Senate to Screen Ministerial Nominees as N’Assembly Resumes Plenary Tuesday

Sunday Aborisade writes that the National Assembly resumes plenary Tuesday after a six-week annual vacation with the Senate screening two ministerial nominees sent by President Bola Tinubu to the Red Chamber for confirmation.

Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, had adjourned plenary on Monday, August 7 2023  to Tuesday, September 26, 2023 after the red chamber had successfully screened and  confirmed the 43 out of the 48 ministerial nominees appointed by President Bola Tinubu, and also announced the membership of the 74 standing committess of the 10th Senate.

Unlike their counterparts in the House of Representatives who stayed behind to carry out various legislative activities as members of ad-hoc committees, majority of the senators travelled outside the country to enjoy their well deserved vacation especially with the token sent to their accounts by the management of the National Assembly for staying back to confirm Tinubu’s ministerial nominees.

Members of the Senate ad-hoc committee set up on Wednesday, July 19 by Akpabio to investigate the incessant killings of people smuggling rice and other prohibited goods into the country by officers of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) actually carried out a few days oversight activies in some parts of the country during the holiday.

The Senate President, had set up the ad-hoc committee at the plenary after Abdulaziz Yar’adua (APC, Katsina Central) moved a motion to investigate the abuse of firearms by Customs officers.

Akpabio said the committee would be chaired by Francis Fadahunsi (PDP, Osun Central), a retired Customs officer.

Other members of the committee are Shuaib Salisu (Ogun Central), Kawu Sumaila (Kano South), Tony Nwoye (Anambra North), Suleiman Sadiq (Kwara North), Abdulaziz Yar’adua (Katsina Central) and Adeola Olamilekan (Ogun Central).

As senators started returning from various parts of the world after the holiday, their leadership and those of the Green Chamber are rounding off a three-day retreat in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.

No fewer than 20 principal officers of the National Assembly attended the comprehensive and extensive legislative training.

The essence, according to the organisers of the programme, the National Institute For Legislative And Democratic Studies (NILDS), was aimed at addressing the institutional memory loss suffered by the 10th National Assembly because 70 per cent of the 9th Assembly members failed to return.

NILDS said the programme  was arranged as a retooling opportunity for the new leadership of the National Assembly.

Akpabio who led the leadership which also included the Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon Tajudeen Abass to the retreat said it sought to identify priority business for the 10th National Assembly and develop strategic objectives for the Legislative Agenda of the respective chambers.

He said, “I believe our first priority, as leaders, should be people. We represent people whose pains we should alleviate; whose concerns we should address; whose hopes we should not betray.

“As leaders of those who represent our people, it behoves on us to set collective action templates for our nation’s developmental efforts, and a collaborative legislative agenda for solving our nation’s challenges.”

Investigations have revelaed that the red chamber upon resumption this week would start its legislative assignment by attending to pending communications from President Tinubu and constitute the remaining standing committees in the red chamber.

It is believed that Tinubu would have sent official communicatios to the red chamber, requesting among others, the screening and confirmation of all appointments made by him which require legislative actions while the senators were on holiday.

Some of the fresh appointments are the nomination  of Dr. Jamila Bio Ibrahim to serve as the Minister of Youth, and  Mr. Ayodele Olawande to serve as the Minister of State for Youth

Ibrahim, a young medical doctor who very recently, served as the President of the Progressive Young Women Forum (PYWF).

She has also served as the Senior Special Assistant to the Kwara State Governor on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Olawande, on the other hand is a community development expert and youth leader in the governing All Progressives’ Congress (APC). He most recently served in the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Innovation from 2019 to 2023.

Tinubu had also appointed Mr Zacch Adedeji as Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service for a term of four years in the first instance in acting capacity for a 90-day period before his subsequent confirmation as the substantive Executive Chairman.

Adedeji is a first-class graduate in accounting from the Obafemi Awolowo University.

He most recently served as the Special Adviser to the President on Revenue, following his service terms as the Oyo State Commissioner of Finance and as the Executive Secretary/CEO of the National Sugar Development Council.

The President had also approved the nomination of Dr. Olayemi Michael Cardoso to serve as the new Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), for a term of five  years at the first instance, pending his confirmation by the Senate.

Cardoso was at various times Chairman of CITIBANK and also served as Commissioner for Budget and National Planning when Tinubu was Governor of Lagos State (1999 – 2007).

Cardoso takes over from Mr Godwin Emefiele, who has been on suspension as CBN Governor since June 9, 2023,

The President had also appointed four new Deputy Governors for  the CBN, for a term of five years at the first instance, pending their confirmation by the Senate.⁣

⁣They include Mrs. Emem Usoro, Mr. Muhammad Dattijo, Mr. Philip Ikeazor, and Dr. Bala M. Bello.

