Senate in session

Tuesday November 19, 2019

Senate President Presiding

Prayer/Commencement: 10:46am

Votes and Proceedings of Thursday, November 14, 2019 approved (Moved by Sen. Bima Muhammed Enagi Seconded by Sen. Francis Fadahunsi)

Oaths:  Sen. Ibrahim Abdullahi Danbaba of Sokoto-south was sworn in.

Announcement:  Letter from MR. President, Transmission of Six Aviation Sector Bills for consideration and passage into law:

1. Civil Aviation Bill ,2019;
2. Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria Bill, 2019;
3. Nigeria College of Airspace Management (Est, etc) Bill, 2019;
4. Nigeria Collage of Aviation Technology (Est, etc) Bill, 2019;
5. Nigeria Metrological Agency (Est, etc) Bill, 2019; and
6. Nigeria Safety investigation Bureau (Est. etc) Bill, 2019.

Point of Order

Order 42 and 52

1. Yaore Dauda moved a motion on the need for Immediate Disaster Response by National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to Communities in Demsa, Numan, Guyuk and Lamurde Local Government of Adamawa State Severely affected by Flooding in October 2019.

Motion was approved for presentation and taken.

The Senate resolved to:

1. Direct NEMA to immediately implement a response program fir the flood disaster that affected various communities in in Demsa, Numan, Guyuk and Lamurde Local Government of Adamawa State as per detailed submission already made to NEMA; and
2. Direct the Senate Committees on Special Duties, Ecology and Climate Change and Environment to investigate the effectiveness of NEMA in their disaster response activities in 2019.

Additional Prayers

• To bring relief materials to the affected areas.

All Prayers were adopted as amended.

Order 42 and 52

2. Tolu Odebiyi moved a motion on the need for Tankers Transporting Flammable Products and Premium Motor spirits (PMS) in Nigeria to Adhere to the 1957 United Nations International Agreement Concerning the Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road.

Motion was approved for presentation and taken.

The Senate resolved to:

1. Observe one -minute silence in honour of those who lost their lives;
2. Commensurate with families of all those who either lost their lives or were injured as a result of the accident;

• Call on the relief agencies to take stock with a view to providing relief and other assistance to all those affected;

1. Mandate owner (s) of the truck involved in the accident to compensate victims of the accident; and
2. Mandate relevant regulatory agencies towards ensuring strict compliance to safety and to the UN 1957 international Agreement concerning the carriage of dangerous goods by road, for the purpose of safeguarding against the reoccurrence of these types of accidents, in and around business and communities along our roads.

All Prayers were adopted as presented.

PRESENTATION OF BILLS

1. Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Bill, 2019 (SB.31) First Reading

Sen. Orji, Theodore Ahamefule.

First Reading taken

2. Whistle Blower and Witness Protection Bill 2019 (SB.125)- First Reading

Sen.  Uwajumogu, Benjamin

First Reading taken

3. Unclaimed Fund Legislative Bill, 2019 (SB.168)- First Reading.

Sen. Boroffice, Robert Ajayi.

First Reading taken

 

4. Federal Medical Centre Rigasa, Kaduna State (Est, etc) Bill, 2019 (SB.169)- First Reading

Sen. Sani, Uba.

First Reading taken

5. Constituency Projects (Budgetary provisions) Bill, 2019 (SB.170 -First Reading

Sen. Oduah, Stella Adaeze.

First Reading taken

6. Oil Palm Industrial Park (Est. etc) Bill, 2019 (SB. 171) -First Reading

Sen. Nnachi, Michael Ama

First Reading taken

7. Auctioneers Registration Council (Est, etc) Bill, 2019 (SB. 172) – First Reading

Sen. Ndume, Mohammed Ali

First Reading taken

8. North Central Development Commission (Est, etc) Bill, 2019 (SB. 173) -First Reading

Sen. Musa, Mohammed Sani

First Reading taken

9. Gas Flaring Bill, 2019 (SB. 174) – First Reading

Sen. Akpan, Albert Bassey

First Reading taken

10. Marketing (Breast-Milk Substitute) Act CAP M5 LFN 2004 (Amendment) Bill, 2019 (SB. 175) – First Reading

Sen. Apiafi, Betty Jocelyn.

First Reading taken

11. Electoral Act CAP E6 LFN 2004 (Amendment) Bill, 2019 (SB. 176) – First Reading

Sen. Buhari, Abdulfatai

First Reading taken

ORDERS OF THE DAY

CONSIDERATION OF BILS

1. A Bill for an Act to Amend the National Council on Public Procurement and Bureau of Public Procurement Act No. 14 of 2007 and for related matters, 2009 (SB.158) – Second Reading

Sen. Sankara, D. Abdullahi

Lead debate by Sen. Sankara, D. Abdullahi

Second reading taken and referred to the Senate Committee on Public Procurement to report in two weeks.

2. A Bill for an Act to establish the Federal university, Wukari to make comprehensive provisions for its due management and administration and for related matters, 2019 (SB.24) – Second Reading

Sen. Bwacha, Emmanuel       

Consideration was stood down to another legislative day.     

                                                                          MOTIONS

1. The Proliferation of Fake Medical Reports emanating from Public Hospitals in Nigeria.

Sponsor: Sen. Ekwunife, Uche Lilian

The Senate resolved to:

1. Direct the Federal Ministry of Health to set up an efficient and proper mechanism to identify and prevent this dangerous trend in Public Hospitals; and
2. Urge the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to intensify its effort in checking incidences of fraud and quackery in the medical profession, especially in public hospitals.

All Prayers were adopted as presented.

2. Addressing Nigeria’s Power Problems.

Sponsor: Sen. Utazi, Chukwuka Godfrey

The Senate resolved to:

1. Direct the Senate Committee on Power to look into the Problems of power Generation, Transmission and Distribution in Nigeria and accordingly investigate the various issues raised in this motion and report back within four weeks;
2. Urge the Federal Government to target the achievement of 100,000 megawatts of installed capacity for the country to match the size of Nigeria’s economy and improve its development status;

• Urge the Federal Government to devise power generation models that are embedded at economic and industrial clusters, hinging around regional grids that are semi-autonomous but interconnected to the national grid;

1. Urge the Federal Government to upgrade the transmission infrastructure of Nigeria’s power grid for a more efficient transmission of power; and
2. Urge the Federal Government to breakup Nigeria’s power Distribution companies into smaller, more manageable distribution companies for optimal performance competition.

Additional Prayers

1. Senate should organize round table to address the issues raised form i-v above; and

• Urge the Federal Government to seek alternative means of energy;

All prayers were adopted as amended

3. The suitability of Hydroelectric Gravity Dams in redressing the harms of perennial flooding in Nigeria.

Sponsor: Sen. Oduah Stella Adaeze

Consideration was stood down to another legislative day

The Senate adjourned at 1:44pm to resume on Wednesday, November 20, 2019 at 10:00am prompt.

Report by,

Lawal, O.K
Head Press Relations (SSAP) NASSS- SENATE