#TodayInPlenary
*PROCEEDINGS OF THE NIGERIAN SENATE OF THURSDAY 23RD MARCH 2017*

Welcome to a new Legislative day in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Senate President Bukola Saraki took the official prayer and led the chamber into today's proceedings.
Senator Andy Uba moved for the approval of votes and proceedings for Wednesday 22nd March,2017.  Senator Philip Gyunka seconded.

*EXECUTIVE SESSION*
Senate now moves into an Executive Session.
Senate resumes from its Executive Session and Senate President Bukola Saraki reports progress thatbthe Senate at the Executive Session deliberated on issues bothering on the workings of the Senate and the National Assembly in general.

*EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATION*
Senate President Bukola Saraki read a letter dated 27th February 2017 on the request of Acting President for the Confirmation of Nominees for Appointment as Resident Electoral Commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission.

*POINT OF ORDER*
1. Senator Shehu Sani cited order 43  and read a letter submitted by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal on the court process and his inability to honour its invitation. He said the Committee was to hold a public hearing today and decided to invite the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to give him an opportunity to defend himself.
Senate President Bukola Saraki put the Secretary Government of the Federation issue to rest and stated that a new date has been communicated to the Committee for his appearance.

2. Senate Leader, Senator Ahmad Lawan raised a point of order on the Terriorist Attack near the UK Parliament yesterday. Senator George Sekibo said any Terriosm Activity in any part of the World requires urgent attention. Senator Bala Ibn Na'Allah said in recognition of Westminster in promoting democracy, we should share in their grief and convey our sympathy.
Senate President Bukola Saraki said there shall be no debate on this, said it can come under a motion and as part of respect observed a Minute silence in honour of the victims. He adds that "any attack on any Parliament in the world is an attack on all Parliaments. Our hearts and prayers are with them"
Senate in its prayers resolved to:
1. Condemn in totality the attack in the United Kingdom yesterday.
2. Stand together and sympathise with Westminster.
3. Call on all Houses of Parliament around the globe to stand together against all forms of Terrorism.
4. Call on the United Nations to develop a more Effective Counter-Terrorism Act.
5. National Asswmbly should send a condolence letter to the UK Government and Parliament.

Senate now observed a minute silence in honour of the departed souls.

*PETITIONS*
1. Senator Godswill Akpabio raised a Petition about the stoppage of the payment of the salary of one of his constituent in the Federal Civil Service Commission.
2. Senator Barnabas Gemade also raised a petition on the incessant killings in his senatorial district and requests for a permanent military base.
3. Senators Tayo Alasoadura and Matthew Urhoghide also raised different personal petitions from their respective districts.

The Petitions laid were referred to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions

*CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS*
1. Report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs on the Screening of 47 Non-Career Ambassadorial Nominees. By Senator Monsurat Sunmonu.
The Senate do consider the Report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs on the Screening of the following persons as Non-Career Ambassadors of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

1.Dr. Mrs. Uzoma E. Emenike -Abia
2.Aminu Iyawa -Adamawa
3.Maj. Gen. Godwin G. Umo Rtd -Akwa Ibom
4.Christopher J.N. Okeke -Anambra
5.Yusuf Maitama Tuggar -Bauchi
6.Baba Madugu -Bauchi
7.Brig. Gen. Stanley Diriyai -Bayelsa
8.Prof. Stephen Ugba -Benue
9.Baba Ahmad Jidda -Borno
10.Dr. Etubom N.E. Asuquo -Cross River
11.Engr. Frank Ofeduma -Delta
12.Mr. Jonah M. Odo -Ebonyi
13.Uyagwe Igbe -Edo
14.Dr. Eniola Ajayi -Ekiti
15.Maj. Gen. Chris Eze -Enugu
16.Alh. Sulieman Hassan -Gombe
17.Justice Sylvanus Adiewere Nsofor -Imo
18.Amin Muhanmmad Dalhatu -Jigawa
19.Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli -Kaduna
20.Deborah S. Iliya -Kaduna
21.Prof. D. Abdul Kadir -Kano
22.Alh. Haruna Ungogo -Kano
23.Justice Isa Dodo -Katsina
24.Mohammad Rimi Barade -Katsina
25.Prof. Tijani Bande -Kebbi
26.Prof. Y. O. Aliu -Kogi
27.Nurudeen Mohamed -Kwara
28.Prof. Mohamed G. Yisa -Kwara
29.Justice George Adesola Oguntade -Lagos
30.Mrs. Modupe Irele -Lagos
31.Musa Ilu Mohammed -Nasarawa
32.Ahmed Ibeto -Niger
33.Susanne Aderonke Folarin -Ogun
34.Jacob Igebekele Daodu -Ondo
35.Afolahan Adeyemi A. -Osun
36.Maj. Gen. Ashimiyu A. Olaniyi Rtd.  -Oyo
37.James G. Dimka -Plateau
38.Dr. Haruna Bawa Abdullahi -Plateau
39.Orji Ngofa -Rivers
40.Sahabi Isa Gada -Sokoto
41.Hon. Kabir Umar -Sokoto
42.Alh. Hassan Jika Ardo -Taraba
43.Goni Modu Zanna Bura -Yobe
44.Alh. Garba Gajam -Zamfara
45.Cpt. Bala Mohammad Mairiga -Zamfara
46.Habiss Ibrahim Ugbada -FCT
47.Mr. Adeyinka Olatokunbo Asekun -Ogun.
Senator Monsurat Sunmonu noted that when the Imo state Nominee was asked if he could perform his duty at that age, his response was "Ask Mugabe if age affects his job". She also noted the DSS report on the Ondo State nominee were negative. He is said to be deceitful and indulged in corrupt practice.
*COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE*
Senate dissolved to the Committee of the Whole to Consider the Screening of 47 Non-Career Ambassadorial Nominees.
The nominees from Imo (Sylvanus Nsofor) and Ondo State (Jacob Daodu) were rejected by the Senate based on the Foreign Affairs' Committee report.
The Senate Reverted to Plenary and Reported Progress on the Confirmation of 45 out of 47 Non-Career Ambbassadorial Nominees.

Senate President Bukola Saraki thanked the Foreign affairs Committee for the screening and congratulates the newly confirmed Ambassadors. He also stated that "The non-career diplomat must be good example to our country and I hope the Executive ensure outstanding payments are treated".

2. Report of the Committee on INEC on the INEC Act No.6 2010 (Amendment) Bill, 2017. (SB.231 and SB.234). By Senator Abubakar Kyari.
*COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE*
Senate dissolved to the Committee of the Whole to Consider the Report of the Committee on INEC on the INEC Act (Amendment) Bill 2017.
Senators took turn to contribute to the different clauses for amendment in the INEC Act (Amendment) Bill 2017.
The Senate Reverted to Plenary and Senate President Bukola Saraki Reported Progress from the Committee of the Whole where Senate Considered the Report of the Committee on INEC on the INEC Act (Amendment) Bill 2017. Senate President Bukola Saraki thanked his Colleagues for their Co-operation.

