The Senate has passed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill for third reading.
The passage followed the adoption of the report by the joint Senate and House of Representatives committee on the bill, which was presented the Chairman, Senate Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission, Senator Suleiman Nazif.
President Muhammadu, Buhari had withdrawn assent to the bill three times, raising various constitutional and drafting issues.
The committee had addressed the issues raised by the President in a harmonised, fourth version of the bill.
President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, who said passage of the bill was “almost impossible,” expressed hope that the President would assent to the bill when transmitted by the National Assembly.
The House of Representatives has also scheduled third reading of the bill for today.
Details later…
Tag: Senate
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BREAKING: Senate passes Electoral Act amendment bill
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Breaking: Senate finally confirms Durnnguwa NPC commissioner
The Senate has finally confirmed Dr. Abdul Malik Mohammed Durnnguwa as one of the Commissioners for the National Population Commission (NPC).
TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports Durnnguwa was confirmed on Thursday after he was previously rejected last week.
While presenting the report of the Committee on National Identity Card and National Population on the screening of 23 nominees for confirmation of appointment as commissioners at the plenary session held on Thursday last week, Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi said “Dr. Abdul Malik Mohammed Durnnguwa’s nomination was stood down due to questionable certificates”.
While Senator Ali Ndume noted that “When you have questionable certifications, it is the duty of the Committee to verify”, Senator Sam Egwu said: “These screenings were done for months and now it is not right to give an individual another two weeks. We cannot function that way”.
Senator Gumel Abdullahi stated that his concern was whether the nominee wrote Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) and passed.
Eventually, 22 other commissioners were confirmed last week leaving out Durnnguwa.
Those confirmed are Nwanne Nwabuisi, Dr. Clifford T.O. Zirra, Dr. Chidi Christopher Ezeoke, Barr. Isa Audu Buratai, Navy Captain Charles Iyam Ogwa, Sir Richard Odibo, Okereke Darlington Onuabuchi, Mr. A.D. Olusegun Aiyejina, Ejike Ezeh, Hon. Abubakar Mohammed Danburam, Prof. Uba S.F. Nnabue and Suleiman Ismaila Lawal.
Others are Professor Jimoh Habibat Isah, Dr. Sa’adu Ayinla Alanamu, Nasir Isa Kwarra, Barr. Aliyu Datti, Yeye (Mrs.) Seyi Adereinokun Olusanya, Prince (Dr.) Olanadiran Garvey Iyantan, Senator Mudasiru Oyetunde Hussain, Mrs. Cecillia Arsun Dapoet, Dr. Ipalibo Macdonald Harry and Sale S. Saany.
Durnnguwa was finally confirmed as Commissioner for the NPC after Senate dissolved into the Committee of the Whole for the clause by clause consideration of the report of the Committee on National Identity Card and NPC.
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Senate rejects 39-year-old Code of Conduct Bureau nominee, confirms seven others
…Rejects two others
The Senate has confirmed Muhammed Isah as the chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).
It also confirmed six others as members of the bureau. They are, Murtala Kankia (North-East), Emmanuel Attah (South-South) and Ubolo Okpanachi (North-Central).
Others are Ken Madaki Alkali (North-Central), S.F Ogundare (South-West) and Saad Abubakar (North-East).
It however failed to confirm Danjuma Sado (South-South), Ganiyu Hamzat (South-West) and Vincent Nwanli (South-East) as members.
The confirmations were made after the chairman of the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, Sam Anyawu, presented the report of the committee to the Senate for consideration.
Anyawu said eight of the 10 nominees showed up for screening were cleared by the Police, the State Security Services, and possess the Code of Conduct appointment skills.
He said the confirmed nominees had no petitions against them before the committee.
He further explained that Sado was rejected because he did not meet the required age. The lawmaker stated that according to the CCB Act, appointees shall, at the time of appointment, be not less than 50 years.
Sado is 39 years old.
Two other nominees, Ganiyu Hamzat and Vincent Nwanli, he said, were not confirmed as members because they did not show up for the screening.
