Senate, Reps On Collision Course Over Bills on Sports University Establishment

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The Senate and the House of Representatives appear to be on collision course over separate bills seeking the establishment of the Federal University of Sports.

The Red Chamber had earlier passed its version of the proposed legislation and transmitted same to the lower legislative Chamber for concurrence.

However, rather than carrying out necessary legislative actions on the Senate bill, the House of Representatives abandoned it and came up with its own version.

Trouble started on the floor of the Senate yesterday, when the bill was listed among the six sent by the Green Chamber for the Senate concurrence.

The Senate had through its Chairman on Sports and Youths Development , Senator Obinna Ogba ( PDP Ebonyi Central),  sponsored its bill to that effect , considered and passed for third reading on December 7, 2021.

However, the House of Representatives came up with a different version of the bill and sought for concurrence of the Senate.

Ogba who sponsored the bill in the Senate, got it read for second time on May 19, 2021, and passed for third reading on December 7, 2021.

The Senate in the Ogba’s sponsored bill, had proposed to cite the University in Nkalagu, Ebonyi State, while the House version proposed Afuze in Edo State as the location of its own proposed university.

Ogba rejected the concurrence of the bill from the Green Chamber claiming that he had earlier in the 8th National Assembly, sponsored same bill.

The Senator further explained that the bill was passed by both chambers then but did not get presidential assent.

He said, “Out of the six bills forwarded to us from the House of Representatives for concurrence, the one listed as number four, seeking for establishment of Federal University of Sports, Afuze in Edo State runs contrary to the earlier one passed in the Senate.

“This bill as sponsored by me, had been given the required legislative consideration by the Senate with second reading in May 2021 and third reading in December 2021.

“In the version considered and passed by the Senate, Nkalagu in Ebonyi State is proposed as location for the University and not Afuze, proposed by the House version.

“It is the House that supposed to concur to what the Senate had earlier passed and not the other way round with this request which should be stepped down,” he said.

The Senate President on the strength of Ogba’s submission stepped down the bill from further consideration until required harmonisation was carried out between the Senate and the House of Representatives

Ogba, however insisted in a chat with journalists after the plenary that his bill superseded that of the House.

He pledged to see to the end of the matter to ensure that his own was chosen.