*ADJOURNMENT*
Senate Leader Ahmed Lawan moved for other items on the order paper be stood down to another Legislative day, Minority Leader seconded.
Plenary is now adjourned to Tuesday 28th March, 2017.
#GavelBangs

FOLLOW THIS LINK TO WATCH THE PROCEEDINGS FOR TODAY:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHhnwjzJ-tQ

#TodayInPlenary

*PROCEEDINGS OF THE NIGERIAN SENATE OF WEDNESDAY 22ND MARCH 2017*

Welcome to a new Legislative day in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu took the official prayer and led the chamber into today's proceedings.

Senator Jonah Jang moved for the approval of votes and proceedings for Tuesday 21st March,2017.  Senator Lanre Tejuoso seconded.

*EXECUTIVE SESSION*
Senate now moves into an Executive Session.

Senate resumes from it's Executive Session and Reports Progress.

At the Executive Session they deliberated on issues bothering on the workings of the Senate and the National Assembly in general.

*ANNOUNCEMENT*

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu welcomed students of Nigerian Economics Association, modibo Adamawa State, Wonder kids foundation school, who were here to observe the Plenary.

*PETITIONS*

1.Senator Theodore Orji raised a petition about a Professor From Michael Okpara University of Agriculture on the discovery of drugs that cure Hiv/Aids.

2.Senators Mao Ohuabunwa, James Manager, Omo Agege, Umaru David laid Petitions from their perspective Constituents.

The Petitions were laid and referred to the Committee on Ethics and priviledges.

*PRESENTATION OF BILLS- FIRST READING*

1.National Lottery Act (Amendment) Bill, 2017 (SB.451). By Senator Ahmad Lawan.

2.National Fertilizer Bill,2017 (HB.240).By Senator Ahmad Lawan.

3.National Fertilizer Quality Control Bill, 2017 (SB.259). By Senator Theodore Orji.

4.Federal Colleges of Education Act (Amendment)Bill,2017 (SB.445). By Senator Ubali Shittu.

5.Chartered Institute of Auctioneers of Nigeria Bill,2017 (SB.446). By Senator Hope Uzodinma.

6.City University of Technology Auchi (Est,etc )Bill, 2017(SB. 447). By Senator Francis Alimikhena.

7.Federal Task Force on Revenue Defaulters,Piracy and National Heritage Protection Bill, 2017 (SB.449). By Senator Samuel Anyanwu.

8.Cyber Crime (Prohibition, Prevention,etc)Act 2015 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill, 2017 (SB.450). By Senator Buhari Abdulfatai.

9.Nursing and Midwifey (Registration)Act CAP N143 LFN 2004 (Amendment) Bill,2017 (SB.451). By Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso.

10.Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (Est,etc)Bill, 2017 (SB.452). By Senator Mustapha Bukar.

*PRESENTATION OF REPORT*

Conference Committee Report. Nigerian Airforce Institute of Technology (SB.180). By Senator Duro Faseyi.
-That the Senate do receive the Conference Committee Report on the Nigerian Airforce Institute of Technology Bill, 2017 (SB.180).

*EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATION*

Approval of the $500m Eurobond in the International Capital Market.
-That the Senate do consider the request of Mr. President Commander in Chief  Muhammadu Buhari for the approval of the $500m Eurobond in the International Capital Market for the funding of the 2016 Budget Deficit.

*COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE*

Senate dissolved to the Committee of the Whole to discuss the Approval of the $500m Eurobond.

At the Committee of the Whole, Senate Considered the Request of President Muhammadu Buhari for the Approval of the $500m Eurobond to fund the 2016 Budget deficit.

The Senate Reverted to Plenary and Reported Progress.


*BRIEFING*

Briefing by the Comptroller General of Customs. By Senator Ahmad Lawan.
-That the Senate do receive the Comptroller General of Customs to brief this Distinguished Senate on the proposed retrospective duty payment on vehicles in Nigeria.

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekwerwmadu asked the Clerk of the Senate to read a letter from the Attorney General of the Federation on the Comptroller General of Customs invitation.

Senator Dino Melaye asked "Can the Court Process Stop any form of Government from carrying out Constitutional duties?". He said it is the first time the Attorney General will write to the Senate on how to run the Senate.Senator Dino Melaye also said it is not a Court injunction, not an order, it's a mere Court Process. The position of the Comptroller General of Customs is a rank and anyone occupying it is a Public Servant. He invoked the Public Service Rule.

Senator Abaribe said "Lest we forget, Customs made an obnoxious policy, it was in this process that we invited him to explain his policy".

Senator Abaribe further stated that it makes no sense for the Comptroller General of Customs to rush to court to secure a deliberate injunction. He urged the Nigerian Senate to reject the letter written by the Attorney General of the Federation.

Senator Olujimi said the action of the Comptroller-General of Customs is a breach of the Constitution and a grand display of arrogance. She stated further that such display by the Comptroller-General of Customs only shows that he feels no reason to abide by the law. She adds "The Executive is sitting pretty and pretending nothing is wrong".

Senator Isah Misau said the enemies of this Government are within the Presidency. He also stated "If the Attorney General can write a letter to the Senate, I wonder what advise he gives Mr. President".

Senator Aliyu Sabi urged the Senate to cancel the collection of duty until a more robust method of collection can be agreed upon.

Senator Sekibo said the letter from the Attorney General undermines the Senate as an institution and must be investigated.

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu said it is important that the integrity of the Senate must be maintained at all times. ahe adds that "There's no big deal in asking a public officer to dress properly, people should be proud of what they do" and that "We as public officers should live an exemplary life and obey laws in accordance of the constitution".

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu reiterated that "there is nothing like "they" vs "Us", we are the same government serving the same people".

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu thanked the Senators for their maturity and contributions in ensuring that no individual undermines democratic institutions.

Senator Adeyeye said the resolutions should be sent to the House of  Representatives for concurrence so they can be on the same page.


*ADJOURNMENT*

Senate Leader Ahmed Lawan moved for other items on the order paper be stood down to another Legislative day, Minority Leader seconded.

Senate Plenary is adjourned to Thursday 23rd March, 2017.

FOLLOW THIS LINK TO WATCH THE PROCEEDINGS:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yoxk-7xOJBM

#GavelBangs

#TodayInPlenary

*PROCEEDINGS OF THE NIGERIAN SENATE OF TUESDAY 21ST MARCH 2017*

Welcome to a new Legislative day in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu took the official prayer and led the chamber into today's proceedings.