The Senate, thereafter, urged the Presidency to provide three nominees to replace those rejected. -
Senate asks CBN to suspend ‘excessive’ ATM charges, N10,000 maximum withdrawal
The Senate on Wednesday asked its committees on Banking, Insurance & other Financial Institutions and Finance to invite the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele over the apex’s bank approval of ‘illicit and excessive’ and the N10,000 maximum withdrawal at ATM centres.
The committees are also to investigate the propriety of ATM Card maintenance charges in comparison with international best practices and report back to the Senate.
These resolutions were sequel to a motion sponsored by Gbenga Ashafa (APC, Lagos East) on “Illicit and Excessive Charges by Nigerian Banks on customers account with particular focus on Automated Teller Machine (ATM) Maintenance and Withdrawal Charges.”
Ashafa noted there have been several complaints from Nigerians generally and on social media concerning illicit and excessive charges by commercial banks on customers’ account with particular focus on ATM maintenance charges and ATM withdrawal charges.
Recall that the CBN in 2017 increased the maintenance fees charged by banks on debit and credit card maintenance from N100 a year to N50 per month (N600 a year) as contained in its “Guide to Charges by Banks and other Financial Institutions.”
Ashafa referred to a viral campaign that began on social media on September 3, where many Nigerians called for reforms of the banks.
The lawmaker also expressed worry that most banks have deliberately manipulated their ATM not to dispense more that N10,000 per withdrawal in some cases and in most cases not more than N20,000.
“This is a deliberate ploy to manipulate the ATM machines which are ordinarily manufactured to dispense as much as N40, 000 per transaction, in order to attract more bank charges from customers who are forced to carry out more transactions due to the manipulated machines.
“It appears the CBN is becoming insensitive to the plight of Nigerians who are already complaining of excessive charges by commercial banks. If the CBN is trying to encourage a cashless Nigeria, why should they be making it more difficult and expensive for Nigerians to do transactions,” he said.
In his contribution, the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, lamented that ATM charges are not the only charges on customers by banks. He said the CBN has the responsibility to protect the interests of Nigerians and not just make money for other banks.
He also said the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) is not “living to expectation.”Mr Ekweremadu, thereafter, urged the Senate to call the institutions to order and protect the interest of customers.
The Senate, thereafter, urged banks to allow N40,000 maximum per withdrawal through an ATM and not N10,000.
Other resolutions made by the Senate are “urge the Central Bank of Nigeria to suspend the ATM Card Maintenance Charges being deducted from customers account pending the outcome of the investigation by the Committees and
“Urge the Consumer Protection Council to be up and doing in taking up the plight of ordinary Nigerians by looking into the various complaints of excess and unnecessary charges by Nigerian Banks.” -
JUST IN: Chaos in Senate as Saraki refuses to recognise Akpabio
The Senate was thrown into chaos Wednesday as lawmakers argued over sitting arrangements.
The confusion erupted after the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, refused to allow former minority leader, Godswill Akpabio, contribute to a point of order earlier raised by Bassey Akpan.
Mr Saraki said he would not recognise Mr Akpabio’s contribution because he was not sitting in the appropriate seat.
“Senator… eh… former Minority Leader, you know you can’t speak from there. You can’t. Go to your seat, when you get to your seat, I’ll recognise you,” he said.
He, thereafter, asked the leader of the Senate to proceed with other items on the Order Paper.
But the senate leader, Ahmed Lawan, stood up to defend Mr Akpabio.
“If he decides to sit there, let him. There is no microphone there. Let us not take the panadol for his headache. Let me advise, that even though we have only six, seven months to go, let’s do what is right,” he said.
Thereafter, lawmakers began to shout at another, with each person trying to defend his or her party.
Efforts by the senate president to call senators to order were unsuccessful as some of them were seen rising from their seats to confront colleagues from the opposition parties. -
Breaking: Senate begins investigation into $3.5bn unappropriated subsidy fund
The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday set in motion investigation into the $3.5 billion unappropriated subsidy recovery fund allegedly being mismanaged by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports Senator Biodun Olujimi, citing order 42, brought the issue to bear on the floor of the red chamber, stressing that the amount was too large to be managed in such a manner it is being managed.
