Senate Resumes Legislative Activities, Adjourns Till July 4

•National Assembly notifies Tinubu of inauguration, leadership election 

•Minority caucus pledges support for presiding officers 

•ACF: North deserves to produce senate president, tasks Akpabio

•NLC urges legislators not to be rubber stamp to executive 

•Governors congratulate Akpabio, pledge cooperation

Chuks Okocha, Onyebuchi Ezigbo, Sunday Aborisade and Udora Orizu in Abuja

The 10th Senate, yesterday, resumed legislative activities after members emerged from a closed-door session, and immediately adjourned till July 4 to enable the new committees set up discharge their responsibilities.

The executive session lasted for over three hours, after which Senate President Godswill Akpabio took the opening prayers to declare the session open.

The two chambers of the National Assembly resolved to formally inform President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of their inauguration and election of presiding officers.

The senate, which equally informed the African Union (AU) and other international parliamentary bodies that it was now open for legislative work, congratulated the House of Representatives on its successful inauguration and informed the House that the Senate, too, was now in session.

That was as the minority caucus of the senate resolved to work harmoniously with the newly elected presiding officers in the overall interest of the country.

Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) congratulated Akpabio on his emergence as Senate President, and urged him to ensure inclusiveness in the National Assembly.

However, ACF said the north deserved the office of the senate president, given the volume of votes it gave to APC.

At the same time, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) enjoined members of the newly inaugurated National Assembly to live up to their oath of office and avoid being an appendage of the executive arm of government.

The senate, yesterday, set up a 15-member Welfare Committee, chaired by Senator Isah Jibrin (APC, Kogi East) to make arrangements for senators to settle down.

The resolutions followed motions moved by Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North), which were considered and adopted.

The senate adjourned plenary till July 4 to allow the management and its welfare committee arrange for allocation of offices and seats to senators, among others things. The recess was also to enable them observe the forthcoming Muslim Eid-el-Kabir holiday.

Meanwhile, the minority caucus of the red chamber resolved to work with the newly elected presiding officers in the overall interest of the country. Senator Abdul Ningi, who briefed newsmen after the minority caucus meeting, said all the senators spoke frankly during the executive session and agreed to work as a team by seeing themselves as senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Ningi said, “The 10th Senate will be entirely different. We are not going to be confrontational, but we are not going to be laidback legislators. We will ensure that we understand our functions, powers and limitations. We will outrightly inform the executive of our powers under the constitution, under the House rules and under the legislative privileges.

“We are not going to be caged. I am very happy this afternoon that the first thing that the senate president did was to call for an executive session, and it was a very exhaustive deliberation and I am happy he has started on a very clean slate.

“I can see that he is ready for this job and we have assured him that once he gives us our respect, we are going to accord him our full loyalty.

“We will also caution him that in spite of whatever happened, the senate is the institution that made him senate president and the chairman of the National Assembly and because he is a ranking senator, he understands that.”

Ningi further said, “We had an executive session, and then we went through the order paper and we sent congratulatory letter to the House and we also sent communications to the international bodies, like the EU, AU, the other legislative international bodies, and then we adjourned for two weeks.

“The issue of Sallah holiday is pending. We are supposed to adjourn for two weeks. Welfare committee was also set up to allocate seats and offices for senators. The sitting arrangement will be done based on the senate tradition, that is ranking.

“Apart from the principal officers, the next sitting arrangement will be past leaders in the senate, followed by those who were returning several times, including those switching to the senate from the House.

“They would be followed by those coming from sister parliaments in the states, while the back benchers will be the new lawmakers, including the former governors coming to senate for the first time.”

In a related development, Clerk of the National Assembly requested to notify Tinubu and the senate that the 10th session of the House of Representatives convened and Tajudeen Abbas was elected Speaker.

Abbas, who made this request in an announcement at plenary yesterday, also asked the clerk to inform the president and the senate that Benjamin Kalu was elected Deputy Speaker.

He further urged the clerk to advise the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, to inform the president that the House had assembled, with quorum formed, and was ready to receive any message he might wish to transmit.

The clerk requested, “That a message be conveyed to the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria informing that Body, that the House had assembled on Tuesday, 13 June 2023 with quorum formed, and that Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, representing Zaria Federal Constituency of Kaduna State, was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives.

“That a message be conveyed to the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria informing that Body that the House had assembled on Tuesday, 13 June, 2023 with quorum formed, and that Hon. Kalu Benjamin Okezie, representing Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State, was elected Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.

“That the Clerk to the National Assembly do notify the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, that the House had assembled on Tuesday, 13 June, 2023 with quorum formed, and that Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, representing Zaira Federal Constituency of Kaduna State was elected the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

“That the Clerk to the National Assembly do notify the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that the House had assembled on Tuesday, 13 June 2023, with quorum formed, and that Hon. Kalu Benjamin Okieze representing Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State was elected the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.