Senator Mohammed Hassan moved for the approval of the Votes and Proceedings of Thursday 16th March, 2017 and Senator Dino Melaye seconded.

*ANNOUNCEMENTS*

1. Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu read announcements that the Senate Committee on Primary Health Care and Communicable Diseases should meet with Professor Nwabuike.

2. Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu also recognized students of the Faculty of Law of the Igbenidion University and White Plains British School.

*POINT OF ORDER*

1. Senator Obinna Ogba cited orders 42 and 52 in honour of Mr. Amanu Pinnick in the just concluded Confederation of African Football (CAF) elections. Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu congratulated the new CAF chief and said this is a step forward for the country as it gives Nigeria a good international image.

*PETITIONS*

1. Senator Ali Ndume raised a point of order based on the alleged seizure by the Nigerian Customs Sevice of a bullet proof car reportedly belonging to the Senate President and also reads from a document which questions the authenticity of Senator Dino Melaye's Certificate from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

The Petitions laid were referred to Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions.

*MOTIONS OF THE DAY*

1. The Ethnic Clash in Ile-Ife, Osun State by Senator Jibrin Barau and co-sponsored by Senator Shehu Sani.

Senator Shehu Sani said since 1914 till date we have had series of Ethnic clashes, the clashes threatens our unity,we need to tell ourselves the truth. "Its unfortunate that Nigerians are unsafe in and outside the country".

"We should refer this to the appropriate committee; Nigerians should prevent attacks within, so we don't send a wrong signal".
- Senator James Manager.

Senator Jide Omoworare said he supported the motion saying as he is a legal mind, the clash was not exactly an ethnic one, it's more of a territorial issue. "I was not consulted before the motion was presented, because I'm the Senator representing the district".

"The crises arose from a misunderstanding between two individuals and become a public clash".
- Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as Senator Isiaka Adeleke also supported the motion.

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu thanked Senator Jibrin for the motion and cited section 41, provision for freedom of movement and section 42 stating that ethnic background shouldn't be a barrier.

Senate now resolved to:
I. Observe a minute silence for the dead victims of the clash.

ii. Called on the Inspector General of Police that while he tries as much as humanly possible to prevent a re-occurrence of such dispute in Ile-Ife or anywhere else in the country, he should conduct a thorough investigation into the remote and immediate causes of the Ile-Ife dispute and ensure prompt prosecution of the culprits.

iii. Urged the Federal Government to bear the cost of rebuilding the burnt houses and usinesses and pay adequate compensation to the families of the bereaved victims and the injured as a matter of utmost urgency.

iv. Send a igh power delegation of the Senate to condole with the Government and People of Osun State on the incident and also visit the scenes of destruction and report to the Senate within two weeks.

2. Averting the looming crises and monumental corruption in Nigeria's Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS): A time for action by Senator Kabir Garba Marafa.

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu put the question and the Senate agreed to set up an adhoc committee to investigate the National Health Insurance Scheme NHIS.

The Committee shall include: Senators Ahmed Lawan, Lanre Tejuoso, Bassey Akpan, Kabir Garba Marafa and Ahmed Ogembe .

3. The need for the Federal Government to establish more Colleges of Education (Special) in Nigeria by Senator Muhammad Ubali Shittu.

Senate accordingly resolved to Urge the Federal Government to establish more colleges of Education (Special)and create one in each Geo-political zone.

4. The need for the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to implement its intervention Funding Programmes to qualified Nigerian Companies and Exporters by Senator Mao Ohuabunwa.

"I support the motion. Banks should be directed to the bodies that are paramount to proper functioning".
-Senator Abubakar Yusuf.

Senator Jibrin Barau adds "I support this motion, we are in a serious economic situation, we need a triangulated approach. The interest rate is very high, that is why the CBN brought the bodies of intervention but there is a problem in funding."

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu said "the interest rate is high and we must provide the intervention bodies with money. It is also important to review the issue of minimum wage".

Senate resolved to:
I. Urged the CBN to consider implementing expeditiously, the approvals and disbursement of intervention facilities to those companies in the real sector that merits such facilities.

II. Invited the CBN Governor to address the senate on the progress so far made through the use of its various intervention faculty programmes (including the list of beneficiary companies, factories, exporters etc.) in assisting the sustainable growth of the real sector of the economy and as an instrument for getting out of the nations economic recession.

*CONSIDERATION OF BILL - SECOND READING*

1. A Bill for an Act to provide for the Prohibition of Facial Mutilation, the Offences, Prosecution and Punishment of offenders and the protection of victims under threat of facial mutilation and to provide for other related matters 2017 (SB. 408) by Senator Dino Melaye.

Senator Sola Adeyeye says "I don't think anyone would oppose the bill, no parent should put a hot knife on a child's face for identification". Medicine has gotten to a point where if you are trying to save life, the pain must be minimal, you should not administer unnecessary pain. If the so called surgeon knows that if you touch a child with a knife there is a penalty for it, this act will be stopped. This brings a reproach on the African race, we must stop the act."

Senator Ahmed Lawan and Senator Godswill Akpabio lent their voices and supported the bill.

"I think this bill is overdue, these children should be saved from this act".
- Senator Philip Gyunka.

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu said he is proud of the Senate. He adds that a Bill like this should be effected as soon as possible.

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu referred the bill to the Committee on Judiciary, Human rights and Legal Matters to report back in 4 weeks.

*ANNOUNCEMENT*

1. Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu said Senate Committee heads that have not reconciled with the Appropriation Committee should do so on time to avoid further delay.

*ADJOURNMENT*

Senate Leader Ahmed Lawan moved for other items on the order paper be stood down to another Legislative day. Minority Leader seconded.

Senate Plenary is adjourned to Wednesday 22nd March, 2017.

#GavelBangs

Saraki Has Nothing to Do With Importation of Vehicle, Says Aide

Special Adviser to Senate President on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu has stated that the allegation raised today by Senator Ali Ndume linking Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki to the importation of vehicle lacks basis as it was outright falsehood.

In a press statement, Olaniyonu said from the facts and documents about the seized vehicle, it is obvious that the Senate President has nothing to do with the importation of any vehicle.

"A supplier was engaged by the Senate to supply a vehicle. While transferring the vehicle between Lagos and Abuja, it was impounded by the Customs. We believe that is an issue between the supplier and the Customs because the Senate has not taken delivery. So, why is somebody trying to drag in the name of Saraki into the issue.

"The documents on the vehicle are there for the general public to view and make their conclusions. Now, that the matter has been referred to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, all the facts will be out", Olaniyonu stated.