“I bring an issue in today’s ThisDay newspaper and it’s about $3.5 billion budget recovery fund being used by the NNPC. It is earmarked as subsidy recovery fund by the NNPC.
“Mr President since 1999, there has always been a budget for subsidy but this has been jettisoned by the current government which leaves this administration in a dire situation.
“What is happening is that there is a fund named subsidy recovery fund which is managed by only two individuals of the NNPC, that is the Managing Director and the Executive Director, Finance.
“This fund is too huge for two people to manage. Right now, Mr President, the $3.5 billion is managed by just two and this is too huge to be managed without appropriation, without any recourse to any known law of the land.
“During your remarks after the passage of the budget, you mentioned that there should be a budget for subsidy that it should be brought before the National Assembly.
“By the report, it is almost certain that the $3.5 billion is slush funds managed by two individuals, and that is not correct.
“I urge the senate to cause the downstream committee to invite the NNPC to explain why it should be so and what has happened to the funds that have been used so far and the new term recovery instead of subsidy approval,” Senator Biodun stated.
After due considering of the Senator’s submission by Senators present at plenary, Senate President Bukola Saraki, in his ruling mandated Senate Leader Ahmed Lawan, and Chairman Senate Committee on Downstream, Senator Marafa, to “summon those in the NNPC who are responsible and come back to us in four days on a report that we can all debate”.
The ruling, however, did not go down well with Senator Ali Ndume, who alleged that Marafa’s committee might have been compromised.
“I don’t want to be hard on the committee. I think the committee has the responsibility of oversight, when this happens they are supposed to know.
“Senator Marafa being chairman of the committee should be out of this. The Senate Leader and other members should look at this thing objectively. When you have a large amount of money stacked somewhere, it calls for caution.
“I’m suggesting that the leader, as distinguished Senator Bukar Abba said – not me – that the committee might have been compromised,” Ndume said.
However, Senator Marafa, coming under order 53, protested the allegation levelled against him.
“I have no problem if we are even asked the committee of downstream to step aside totally or if it is the wish of the committee of selection that is responsible for appointing the various committees, that the committee of downstream be dissolved today. I have no problem with that. I equally have no offence with the submission of Senator Ndume.
“But I have serious exception when he said that the committee is compromised. Let it be on record that this senate split the committee into two of public accounts to look into this issue of subsidy while the downstream sector was given the responsibility of looking into the volumes on this same matter.
“For somebody to come out and say, with due respect, that I am managing subsidy programme, that is incorrect. Let all these committees, including the ones held by some people before now, be subjected to scrutiny. I have no problem with that.
“But for this senate to now leave another ad hoc committee to look into the issue of subsidy, it’s like some people are looking for campaign money and I don’t think that’s the best way to get it,” Marafa stated.
He was, however, cut short by Saraki, who asked the Senator to apologize for using offensive words. He yielded.
Ndume also apologized to his colleague but insisted he only retorted to the words of another Senator.
“I have respect for every Senator here. The suggestion was a very honest one. The offence should go to my senior, Senator Bukar Abba. I reported. When I was speaking, Senator Bukar Abba said the committee might have been compromised and I reported the same. I apologize,” he said.
Senator Lawan, however, rejected the offer of chairing the committee.
“I am using my privilege to decline to serve on that committee. I hold my integrity very dearly. I have worked for it over the years. I don’t want it damaged. Therefore I decline.
“Let me also advise us that this Senate is representative of Nigeria. We are here for all Nigerians. What we do and how we conduct ourselves is a big deal. I would advise that no matter how sternly and deeply pained, let us conduct ourselves with the respect we are known for. Mr. President, Thank you for the confidence but I am not going to serve in this committee,” Lawan said.
Saraki, however, pleaded with the Senate Leader to take up the responsibility.
“You cannot excuse yourself form the role of leadership. Why I directed or decided you should be there is because the matter is a matter that is very weighty and it is better to do that under the leader of the Senate. I don’t want something partisan.
