Senate in Session

By
Tosin Lawal
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0

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Senate President Presiding

Prayer/Commencement: 10:34am

Executive Session: 10:35am

Session Resumed: 11:004 (The Senate in a Closed-Door Session deliberated on issues bordering on workings of the Senate in particular and National Assembly in general).

Votes and Proceedings of Tuesday, November 26, 2019 approved (Moved by Sen Abdullahi, Kabir Barkiya Seconded by Sen. Ehiorudjakpo Lawrence)

Point of Order

Sen. Chukwuka Utazi.

Orders 42 & 52

  1. Sen. Chukwuka Utazi sought for and was granted the leave of the Senate to move a motion on World Aids Day.

Motion was approved for presentation and taken.

The Senate resolved to:

  1. To encourage the Federal Government to ensure adequate funding for NACA for the fight and control the spread of HIV in the Country;
  2. To appeal to organized private sector in the Country to embrace the fight against HIV/AIDS by partnering with government to fund the exercise;
  3. To appeal to the general public not to stigmatize and discriminate against our brothers and Sisters living with HIV; and
  4. To appeal to all adults to feel free to test and know their HIV status and accordingly, all is advised that the prevention is still better than cure, as unprotected sex is one of the surest way of contacting the dreaded virus.

PRESENTATION OF BILLS

  1. Nigerian Football Association Act (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, 2019 (SB. 203) – First Reading

Sen. Ogba, Joseph Obinna (Ebonyi Central).

First Reading taken

  1. Federal Polytechnic Mpu (Est, etc) Bill, 2019 (SB. 209) – First Reading

Sen. Ekweremadu, Ike (Enugu West).

First Reading taken

  1. National Primary Healthcare Development Agency Act CAP N69 LFN 2004 (Amendment) Bill, 2019 (SB. 215) – First Reading

Sen. Utazi, Chikwuka Godfrey (Enugu North).

First Reading taken

  1. Published Works of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2019 (SB. 217) – First Reading

Sen. Adetunmbi, Olubunmi Ayodeji   (Ekiti North).

First Reading taken

  1. Electoral Offenses Commission (Est, etc) Bill, 2019 (SB. 220) – First Reading

Sen. Kyari, Abubakar Shuaib (Borno North).

First Reading taken

  1. Public Service Efficiency Bill, 2019 (SB. 223) -First Reading

Sen. Abdullahi, Aliyu Sabi (Niger North).

First Reading taken

  1. Incandescent Light Bulbs (Prohibition) Bill, 2019 (SB. 225) – First Reading

Sen. Folarin Teslim Kolawole (Oyo Central).

First Reading taken

  1. Federal College of Education (Special) Afon Kwara State (Est, etc) Bill, 2019 (SB. 226) – First Reading

Sen. Oloriegbe, Yahaya Ibrahim (Kwara Central).

First Reading taken

  1. Child Right Act 2003 (Amendment) Bill, 2019 (SB. 227) – First Reading

Sen. Amosun, Ibikunle Oyelaja (OgunCentral).

First Reading taken

  1. FCT University of Science of Technology Abaji, (Est, etc) Bill, 2019 (SB. 230) – First Reading

Sen. Tanimu, Philip Aduda  (FCT Senate).

First Reading taken

  1. Federal Medical Centre Kuta, Niger State (Est, etc) Bill, 2019 (SB. 233) – First Reading

Sen. Musa, Mohammed Sani Ike (Niger East).

First Reading taken

  1. North Central Development Commission (Est, etc) Bill, 2019 (SB. 234) – First Reading

Sen. Moro, Patrick Abba (Benue South).

First Reading taken

  1. National Institute for Security and Strategic Studies Orumba, Anambra State (Est, etc) Bill, 2019 (SB. 235) – First Reading

Sen. Ubah, Ifeanyi Patrick (Anambra South).

  1. First Reading taken

ORDERS OF THE DAY

PRESENTATION OF REPORTS

  1. Report of the Third Ordinary Session (5th Parliament) of the PAN African Parliament

Sen. Na’allah, Bala Ibn (Kebbi South)

-That the Senate do receive the report of the Third Ordinary Session (5th Parliament) of the PAN African Parliament held at the Parliament Building, Gallagher Estate, Midrand, Republic of South Africa from Wednesday, 2nd to Friday, 18th October 2019 – To be Laid.

The report was laid.

  1. Report of the Senate Committee on Police Affairs

Sen. Jika, Dauda Halliru (Bauchi Central)

-That the Senate do receive the report of the Senate Committee on Police Affairs on the News report about the rescue of Nine (9) Children that were allegedly kidnapped and trafficked at various times within the span of Five years in the country – To be Laid.

The report was laid.

