Deji Elumoye and Udora Orizu X-ray the Ninth Senate, two years after its inauguration in June, 2019
The ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) had shortly after the general election in April, 2019 routed for Ahmad Lawan, a ranking Senator, who has been a member of the National Assembly since the commencement of the Fourth Republic in 1999 and Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, a ranking member of the Green Chamber since 2003 as President of the Senate and House Speaker respectively. It eventually came to pass as the duo on Tuesday, June 11, 2019 emerged presiding officers of the Ninth National Assembly.
Soon after its inauguration, the Ninth Senate rolled out its legislative agenda, which they said would be the framework that would guide their operations in the next four years. In the agenda, the upper chamber resolved to return Nigeria to the January-December budget cycle, approve legislative frameworks to curb increasing youth unemployment, fast-track the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill, electoral act, block revenue leakages, security of lives and property, fight against corruption and so on.
Summary of First Year in Office
The Chairman of the National Assembly, Dr Ahmad Lawan’s first year in office had scores of bills presented with few of them passing second reading and several motions adopted at the plenary, which either garnered praises or criticism for the lawmakers.
On motions, several Senators had sponsored and adopted several motions including those condemning extra-judicial killings, ban on textile importation, motion on 20 trillion unremitted stamp duties, averting blindness, motion calling for the resignation of service chiefs over rising insecurity, motion for stiffer penalty for rape just to name a few.
The Lawan-led Ninth Senate also made efforts and interventions in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic by donating half of their salary from March, 2020 to fight the pandemic and faulting the Executive on the implementation of the Social Investment Programme (SIP).
The Senators also ensured speedy passage of the 2020 budget, the Finance Bill, the Public Procurement Act, Sexual Harassment Bill, Move against Gender Discrimination in Police Bill, Zonal Commission Bills, National Health Emergency Bill, 2020 Appropriation (amendment) Bill 2020 and so on.
However, the Ninth Senate in its first year was notorious for introducing Social Media Bill and Hate Speech Bill. The Bills were condemned by Nigerians, saying its provisions would infringe on fundamental human rights of the citizenry. Interestingly, the bills appear to have been confined to dustbin as more than a year after public hearings were held condemning the provisions of the two ‘notorious’ bills they were not brought again before the Red Chamber.
In the Second Year
With the commencement of the second legislative year in June, 2020, the Senators as usual presented, passed several bills for second reading, adopted motions at the plenary and continued their oversight function.
The federal lawmakers also maintained the budget cycle of January-December, making it the second budget to pass the January to December cycle since the Buhari administration reverted to the old practice in 2020.
The security challenges facing the country also became the crux of discussion on the floor of the Senate several times in the past one year. From insurgency, to banditry, herdsmen killings, to arson at several markets and public institutions and so on, several security-related bills and motions were passed by the Senators.
The Red Chamber had at various sittings, called for a state of emergency on insecurity. Nothing much came out of it, as the President ignored various resolutions of the upper chamber.
That didn’t, however, discourage the lawmakers, as they kept on speaking on the worsening insecurity and offering resolutions to the executive arm of government.
Back in April, as part of efforts to addressing the country’s security challenges, the Senate moved to strengthen laws against illegal arms.
Speaking at the public hearing on the Firearms Act 2004 (Amendment) Bill 2021 and Exclusive Economic Zones Act 2010 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill 2021, Senator Uba Sani said the current worrisome security situation in the country needs to be urgently addressed.
Sani, who is the sponsor of the Firearms (Amendment) Bill, expressed concern that the proliferation of illegal arms and ammunition in the country with little or no control by relevant authorities has profound implications for collective survival of Nigerians and Nigeria.
Lawan, on his part, called for increased funding for security agencies. Lawan who made the call at various fora said security personnel needed more resources to enable them effectively carryout their duties.
Though the Ninth Senate made some strides through passage of bills, motions, interventions towards the betterment of the lives of Nigerians, with the emergence of Lawan and Gbajabiamila as principal officers in the National Assembly, it appeared that the principle of checks and balances may have disappeared. Since the duo assumed office, almost every request sought by President Muhammadu Buhari has been given express approval.
For instance, despite the country’s debt profile, the 9th National Assembly keeps approving several loan requests from President Buhari. Last year, the lawmakers had approved $5.5 billion loan request by the President to finance 2020 budget deficits. The request came weeks after the lawmakers approved a loan of N850bn for the federal government and another $22.79bn loan.
Recently, Buhari wrote to the Senate seeking approval for N2.3 trillion ($6.18bn) external loan to finance the 2021 budget deficit of N5.6 trillion.
The President also sought the lawmakers concurrent approval of a total sum of USD 3,837,281,256 plus Euro 910,000,000 and Grant Component of USD 10,000,000 for donor fund projects under the 2018-2020 federal government external borrowing rolling plan. The fresh requests are coming a month after the Senate and House of Representatives approved the sum of $1.5bn and €995 million external borrowings for the federal government to finance various priority projects of the federal government and to support the state governments facing fiscal challenges. Though Nigerians have expressed concerns over the current move, it still wouldn’t stop the lawmakers from approving the loan requests.
On pending key bills, Lawan at various fora had assured Nigerians that they would ensure the passage of the long awaited Petroleum Industry Bill, Electoral Act Amendment Bill and so on.
The Senate President said the National Assembly would pass the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) and the Electoral Amendment Bill by first quarter of 2021.
However, the lawmakers failed to keep their promise, leading to backlash from Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), who bemoaned their failure to conclude and transmit the Electoral Act Amendment Bill to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent, saying it must be done before June 12, 2021.
On the review of the 1999 Constitution, the Senate as part of the promises in its legislative agenda, is on the verge of giving the Nigerian people what it described as the people-oriented constitution.
The Senate is done with both zonal and national public hearing on the constitution review with zonal public hearings held in 12 centres across the six geo-political zones as well as a national public hearing in Abuja, which ended last week.
Though the lawmakers are optimistic that the exercise would be successful this time, many Nigerians have expressed doubts on if the 9th National Assembly could pass the necessary constitutional reforms, due to the latest positions taken by Lawan on the issue of restructuring.
Lawan had in a response to a call by Southern Governors at their meeting in Asaba, Delta State capital last month for President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately convene a national dialogue with a view to restructuring the country, said restructuring must commence from the various states.
On probes, the Senators have also failed to let Nigerians know the outcome of several probes embarked upon by some committees in the Red Chambers.
With the third legislative year of the Ninth Senate commencing on June 11, this year, it is hoped thatthe upper legislative chamber would pass critical bills such as the PIB, Electoral Act etc and also deliver on their promise of amending the 1999 constitution before going on its annual recess in July, this year.
