Tag: Senate

Senate begins N1.8trn power sector probe next week

Chukwu David

The Senate, will next week commence the probe of N1.8 trillion Federal Government intervention fund, sunk into the power sector from 2012 (when the sector was privatised) till date. The Senate had mandated its Committee on Power to carry out the investigation, to unravel how the huge investments of government were handled in the sector, which has been epileptic, in spite of obvious government attention. Disclosing this yesterday, during the meeting of the Committee on Power Sector Recovery Plan and the Impact of COVID-19 pandemic, its Chairman, Senator Gabriel Suswam…

Read More

Senate okays $5.513bn external borrowing plan

Chukwu David

The Senate has approved the sum of $5.513 external borrowing plan which is geared towards shoring up revenue to finance the 2020 budget. The approval came following the consideration and adoption of the report of the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts. Chairman of the Committee, Senator Clifford Ordia (PDP – Edo Central) said the approval was granted in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s request on behalf of the Federal Government to source $3,400,000,000 at one per cent interest rate from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for Rapid Financing…

Read More

Senate considers revised N10.51trn 2020 budget

Chukwu David

The Senate, yesterday, in an emergency session, commenced the process of considering for approval the revised 2020 budget. Consequently, the apex legislative chamber considered President Muhammadu Buhari’s request for approval of the revised 2020-2022 Medium Term Expenditure Framework/Fiscal Strategy Paper, and revised Appropriation Bill 2020. The bill to amend the 2020 Appropriation Act, which scaled second reading on the floor, was considered immediately after a letter to that effect was read by the Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Lawan. The revised 2020 Appropriation Act (Amendment) Bill as submitted by the Executive…

Read More

COVID-19: Senate introduces bill on emergency health

Chukwu David

The Senate, yesterday, passed for first reading, the proposed National Health Emergency Bill, 2020, sponsored by Senator Chukwuka Utazi (PDP, Enugu North). That was however, as the former Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, (PDP, Enugu West), kicked against the bill by demanding for the draft copy before further consideration by the Senate. Citing Order 14(1) of the Senate Standing Rules, Ekweremadu said that his privileges and that of the other Senators would be breached, if details of the contents were not made available to them before giving further…

Read More

2019: Senate approves N234bn election budget for INEC

Chukwu David

…directs Executive to vire fund from Service Wide Vote   The Senate, yesterday, approved the sum of N234 billion for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), being its budget for the conduct of the 2019 general elections, and statutory transfer for the commission. The passage of the budget was sequel to the presentation and consideration of the report of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, which was mandated on Wednesday to expeditiously work on President Muhammadu Buhari’s fresh request to that effect. The nation’s apex legislative chamber also resolved that the…

Read More

BREAKING: Senate approves N234bn for INEC

Agency Report

The Senate has approved N234.51 billion for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The approved sum is about N7.9 billion less than the N242.45 billion requested by President Buhari. The Senate also approved that the total sum of N189 billion which will be for the funding of the 2019 elections be moved from both recurrent and capital components of the special intervention programme. Details later…

Read More

Saraki swears in new senators from Bauchi, Katsina

Agency Report

The Senate has sworn in Ahmad Babba Kaita and Lawan Yahaya Gumau as members representing Katsina-North and Bauchi-South Senatorial Districts, respectively. The Clerk to the Senate, Nelson Ayewo, supervised the oath-taking ceremony for the new senators, which lasted about 10 minutes at the opening of the session on Wednesday. President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, later shook hands with the lawmakers. Kaita and Gumau had won the by-elections conducted in August by the Independent National Electoral Commission following the deaths of the former representatives of the districts. Senators Mustapha Bukar…

Read More

Senate: ‘I cannot be impeached’- Saraki

Dan Atori, Minna

Senate President and Presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Bukola Saraki has disclosed that the call for his impeachment after the senate’s adjournment cannot hold waters, saying “they don’t have the number to impeach me”. Dr. Saraki said on Sunday afternoon while responding to questions from journalists at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secretariat that those who are being emotional don’t have ‎the number. According to him “those who are accusing us of undue process in the adjournment are unaware that we are in the majority. They…

Read More

Senate Committee expresses dismay over poor funding of Amnesty office

Online Editor

The Senate Committee on Niger Delta has expressed dismay on the delay in release of funds for payment of stipends and other allowances to beneficiaries of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP). The committee expressed its view in a statement issued by Mr Murphy Ganagana, Special Assistant, Media to the Coordinator, Presidential Amnesty Programme, Prof. Charles Dokubo in Abuja. Ganagana said that members of the Committee during their visit to the office described funds so far released out of the 2018 budgetary allocation to the office as grossly inadequate. “This committee…

Read More

Senate on the cards for out-going governors

FELIX NWANERI

For eight state governors on the last lap of their second terms, the fear of precipitous loss in stature after attainment of great heights in politics has prompted them to declare for the Senate in order to remain relevant in the polity, FELIX NWANERI reports   Less than six months to the 2019 general elections, there are political maneuverings of different shades across the country as key political actors as well as gladiators’ perfect strategies to remain relevant in the political space. The polls are billed to commence with that…

Read More