Category: Legislative

Senate probes GSM operators over drop calls

Emporium Reporters

A Senate panel on Wednesday held a public hearing to investigate telecommunications network operators in the country over increasing rate of drop calls. President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan has asked the GSM operators in the country to refund to their customers money which they paid on drop calls. The public hearing was conducted by joint Senate committees on Communications, Trade and Investment. According to the chairperson of the Senate Committee on communications, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the session was specifically “on the increasing rate of drop calls and other unwholesome…

Senate President pledges support for Nigerian Surveyors

Emporium Reporters

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan has assured Surveyors in the country of the readiness of the upper chamber to support the profession for more relevance. Lawan gave the assurance on Wednesday when the League of Surveyors From the Surveyors Council of Nigeria paid him a courtesy call at the National Assembly. Lawan who is also a Surveyor by profession that he will do anything that he could, to support the practice of the profession. “Anything that I can do to enhance the practice of Surveying profession in Nigeria, I…

Insecurity: Senate moves to establish Commission against illegal weapons, small arms

Emporium Reporters

The Senate on Wednesday considered a bill seeking to establish the National Commission Against the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons. Sponsor of the bill, Senator Smart Adeyemi (APC – Kogi West), said the functions of the Commission when established will among others include: identifying sources and routes of small arms and ammunitions; identifying those involved in the illicit trade; and providing harmonization of intelligence and information collection. According to Adeyemi, the proliferation of small arms and weapons has become a phenomenon responsible for destabilizing the peace, development and…

Why I sponsored NSCDC Academy bill -Sen Musa Sani

Emporium Reporters

The Senator representing Niger East in the Senate ,Senator Musa Mohammed Sani on Thursday declared that he proposed the bill to establish a training academy for the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) as a way of permanently tackling the increasing insecurity in the some parts of Nigeria. The bill titled “Nigerian Civil Defence Academy Pandogari (Establishment) Bill, 2020,(SB.242) scaled Second Reading on the floor of the Senate on Thursday. In his lead debate on the bill, Sani said that the establishment of the academy had become “very desirable…

Senate holds valedictory session to honour Uwajumogu

Emporium Reporters

The Senate on Wednesday held a valedictory session to honour late Senator Benjamin Uwajumogu, who until his death represented Imo North Senatorial District in the National Assembly on the platform of the All Progressive Congress. The Session which started at 11:00am and ended 2:35pm, had Senators eulogizing and reliving individual experiences and last moments with the deceased lawmaker who died on December 18, 2019. The Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi (APC – Kebbi North), who opened the floor for valedictory speeches described the lawmaker as an icon who had an active…

Senate wants strict fiscal compliance for MDAs

Emporium Reporters

The Senate has initiated moves to ensure strict compliance with fiscal transparency and accountability by Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government sequel to the consideration of a bill to repeal and re-enact the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007. Sponsor of the bill, Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed (APC, Adamawa Central), in her lead debate, said there were “deficiencies that render implementation and enforcement of the provisions of the Act too administrative, especially without clear cut punitive measures” as consequence for violations. According to the lawmaker, in order to make the Medium Term…

We ‘Il revisit Power Sector Privatisation -Lawan

Emporium Reporters

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan on Thursday said there was a need to revisit the privatisation of the power sector. Lawan made the statement when members of the executive committee of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria ((MAN) paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja. “I think the privatisation has not worked. It has failed because the essence of privatisation is to create efficiency,” Lawan told his guests who complained of the adverse effects of the sordid state of electricity supply in the country. “It appears most of the companies,…

Senate constitutes 56-man Constitution Review Committee

Emporium Reporters

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, on Thursday announced the membership of a 56-man Steering and Constitution Review Committee. The announcement was made moments after the commencement of Thursday’s plenary. The composition of the committee had all Principal officers as members; one Senator from each State of the Federation, and two Senators selected to represent each geo-political zone in the country. Principal officers on the membership of the Constitution Review Committee include: the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege (Chairman); Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi; Deputy Leader, Ajayi Boroffice; Minority Leader, Enyinnaya…

Senate raises alarm over strange disease outbreak in Benue …. as death toll hits 15, infected persons 104

Emporium Reporters

The Senate has raised alarm over the outbreak of a strange epidemic on January 29, 2020, in Oye-Obi Local Government Area of Benue State. The upper chamber, accordingly, urged the Federal Ministry of Health to immediately mobilize focal persons to the area to investigate and ascertain the nature of the disease which has so far claimed fifteen lives. The Senate also urged the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to promptly put up surveillance to contain the disease, see to the treatment of victims and protect others from contacting it.…

Lawan: N’Assembly begins consultation with Executive over PIB

Emporium Reporters

President of the Senate, Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, on Wednesday, disclosed that the National Assembly has started consultation with the Executive arm of government on a new version of the Petroleum Industry Bill to be introduced in the ninth National Assembly. Lawan made the disclosure during a meeting with representatives of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) who paid a visit to his office at the National Assembly, Abuja. Representatives on the IMF delegation are: Amine Mati, Senior Resident Representative Mission Chief for Nigeria; Jesmine Raman; Zainab Mangga; Nanrup Ibrahim; Osana Odonye;…