituted.”

Saraki put the question “to urge INEC to conduct all rerun elections in Rivers State on or before December 10, 2016 failing which the Senate shall suspend plenary until such a time the elections are conducted.”

There was no opposition to the prayer as it was adopted unanimously.

November 2, 2016
Senate raises alarm over abuse of N500bn social fund

The Senate Tuesday raised the alarm over possible mismanagement of the N500 billion social intervention fund captured in the 2016 budget.

The upper chamber lamented that already over N80 billion of the fund had been disbursed supposedly to the poor without any noticeable evidence of where the money went to.

It asked the Federal Government to take another look at the disbursement of funds under the intervention programme especially by incorporate manual registration of beneficiary from all wards and local governments in the country.

The measure, the Senate said, will enable the government to avoid the pit falls of the past intervention schemes.

The upper chamber said that it is concerned that “with the way the programme is being run, nothing of meaningful value is going to be achieved with the N500 billion, neither is it going to create the future value it could, if not implemented effectively.”

The resolutions followed the consideration and adoption of a motion entitled “The Need to avoid the Mismanagement of the 500bn Social Intervention Funds,” sponsored by Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume.

The Senate also resolved to ask the Federal Government to “present a clear framework that does not marginalize any segment of our society no matter where they may be in the country and present same to the National Assembly for passage into law.”

The lawmakers wanted the government to “ensure that the implementation of the intervention programme going forward is framed to be robust enough to reach the poorest in our community for whom the program was first conceived.”

It said that “a clear channel of accountability for the implementation of the program must be created and be audited on a continuous basis and its report presented to the National Assembly.”

Ndume in his lead debate observed that one of the cardinal policy thrusts of the current All Progressives Congress (APC” government has been the use of social-safety nets through interventions schemes to foster inclusive growth and opportunity for our people;

He expressed his supports for all programmes of government aimed at creating opportunities for the less privileged and the reduction of poverty through intervention schemes.

Ndume noted that the 8th National Assembly in consonance with the Executive’ request, “fully approved the huge sum of N500bn in the 2016 annual budget for the purpose of facilitating the Federal Government 500bn social intervention fund for this objective.”

He acknowledged that of this amount, government stated that it intended to create job opportunities for 500,000 teachers.

“It also stated that 5.5 million children are to be provided with meals through school feeding programmes, conditional cash transfer schemes, financial support to one million vulnerable beneficiaries.

“The programme also targets to have a complementary enterprise programme which is targeted at empowering up to one million market women; 400,000 artisans and 200,000 agricultural workers nationwide,” Ndume said.

He said that the National Assembly without insisting on the implementation template approved the programme in the budget in order to fast track the process of implementation of the programme for the benefit of the poor;

He observed that the current economic situation and the need to have a social intervention scheme that could lift the people out of poverty, was the overriding concern of the National Assembly when it did not insist on having a proper framework for the implementation of the fund made available before it approved the programme.

He expressed concern that “the implementation of such a huge programme is now being carried out in the same manner as the other failed social interventions funds like the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme SURE-P, without a proper framework which led to their failure.”

He further observed that “in the light of the recent petitions and complaints from our constituencies this money will not be well spent, nor will it achieve any major benefit to the economy despite the good intentions of Government because of the way it’s been structured.”

Ndume reiterated that “the one size fit all of online registration of beneficiaries have the tendency to exclude and marginalize the very segment of the population it should target which are the poor and their children.”

Ndume said that there is nothing on the ground to do a proper oversight on the project as it is yet unclear how each state; local government to the ward level of the country is going to benefit from this programme.

He noted that the new concept on MPower requiring teachers, market women and graduates, to register online, is faulty and discriminates against rural women and men who are technologically disabled.

The situation, he said, is especially so with the people of Borno State in general who are technically off grid and off line.

He voiced concern that the intervention programme was set up for “the poorest amongst us meaning those of us that can hardly afford to eat and meet their basic needs, but the implementation targets those who are far ahead of these segment, those who are not only connected to but can afford technology and are able to use them effectively.”

He noted that “these are not the most vulnerable of our society, they are not the neediest amongst us, and they may be vocal but not the segment we believe this intervention should target.

“A proper social intervention scheme that we need must be robust enough to capture all segment of the Nigerian population; we are not building a nation for elites alone, but a nation for all citizens.”

November 1, 2016
Senate dumps Buhari’s bid to borrow $29.96bn

…Saraki saves ambassadorial list

The Senate Tuesday rejected the plan of President Muhammadu Buhari to borrow $29.96 billion under the 2016-2018 External Borrowing Plan.

The upper chamber voted massively against the request of President Buhari to borrow the money.

Twice Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, put the question “That the Senate do consider the request of the President C-in-C on the 2016-2018 External Borrowing Rolling Plan,” twice it was rejected.

Senate Leader, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, moved the motion for the consideration of the request, Deputy Minority Leader, Emmanuel Bwacha, seconded.

Saraki put the question which was roundly rejected.

Findings showed that the lawmakers were not comfortable with “some glaring omissions in the Executive Communication” forwarded to them by President Buhari.