“That the Clerk to the National Assembly do advise the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) to inform the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that the House had assembled, Quorum formed and is ready to receive any message he may wish to transmit.”

ACF: North Deserves to Produce Senate President, Tasks Akpabio

Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), which congratulated Akpabio on his emergence as Senate President, and urged him to ensure inclusiveness in running the affairs of the National Assembly, said the north deserved the office of the senate president, considering the volume of votes it gave to APC.

A member of ACF, Alhaji Musa Saidu, made the assertions in a statement in Abuja, yesterday.

Saidu stated, “We wish to congratulate Senator Godswill Akpabio on his election as the new senate president. We wish him well as he settles down in his new job.

“However, Akpabio should take a lesson from his election by ensuring inclusiveness in running the affairs of the National Assembly.

“Akpabio should always remember that he has been elected as the Nigerian senate president and not a senate president for a particular part of the country. It is imperative to say that we were not too happy with the manner he ran the affairs of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs in terms of inclusiveness, when he was the minister.”

Saidu, who is also the leader of Arewa Community in Southern Nigeria, cautioned against victimising Senator Abdulaziz Yari, who contested the senate presidency with Akpabio.

He stated, “As far as we are concerned, Yari is a hero, in spite of losing the senate presidency, securing 46 votes in the election meant that he was a force to reckon with. In fact, Yari was not disgraced, as he lost the election honourably.

“Like I have said before, the north deserves the position of senate president, because of its massive votes for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 general election. But since it is the will of God that Akpabio will be the senate president, we have nothing to say.”

Don’t Be Rubber Stamp to Executive, NLC Tells Legislators

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) enjoined members of the newly inaugurated National Assembly to live up to their oath of office and avoid being an appendage of the executive arm of government.

In a statement by Acting President of NLC, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, the labour movement said the lawmakers owed their loyalty first to Nigerians, adding that people have great expectations of the 10th Assembly.

The statement said, “While expecting great things of or from this Assembly, we, however, find it necessary to sound a note of warning, that the National Assembly is not an extension of the executive, its role of law-making, investigation and oversight being defined and cut for it by the constitution.

“The loyalty of the National Assembly should be to the nation or those who elected the members and not to the party or the executive. Other interests should be subordinated to the national Interest at all times.”

NLC added that the lawmakers should strive to make laws that will strengthen democracy and promote accountability.

The union said, “Without demeaning the initiatives of the past assemblies, there is a lot of work ahead.  For instance, we need laws that will deepen and strengthen our democracy, especially in relation to elections, governance, accountability, and citizen participation. Similarly, quite a number of our laws/statutes are in need of review.”

NLC said there were serious issues needing full and transparent investigation through honest oversight.

Governors Congratulate Akpabio, Pledge Friendship, Cooperation

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) congratulated the Akpabio and pledged to promote cooperation and friendship between the senate and the governors.

The pledge came as the governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri, charged all the senators and members of the House of Representatives from Bayelsa State to cooperate with their colleagues at the National Assembly to attract investment to the state.

A statement by NGF Chairman and governor of Kwara State, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, which was addressed to the senate president, said, “Please, accept the warm congratulations of all the 36 governors of Nigeria, via the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, on your victory as the president of the 10th assembly and kindly accept our best wishes for your success as you prepare to take up the ‘uncommon’ responsibilities and challenges of your very high office.

“As you embark upon your new assignment, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum wishes to assure you and the distinguished members of the senate of the continued friendship and sympathetic interest of the governors and their people from across the length and breadth of our beloved country, Nigeria.

“As a former member of the forum yourself, we, at the NGF look forward to working with you, not only to develop closer ties between our platform and your exalted office, but also to further cement the relationship between the executive arms of government at all levels and make concerted efforts in the cause of peace and the brotherhood of all of our peoples.”

Diri, while speaking at a reception ceremony, where he hosted the senators and members of the House of Representatives in Abuja, said, “The era of militancy is gone. You have to cooperate with your colleagues at the National Assembly to attract investments into Bayelsa State.”

The governor added, “What we need now in Bayelsa is peace and investment. You have to cooperate with your colleagues.”

Diri congratulated the new federal lawmakers, and said he was overwhelmed by the electoral victory of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which claimed the three senatorial seats and all the House of Representatives seats in the state. He pledged to cooperate with the new members of the National Assembly from the state for the overall development of the state.

The governor stressed, “No matter what happened, we will remain united. We cannot be militants all our lives. Let’s give peace a chance. Militancy is no more. Let’s enjoy the peace. Be vigilant. Don’t allow any one threaten the peace of the state.”

However, the governor described the occasion as solemn and one regarded with mixed feelings, because of the ghastly road accident in Delta State that claimed the lives of four members of the Bayelsa State female team and 10 members of the state musical troupe that were to entertain the new members of the National Assembly.