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Lawan advocates for more resources to be deployed for capacity building for 10th NASS

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**Expresses concern over 70% turnover with attendant lost capacity, skills

The President of the Senate Ahmad Lawan has advocated for more resources to be deployed for capacity building of incoming members of the 10th National Assembly

Lawan spoke when he recieved the executive chairman of the National Assembly service Commission (NASC) Engineer Ahmed Amishi at the presentation of the three year (2020, 2021 and 2022) report of the NASC to the President of the Senate on Thursday at the NASS Complex Abuja.
Lawan’s comment is coming against the backdrop that more than 70% of the members of the 9th NASS are not returning which he said is not cost effective.
“Everybody knows that the turnover rate have been very very costly because and this is without prejudice to anybody, costly in the sense that when you have only about 30% of the members of the 9th NASS that will return, you know that you have lost the capacity, you have lost the trainings, skills, enterprise and so on.
“This means the 10th NASS needs to hit the gound running and I used the word cost because what it means is that the 10th NASS will have to make provisions immediately for capacity building for members of the NASS that would be resuming if we want to achieve our worth and our set target.

“Everybody is enthusiastic, ready to come in and continue to build and make Nigeria better

“I am using this channel to sound the advise that National Assembly needs more resources for capacity building for members of the NASS that are coming as well as those staff that we will be working with.
“I also want to add here that National Assembly, NASC the management of the NASS as well as the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic studies (NILDS) should brace up for more work
This he said is because the members of the 10th National Assembly which is yet to be innaugurated are very enthusiastic.
While commending the commission for the good work he said , “When your names were submitted for confirmation, the quality of the people on the list, we knew without doubt that this is the NASC, the commission will work hard, that will remain focused, and deliver and you have delivered.
“Three years or more down the line, today we are recieving the 2020, 2021 and 2022 annual reports of the various activities that you have engaged or embarked upon
“Some of the activities were not easy ones infact we inherited a very tedious situation and we did not care who was involved. All we wanted was justice, fairness, we wanted process, we wanted procedure and therefore the National Assembly Service Commission and the leadership of the national assembly worked tirelessly to ensure that particular major issue of extension of services of about 140 of our staff at that time was appropriate or not.
He said he was elated to see that the issue was resolved.
According to him, the staff that worked in NASS needs to be motivated
“There is no motivation than to be aware that you can rise through and be whatever you can become so I congratulate you and commend you for the various activities that you have done so far
“The National Assembly can not be efficient and effective without a staff of the assembly that is motivated that is trained and retrained to provide the services that are necessary for the National Assembly members to perform their duties
“So it is in the interest of members of the National Assembly and the country that the national Assembly service commission functions optimally to provide the services that are required for the benefit all in the National Assembly ecosystem.
“Though it is two months remaining for the 9th National Assembly to come to an end, believe me we are holding our heads very high, we believe we have done so well working with you, between the two Chambers of the National Assembly we can say we have done well working with the executive arm of government and of course the outcomes are there for everyone to see.
“Whatever we have done would not have been achieved without the NASC and the staff of the National Assembly.
“Infact the staff have been very wonderful, very supportive and we believe that this is the kind of staff that we should always have and will also as an Assembly and as a commission need to continue to give the staff the kind of motivation that they need
I know we have worked so hard to get the bills
According to him, clerk of the National Assembly has disclosed that they have worked through all the processes to ensure all outstanding obligations to the staff are fufilled saying that it is coming out very soon
“All our staff including those who have been held outside will have their dues paid to them and this is a good thing to celebrate because it is their right, those who serve should also be serviced to be loyal and supportive. I want to once again commend the NASC and our staff for being very wonderful”

The Executive Chairman, National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) has expressed profound gratitude to the Senate President for his personal interventions into the various industrial actions embarked upon by the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) in relation to the payment of staff allowances, adding that had it not been for his interventions, “the industrial actions by PASAN would have paralyzed the activities of the National Assembly”.

He also thanked Lawan for his support to the construction of a befitting National Assembly Service Commission Office Building within the premises of the National Assembly Complex.

The Executive Chairman tol of NASCd the Senate President that the Commission has promoted 2,745 staff, did conversion of appointment of 447 staff handled 5 disciplinary cases.

Otherachievements of the Commission, according to Amishi are payment of all pending arrears arising from the consequential adjustment of the minimum wage, while certain allowances due to staff were regularly paid.

“The Commission has ensured appropriate appointments into all existing vacancies regularly with competent and experienced personnel within the service to ensure productivity and orderliness, taking into cognizance the guidelines provided in the National Assembly Service Act, 2014 and Extant Public Service Rules.

He said the Commission has developed a Training Manual for the Service and this is being implemented accordingly. Appropriate Capacity Building trainings are being undertaken.

Legislative Aides are also not left out as they are being trained annually by the Commission to improve their performance as they render services to the legislators.

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Legislature

Senator Ningi resumes from suspension

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After staying away for 75days out of 90 days suspension slammed on him by the Senate on March 12, 2024, Senator Abdul Ningi ( PDP Bauchi Central), formally resumed legislative activities at the Senate on Tuesday in plenary.

On the strength of motion sponsored by the minority leader Senator Abba Moro on behalf of minority caucus, the Senate recalled Senator Ningi from the three months suspension
Recall that Senator Ningi was suspended by the Senate at the committee of the whole on 2024 budget padding allegation leveled against the Senate during interview he had with the BBC Hausa service.
The Senate had recalled the Lawmaker representing Bauchi Central, Abdul Ningi after 2 Months and two weeks of the 3months suspension slammed on him over his interview in which he alleged padding of the 2024 N28. 7tn budget.

