Ranking senators’ protests, reintroduction of peace corps bill, others top stories at Senate

Two years after, senators reconvenes in newly-renovated chamber

Senators resumed from about four weeks of Easter and Eid-el-Fitr recess on Tuesday at the newly-renovated chamber.

The upper chamber embarked on holiday on 20 March.

Ahead of Tuesday’s plenary, seats had been allocated to the 109 senators including the senate president in the chamber.

It had been under renovation for about two years and had gulped billions of naira.

Former President Muhammadu Buhari approved N37 billion to renovate the National Assembly complex in 2019. The complex is maintained and managed by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

PREMIUM TIMES exclusively reported that the federal government awarded the contract for the rehabilitation of the complex to Visible Construction Limited for the sum of N42 billion.

Many Nigerians and indeed some lawmakers condemned the renovation, describing it as a misplaced priority.

Ranking senators protest sitting arrangement

Upon resumption in the rehabilitated chamber, some senators expressed displeasure over sitting arrangement.

The aggrieved senators complained that the seats allocated to them did not befit their status as ranking lawmakers. They, therefore, requested that their seats should be at the extreme right of the front row, opposite the seats of the senate leader and the deputy senate president.

Two of them, Danjuma Goje (APC, Gombe Central) and Sahabi Ya’u (APC, Zamfara North), specifically raised their voices to complain about the seats allocated to them.

At some point, Mr Ya’u could not contain his anger and had to approach the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, to complain.

The Zamfara senator was heard saying that his seat on the right side of the second row was not befitting and comfortable, despite being a ranking senator.

The senate leader tried unsuccessfully to persuade Mr Ya’u to be calm.

Mr Goje, a former Gombe State governor, also moved to the senate leader whom he told that his seat on the second row was also not befitting for a ranking senator.

He demanded immediate reversal of the sitting arrangement.

Consequently, the session became rowdy for about 30 minutes, until the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, restored calm. He asked the senators to take their seats and maintain silence.

Ranking senators are those who have spent more than a term in the upper house.

Speaking on the matter, the Senate spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, downplayed what transpired on the floor of Nigeria’s highest lawmakers body. He insisted there was no disagreement among the lawmakers on the allocation of seats.

Vulnerable Nigerians get Senate’s attention

Vulnerable Nigerians got the attention of the Senate on Tuesday as the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, urged his colleagues to care for them in their various constituencies.

The senate president, in an address to welcome the lawmakers from the Easter and Sallah holiday, pleaded with them not to forget people struggling with poverty and ensure that dignity is restored to the marginalised.

He also asked the senators to support President Bola Tinubu eradicate poverty in the country through his Renewed Hope Agenda.

“At the same time, let us not forget those trapped in the cycle of poverty. Our fight against poverty and hunger must be total and relentless, addressing its root causes and restoring dignity to the marginalised. His Excellency, President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, His Excellency Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and many fellow Nigerians are working tirelessly to tackle this issue. It is our duty to support and amplify their efforts. Let us support the Renewed Hope Agenda.

“I am confident that we, as senators, can make a difference. We have been entrusted with an important role, and now is the time for courageous actions and strategies to drive this role. Together, let us implement a culture of care and an integrated approach to combat poverty, restore dignity to the downtrodden, and protect our precious natural resources.

“In conclusion, let us approach the work ahead with unwavering determination and a deep sense of responsibility. Once again, let us be reminded that the Nigerian people have placed their trust in us, and it is our duty to honor that trust by working tirelessly for their well-being and the progress of our nation,” Mr Akpabio said.

Mr Akpabio’s plea may have come as a face-saving move.

In July last year, the senate president came under attack for allegedly mocking the poor using “let the poor breathe” slang.

Let the poor breathe is a line from one of President Tinubu’s June 12 speech which caught up on social media and went viral.

The Akapabio’s joke attracted several reactions online. Many of the reactions condemned the joke, considering it as insensitive to the plight of poor Nigerians.

Peace Corps bill resurfaces, passed at Senate

Again, the bill to establish the Nigerian Peace Corps, a security outfit, has passed first reading at the Senate.

It had passed third reading in the House of Representatives in February and was transmitted to the upper chamber for concurrence.

The short title of the bill was read on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday and passed for first reading.

With this development, the senate leader is expected to move a motion for concurrence to enable the senate to adopt the bill and harmonise with the House before transmitting it to the Presidency for assent.

This is in line with the extant rules of the National Assembly.

The bill seeks to give legal backing to the establishment of the Peace Corps as a government parastatal and allow its members to be absorbed into the proposed organisation at commencement.

It was first introduced and passed by the 8th National Assembly but former President Muhammadu Buhari declined assent in February 2018.

The former president cited security concerns, paucity of funds and duplication of duties of existing security agencies as major reasons for his decision.

It was reintroduced in the 9th Senate by Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South) and it subsequently scaled through legislative hurdles.

It was thereafter transmitted to President Bola Tinubu for assent through a letter dated 8 June, 2023 and signed by the Clerk to the National Assembly, Sani Tambawal.

President Tinubu did not sign the bill before the expiration of the 9th Assembly on 13 June, 2023 and therefore, he bill became statute-barred when the 10th Assembly was inaugurated.

Last year, the bill was reintroduced in the House and this time sponsored by the Deputy Speaker, Ben Kalu, and others.

Apart from the Peace Corps establishment bill, some other bills also passed first reading in the Senate on Tuesday.

They are the Nigerian Hunters and Security Service Bill 2024, Legislative Houses ( Powers & Privileges ) Act (Amendment) Bill 2024 and National Talent Rehabilitation and Integration Agency ( Establishment ) Bill 2024.

Others are the Agricultural Research Council Act (Amendment) Bill 2024 and Agricultural Harvest and Processing Zone (Establishment) bill 2024 .