“We cannot be running on something of 3.8 billion dollars ($3.5 billion) but it needs to be guided at your level of leadership to know the facts and not speculate. Then the committee under your guidance would do their work. Once we are divided like this, the agencies will continue to do as they wish,” he stated.
The lawmakers thereafter unanimously agreed to set up an ad-hoc committee to look into the matter.
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Breaking: Senate finally approves INEC security agencies budget for 2019 elections
After considering report of the committee on appropriations, the Nigerian Senate has finally approved the N53 billion security agencies component of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) budget for the 2019 general elections.
TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports this was after Senator Goje Danjuma presented the report of the committee on appropriations on the budget of security agencies for the 2019 general election.
Senator Bassey Akpan seconds that the Senate do receive and consider the report of the committee on appropriations on the budget of security agencies for the 2019 general election.
Ahead of the 2019 general elections, the Senate has approved a total sum of N53bn for the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA. and security agencies.
The fund is meant for the supervision of the 2019 general elections.
The Senate had approved N234.5 billion for the INEC ahead of the 2019 general election, and however, failed to approve the budget for security agencies as requested by President Muhammadu Buhari.
It added N45.5 billion to the initial N189 billion approved by the Senate Committee on INEC, bringing the total amount approved for the electoral commission to N234,507,272,393.
The approval was made after the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, Danjuma Goje, presented a report following his committee’s consideration of Mr Buhari’s letter.
The president had written the Senate requesting that the National Assembly approve N242 billion (242,445,322,600) as requested by INEC and security agencies for the 2019 elections.
He said the entire sum of N242 billion be taken from other subheads in the 2018 Appropriation Act.
His recent letter differed from the letter he wrote to the Senate in July where he asked that of the total sum, N164 billion (N164,104,792,065) will be drawn from the 2018 budget while N78 billion (N78,314,530,535) will form part of the 2019 budget of these agencies.
Presenting the report, Mr Goje said the decision to approve the INEC budget was informed by the urgent need for funds to begin preparations for the polls.
Mr Goje recommended that the Senate approve N143,312,256,955 which was initially recommended by the INEC committee and the additional N45,965,015,438 be approved as part of the virement of the 2018 budget.
He also recommended that for source of fund, “N189,007,272,393 requested for the funding of the 2019 general elections should be vired from both Recurrent and Capital components of Special Intervention Programme captured in the Service Wide Votes of the 2018 Appropriation Acts as shown below and be added to the sum of 45.5 billion provided for INEC in the Statutory Transfers. This will bring the total budget if INEC in the 2018 budget to N234,507,272,393.”
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Nigeria loses over N2.6 trillion to perennial flood
Perennial flood disasters have resulted in colossal loss of property and livelihood in Nigeria, with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) estimating the loss at over N2.6 trillion.
TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports Senator Kabiru Gaya while presenting a motion he sponsored alongside with Senator Stella Oduah and 102 other Senators, made this known at Senate sitting on Thursday.
The recent flooding across the country occasioned by torrential rains that unleashed havoc in different parts of the country over the past few months, claimed hundreds of lives and damaged thousands of homes.
So far, the floods ravaged 34 states including Kebbi, Cross River, Enugu, Kwara, Lagos, Imo, Kogi, Ondo, Jigawa, Taraba, Rivers, Katsina, Gombe, Imo, Bauchi and Akwa lbom states.
Others are Ogun, Anambra, Niger, Katsina, Kwara, Adamawa, Edo, Kano, Benue, Delta, Yobe, Zamfara, Nasarawa, Ebonyi,Enugu, Nasarawa, Bayelsa and Osun states.
Senator Gaya observed that in the last three decades, the impacts of flooding have increasingly assumed from significant to threatening proportions, resulting in loss of lives and properties.
“Though detailed statistics are not available regarding the losses sustained by the urban dwellers and flood victims, it is obvious from the available records that irreparable loss have been sustained by the citizen of Nigeria due to what has become perennial natural disaster in our cities.
“Apart from houses (built with mud brick, traditional building materials of the area and those not built with modern flood resistant structure) that collapse by flooding, schools, buildings and bridges sometimes collapse as well. Market places and farmlands are submerged for weeks and sometimes are washed away.
