Attention shifts to Senate

In the next 48 hours, attention on the national scene will shift to the Senate, as it resumes on Tuesday September 20, 2016.

No doubt, it was different strokes for different folks, as the eight-week recess afforded some senators to visit their constituencies, even as others practically stayed away due to economic recession. Who says the rich don’t also cry?

The once desolate lobby of the Senate will become a beehive of activities, with marketers, corporate beggars, quack journalists popularly called ‘PCPC’, ex-corps members who refused to leave the complex etc, all causing nuisance to distinguished senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

However, both legislative chambers could sing different songs upon resumption. For instance, while the upper chamber would focus on necessary legislations that would get the country out of recession, the lower chamber would tackle the budget padding allegations levelled by the ousted chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations Abdulmumin Jibrin against the House leadership.

The Senate would also invite some members of the Economic Team including Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun; Governor Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emefiele; Minister of Budget and National Planning Udoma Udoma as well as Director General Budget Office Ben Akabueze on efforts to stimulate the economy and get Nigeria out of recession.

It would also be interesting to see if Dino Melaye will restate his call for the sack of these members of the economic team when they appear before the Senate.

Besides tackling recession, other issues that would top agenda in the Senate include the 2016 budget defense for the 38 federal agencies, passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) and probe of NNPC joint venture cash calls.

Prior to the recess, President Muhammadu Buhari had forwarded the 2016 budget proposals of 38 federal agencies including the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), amongst others for consideration.

The Senate is also expected to receive the Economic Stabilisation Bill from the Executive, 2017-2019 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), 2017 budget, 2016 supplementary budget as well as screen and confirm Ibrahim Magu as chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and nominees into the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

With reports of protests and litigation trailing some of the NDDC nominations, it would be interesting to see if the upper legislative chamber would back down for the courts to determine the suit or go ahead to screen and confirm the nominees. However, the interest of the Presiding Officer will come to play, as he has the prerogative to determine if the case is sub judice or not.

On the other hand, those expecting senators Kabir Marafa, Oluremi Tinubu, Suleiman Hukunyi to remain the Senate President’s nemesis should perish the thought, as the trio have been compensated with ‘juicy’ positions shortly before the annual recess.

While Marafa, former Chairman of the Committee on National Population was appointed Chairman of the Petroleum (Downstream) Committee; Tinubu former Chairman, Committee on Women Affairs was named Chairperson of the Committee on Environment, even as Hukunyi chairs the Committee on National Identity.

With Sakaki having control of the majority of 59 All Progressives Congress (APC) senators and 44 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers, the number three citizen will resume plenary with his two eyes closed, with no threats of impeachment.

The aspirations of Senators Ajayi Boroffice and Tayo Alasoadura to be the governorship candidates of APC in Ondo State, was dashed, as I earlier predicted some weeks that the duo would not emerge as the party’s standard bearer.

On Thursday last week, Senate President played host to a delegation of the working group on Environmental Audit of African Organisation of the Supreme Audit Institutions (AFROSAI WGEA), where he advocated political will on the part of world leaders towards the implementation of resolutions on environmental issues.