News Post

The Upper Legislative Chamber on Tuesday, February 20, 2018 received and considered the Report of its Committee on Niger Delta on the 2017 Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Budget Estimates. The Report was presented before the Chamber by Sen. Peter Nwaoboshi (Delta North). A total of N364 billion was approved as the 2017 budget for Commission which will run from the Month of January to May 31, 2018. 

Similarly, the Red Chamber has recommitted the “Public Procurement Act (Amendment) Bill, 2017” to the Conference Committee. The re-committal was sequel to a Motion moved by the Senate Leader, Ahmad Lawan (Yobe North); recalled that the Bill was passed into law by the Chamber on Thursday, June 16th, 2016.

In addition, the harmonized Bill was adopted by the Senate on Thursday, July 27th, 2017 and forwarded to the Clerk to the National Assembly for further legislative actions. Accordingly, the Legal Services Directorate of the National Assembly after critical examination of the legislation observed that clauses 11(4) and (6) were in conflict:

i) Sub-clause (4) stipulates that the Clerk to the National Assembly shall chair the National Assembly Tender Board; while

ii) Sub-clause (6) provides that the same Clerk to the National Assembly shall be the Secretary of the National Assembly Tender Board.

The Senate relying on Order 1 (b) of the Senate Standing Order 2015 as amended accordingly resolved to refer the Public Procurement Act (Amendment) Bill, 2017 to the Conference Committee that worked on it earlier for further legislative action.

Also, the Senate has passed a Motion titled “Urgent need to investigate the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Nigerian Agip Oil Company IPP Security Account, sponsored by Sen. Dino Melaye (Kogi West). According to Sen. Melaye, the Senate noted with serious concern the operation of an Account by the NNPC/Agip Oil Company domiciled in the First Bank Nigeria Plc with Account Number 2006367288 which has an opening balance of N31, 704, 807, 979: 02 and closing balance of N34, 423, 738, 086: 04. 

Consequently, the Motion sought for answers to the following questions:

a) The objectives of the Account; b) The signatories to the Account; c) Is the Account known to the Federal Government; d) What are the sources of the Account’s funds. The Motion scaled through with a single resolution below:

i) Mandate the Committee on Public Accounts to carry out a holistic investigation into the activities of the operation of this Account and report back within four weeks.

Nevertheless, a Motion on the “Urgent need to establish more Rehabilitation Centres across the country”, sponsored by Sen. Jeremiah Timbut Useni and 9 Co-sponsors was equally passed by the Upper Legislative Chamber. Sen. Useni expressed serious concern that drugs and substance abuse have become the order of the day in all parts of the country with the attendant negative consequences which include criminal activities such as armed robbery, rape etc.

The Senate is worried that at least 50% of the all addicts are likely to bear children with the same addictive traits in their offspring unless and until they undergo professional drugs cessation rehabilitation. The Motion sailed through with two prayers below:

i) Urge the Federal Government through the Ministry of Health to establish Rehabilitation Centres in each State of the Country and urged relevant stakeholders to key in.

ii) Mandate the Senate Committee on Health to ensure that the Federal Government give the Centres the needed attention.

Another Motion on the “Urgent need to look into the killings that took place in Zurmi L.G.A. of Zamfara State”, sponsored by Tijani Yahaya Kaura (Zamfara North) was also passed by the Red Chamber. According to Sen. Kaura, cross border armed banditry has brought Nigeria’s frail security system to the limelight having triggered an orgy of violence in Zamfara State which left 39 people dead in Zurmi L.G.A. on Wednesday, February 14, 2018. The Motion scaled through with six resolutions below:

i) Observe a minute silence in honour of the dead victims of the horrendous attack.

ii) Urge the Federal Government to direct the Nigerian Airforce to use air surveillance to identify the locations of the armed bandits within the sparse of forest and flush them out.

iii) Urge the Federal Government to mount diplomatic pressure on Niger and Chad Governments to forestall criminals from using their territories to launch attacks on Nigerians.

iv) Urge the Zamfara Government to upgrade, recruit and generously fund State and Local Government Vigilance Team with the aim of improving security in affected areas

v) Call on NEMA to immediately send relief materials to affected areas in Zurmi L.G.A. 

vi) Urge the Committee on Defence, Army, National Security and Intelligence to visit Zamfara State for an on the spot assessment of the situation in the State.

Nonetheless, a Motion on “The Revitalization of Primary Health Care System across Nigeria”, sponsored by Sen. Duro Faseyi (Ekiti North) equally sailed through with the following prayers:

i) Urge the Federal Government to take immediate and concrete steps to ensure that all health centres are functional and operating at full capacity.

ii) Direct the relevant Federal Government Agencies to build urgent linkages, cooperation and partnership with corresponding bodies at State and Local Government levels and Community leaders where the Primary Health Care Facility is located for accomplishment of the shared goal and enhanced result.

iii) Urge the Federal Government to ensure that at least two Primary Health Care Centres are established and functioning at full capacity in each political ward in the country as against one announced by the Government.

iv) Mandate the appropriate Committees to monitor compliance and report back to the Senate in six weeks.

v) Direct the Senate Committee on Appropriation to ensure the inclusion of budgetary allocations in the 2018 budget to adequately fund the Health Sector especially the Primary Health Care Centres across Nigeria.