A source said that the President failed to “attach draft of Federal Government 2016-2018 External Borrowing (Rolling) Plan for consideration of the Senate” as indicated in the Executive Communication.

The source added that the last paragraph of the communication gave the impression of anticipatory approval required by President Buhari.

He noted that “by asking the National Assembly leadership to approve the borrowing plan that involves huge sums of funds without formal consideration of the Senate in session smacks some blackmail.”

The last paragraph of the communication said, “Given the emergency nature of these facilities and the need to consolidate the peace and return the region (North East) to normalcy and considering the time it will take to get the National Assembly’s approvals, it has become inevitable to request for the National Assembly leadership approval pending the consideration and approval of the 2016-2018 borrowing plan by the National Assembly to enable us disburse these funds immediately.”

Senator Ndume who spoke on the rejection of the President’s request said that there was technical error in the request.

He however promised to represent the request on a later date.

Ndume said, “I was shocked as the Senate leader that they rejected the programme. I was not anticipating what happened. It was rejected on technical ground. If you look at the letter, it said ‘attached’ but there was no attachment. There are no details. I will appeal to my colleagues and represent it for consideration. There is nothing to worry about. We cannot throw away the baby with the bad water.”

The listed of 46 non-career Ambassadors was also rejected by the Senators but Saraki used his veto power over turn the nay vote.

Saraki also put the question twice for the Senate to consider the request of the President C-in-C on the confirmation of the nomination of the following persons for appointment as non-career Ambassador designate.

It was obvious that the Senators were opposed to the list but Saraki saved the day by over-turning the majority position.

The Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, Philip Aduda, protested against the list last week because of non-inclusion of FCT nominees in the list.

President Buhari had on Tuesday last week sent a request to the National Assembly to approve external borrowing plan of $29.960 billion to execute key infrastructural projects across the country between 2016 and 2018.

Buhari explained that targeted projects cuts across all sectors with special emphasis on infrastructure, agriculture, health, education, water supply, growth and employment generation.

He listed other sectors to include poverty reduction through social safety net programmes and governance and financial management reforms.

President Buhari said that the cost of the projects and programmes under the borrowing rolling plan is $29.960 billion.

The proposed projects and programmes loan of $11.274 billion, Special National Infrastructure projects $10.686 billion, Euro bonds of $4.5 billion and Federal Government budget support of $3.5 billion.

He explained further that the loan was very necessary in view of the serious infrastructure deficit in the country.

He said the country had huge infrastructure deficit and enormous financial resources required to fill the gap in the face of dwindling resources.

“This is in addition to the inability of our annual budgetary provisions to bridge the deficit. It has become necessary to resort to prudent external borrowing to bridge the financing gap.

“This will largely be applied to key infrastructure projects namely power, railway and roads among others,” he added.

November 1, 2016
Senate to summon aviation minister over foreign airlines

The Senate said Monday that it has concluded arrangements to invite Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Serika over the departure of some foreign airlines from the country.

Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Adamu Aliero, disclosed this after a maiden meeting between the committee and agencies under Ministry of Aviation in Abuja.

Aliero said that the focus of the parley would be to seek ways and means of find lasting solutions to the problems confronting the aviation sector.

The Committee chairman noted that the acute shortage of aviation fuel in the country that led to some foreign airlines shutting down operations is a problem that could be resolved by the Federal Government.

Aliero said that it was embarrassing to find local and foreign airlines sourcing aviation fuel from neighbouring countries even when Nigeria is an oil producing country.

On funding challenges, Aliero said that the National Assembly will work to amend laws to make it convenient to repatriate funds owed by airlines to the coffers of the Federal Government.

The Kebbi Central lawmaker noted that for the aviation industry to thrive there was the need to unbundle the sector.

Unbundling the sector, he said would shore up its revenue profile.

Aliero said: “From what the committee was made to understand, the most major problem faced by foreign airlines is aviation fuel which is a major problem in Nigeria. In spite of Nigeria being an oil producing country, it is embarrassing that airlines get their products from neighbouring countries.

“As regards repatriation of funds, it is more of a constitutional problem. We will look at ways of fine tuning the constitution so as to make it possible for airlines to remit funds owed government.

“There is also the need to unbundle the aviation sector. We are of the opinion that if this is done, the operations of the sector will be liberalized. That will go a long way to boosting revenue generation.

“So, these are the issues, and since these problems exist, we will invite the Aviation Minister so we can find lasting solutions to them.”

A member of the committee, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah, also called for the unbundling of the aviation sector.

Na’Allah noted that the challenges facing the aviation sector makes it imperative for relevant agencies to re-evaluate their policies going forward.

He said, “We are all aware where we are. With the economy, and we are aware how much the aviation sector can generate for the country.

“We must think of unbundling the aviation sector. We have unreasonably overburdened ourselves. If what we have tried in the past has not worked, is it not time to re-evaluate our policies for the aviation sector? We must change our way of doing things. We have to do that at this point because we have no option, so we can move the industry forward.”

Na’ Allah, who also called for the liberalization of flying under the Nigerian Law, said that the development continually hinders Nigerian pilots from competing for international jobs with their foreign counterparts.

