The Senate began business last Tuesday by welcoming Bauchi Central Senator Abdul Ningi to the chamber after his suspension was lifted the previous week.
Ningi, a member of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), entered the Red Chamber at 10:40 a.m. and took his seat after exchanging pleasantries with some of his colleagues.
Ningi was suspended on March 12 for three months but was revoked about two months after a motion by the minority leader, Abba Moro (PDP, Benue), on behalf of the minority group.
Senator Bauchi had accused the upper house leadership of illegally inserting projects worth N3 trillion into the 2024 budget.
During Tuesday’s plenary session, Senate President Godswill Akpabio welcomed Ningi to the chamber and urged him to overlook his suspension.
Sen Abdul Ningi
Ningi, in his response, emphasized that he no longer has problems with the Senate leadership and that the issue of his suspension is now “a thing of the past.”
The Senate reviews the remuneration of judicial officials
On Wednesday, the Senate approved a bill that seeks to increase the salaries, allowances and official benefits of judicial officials.
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The bill was considered and approved by the Committee of the Whole.
The upper house approved the bill after considering the report of its Judicial Affairs, Human Rights and Legal Affairs Committee, presented by Tahir Monguno, its president.
Monguno, presenting the report, lamented that the compensation and benefits of judicial officers have not been reviewed for many years.
The Borno senator maintained that the increase in allowances and salaries of judicial officers is long overdue.
He said the new salary and benefits plan will help the Nigerian judiciary achieve equity in the delivery of justice.
Monguno also said that apart from the new salary and benefits plan; The bill will also provide for the retirement of judicial officers.
The Chairman of the Committee noted that the new payment plan will attract and retain officials who wish to remain on the bench.
None of the senators opposed the report when the president of the Senate put the bill to a vote.
Akpabio, upon the passage of the bill, expressed gratitude to the committee members and senators for their support.
President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio. [PHOTO CREDIT: Official X handle of the President of The Senate | https://twitter.com/SPNigeria]
Lawmakers seek to end clashes between farmers and herders and ban open grazing
Concerns have resurfaced in the Senate over the endless clashes between farmers and herdsmen in some parts of Nigeria.
On Wednesday, the upper house approved in second reading a bill that seeks to ban open grazing and establish ranches for shepherds.
It is titled “A Bill to Establish a National Livestock and Ranch Commission for the Regulation, Management, Preservation and Control of Ranches throughout Nigeria; and for related purposes, 2024.”
It was sponsored by Titus Zam (APC, Benue North West).
The legislation seeks to address the long-standing conflict between farmers and herders.
He specifically proposed that ranches be established in states where communities are prone to herding without imposing it on other states that do not have herders.
The bill was passed after a majority of senators supported it when the Senate president put it to a vote.
Mr Akpabio subsequently referred it to the Agriculture, Trade and Investment and Judiciary and Legal Affairs Committees for further legislative action.
He ordered the committees to report to the Senate within a month.
Senators say education is essential for Nigerian children
The senators also considered a bill that seeks to ensure free and compulsory primary education for children in Nigeria, as prescribed in the Universal Basic Education Act of 2004.
The bill passed second reading in the Senate on Wednesday.
Sponsored by Idiat Adebule (APC, Lagos West), he proposed a fine of N250,000 against parents who do not enroll their children in primary and secondary schools.
Section 2 (1) and (2) of the UBE Act states that “All governments in Nigeria shall provide free, compulsory and universal basic education to all children of primary and secondary school age.
“Every parent shall ensure that his or her child or ward attends and completes his or her (a) primary education and (b) lower secondary education, endeavoring to send the child to primary and lower secondary schools.”
Mrs. Adebule, while leading the debate on the bill, argued that if passed, it would reduce the high rate of out-of-school children in the country.
He said most parents whose children do not go to school were not worried because there was no punishment for them.
The senator stated that poverty should not be an excuse for not acquiring a Western education.
The majority of senators who contributed to the debate supported it.
After the debate, Mr Akpabio put the bill to vote and the majority of senators supported it.
More money for FCT
The 2024 supplementary budget of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCDA) was approved in second reading in the Senate on Wednesday. The budget is estimated at N98.5 billion.
The Deputy President of the Senate, Oyelola Ashiru, presented the budget estimates during the plenary session.
Senators did not debate the bill before its passage.
The Senate President referred it to the FCT Committee for further consideration and directed it to report to the Senate within two weeks.
Mining communities receive attention from the Senate
The Senate on Thursday asked the federal government to deploy security agencies in mining communities across the country to maintain surveillance around mining areas.
The call was a continuation of a motion sponsored by Sani Musa (APC, Niger East) during the plenary session.
More than 30 people were trapped while seven others were rescued at a collapsed mining site in Galadima Kogo, Shiroro Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State last Monday.
Musa, presenting his motion, said there was a need to protect the Niger mining site and other mining communities to prevent future occurrences.
The Nigerien senator highlighted that securing mining communities with adequate security agencies will reduce illegal mining and its consequences.
He called on the federal government to investigate the circumstances surrounding the mine collapse in Niger.
The majority of senators voted in favor of the motion when it was put to a vote by the President of the Senate.
Senators then observed a minute of silence in honor of the victims of the mine collapse.
Lawmakers Act Against Performance-Enhancing Drugs in Sports
The Senate on Thursday approved a bill that seeks to prohibit Nigerian athletes from using performance-enhancing substances during or after competitions.
The bill was considered and approved by the Committee of the Whole.
The Upper House approved the bill after considering a report from its Sports Development and Judicial Affairs, Human and Legal Rights Commissions.
The report was presented by Kawu Sumaila, chairman of the sports committee.
Mr Sumaila, presenting his report on the bill, said the committees had critically examined it.
The Kano senator said the bill would develop the Nigerian sports sector if passed and approved.
If President Bola Tinubu gives his consent, Nigerian athletes will be banned from using performance substances at the Olympic Games seminar in Paris in July.
Athletes will also be prohibited from consuming substances during or after any sporting event.
It also means that Nigeria will comply with the requirements of the World Anti-Doping Code.
The World Anti-Doping Code (Code) is the central document that harmonizes anti-doping policies, rules and regulations within sporting organizations and between public authorities around the world.
Senators want the security strategy in the northwest to be reviewed
The Senate on Thursday asked President Bola Tinubu to review the strategies adopted by security agencies in the fight against terrorism, kidnappings and other insecurity challenges in the North West region.
He also urged the President to consider deploying additional security personnel to identified hotspots to ensure protection of lives and property in the region.
The call followed a motion sponsored by Nasiru Daura (APC, Katsina North) during the plenary session.
The motion was also co-sponsored by 20 other senators from the region.
The northwestern states of Nigeria are Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara.
Mr. Daura, presenting his motion, said the northwestern states have been experiencing banditry attacks resulting in loss of lives, kidnappings, displacement of communities and disruption of economic activities.
After exhaustive debate, senators voted overwhelmingly in favor of the motion when Senate Vice President Barau Jibrin put it to a vote.