Signed

Yusuph Olaniyonu
Special Adviser ( Media and Publicity)

SPEECH DELIVERED BY HIS EXCELLENCY SENATOR ABUBAKAR BUKOLA SARAKI (CON), PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA AT THE OPENING OF A RETREAT FOR THE MANAGEMENT STAFF OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY.

PROTOCOL

It is with great pleasure that I welcome you all to this year’s National Assembly Management retreat and I thank the organisers for putting together this retreat.

The National Assembly has been established not only as the highest law-making institution but more important, as the enabler of the executive to provide for the welfare and security of our people. At no time in our history has the need for synergy of purpose and drive to embrace and give full effect to this obligation been more acute than now. This present National Assembly is fully committed to this obligation and it is in you that we will rely on to play our role effectively.

The 8th National Assembly has made economic reform the anchor of its legislative activities so far. The role of a virile National Assembly management fully dedicated and adequately tooled for the mission cannot then be over emphasized.  

It is you, this 5000 or there about management staff of National Assembly that are responsible for ensuring that our legislative agenda is fully realised. This you do by helping to turn the legislative decisions we make on the floor into actionable legislative instruments, with tangible impact on our people.

Therefore, in a very special way, I thank you all for your support, dedication and hard work so far. We cannot quantify your immense contribution to this course.

Notwithstanding, there are greater tasks ahead and we need more support to achieve our overarching objectives. We hope then that this retreat will further enable you and prepare you towards greater productivity. This is a chance for colleagues to get to know each other and look with new eyes on the opportunities and challenges that lay ahead for us as a primer of government.

As we all know, this is a critical time for us as a nation. We are going through difficult times, recession, security issues, widespread hunger, unemployment, incessant rises in inflation, dwindling opportunities. The nation looks up to National Assembly for direction and to provide opportunities for our people. It has become quite apparent to us that it is no longer business as usual.

It is against this background, that it is imperative that management is fit for the task ahead of us and lives up to its responsibilities – to deliver coherent, effective, and efficient support as we pursue our vision for the development of the country of the Nigerian economy into one of the most diversified and very inclusive economies in Africa. Our overarching goal is to place the Nigerian economy on the path to sustainable growth, poverty elimination, economic opportunities, deal squarely with corruption and tackle injustices around us. The 8th National Assembly places premium on the efficacy of the National Assembly staff productivity as they remain its best hope of achieving this agenda. But you, the management must also ensure staff commitment and dedication to the task.

As legislators, we acknowledge that the achievements of these agendas are not possible without the co-operation of Management.  In a world of growing challenges and vulnerability, we cannot afford not to stand together. To work in isolation or let personal interests stand in the way of harnessing the many strengths in our structure would be doing dis-service to the people we serve.

Let me be blunt here. Unless we are not being honest to ourselves, the Nigerians are not happy with the way the National Assembly have carried on so far and are right to deserve better from this very important institution. Unless we change the work, ethic and inculcate greater transparency in both accountability and output we will not earn their respect. We cannot carry on in any other way and expect that we will be able to deliver better oversight of others.

It is time to show that National Assembly is ready to play its role as a primer of development and the watchdog for the sustenance of democracy. We cannot be seen in the same light as in past times. We need to sanitize our structure and lead by example. Management accountability and transparency is now paramount. Indiscipline and laxity can no longer be tolerated. Obedience to laws in force as it relates to anti-corruption most especially enforced.

Finally, I have just one task for this retreat which is also a plea. The task I place before you is to come up with solutions for improving National Assembly. There is no doubt that we need to take the work ethos far higher than we have today. We need your innovative ideas that will ultimately attract the best brains work and be retained here. I look forward to receiving solid and actionable recommendations. I count on you to bring your bright ideas to discussions so that we can make a difference for our families, communities and our country as a whole.

We have a task to work to build a new National Assembly that is respected at home and recognised abroad both as an example for efficiency, productivity and transparency. This is the minimum we aspire. We are not going to allow anyone detract from this bare aspiration and we will be demanding that you stay on this course for the remainder of our term. With dedication and discipline, this new structure is not so far from our reach. Let’s redouble our effort and I have no doubt that we will succeed.

Let me take it that the line has been drawn and the past is gone. That means from henceforth it can never be business as usual. We must therefore come up with the requisite resolve that we are tuned in to the change agenda and are ready to deliver a major shift in both work attitude, accountability and public relations. Anyone who is not ready to turn the page should ensure to let us know so we can make alternative arrangement because we have no other choice but to ensure that a new National Assembly is delivered to our people who have asked for change.

I wish you the very best for a productive retreat, and I look forward to hearing the results and seeing a new, better, strong and dynamic team with the passionate drive to deliver on our goals. I am proud to work closely with you in promoting and defending our shared values.

Thank you and God bless us all.

(DR.) ABUBAKAR BUKOLA SARAKI

PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA

*Regional Partnership Panacea To African Challenges, Says Saraki*

Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki has identified regional cooperation and partnership as the only solutions to the myriad of challenges facing the African continent.

Saraki, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Mohammed Isa, made this known in a keynote address at the opening session of the on going Crans Montana Forum of Africa and South South Cooperation For Africa's Development holding at Dakhla, Morocco.

He noted that, "the contagious nature of poverty-driven social unrest would in effect suggest that the challenges that we face must be viewed from a regional perspective and the solutions located in greater regional cooperation and partnership.

"The challenge of cross-border crimes, the smuggling of small arms and light weapons across our borders; or even the wave of terrorist activities provide another compelling reason why effective cooperation and partnership is almost a matter of life and death.

"The experience we have had with Al-Qaida in the Maghreb (AQIM) in Mali and the Boko Haram in Nigeria shows that security and stability of our countries can only be guaranteed through a regional governance system which would make it impossible for terrorists and criminals to find a safe haven within any of our borders."

Many countries in Africa, Saraki noted, have witnessed remarkable economic development in recent years, adding that, "however, in the context of overall global economy, this progress amounts to very little or nothing."

"Africa’s share of the global trade is only 2% and of this, only 11% is Africans trading with themselves. We have to reverse this trend. Unless we do, African success stories would continue to be undermined by other serious challenges like poverty, youth unemployment, high infrastructure deficit, and conflicts", he stated.

He identified trust and genuine partnership as key factors in opening up the African continent to African businesses and people, adding that "this is why I must commend the King of Morocco for the recent bilateral agreements with Nigeria in different areas, including the Bilateral Air Services Agreement; Marine Fisheries Cooperation; Diplomatic and Official Services Visa Exemption and many more.

"We need to build on this and hold it make it easier for people and goods to move across our continent. We must strengthen relationships among our parliamentarians, among our governments and among our businessmen to share experiences and build mutually beneficial partnerships. There are very exciting models to build on. The Lagos to Tangiers highway project; the Trans Sahara gas pipeline project, as well as the Chinese-backed railway projects that would connect East African countries are only a few of these", the Senate President stated.

