Tag: Senate

Senate confirms Umar Yahaya as Co-Chairman, Governing Council of Unclaimed Funds Trust Fund

Emporium Reporters

The Senate, on Wednesday, confirmed Umar Yahaya as Co-Chairman of the Governing Council of Unclaimed Funds Trust Fund. Yahaya’s confirmation was sequel to the consideration of a report by the Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions. Chairman of the Committee, Senator Uba Sani (APC – Kaduna Central), in his presentation, said Mr. Yahaya’s appointment was in accordance with the provisions of Section 77(5) of the Finance Act, 2020. According to the lawmaker, “the nominee possesses the academic qualifications, technical knowledge and professional experience to be appointed Co-Chairman of…

Senate passes Nigeria Start-up Bill

Emporium Reporters

The Senate has passed the Nigeria Start-up Bill, 2022. The passage of the bill followed the consideration of a report by the Senate Committee on ICT and Cyber Security. Chairman of the Committee, Senator Oseni Yakubu (APC – Kogi Central), in his presentation, said the bill seek to provide for the establishment of the National Council for Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship. According to him, the council, upon its establishment, would create and develop an enabling environment for technology-enabled start-ups in Nigeria. Meanwhile, a bill for an Act to provide for…

Senate adjourns for Sallah break, to resume July 19

Emporium Reporters

The Senate, on Wednesday, adjourned plenary to enable it proceed on the Sallah break.   The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, accordingly, announced July 19, 2022, as resumption date.   The Senate, before embarking on the three weeks recess, forwarded President Muhammadu Buhari’s request for the confirmation of Mohammed Bello as Chairman of the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission to the Committee on National Planning.   It also passed the Federal Medical Centres (Establishment) Bill, 2022, after re-committal to the Committee of the Whole for consideration and passage.   The…

Senate confirms Buhari’s seven nominees as Minister-designates

Emporium Reporters

The Senate, on Wednesday, screened and confirmed the seven ministerial nominees whose names were sent last week by President Muhammadu Buhari for confirmation as Minister-designates.   The screening exercise which started at about 12 noon lasted till 4:37 p.m.   Those screened and confirmed as minister-designates include Henry Ikechukwu Ikoh (Abia), Umana Okon Umana (Akwa-Ibom), and Ekumankama Joseph Nkama (Ebonyi).   Others are Goodluck Nana Opiah (Imo), Umar Ibrahim El-Yakub (Kano), Ademola Adewole Adegoroye (Ondo), and Udi Odum (Rivers).   While fielding questions from lawmakers, the first nominee, Ikechukwu Ikoh,…

Ekweremadu: Senate sends high profile delegation to UK

Emporium Reporters

The Senate on Wednesday says, it will send a delegation of lawmakers to the United Kingdom to meet the former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who is currently facing an organ harvesting charge in the European country.   Ahmad Lawan, the Senate president disclosed this on after the Red Chamber emerged from a closed-door session, which lasted for about an hour.     Lawan said the delegation, which comprised of members of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, will leave for London on Friday.     The Senate President also…

Senate passes five bills for concurrence

Emporium Reporters

The Senate has passed five bills from the House of Representatives for concurrence. The bills included Public Enterprises (Privatization and Commercialization) Act (Repeal & Enactment) Bill, 2022; and Orthopaedic Hospitals Management Board Act (Amendment) Bill, 2022. Others were Chartered Institute of Social Work Practitioners (Establishment) Bill, 2022; Nigeria Council for Social Work (Establishment) Bill, 2022; and Chartered Institute of Professional Secretarial of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, 2022. The five bills, sponsored by the Deputy Senate Leader, Ajayi Boroffice, were passed after consideration by the Committee of the Whole. In a related…

Senate to go ahead with probe of Ex-CJN despite resignation

Emporium Reporters

The Senate has mandated the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, to go ahead with the probe of the crisis in the Judiciary by looking into the complaints raised in the petition by the Justices of the Supreme Court.   It also tasked the Committee to interface with the three arms of government, as well as at the Bar and on the Bench to collate aggregate views and positions on the short term, medium term and long term measures needed to decisively address the crisis facing the Judiciary.…

Senate passes Public Private Partnership Regulatory Commission Bill, one other

Emporium Reporters

The Senate has passed the Public Private Partnership Regulatory Commission Bill, 2022.   Also passed was the Chartered Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineering of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, 2022.   The passage of both bills, on Wednesday, was sequel to the consideration of two separate reports by the Committees on Works; and Establishment and Public Service.   Senator Emmanuel Yisa Orker-Jev (PDP, Benue North-West), in a presentation delivered on behalf of the Chairman, Committee on Establishment and Public Service, Ibrahim Shekarau (Kano Central), who was absent during plenary, said the…

APC Chair,Adamu expresses worries over gale of defection in Senate ….. As another APC Senator defects to NNPP

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National chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdulllahi Adamu on Wednesday bemoaned defections of APC lawmakers in the Senate. Recall that Senators Ahmad Babba Kaita (Katsina North), Lawal Yahaya Gumau (Bauchi South), and Francis Alimikhena (Edo North) on Tuesday announced their defection. Whilst Babba Kaita and Alimikhena defected to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, Gumau, on the other hand, defected to the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). Similarly, on Wednesday, Senator Dauda Jika representing Bauchi Central and elected on the platform of the APC resigned his membership and joined…

Senate alerts military on terrorists’ enclaves in Kwara, Niger States

Emporium Reporters

The Senate has identified terrorists’ enclaves in communities within three local government areas of Kwara and Niger States, respectively.   Accordingly, the chamber, on Tuesday, urged the Military to carry out a comprehensive onslaught of bandits and criminal elements within Kainji Lake National Park and the identified communities.   The names of communities given by the chamber include Kaiama, Karonzi-Yashikira in Baruten local government, and Wawa and Babanna areas in Niger State.   These formed part of resolutions reached by the Senate after it considered a motion on the “worsening…