3.  Report of the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions  Sen.  Akinyelure, Patrick Ayo (Ondo Central)  -That the Senate do receive the reports of the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions in respect of:

  1. Petition from M.S.Chado, Esq. on Behalf of Mr. Isah Ndagi Maiyaki Against the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for Unlawful Termination of His Appointment Over Alleged Forgery by the Agency;
  2. Petition from Rex Onyekachi Uzoegbu, Esq. on Behalf of Chief Ezekiel Ariaye and Chief James Wege Against the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) Limited for Alleged Inhumanity, Cruelty, Servitude, Fragrant Disobedience to Law of Equity, Social Justice, Bad Conscience And Deliberate Continuous Refusal to Adequately Compensate Chief Ezekiel Ariaye and Chief James Wege for Their Life-threatening, Great Bodily Harm By NAOC; and
  3. Petition from Mr. Ekenfkari M. Yerima against the National Examinations Council (NECO) For Alleged Unlawful Dismissal from the Service – To be Laid.

 The reports were laid.

ORDERS OF THE DAY

CONSIDERATION OF BILLS

  1. A Bill for an Act to provide for the establishment of the Federal College of Education Giwa, Kaduna State and for other related matters thereof, 2019 (SB. 121) – Second Reading

Sen. Sani, Uba -(Kaduna Central).

Lead debate by Sen Sani, Uba

Second reading taken and referred to the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND to report back in four weeks.

  1. A Bill for an Act to provide for the establishment of the Federal University Gusau and for other related matters thereof, 2019 (SB. 25) – Second Reading

Sen. Alhaji, Ya’u Sahabi (Zamfara North).

Lead debate by Sen. Alhaji, Ya’u Sahabi

Second reading taken and referred to the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND to report back in four weeks.

  1. A Bill for an Act to provide for the establishment of the City University of Technology Auchi and for other related matters thereof, 2019 (SB. 22) – Second Reading

Sen. Alimikhena, Francis Asekhame (Edo North).

Lead debate by Sen. Alimikhena, Francis Asekhame

Second reading taken and referred to the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND to report back in four weeks.

  1. A Bill for an Act to provide for the establishment of Federal College of Education, Usugbenu – Irrua and for other matters connected therewith, 2019 (SB. 128) – Second Reading

Sen. Ordia, Akhimienmona Clifford (Edo Central).

 Lead debate by Sen. Ordia, Akhimienmona Clifford

Second reading taken and referred to the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND to report back in four weeks.

 MOTIONS

  1. The need to pay attention to the plight of border communities in Nigeria.

Sponsor: Sen. Umar, Sadiq Suleiman (Kwara North)

The Senate resolved to:

  1. Call on the Federal Government to improve funding of the Border Community Development Agency (BCDA);
  2. Mandate the 21 border states to dedicate 1.5% of consolidated revenue fund and 30% of Ecological fund to the development of Border communities; and
  3. Mandate the Committee on States and Local Government to carry out a holistic investigation on the level of compliance with the Act establishing the BCDA.

All Prayers were adopted as presented

  1. The need to investigate the degree of enforcement of Abandonment and Decommissioning obligations in Oil and Gas Exploration Contracts.

Sponsor: Sen. Bassey, Gershom Henry (Cross River South)

 The Senate resolved to:

  1. Mandate the Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream) to conduct a comprehensive review of the relevant Laws, Product Sharing Contracts (PSC), Joint Venture Contracts (JVC) and arrangements governing Abandonment, Decommissioning, Remediation and investigate the degree of compliance with these laws by oil companies operating in Nigeria.

Additional Prayers

ii. Mandate the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream) to call on all exploration companies operating in Nigeria to give a comprehensive account of budgeted allocation in their annual budget for mandatory abandonment and decommissioning going into billion of dollars unaccounted for and further carry out full-scale investigation on how budget allocation was applied or spent over the years with the primary aim of reducing to the barest minimum the untold hardship experienced by the host communities affected in the Niger Delta region; and

iii. Mandate the Committee on compliance to ensure compliance of prayers.

All Prayers were adopted as amended

  1. The Growth of Digital Technology and the Challenge of Cybercrime: Urgent Need to Safeguard the Future of Nigeria.

Sponsor: Sen. Yakubu, Oseni (Kogi Central)

The Senate resolved to:

  1. Mandate the Committee on ICT and Cybercrime to re-establish engagement with stakeholders with a view to galvanizing a comprehensive and broad-based approach to addressing Nigeria’s digital technology and cyber security crises and safeguarding the present and future of the country;
  2. Further Mandate the Committee on ICT and Cybercrime to establish strategic engagements with MDAs with a view to ascertaining their ICT shortfalls, cyber security constraints, data management challenges and possible remediation measures;
  3. Urge the Federal Government to deliberately take up measures to improve on budgetary provisions for, and attention to the development of digital technology and cyber-dependence safety.

All Prayers were adopted as amended.

The Senate adjourned at 1:41pm to resume on Thursday, November 28, 2019 at 10:00am prompt.

Report by,

Lawal O.K
Head Press Relations (SSAP) NASSS- SENATE

 

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