“The recurring annual floods in Nigeria especially arising from the release of flood waters from various dams in Nigeria have caused avoidable loss of lives in many communities across the country.
“These perennial flood disaster have also resulted in colossal loss of property and livelihood, with NEMA estimating the loss at over 2.6 trillion Naira to the menace,” Gaya stated.
He said the Senate is aware that the attendant loss of lives and livelihood from the avoidable floods has led to dislocations and loss of future direction for the impacted families, and that these flood disasters have worsened the crises of internally displaced persons.
He further stated that the Senate is concerned that these perennial floods have over the years caused widespread and irreparable damage to the various ecosystems along the impacted areas, with some flora and fauna lost forever, and that the floods have also introduced several strange vegetation that not only choke native flora, but are usually difficult to control.
Senate was also concerned that these floods have over the years resulted in permanent devastation of vast stretches of arable lands nationwide.
After due consideration of Gaya’s motion, Senate urged NEMA to send relief materials to affected victims of flood across states of the federation, and urged federal government to convene a stakeholders meeting to ex-ray the recurring situation with the view to proffering a lasting solution to flood disasters.
The Senate also urged the Federal Ministry of Water Resources to rehabilitate existing dams to be able to take in flood waters.
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Senate rejects Buhari’s NPC nominee over certificate scandal
Abdul Malik Mohammed Durnnguwa, a commissioner-nominee for the National Population Commission (NPC), has been rejected by the Nigerian Senate.
Durnnguwa was among the twenty-three nominees sent by President Muhammadu Buhari for confirmation as NPC commissioner.
Giving a reason why Durnnguwa was not cleared, the Senate on Thursday explained that Durnnguwa’s West African Examination Council (WAEC) certificate was questionable.
According to Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi, “ Dr Abdul Malik Mohammed Durnnguwa’s nomination was stood down due to questionable certificates.”
In his contribution, Senator Ali Ndume said: “When you have questionable certifications, it is the duty of the Committee to verify.”
Similarly, Senator Gumel Abdullahi noted that “My concern is whether he took WAEC and passed.”
President of the Nigerian Senate, Bukola Saraki thereafter referred Durnnguwa’s nomination back to the committee on National Population for further action. -
2019: Saraki, Ekweremadu, Senators disagree over INEC budget
Senators, including Senate President Bukola Saraki and Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, during plenary session on Thursday disagreed on whether to approve in part or in whole Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) budget for the 2019 general elections.
TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports Senate committee on appropriations and finance on INEC had approved, waiting for Senate final approval, a total sum of N189,207,544,893 for the conduct of the 2019 general election as proposed.
The disagreement was on whether the Senate should approve finally the N189 million INEC budget or wait until the committee had finalized reports on the other component of the budget, the security agency budget.
The other component of the budget, the security agency budget is the N242 billion President Muhammadu Buhari requested to be vired in the 2018 budget also for conduct of the 2019 general elections.
“Now that the issue of INEC is settled, I suggest that both reports be consolidated into one report so we can send it as a single report to the president,” Senator Ekweremadu submitted after Senator Goje Danjuma presented report on the N189 million INEC budget.
The Senate committee had invited the security agencies such as the National Security Adviser, Babagana Mungono, Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, Director General of Department of State Services etc, today by 12 to defend their budgets, the other component.
Senator Barau Jibrin stated that, “INEC has already complained that there has been a delay in receiving their required funding. This matter requires a high level of urgency. We should approve the INEC budget immediately”.
“Let us treat the INEC budget and the security agency budget separately even though they were brought in together” Senator Adamu Aliero requested, while Senator Kabiru Gaya reemphasized by saying “Let us not wait for other agencies’ budgets to be ready before we pass this bill. Let us pass the INEC bill immediately”.
Also reacting was Senator Mohammed Hassan, who said, “I believe we should approve the INEC budget. As a member of the Committee, I know we worked very hard to arrive at these figures you see here today and I understand it is imperative that we approve this”.
Senator Saraki thanked Senator Goje and members of his committee on appropriation and finance, before dismissing them to meet with security agencies, while plenary continued.