He challenged African leaders to put the need for regional socio-economic co-operation as a key component of their development agenda because "without the demonstrable commitment by African countries to think beyond their immediate borders, Africa will continue to remain junior partners, even in its relationship with other parts of the developing world. The exploitation of our continent does not become more acceptable simply because it is done by another developing region rather than Europe or America. The strength of Africa’s cooperation with the rest of the world, lies in the ability of Africa to cooperate with itself", he stated.


While commenting on the recent Xenophobic attacks in South Africa which he believe demonstrated the lack of co-operation and understanding among Africans, Saraki stated that "this alone must force us to think again about what African integration and cooperation mean to us".

"Do we want an Africa where law abiding citizens of all our countries should be able to move freely and partake in social and economic opportunities in any part of the continent, from Cape Coast to Cairo or Casablanca to Kinshasa? Or, do we want an Africa that is still largely insulated against itself, an Africa where Europeans and Americans will feel even more welcomed in our countries than fellow Africans?, he queried.

He noted, however that for Africa to benefit from the demographic dividends that a massive youth population offers, the leadership must make the right investments in quality higher education and create the right conditions and opportunities for entrepreneurship and employment as no single country on the continent could do this alone. He added that a large market was only useful when the people have the necessary purchasing power; and that a huge population could only be an asset when it is productive.


Speaking on his goal as President of the Nigerian Senate, Saraki said it was to improve parliamentary collaboration across Africa and to improve economic partnerships on the continent by enacting laws that would promote trade in Africa and make doing business in Nigeria safer and easier.

"I believe that the kind of political leaders that can help our continent in the 21st century are those who are able to think in regional terms and operate in a global context, those who have the self-confidence to play in a team of leaders to find a common solution to the common problems that confront our countries, our continent and all of humanity", he said.

The Crans Montana Forum which was well attended by top individuals from the political, business and civil society leadership across Europe, Africa, Middle East and North America addressed issues bordering economy, agriculture, the environment, social and political developments.

Other speakers at the opening session are Reverend Jess Jackson, Founder and President of Rainbow Push Coalition in the United States and Mr. Phillips Douste Blazy, an Assistant Secretary General at the United Nations, both of whom are Special Guests.

The guest speakers include Mr. Baldwin Lonsdale, President of Republic of Vanuatu, Mr. Rupiah Banda, former president of Zambia, Mr. Dioncounda Traore, former President of Mali, Mrs Freda Tuki Soriacomua, Minister for Women, Children and Family Affairs, Island of Solomon, Sheikha Hissah Al-Sabah, Chairman, Council of Arab Business Women, Kuwait and Mr. Mustapha Visse Lo, President of ECoWAS Parliament.

KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY (DR) ABUBAKAR BUKOLA SARAKI, PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA ON THE OCCASION OF THE OFFICIAL OPENING SESSION OF THE CRANS MONTANA FORUM OF AFRICA AND SOUTH SOUTH COPERATION FOR AFRICA’S DEVELOPMENT
 