Before Cardoso’s nomination, Folashodun Adebisi Shonubi, had been in charge of the apex bank in an acting capacity following his appointment by Tinubu.

The Senate on resumption is also expected to screen for confirmation, Chairman, directors and members of the reconstituted Niger Delta Development Commission.

They are, Mr. Chiedu Ebie, Chairman, (Delta State); Dr. Samuel Ogbuku – Managing Director / CEO (Bayelsa); Mr. Boma Iyaye – Executive Director, Finance and Admin, (Rivers); Mr. Victor Antai, Executive Director, Projects (Akwa-Ibom) and Ifedayo Abegunde,  Executive Director, Corporate Services (Ondo)

Others are, Sen. Dimaro Denyanbofa – State Representative ( Bayelsa); Mr. Abasi Ndikan Nkono, State Representative (Akwa Ibom); Rt. Hon. Monday Igbuya, State Representative (Delta); Chief Tony Okocha, State Representative (Rivers); Hon Patrick Aisowieren, State Representative (Edo); and Mr. Kyrian Uchegbu, State Representative (Imo).

The rest are,; Hon Patrick Aisowieren, State Representative (Edo); Mr. Kyrian Uchegbu, State Representative (Imo); Otito Atikase, State Representative (Ondo); Chief Dimgba Eruba, State Representative (Abia); Rt. Hon. Orok Out Duke, State Representative (Cross River); Hon. Nick Wende – Zonal Representative,  North Central; Hon. Namdas Abdulrazak, Zonal Representative,  (North East); and Senator Ibrahim Abdullahi Gobir, Zonal Representative (North West).

Another major legislative assignment waiting for the federal lawmakers is the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) which is the template upon which the 2024 budget would be predicated.

It is expected that the presiding officers of the federal parliament would meet the official communication to that effect from the President on their tables on resumption.

The Fiscal Responsibility Act gave the President an August deadline to prepare and present the MTEF/FSP to federal lawmakers.

Section 11 (b) of the Act, specifically, stipulates that the MTEF/FSP be submitted “not later than four months before commencement of the next financial year”.

The consideration and approval of the MTEF-FSP will be followed with the scrutiny of the 2024 Appropriation Bill which is expected to be presented to the National Assembly very soon.

If the 10th National Assembly would continue with the 9th Assembly’s tradition of January to December budget cycle, then it is expected that various heads of the federal ministries, departments and agencies would be invited to give account of their budget performances before the Senate standing committees any moment from now.

Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Sani Musa, had during the holiday, said the Senate President had directed all the standing panels to embark on aggressive oversight activities for the purpose of blocking revenue leakages and increase the resources accruable to the country.

Specifically, Musa said the Senate, especially his panel, would focus on the informal sector which constitutes about 80 per cent of the Nigerian Economy.

Musa, who is representing Niger East Senatorial District said his committee will carry out necessary legislative actions to empower the informal sector with spotlight on mining.

Accordng to him: “The informal sector, particularly the mining industry, is a hidden gem in our revenue potential.

“This was corroborated by Ministry of Mines and Steel Development (MMSD) that the solid minerals have the capacity to generate about $3bn annually.

“We will dedicate our efforts to understanding and nurturing this sector with appropriate legislation with emphasis on formalising artisanal and medium-scale mining activities.

“This strategic move will bring economic benefits while promoting safer and more responsible practices.

“We will harness and raise revenue sources from both the Blue marine and the creative economies, by setting targets.

“The committee will legislate to encourage regulations of consumption and production, facilitate enabling environment through legislation for domestic industries

to develop and stimulate economic growth throughdirect foreign investments inflow.”

The Senate panel further pledged that it would uphold fiscal discipline which, it noted, was pivotal to the nation’s financial health.

Musa said, “As Senate Finance Committee, we will fasten our commitment to prudent revenue sourcing. We will ensure that every income earned is accounted for so that our nation’s priorities and development goals can be addressed.

“The committee will ensure that the annual budget aligns with the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and fiscal strategy paper to ensures a coherent roadmap, bridging medium-term aspirations”

He noted that the Nigerian economy currently stands at a critical juncture, navigating through a complex web of economic challenges that necessitate strategic and informed policy

responses.

However, the way the Akpabio leadership handles the growing animosity between his camp and that of Senator Abdulaziz Yari in the upper legislative chamber would determine the speed with which it would actualise its various assignment before the Christmas and New Year Break in December.

The Yari loyalists in the Senate through the Chairman, Senate Committee on Culture and Creative Economy, Senator Elisha Abbo, had penultimate week accuse Akpabio of patronising members in the Senate with juicy committees while those who voted against him during the Senate Presidency election got “Grade C” panels.