Senators score 9th Assembly high in mid-term assessment

Ahmed-Lawan-and-Femi-Gbajabiamila1

Senate President Ahmad Lawan and Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila

9th National Assembly leadership: Senate President Ahmad Lawan (left) and Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila (right)

By Nimot Sulaimon

Senators belonging to the majority All Progressives Congress (APC) and minority Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) have scored the ninth Assembly high during Wednesday’s mid-term assessment of its performance in the last two years.

The lawmakers numbering thirty took turns to speak during a special session to mark the second year anniversary of the 9th Senate.

They lauded the numerous legislative interventions of the National Assembly, particularly in the areas of security, economy and governance.

Among the lawmakers are: the Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi (APC, Kebbi), Deputy Leader, Ajayi Boroffice (APC, Ondo), Deputy Whip, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (APC, Niger), Adamu Aliero (APC, Kebbi), Yahaya Oloriegbe (APC, Kwara), Gabriel Suswam (PDP, Benue), Chukwuka Utazi (PDP, Enugu), Solomon Okamilekan Adeola (APC, Lagos), Olubunmi Adetumbi (APC, Ekiti), Ibikunle Amosun (APC, Ogun), Suleiman Sadiq Umar (APC, Kwara).

Others include: Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo (APC, Bayelsa), Nicholas Tofowomo (PDP, Ondo), Istifanus Gyang (PDP, Plateau), Sam Egwu (PDP, Ebonyi), Teslim Folarin (APC, Oyo), Nora Daduut (APC, Plateau), Jibrin Isah (APC, Kogi), Abdullahi Adamu (APC, Nasarawa), and Francis Fadahunsi (PDP, Osun), amongst others.

Taking the lead, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, in a speech delivered during the special session, said a total of 742 bills were introduced by the ninth Senate in the last two years.

According to him, out of the total number of bills introduced during the two sessions of the Assembly, 58 have been passed, while 355 bills have gone through first reading.

In addition, the Senate President further disclosed that 175 bills have also gone through second reading and have been referred to the relevant committee for further legislative business; with 11 bills referred by the House of Representatives for concurrence all passed.

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He stressed that “the bills cut across all the sectors and touch most areas of needs in the lives of our citizens.”

Lawan recalled that the ninth Assembly in its bid to rescue the nations’s economy, embarked on the restoration of Nigeria’s budget cycle to the January to December timeline.

The move, according to him, brought about positive outcomes which made the country’s fiscal plans more predictable and boosted investors’ confidence.

Meanwhile, the passage of the Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contracts Act 2004 (Amendment Bill, 2009) was intended to increase Nigeria’s share of revenue from crude oil.

“Other laws that we passed that are having significant impacts on the economy include the Finance Bill 2019 (Nigeria Tax and Fiscal Law) (SB.140), which amended seven existing tax laws.

“In our Legislative Agenda, we had also promised to create a legal environment conducive for ease of doing business.

“We kept this promise by passing the Companies and Allied Matters Act, Cap C20 LFN 2004 (Repeal and Reenactment) Bill 2019 (SB.270)”, Lawan said.

Thereafter, the Senate President announced the adjournment of plenary till the 22nd June, 2021.

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