I thank the Crans Montana Forum for the opportunity to speak at this highly prestigious event and to this distinguished audience. I must also commend the Forum and everyone associated with its work for providing this platform for us to have another conversation about the future of Africa and the South South cooperation. For everyone concerned about a more equitable world order and the place of Africa in it, there could not have been a more important topic for discussion at a forum like this one, which brings globalleaders in business, politics and the civil society together. 
Over the last seven decades or so, we have witnessed a steady evolution in the agenda of South South cooperation. From the liberation struggle of the early years, to the non-alignment of the cold war era, through to the more recent push for democratization and democratic consolidation, and the preoccupation with development at the turn of the millennium, the developing world had demonstrated an incredible capacity for dynamism in defining its political agenda. 
However, while the rhetoric of decolonization and non-alignment might have dominated some of the early conversations among the countries of the global south, South South cooperation and the various regional integration efforts that derive from it, have been largely driven by solidarity and the need to build partnership based on shared geography, a shared political history, and a common worldview. South South cooperation has over the years inspired the construction of alternative international governance framework which seeks to enable countries in the developing world to take responsibility for their own development. 
Starting from the first Africa-Asia Summit in Bandung, Indonesia in 1955; the Africa-South America (ASA) cooperation Summits in Abuja, Nigeria in 2006 and Venezuela three years later; the Nairobi Conference of 2009; as well as numerous similar conferences, Africa has demonstrated its willingness and capability to build greater partnership and cooperation not only within the continent, but also across other regions of the global south. 
Despite the dominant narrative of pessimism about the African continent, our experience has demonstratedthat so much can be achieved if we work together with ourselves and other regions of the world who share in our reality and are prepared to cooperate with us as partners. 
The Africa-South America Summits noted that more than one quarter of the world’s energy resources in oil and gas is held by only 11 countries of our two continents: Brazil, Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela, Algeria, Angola, Nigeria, Libya, Gabon, Chad, and Equatorial Guinea. This has created immense opportunities for several bilateral and multilateral ventures since then. This include the oil agreement between Venezuela and South Africa and the joint mining company agreement with Sierra Leone. And quite significantly, it is in the context of this cooperation that Brazil developed an overseas aid model, which aimed to provide over $1 billion annually in transfer of knowledge and technical expertise to some African and South American countries. A cursory review of the Summit declaration, reveals a robust expression of commitment to partner in diverse areas such as agriculture and rural development, trade and investments, water resources, hunger and poverty, infrastructure development, culture, youth and sports, etc. While the Summit did not achieve everything it aimed for; such initiative and several others, including the growing China-Africa cooperation are nevertheless indicative of what is possible within the framework of South South cooperation. 
Quite early in its post-colonial development, Africa had realized that access to its own credit would be central to its quest for development. This realization had inspired the establishment of the various regional and sub-regional financial institutions, such as the East African Development Bank (1967), the African Development Bank (1964) and the African Development Fund (1972). These are bold initiatives in African regional cooperation intended to mobilise African resources that could be deployed to fund various development projects on the continent. Some of these institutions still have challenges, but they continue to demonstrate Africa’s capacity to cooperate within itself. 
However, despite the great progress that has been made in regional and sub-regional cooperation on the continent, the crowning glory of which was the creation of the African Union in 2001, it appears that majority of our countries have not fully imbibed the global outlook required to move more quickly towards realizing the full vision of the Union. I have no doubt that we cannot achieve any effective integration ofAfrica with the rest of the global south in cooperation and partnership, unless we achieve first the integration of Africa within itself. Without the demonstrable commitment by African countries to think beyond their immediate borders, Africa will continue to remainjunior partners, even in its relationship with other parts of the developing world. The exploitation of our continent does not become more acceptable simply because it is done by another developing region rather than Europe or America. The strength of Africa’s cooperation with the rest of the world, lies in the ability of Africa to cooperate with itself. 
It is however important to emphasise that when we think of the integration of the African continent, we need to think more in terms of the integration of our people even more than we think of our physical borders. In this wise, Africa will continue to present an interesting challenge to migration experts. In different parts of our continent, majority of our people still regard the borders as mere colonial legacies. An important example is West Africa where the borders are drawn vertically, but the people are distributed horizontally. Communities who have lived as one family for centuries have refused to recognize these artificial lines. People who have traveled by road from Lagos to Abidjan have found to their utter surprise that while they waited for hours at the various border posts to have their passports checked and stamped, ordinary villagers in the border towns moved freely to fetch water or buy a loaf of bread, without the slightest realization that they have crossed the border into another country!
Technology, especially advancement in information technology, has also significantly changed the way we think about our borders and its ability to keep people in or out. As our people continue to interact across virtual spaces, sharing knowledge, ideas and information with ever increasing ease and speed, we in the political leadership must realise that the decision has been more or less taken out of our hands and that the physical borders have been rendered almost irrelevant by technology. 
Our people will continue to cooperate and collaborate, regardless of what we do. Information about business and employment opportunities will reach them wherever they may be, and they will follow those opportunities. Pastoralists will follow the water and the green pasture, and young people will follow employment and business opportunities. Unless we clearly define what these mean in terms of our relationship with ourselves, migration will ultimately lead to tension and the inevitable conflict. We have seen already, xenophobic attacks in some parts of the continent. This alone must force us to think again about what African integration and cooperation mean to us. Do we want an Africa where law abiding citizens of all our countries should be able to move freely and partake in social and economic opportunities in any part of the continent, from Cape to Cairo or Casablanca to Kinshasa? Or, do we want an Africa that is still largely insulated against itself, an Africa where Europeans and Americans will feel even more welcomed in our countries than fellow Africans?
Without doubts, the vision and philosophy of the African Union is for a continent whose strength and prosperity are based on greater cooperation and partnership among our various countries and its peoples. We are still far away from realizing the full vision of the Union, which includes a common currency and common Central Bank among others. However, we need to demonstrate that we remain committed to achieving this vision no matter how long it takes.  
Permit me to emphasise that we cannot form a strong partnership with other regions of the world, whether in the global south or the north, unless we have forged a strong partnership and cooperation among ourselves. Even as a young man growing up in Nigeria and the United Kingdom, I heard mostly of Europe and America as our traditional trade partners rather than other African countries. Every year, thousands of Europeans and Americans visit various parts of Africa for tourism. Egypt, Morocco, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Gambia, Mauritius are only a few of their favourite tourism destinations. For Africans however, Europe and America, and lately the United Arab Emirates, remain our favourite holiday destinations. It is not just the case that Africans don’t want to travel to other parts of the continent; but the reality is that it is easier to move across the countries of Europe than it is to travel across Africa. We need to make it easier for our people to know each other and make it easier for Africans to know Africa. 
Perhaps, the greatest challenge faced by the African continent today is that of youth unemployment. Nigeria’s 70 million youth population between the age of 18-35 presents both opportunities and threats almost in equal measure. This demographic opportunity is one thing that almost the entire African continent has in common. While the average age in Europe is 45; for Africa, it is in the 20s region. A large youth population such as ours means a huge market in terms of products consumption, services and labour. However, for Africa to benefit from the demographic dividends that a massive youth population offers, we must make the right investments in quality higher education and create the right conditions and opportunities for entrepreneurship and employment. No single country on the African continent can do this alone. A large market is only useful when the people have the necessary purchasing power; and a huge population is only an asset when it is productive.  
Even at the best of times, as recent experience on the continent and elsewhere have shown, rosy pictures of economic growth and the GDP often hide the grim reality of poverty and inequality in majority of our countries. Our failure to achieve most of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) is a clear indication that the strategies we have adopted in improving the quality of lives for our people have not worked. The contagious nature of poverty-driven social unrest would in effect suggest that the challenges that we face must be viewed from a regional perspective and the solutions located in greater regional cooperation and partnership. 
The challenge of cross-border crimes, the smuggling of small arms and light weapons across our borders; or even the wave of terrorist activities provide another compelling reason why effective cooperation and partnership is almost a matter of life and death. The experience we have had with Al-Qaida in the Maghreb (AQIM) in Mali and the Boko Haram in Nigeria shows that security and stability of our countries can only be guaranteed through a regional governance system which would make it impossible for terrorists and criminals to find a safe haven within any of our borders. 
Many countries in Africa have witnessed remarkable economic development in recent years. However, in the context of overall global economy, this progress amounts to very little or nothing. Africa’s share of the global trade is only 2% and of this, only 11% is Africans trading with themselves. We have to reverse this trend. Unless we do, African success stories would continue to be undermined by other serious challenges like poverty, youth unemployment, high infrastructure deficit, and conflicts. Decline in the global energy market has brought many of our economies under enormous pressure, with Nigeria for example, sliding into recession. Mobilising domestic resources for necessary capital investments and social spending has become more difficult than it has been in a long time. 
The various regional and sub-regional development banks are markers of our commitment to home grown credit. However, broad based financial inclusion remains a challenge, and limited access to credit and financial services to the teeming population of Africa’s poor and young people will continue to threaten any efforts at poverty eradication and promotion of real entrepreneurship among our youths. Strengthening financial inclusion must therefore remain at the top of our regional political agenda. 
Like in all situations, embedded in all these challenges are great opportunities for our continent. The prevailing “America First” situation in the United States as well as the Brexit, will open news windows of opportunities. Investments and businesses will seek opportunities elsewhere and governments will seek new partners. Africa must put its acts together and position to benefit from the opportunities that these political situations would present. 
Tourism will remain key drivers of economy on our continent. However, sports, music and movies have witnessed remarkable progress in recent years. Nigeria’s Nollywood is the fastest growing movie industry in the world. In recent past, American and European music were on their ways to colonizing Africa. This trend has been effectively reversed in the last few years as African music continue to grow in popularity in different parts of the world, including China. 
Trust and genuine partnership are key factors in opening up the African continent to African businesses and people. This is why I must commend the King of Morocco for the recent bilateral agreements with Nigeria in different areas, including the Bilateral Air Services Agreement; Marine Fisheries Cooperation; Diplomatic and Official Services Visa Exemption and many more. We need to build on this and hold it make it easier for people and goods to move across our continent. We must strengthen relationships among our parliamentarians, among our governments and among our businessmen to share experiences and build mutually beneficial partnerships. There are very exciting models to build on. The Lagos to Tangiers highway project; the Trans Sahara gas pipeline project, as well as the Chinese-backed railway projects that would connect East African countries are only a few of these. 
My goal as the President of the Nigerian Senate is to improve parliamentary collaboration across Africa and to improve economic partnerships on the continent by enacting laws that would promote trade in Africa and make doing business in Nigeria safer and easier. 
All the foregoing have significant implication for leadership. While it is not a perfect yardstick, recent outcome of the Mo Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership calls for a sober reflection. We must re-evaluate our leadership recruitment standards and how we measure performance in leadership. In the context of this conversation, I believe that the kind of political leaders that can help our continent in the 21stcentury are those who are able to think in regional terms and operate in a global context; those who have the self-confidence to play in a team of leaders to find a common solution to the common problems that confront our countries, our continent and all of humanity.  
 