The Kebbi South lawmaker noted that pilots and aeronautical engineers trained in the country are unfit for employment as a result of the unavailability of aircrafts to practicalise already acquired knowledge.

Mr. Femi Ogunode who represented the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, lamented the reduction in passenger traffic.

Ogunode said that “airlines in the country are leaving Nigeria”.

On his part, Managing Director, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Engr Emma Anasi, said that airlines operating in the country were unable to repatriate the stipulated five percent revenue to the Federal Government due to the unavailability of foreign exchange needed to do so.

Anasi noted that though the airlines had insisted on making payments in naira equivalent, constitutional provisions forbids the Agency from accepting their request.

He asked the National Assembly to intervene by amending the relevant laws in this regard.

August 15, 2016
12 million cars owners in Nigeria use fake insurance cover- Senate

The Senate yesterday mandated its Committee on Banking, Insurance and other financial institutions to invite stakeholders in the insurance sector to look into recent findings which showed that over 12 million motorists in the country use fake insurance papers.

Stakeholders to be invited according to the resolution of the upper chamber included the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), registered Insurance companies in Nigeria, relevant law enforcement agencies.

The stakeholder, the Senate said, should urgently deliberate on ways and means of ensuring the strict implementation and compliance with the six compulsory insurance schemes as provided in the Act and invoke sanctions where necessary.

The resolutions followed a motion by Senator Ahmed Salau Ogembe (Kogi Central) and eight others entitled, “Implementation of the compulsory insurance in Nigeria as provided in the ‘Insurance Act Regulation, 2003.’

Senator Ogembe in his lead debate lamented that of the 16 million vehicles in the country, only four million are properly insured.

He noted that the “Insurance Act and Regulation 2003” expressly provides for six compulsory insurance schemes namely: (i) The Third Party Motor/vehicle insurance (ii) Building under construction insurance (iii) Group Life insurance (iv) Public buildings insurance (v) Workman Compensation insurance (vi) professional indemnity insurance.

He further noted that these insurance schemes are made mandatory to take care of third party liabilities arising from the actions or inactions of a person, group/organizations in the course of their activities.

The Kogi Central lawmaker said that he is worried that the country is grossly under-insured “and basically, her citizens do not take advantage of services rendered by this very important sector of the economy as a result of many reasons such as; (a) the existence of unregistered insurance institutions within the system (b) ignorance and gross knowledge gap. (c) apathy occasioned by several factors including mistrust and fear for the whole concept of insurance (d) Poverty.”

Senator Ogembe also said that he is worried that there are presently 58 insurance companies registered with the National Insurance Commission, “yet there are uncountable number of unregistered insurance institutions selling worthless insurance certificates to unsuspecting members of the public.”

“This reprehensible act is mostly manifest in the third party motor/vehicle insurance scheme where such unregistered institutions connive with relevant law enforcement agencies to perpetrate their act,” he said.

He noted that Section 3(a) (b), section 4(1-4) of the Insurance Act, 2003, expressly provides the conditions for the registration of an insurance company in Nigeria, yet these provisions are frequently flouted.

The lawmaker said that he is alarmed at the staggering number of Nigerians who seek for help for various reasons including mishaps at workplace, illnesses traceable to occupational hazards, debilitating injuries and even death as a result of motor accidents, injuries and death resulting from building collapse, despite the “Building under construction Insurance” and the “Public Building Insurance” as provided in the Insurance and Regulation Act, 2003.

He noted that it is equally disturbing that these Nigerians often have no choice but to have recourse to both the electronic and print media to seek help which more often, do not produce the expected results.

He expressed confidence that if the “Compulsory Insurance Schemes”” are implemented as provided in the Insurance Act, most of challenges raised would be solved.

Senator Ogembe added that he is further convinced that insurance is a huge/serious business and its potential in country towards solving social and economic problems cannot be over emphasized.

He insisted that the Senate should be determined to make necessary changes in the interest of the country and the insurance sector.

Apart from inviting stakeholders to deliberate on the challenges, the Senate also mandated NAICOM to properly orientate the public on the Insurance Policies as stipulated in the Act and make known to the public the 58 registered Insurance Companies through sustained enlightenment in the national media.

It said that the National Assembly should pay more attention to the Insurance sector through appropriate legislation and deliberate actions to raise the status of Insurance in Nigeria to be at par with other sectors such as Banking and Capital Market as well as complying with best practices globally.

June 7, 2016
I will only accept only made in Nigeria SUV- Ben Bruce

Senator Ben Murray Bruce has said he will not accept the 35.6million SUV bought by Senate for members.

In a tweet on his twitter handle,@benmurraybruce, Bruce said he will accept only SUV made in Nigeria.

“For the avoidance of doubt, I did not and will not accept any SUV. The only SUV I will accept is a made in Nigeria car,” he wrote.

The decision of the Senate to buy SUV for some of its members considering the economic situation in the country has been faulted by Labour unions and other members of the public.

The Senate has however justified its decision saying the vehicles were needed for official assignments by members.

April 21, 2016