Prison Reform Bills Scale Second Reading
The Senate has consolidated 3 bills seeking to repeal the Prisons Act CAP P29 2004 and proposed the enactment of a Nigerian Prisons and Correctional Services Act at its plenary on Wednesday, 26th October 2016. The Bills are: Prison Act 2004 (repeal and re-enactment) Bill, 2016 sponsored by Sen. Moh’d Shaaba Lafiagi; Prison Act 2004 […]
President Requests For Virement Of Funds Appropriated For Special Intervention
President Muhammadu Buhari has written to the House of Representatives requesting for permission of the virement of funds appropriated for special intervention to finance some critical recurrent and capital items. In the letter read by the Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara(APC: Bauchi) at the plenary session of Tuesday, 25th October 2016, the President highlighted the total […]
Whistle Blowers Protection Bill And Witness Protection Programme Bill Scale Second Reading In The Senate
The Senate has passed the Whistle Blowers Protection Bill 2016 and Witness Protection Bill 2016 for second reading at its plenary sitting on Wednesday 19th October 2016. Both Bills seek to protect persons who disclose confidential information on the grounds of public interest and will enable the proper investigation of matters disclosed. Leading the debate […]
National Roads Fund Bill Passes Second Reading In The Senate
The National Roads Fund Bill 2016 which seeks to provide for a Roads Fund as a repository for revenues accruing from road user related charges in addition to other sources for financing, rehabilitation, maintenance and other activities related to the provision of national roads has been passed for second reading. Leading the debate on the […]
Senate Congratulates Federal Government On Release Of 21 Chibok School Girls
The Senate has expressed its appreciation to the Federal Government, the Red Cross and the Swiss Government on the release of 21 Chibok school girls on Tuesday, 18th October 2016. It would be recalled that 21 of the 276 Chibok girls abducted in 2014 by Boko Haram terrorists from the Government Secondary School Chibok in […]
Senate Calls On President Muhammadu Buhari To Issue Proclamation For The Conduct Of Population Census
At its plenary on Tuesday 18th October 2016, the Senate called on President Muhammadu Buhari to issue a proclamation for the conduct of a population and housing census in 2018. Sen. Suleiman Othman Hunkuyi (APC:Kaduna) moving a motion titled ‘‘A call for the Federal Government to Expedite action on the planned 2018 National Census’’, noted […]
Justices Ejembi Eko And Amina Augie Confirmed As Justices Of The Supreme Court
The Senate has confirmed the appointment of Hon. Justice Ejembi Eko (Benue- North Central) and Hon. Justice Amina A. Augie(Kebbi- North West) as Justices of the Supreme Court. Their confirmation came after the Senate considered and adopted the report of its committee on Judiciary, Human Right and Legal Matters on Tuesday 18th October 2016. Chair […]
The Position Of The National Judicial Council On The Recent Invasion Of The Residences And Arrest Of Judicial Officers By The Department Of State Services (DSS)
READ FULL TEXT OF THE PRESS RELEASE: At its last Emergency Meeting which was held on October 11th 2016, Council decided among other matters, as follows: That the National Judicial Council is a creation, by virtue of Section 153 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, with its powers specified in […]
Senate Calls For Political Debate Among Aspirants
The Senate has passed for second reading the Nigerian Political Debate Commission (Est. etc) Bill 2016. The Bill provides for the organisation and conduct of debates for all nominated political party candidates who aspire to run for the offices of President, Vice President, Governor and Deputy Governor of a State. In addition to the proviso […]
Lobbying Disclosure Act Amendment Bill Scales Second Reading In The Senate
The Senate has passed the Lobbying Disclosure Act Amendment Bill 2016 for second reading. The Bill, which was debated at its plenary session on Wednesday, 12th October, seeks to institutionalize the procedure for the registration and regulation of professional lobbyists in the Senate and the House of Representatives. According to the Bill sponsor, Sen. Dino […]
North East Development Commission Bill: Senate Approves Headquarters And Funding
The Senate at its plenary on Thursday, 13th October 2016 has adopted recommendations for the Headquarters of the North East Development Commission to be located in Maiduguri. It also agreed that the Commission should be funded by 3% of the Federal Value Added Tax (VAT) for a time frame of ten years following its consideration […]
Senate Increases Jamb Result Validity From One Year To Three Years
The Senate on Thursday 13th October 2016 passed the JAMB Act Amendment Bill, 2016. The Bill seeks to increase the validity of the results of the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) from one (1) year to three (3) years. The passage of the Bill came after Senate’s adoption of a report by the Committee on […]
Pension Rights Of Judges (Amendment)Bill, 2016, Federal Capital Territory District Courts (Est,Etc) Bill, River Basin Development (Amendment) Bill, 2016, Compulsory Treatment And Care Of Victims Of Gunshots Bill And National Film And Video Censor Board (Amendment) Bill Pass First Reading In The Senate
Senate Confirms Board Of Nddc; Approves Sen. Victor Ndoma Egba As Chairman
The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Sen. Victor Ndoma Egba and Nsima Udo Ekere as Chairman and Managing Director respectively of the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Fourteen (14) other nominees were also confirmed as members of the board on Tuesday 11th October 2016. Chairman Senate Committee on Niger Delta, Sen. […]
Senate Condemns Arrest And Harrassment Of Judges By Dss
The Senate has condemned the arrest and detention of 7 judges by the Department of State Security (DSS) following a motion moved by Senator Joshua Lidani (PDP:Gombe) at its plenary on Tuesday, 11th October 2016. It will be recalled that 7 judges including Justices Inyang Okoro and Sylvester Ngwuta of the Supreme Court were allegedly […]
House Calls On FG To Declare State Of Emergency Over High Kidnapping Rate
The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency over the high incidence of kidnapping in the country. Moving the motion under matters of urgent public importance at the plenary session of Wednesday, October 12th 2016, Hon. Babatunde Gabriel Kolawole (APC: Ondo) described the rate of incidence of […]
Federal Road Authority Bill Passes Second Reading In Senate
The Senate has passed the Federal Road Authority Bill for second reading after arguments were canvassed in support of the Bill at its debate on Wednesday, 12th October 2016. Leading the debate, Sen. Kabiru Gaya (APC:Kano) said the Bill seeks to repeal the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (Establishment) Act 2002 (as amended), thereby scrapping the […]
House To Investigate Arrest Of Judges
The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate the arrest of 7 judges for alleged corruption and abuse of office by the Department of State Security (DSS). It will be recalled that the Department of State Security Service had arrested the judges in what it termed a “sting operation” on October 7th and 8th prior […]
Senate Investigates Presidential Amnesty Programme In The Niger Delta
The Senate Committee on Niger Delta has commenced a two (2) day investigative hearing on the activities of the Presidential Amnesty Programme set up in 2009 by late President Umaru Yar’adua. It will be recalled that the Committee had been mandated to carry out holistic investigations and make necessary recommendations to the Senate at its […]
Senate Rejects Lagos State Economic Assistance Bill
The Senate has negatived the second reading of the Lagos State Economic Assistance Bill, which came up for second reading at its plenary on Wednesday, 5th October 2016. The Bill which was presented for the first reading in October 2015 seeks the allocation of special grants to Lagos State in recognition of its former status […]