Thank you.

KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY (DR) ABUBAKAR BUKOLA SARAKI, PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA ON THE OCCASION OF THE OFFICIAL OPENING SESSION OF THE CRANS MONTANA FORUM OF AFRICA AND SOUTH SOUTH COPERATION FOR AFRICA’S DEVELOPMENT
 
I thank the Crans Montana Forum for the opportunity to speak at this highly prestigious event and to this distinguished audience. I must also commend the Forum and everyone associated with its work for providing this platform for us to have another conversation about the future of Africa and the South South cooperation. For everyone concerned about a more equitable world order and the place of Africa in it, there could not have been a more important topic for discussion at a forum like this one, which brings globalleaders in business, politics and the civil society together. 
Over the last seven decades or so, we have witnessed a steady evolution in the agenda of South South cooperation. From the liberation struggle of the early years, to the non-alignment of the cold war era, through to the more recent push for democratization and democratic consolidation, and the preoccupation with development at the turn of the millennium, the developing world had demonstrated an incredible capacity for dynamism in defining its political agenda. 
However, while the rhetoric of decolonization and non-alignment might have dominated some of the early conversations among the countries of the global south, South South cooperation and the various regional integration efforts that derive from it, have been largely driven by solidarity and the need to build partnership based on shared geography, a shared political history, and a common worldview. South South cooperation has over the years inspired the construction of alternative international governance framework which seeks to enable countries in the developing world to take responsibility for their own development. 
Starting from the first Africa-Asia Summit in Bandung, Indonesia in 1955; the Africa-South America (ASA) cooperation Summits in Abuja, Nigeria in 2006 and Venezuela three years later; the Nairobi Conference of 2009; as well as numerous similar conferences, Africa has demonstrated its willingness and capability to build greater partnership and cooperation not only within the continent, but also across other regions of the global south. 
Despite the dominant narrative of pessimism about the African continent, our experience has demonstratedthat so much can be achieved if we work together with ourselves and other regions of the world who share in our reality and are prepared to cooperate with us as partners. 
The Africa-South America Summits noted that more than one quarter of the world’s energy resources in oil and gas is held by only 11 countries of our two continents: Brazil, Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela, Algeria, Angola, Nigeria, Libya, Gabon, Chad, and Equatorial Guinea. This has created immense opportunities for several bilateral and multilateral ventures since then. This include the oil agreement between Venezuela and South Africa and the joint mining company agreement with Sierra Leone. And quite significantly, it is in the context of this cooperation that Brazil developed an overseas aid model, which aimed to provide over $1 billion annually in transfer of knowledge and technical expertise to some African and South American countries. A cursory review of the Summit declaration, reveals a robust expression of commitment to partner in diverse areas such as agriculture and rural development, trade and investments, water resources, hunger and poverty, infrastructure development, culture, youth and sports, etc. While the Summit did not achieve everything it aimed for; such initiative and several others, including the growing China-Africa cooperation are nevertheless indicative of what is possible within the framework of South South cooperation. 
Quite early in its post-colonial development, Africa had realized that access to its own credit would be central to its quest for development. This realization had inspired the establishment of the various regional and sub-regional financial institutions, such as the East African Development Bank (1967), the African Development Bank (1964) and the African Development Fund (1972). These are bold initiatives in African regional cooperation intended to mobilise African resources that could be deployed to fund various development projects on the continent. Some of these institutions still have challenges, but they continue to demonstrate Africa’s capacity to cooperate within itself. 
However, despite the great progress that has been made in regional and sub-regional cooperation on the continent, the crowning glory of which was the creation of the African Union in 2001, it appears that majority of our countries have not fully imbibed the global outlook required to move more quickly towards realizing the full vision of the Union. I have no doubt that we cannot achieve any effective integration ofAfrica with the rest of the global south in cooperation and partnership, unless we achieve first the integration of Africa within itself. Without the demonstrable commitment by African countries to think beyond their immediate borders, Africa will continue to remainjunior partners, even in its relationship with other parts of the developing world. The exploitation of our continent does not become more acceptable simply because it is done by another developing region rather than Europe or America. The strength of Africa’s cooperation with the rest of the world, lies in the ability of Africa to cooperate with itself. 
It is however important to emphasise that when we think of the integration of the African continent, we need to think more in terms of the integration of our people even more than we think of our physical borders. In this wise, Africa will continue to present an interesting challenge to migration experts. In different parts of our continent, majority of our people still regard the borders as mere colonial legacies. An important example is West Africa where the borders are drawn vertically, but the people are distributed horizontally. Communities who have lived as one family for centuries have refused to recognize these artificial lines. People who have traveled by road from Lagos to Abidjan have found to their utter surprise that while they waited for hours at the various border posts to have their passports checked and stamped, ordinary villagers in the border towns moved freely to fetch water or buy a loaf of bread, without the slightest realization that they have crossed the border into another country!
Technology, especially advancement in information technology, has also significantly changed the way we think about our borders and its ability to keep people in or out. As our people continue to interact across virtual spaces, sharing knowledge, ideas and information with ever increasing ease and speed, we in the political leadership must realise that the decision has been more or less taken out of our hands and that the physical borders have been rendered almost irrelevant by technology. 
Our people will continue to cooperate and collaborate, regardless of what we do. Information about business and employment opportunities will reach them wherever they may be, and they will follow those opportunities. Pastoralists will follow the water and the green pasture, and young people will follow employment and business opportunities. Unless we clearly define what these mean in terms of our relationship with ourselves, migration will ultimately lead to tension and the inevitable conflict. We have seen already, xenophobic attacks in some parts of the continent. This alone must force us to think again about what African integration and cooperation mean to us. Do we want an Africa where law abiding citizens of all our countries should be able to move freely and partake in social and economic opportunities in any part of the continent, from Cape to Cairo or Casablanca to Kinshasa? Or, do we want an Africa that is still largely insulated against itself, an Africa where Europeans and Americans will feel even more welcomed in our countries than fellow Africans?
Without doubts, the vision and philosophy of the African Union is for a continent whose strength and prosperity are based on greater cooperation and partnership among our various countries and its peoples. We are still far away from realizing the full vision of the Union, which includes a common currency and common Central Bank among others. However, we need to demonstrate that we remain committed to achieving this vision no matter how long it takes.  