The lawmaker was suspended on the 12th of March, 2023 for three months, but the Senate on Tuesday unanimously resolved to  recall their colleague from suspension.

Recall that, Senator Olamilekan Adeola had come under Orders 9, 10, 41, and 51 to move a motion of privilege and issue of national importance against Ningi over his interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (Hausa Service).

Ningi had, in the interview alleged that the budget passed by the National Assembly for the 2024 fiscal year is N25tn while the one being implemented by the Presidency is N28.7tn. 

The motion, for the unconditional recall of Senator Abdul Ningi was sponsored by the minority leader Senator Abba Moro, Senator Olalere Oyewumi and Senator Osita Ngwu.

Apparently elated to be back in the Senate, Senator Ningi was among the first set of Senators and House of Representatives members to arrive the National Assembly for plenary on Tuesday

Senator Ningi who along with some few other Senators like Suleiman Kawu ( NNPP Kano South), Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (PDP Sokoto South) etc , came into the National Assembly through the Villa Gate, arrived exactly at 10: 40am, 20minutes to 11:00am fixed for commencement of plenary which even started at about 12:10 pm .

Following his suspension , Senator Ningi lost his Chairmanship position of the Senate Committee on National Identity and Population, which was allocated to Senator Mustapha Musa (APC Yobe East), two days after the now lifted suspension

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Minimum Wage: Senate tackles Labour over National Grid Shutdown, disruption of Hajj flight

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**Resolves to use legislation to prevent reoccurrence
The Senate on Tuesday expressed displeasure at some of the excesses by some members of Nigeria Labour Congress ( NLC) and Trade Union Congress ( TUC) during the nationwide strike for new minimum wage on Monday.
The upper legislative chamber declared that the shut down of the National Grid and the disruption of Hajj flight by some labour unionists were more of economic sabotage than agitation for new minimum wage.
It consequently declared that such situation would not be allowed to re – occur as laws against it would be reflected in the new national minimum wage Act that would be enacted soon after submission of bill to that effect by the executive.
Senate’s grouse against the alleged excesses of labour unionists during the now suspended nationwide strike, came through a motion on the strike action and new minimum wage by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Labour, Senator Diket Plang (APC Plateau Central).

Senator Plang had in the motion, requested the Senate to call on the federal government to expedite action on new minimum wage as a way of stopping the industrial unrest which was however overtaken by sudden suspension of the strike by labour.
But in his remarks, the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio said though it was heartwarming that the strike has been suspended but the excesses by some labour unionists need to be condemned
“One of such excesses, was the shut down of the National Grid which is more of an economic sabotage than agitation for new minimum wage.
“Disruption of Hajj flight by some other labour unionists as said by the Deputy President of the Senate, is also not palatable being a religious exercise.
“Also, disruption or prevention of students from writing their West African School Certificate Examination by some labour unionists during the strike was bad because the examination is not organized by Nigeria but West African Countries “, he said.
He added that such actions would not be allowed to be repeated as required laws against them, would be reflected in the new National Minimum Wage Bill expected from the executive very soon.
He,however commended the labour unions for calling off the strike
“I want to thank the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress for listening to the voice of Nigerians and the international community by calling off the strike to enable negotiations to continue and we wish them well in the negotiations.
“On our part, we will continue to do our best by making contributions and at the same time awaiting the incoming Bill on Minimum Wage for us to enact for the benefit of all Nigerians”, he said .

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Legislature

Senate approves Bill to change National anthem to “Nigeria, We Hail thee”

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**Counters AGF, insists Bill does not need wider consultation

The Senate on Tuesday approved a Bill to change the current National anthem titled “Arise O Compatriots ” to the old national anthem “Nigeria, we Hail thee”.
Following the consideration of the report of its Committees on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, and Federal Character, and Inter governmen Affairs on Tuesday, the Senate passed the bill entitled, “National Anthem Bill, 2024” for third reading.

The Senate passed the bill amidst stakeholders misgivings, including Lateef Fagbemi, the Auditor-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice against hasty passage and the need for a wider consultation.
The bill was read for the first and second time last week Thursday at the Senate. It also received an accelerated hearing at the lower house as it was read for the first, second and third time.

The Bill will be transmitted to President Bola Tinubu for assent. If signed into law, it will be the first time Nigeria’s national anthem will be given legal backing.
Mongu nu Tahir, the Senator representing Borno North, while presenting the report of the Committee during plenary informed that the Bill seeks to give a legal framework to the national anthem “so that it can bite and bite with all the legal powers embedded in it.”

He clarified that the Bill, despite the concerns raised by the AGF does not need to be subjected to a wider process of citizen participation through zonal public hearings, resolutions of the Federal Executive Council, Council of State, National and State Assemblies, etc.
He insisted that the Bill is an ordinary Bill, not a constitutional amendment and only requires it to be read first, second and third time after a public hearing.
Presenting the committees report, Monguno however said that the new national anthem is apt as it represents the country’s people, culture, values and aspirations.
“The bill is in tandem with the spirit of unity. It will undoubtedly inspire a zeal for patriotism and cooperation. It will promote cultural heritage. Changing the national anthem will chart a path to greater unity”, Tahir said.
He then recommended that the bill be passed. The Senate then resolved to the committee of the whole to consider the report. After which, Godswill Akpabio, the Senate President put the bill to a voice vote and lawmakers supported it.
The Senate president also noted that the AFG is not a lawmaker and does not have a full understanding of how Bill’s are passed.
The bill was consequently read for the third time and passed.

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