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Standing rule ammendment that relegates Reps members is laughable  -Senator Sumaila

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The senator representing Kano South, Kawu Sumaila (NNPP) has described the recent amendment to the senate standing rule which barred ranking members from the House of representat8ives and first term members from seeking to be elected as president of the Senate or deputy president of the Senate as a monumental blunder.

He said the action will consume the leadership of the 10th senate.

Barely two weeks after the 10th Senate suffered an impeachment scare, the Senate amended its standing rule and barred first term members from seeking to be elected as president of the Senate or deputy president of the Senate. 

Adopting a motion sponsored by senate majority leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, the senate amended section three of its standing rule and specifically stated that to vie for the position of president of the Senate or deputy president of the Senate, a senator must have spent one term or four years in the upper legislative chamber. 

Senator Sumaila who himself is a ranking member from the House of representatives said the senate has excluded members of the House of Representatives from the ranking arrangements in the Senate with the way the amendments was done. 

“We are practicing bi-camera legislation. From the arrangements we met on ground, for you to be a ranking member of the Senate, you must spend one or more terms in the Senate or in the House of Representatives. There was no exclusion of the House of Representatives members. Now it is a game of numbers. “

He said the new rule has created a dichotomy between the red and the green chamber.  It is making the members of the House to be inferior to their colleagues in the Senate. The House is made of 360 members while the Senate has 109. 

“With the latest development definitely we are calling for anarchy as somebody who has the experience of the House of Representatives, I think it is not a healthy situation.

“At the end of the day, it is the executive arm of government that suffers.  Definitely, the House of Representatives that I know for almost 20 years will surely strike and the Senate will be at the receiving end. 

“I don’t think it should be an issue if a first time senator decides to contest the presiding officers’ positions. It happened in 2007 when Senator George Akume contested the Senate Presidency as a first time member in the Senate against David Mark, he went to court and call allowed them to contest.

“For the senators to start thinking that way, they lack something, they need to understand what National Assembly is all about. 

“In 2015, when Akpabio had no legislative experience but he became minority leader. Recently Umahi became deputy majority Leader without legislative experience.

“We have three stages in our book. Senators who are re-elected are automatically referred to as ranking, also members from the House of Reps who migrated to the senate are ranking members.

“These two stages are ranking senators and we copied this system from the US. We need to ask ourselves how they are doing it. You cannot make a sister chamber to be inferior and think that you are not stoking controversy. 

“If there is constitutional ammendment, Senate has its own version and the reps have their own. We will constituted a conference committee. The conference committee cannot alter any thing, it is either to accept Senate version or Reps version. 

“Then we will come up with a uniformed version but if for any reason Senate disagrees with the House or House disagrees with the Senate it must be resolved by votes. 

“If for any reason they refuse to adopt the senate’s position, definitely there will be a joint session, though it is the Senate President who will preside over the joint session, they are 360 while the senate members are 109. “This is the silent question they need to ask before they arrived at the decision. Somebody like Aminu Waziri Tambuwal you are referring to him as non ranking when he spent more than 12 years in the House of Representatives, a former speaker and now you are calling him a non ranking senator in this chamber? “People need to understand the implication of this kind of legislation. 

He said the oppositio  senators  ignored it because tgey know it will consume those behind it.

“For instance when we ammend our rules we do it with simple majority not two third, therefore any day we do it once we form a quorum and there is an ammendment this particular clause can be ammendment it. 

“If for any reason today we decide to remove our presiding officers, we can remove them appoint speaker or Senate President Protempo, while we are sitting we will suspend that clause, elect a new senate President who may not be ranking. 

“That legislation can not hold water, it cannot stand. I was laughing when I see them thinking this way

Most of the members need to be educated on the working of the Bicameral legislature. 

He said, the Senate only have upper hand when it comes to confirmation of appointments, but real legislation the House of Reps has the upper hand because it is a game of numbers, constitutional representation. 

“Therefore being constitutional representation equality doesn’t can’t. The Senate representation is based on equality. The House is based on constitutional representation.

“Because in my case I have 16 local Government, 171 polical wards with over 5m people and I am the same with somebody who came from Bayelsa, Ekiti and Zamfara that have fewer Local Governments, some have 3 Local Government but Kano and Lagos have 20 Local Government. 

“It is because of equality

But for House of Reps Kano has 24 and Lagos has 24 but if you go to Bayesa how many are they 3 but in the Senate, there is equality. Equality doest count In constitutional representation it I the House. 

The current Senate President Godswill Akpabio was a first timer when he became minority leader when they suspended the rules,

Senator Dave Umahi is the current case in the 10th Senate, we suspended the rules without mentioning it and we allowed him to become deputy leader.

According to him in the current Senate, House of Reps members that migrated to the senate are about 30, in the leadership 6 persons came from there, Rafai Sani Hanga in the minority, we have Ali Ndume in the majority and we have the House Leader Opeyemi Bamidele he also is from the House of Reps about five of them

“When you start from the grade A committees, Bamidele is from the House, Tambuwal is from the House, Ahmad Lawan is from the House, Yayi is from the House. 

“Over 30 senators started from the House of Reps. One of the senate members were once in the House. How do you think our colleagues from the House will view us.  

He said they in the minority did not raise issues because their concern at the moment is the current challenges that the country is facing, economically and politically, “we need to bridge the gap between the leadership and the followers.”

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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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Legislature

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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