Ten controversies Senators must crack in 2017
All things being equal, the senators would be resuming on January 10 from the Christmas and new year recess, they embarked upon on December 15 last year. The Upper Chamber has been enjoying a relative peace since July last year (2016) when the Senate President, Bukola Saraki did a minor committees reshufflement, a development that […]
All things being equal, the senators would be resuming on January 10 from the Christmas and new year recess, they embarked upon on December 15 last year.
The Upper Chamber has been enjoying a relative peace since July last year (2016) when the Senate President, Bukola Saraki did a minor committees reshufflement, a development that silenced his main antagonist, Senator Kabiru Marafa (APC, Zamfara).
The peace being enjoyed at the Red Chamber has been punctured with its leadership singing different songs. No thanks to the rejection of the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu.
Magu’s rejection was the last major assignment of the Legislators before they proceeded on recess. A week into their break, it emerged that there’s a crack in the leadership.
The division became public when the Senate Leader, Ali Ndume after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari faulted the report of Magu’s rejection and said the EFCC’s boss has not been rejected.
Dismayed by Ndume’s comment on Magu’s rejection, the spokesperson of the Senate, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, apparently acting on the order of Saraki tongue lashed Ndume, insisting that they have rejected Magu.
Not perturbed by this, Ndume in his swift reaction reaffirmed his position, saying he stand by his position. Pundits say, if this is not properly managed, it may snowball into a bigger fight.
Like 2016, the 2017 budget is on the path of controversy.
Unlike the 2016 budget, the trouble of the 2017 budget started even before it’s presentation. All the troubles that enveloped the 2016 budget started after President Buhari laid the fiscal document before the joint session of the National Assembly.
But that of the 2017 budget has since started with the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) /Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP). The document was transmitted to the the National Assembly in September but it has not been passed, three months after.
MTEF/FSP is prerequisite for the passage of the budget. The MTEF/FSP for the 2016 budget was passed by the National Assembly, five days before the presentation of the 2016 budget. MTEF/FSP was passed on December 17,2015 and the budget was presented by Buhari on December 22nd, 2015.
The Senators had in November described the document as empty and returned it to the executive but in December it resumed it consideration, only to pick holes in the projections. The executive had adjusted the projections.
Our correspondent reports that the passage of the MTEF/FSP that was earlier scheduled for second week of December, will be on top of the agenda of the Senators on resumption this year.
Constitutional amendment or palaver
Another issue that would put the Senators on the spot is the constitutional amendment.
On December 8, the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Constitutional amendment, Senator Ike Ekweremadu delivered the interim report of his Committee.
Constitutional amendment has over the years be enmeshed in controversies. In last administration, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan withheld assent of the amendment made by last Assembly.
Saraki had fixed this month, January or February, this year for the passage of the amendment.
Saraki: Where is National/Assembly budget details?
The question reverberating in the minds of the populace is when would Saraki make the budget details of the National Assembly public.
Though the budget of the legislature has been shrouded in secrecy for over six years, the pledge by Saraki to make it public attracted attentions.
Throughout the budget processes last year expectations were high. Nigerians waited endlessly till the end of the 2016 budget processes. Now, the 2017 budget processes have began. Will he redeem this pledge? Only time will tell.
PIB: Will 8th Senate break the Jinx?
For over a decade, the Petroleum Industry Bill has been hanging in the air. First introduced during the era of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, PIB has been trending at the National Assembly for long.
Two Assemblies, that is 2007 to 2011, and to 2015 under Senator David Mark failed in this direction,largely because of regional sentiment by lawmakers and stakeholders including host communities.
Among the priority bills of the eighth Senate under Saraki is the PIB. It has been broken into pieces. In December, a public hearing was held on one of the new PIBs.
Saraki has fixed January, 2017 for the passage of the bill. “ The bill will be passed by January next year(this year) . This is my time table and I hope my colleagues will work in line with it, “Saraki said at the public hearing.
Constituency projects: From N100bn, Senators eye N1.4tr
If the proposal of the Senate sail through, Senators will get N1.4trillion of this year’s budget. From N100billion, the senators are now eyeing 20 percent of the country’s annual budget for their constituency projects.
The proposal was sequel to a Bill tagged, “ Constituency projects Bill, 2016 sponsored by Senator Stella Oduah (PDP, Anambra). The bill scaled through second reading at the Senate on December 8.
The four weeks timeframe given to the committees on Finance and Appropriation to carry out legislative actions elapse this week.
SGF Vs Senate: Who blinks first?
The battle line has been drawn by the Senators and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Babachir David Lawal. It all started months ago over constituency projects but the probe of the Presidential Initiative on North East (PINE) has opened a new fiesta.
Before proceeding on recess, the senators demanded the head of Babachir over an allegation bordering on corruption. The Senate adhoc committee on mounting humanitarian crisis in North East chaired by Senator Shehu Sani (APC, Kaduna) indicted the SGF. Will Buhari heed to the lawmakers resolution?
Gender equality: Religion Vs. modernisation
Like the PIB, the Gender equality bill has been at the National Assembly for years. It was rejected in seventh Assembly but it was presented by Senator Biodun Olujimi (PDP, Ekiti) in this Assembly.
It was rejected in March but she re-presented it and it has scaled through second reading. In last month, the Public hearing was postponed after religious and women’s groups stormed the National Assembly.
The bill tagged United Nations Convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women.One of the contentious issues in the bill was inheritance. A copy of the draft obtained by our correspondent, specifically stated that women and men shall have the right to inherit, in equitable shares, their parents properties.
NNPC/NPC: Can Senate stop the ‘theft’ ?
On December 13, the Senate mandated its Committees on Finance, Petroleum (Downstream) and Petroleum (Upstream) to probe the alleged diversion of $5billion crude oil funds by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC).
The probe followed a motion sponsored by Senator Dino Melaye(APC, Kogi), tagged “ unlawful and willful misappropriation and criminal withholding of public revenue by NNPC and NPDC”. The committees was given up to January 9, this year to investigate and stop the leakages that was said to have be on for many years.
Committees: Swearing-in of Rivers Senators put pressure on Saraki
The swearing of the three Senators from Rivers state have made it necessary for committee reshufflement to accommodate the new lawmakers.
The trio of Osinachukwu Ideozu, Gorge Sekibo and Magnus Abe were sworn on December 15,2016. While Sekibo and Ideozu are of the PDP, Abe is of the APC.
By this month, January the Senators would be assigned committees. This would definitely affect the present peace if not properly done. The peace being enjoyed at the Upper Chamber was largely as a result of the reshufflement of committees.