Permit me to emphasise that we cannot form a strong partnership with other regions of the world, whether in the global south or the north, unless we have forged a strong partnership and cooperation among ourselves. Even as a young man growing up in Nigeria and the United Kingdom, I heard mostly of Europe and America as our traditional trade partners rather than other African countries. Every year, thousands of Europeans and Americans visit various parts of Africa for tourism. Egypt, Morocco, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Gambia, Mauritius are only a few of their favourite tourism destinations. For Africans however, Europe and America, and lately the United Arab Emirates, remain our favourite holiday destinations. It is not just the case that Africans don’t want to travel to other parts of the continent; but the reality is that it is easier to move across the countries of Europe than it is to travel across Africa. We need to make it easier for our people to know each other and make it easier for Africans to know Africa. 
Perhaps, the greatest challenge faced by the African continent today is that of youth unemployment. Nigeria’s 70 million youth population between the age of 18-35 presents both opportunities and threats almost in equal measure. This demographic opportunity is one thing that almost the entire African continent has in common. While the average age in Europe is 45; for Africa, it is in the 20s region. A large youth population such as ours means a huge market in terms of products consumption, services and labour. However, for Africa to benefit from the demographic dividends that a massive youth population offers, we must make the right investments in quality higher education and create the right conditions and opportunities for entrepreneurship and employment. No single country on the African continent can do this alone. A large market is only useful when the people have the necessary purchasing power; and a huge population is only an asset when it is productive.  
Even at the best of times, as recent experience on the continent and elsewhere have shown, rosy pictures of economic growth and the GDP often hide the grim reality of poverty and inequality in majority of our countries. Our failure to achieve most of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) is a clear indication that the strategies we have adopted in improving the quality of lives for our people have not worked. The contagious nature of poverty-driven social unrest would in effect suggest that the challenges that we face must be viewed from a regional perspective and the solutions located in greater regional cooperation and partnership. 
The challenge of cross-border crimes, the smuggling of small arms and light weapons across our borders; or even the wave of terrorist activities provide another compelling reason why effective cooperation and partnership is almost a matter of life and death. The experience we have had with Al-Qaida in the Maghreb (AQIM) in Mali and the Boko Haram in Nigeria shows that security and stability of our countries can only be guaranteed through a regional governance system which would make it impossible for terrorists and criminals to find a safe haven within any of our borders. 
Many countries in Africa have witnessed remarkable economic development in recent years. However, in the context of overall global economy, this progress amounts to very little or nothing. Africa’s share of the global trade is only 2% and of this, only 11% is Africans trading with themselves. We have to reverse this trend. Unless we do, African success stories would continue to be undermined by other serious challenges like poverty, youth unemployment, high infrastructure deficit, and conflicts. Decline in the global energy market has brought many of our economies under enormous pressure, with Nigeria for example, sliding into recession. Mobilising domestic resources for necessary capital investments and social spending has become more difficult than it has been in a long time. 
The various regional and sub-regional development banks are markers of our commitment to home grown credit. However, broad based financial inclusion remains a challenge, and limited access to credit and financial services to the teeming population of Africa’s poor and young people will continue to threaten any efforts at poverty eradication and promotion of real entrepreneurship among our youths. Strengthening financial inclusion must therefore remain at the top of our regional political agenda. 
Like in all situations, embedded in all these challenges are great opportunities for our continent. The prevailing “America First” situation in the United States as well as the Brexit, will open news windows of opportunities. Investments and businesses will seek opportunities elsewhere and governments will seek new partners. Africa must put its acts together and position to benefit from the opportunities that these political situations would present. 
Tourism will remain key drivers of economy on our continent. However, sports, music and movies have witnessed remarkable progress in recent years. Nigeria’s Nollywood is the fastest growing movie industry in the world. In recent past, American and European music were on their ways to colonizing Africa. This trend has been effectively reversed in the last few years as African music continue to grow in popularity in different parts of the world, including China. 
Trust and genuine partnership are key factors in opening up the African continent to African businesses and people. This is why I must commend the King of Morocco for the recent bilateral agreements with Nigeria in different areas, including the Bilateral Air Services Agreement; Marine Fisheries Cooperation; Diplomatic and Official Services Visa Exemption and many more. We need to build on this and hold it make it easier for people and goods to move across our continent. We must strengthen relationships among our parliamentarians, among our governments and among our businessmen to share experiences and build mutually beneficial partnerships. There are very exciting models to build on. The Lagos to Tangiers highway project; the Trans Sahara gas pipeline project, as well as the Chinese-backed railway projects that would connect East African countries are only a few of these. 
My goal as the President of the Nigerian Senate is to improve parliamentary collaboration across Africa and to improve economic partnerships on the continent by enacting laws that would promote trade in Africa and make doing business in Nigeria safer and easier. 
All the foregoing have significant implication for leadership. While it is not a perfect yardstick, recent outcome of the Mo Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership calls for a sober reflection. We must re-evaluate our leadership recruitment standards and how we measure performance in leadership. In the context of this conversation, I believe that the kind of political leaders that can help our continent in the 21stcentury are those who are able to think in regional terms and operate in a global context; those who have the self-confidence to play in a team of leaders to find a common solution to the common problems that confront our countries, our continent and all of humanity.  
 
Thank you.

*#TodayInPlenary*

*PROCEEDINGS OF THE NIGERIAN SENATE OF THURSDAY 16TH MARCH 2017*



Welcome to a new Legislative day in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu took the official prayer and led the chamber into today's proceedings.



*EXECUTIVE SESSION*



Senate moved into an Executive Session.

Senate resumed from it's Executive Session and Reported Progress.



At the Executive Session they deliberated on issues bothering on the workings of the Senate and the National Assembly in general.



Senator Jibrin Barau moved for the approval of votes and proceedings of Wednesday 15th, 2017. Senator Sabo Mohammed seconded.



*PETITIONS*



Senator Barnabas Gemade laid a petition on exam malpratice in Benue North East.
Senator Mao Ohuabunwa raised a petition on wrongful dismissal of custom officer.


Deputy Senate President referred the petitions laid to the committee on Ethics and Priviledges and to Report back in 2weeks.


*MOTIONS*



Senator Fatimat Rasaki cited orders 42 and 52 and moved for the Motion on General Adebayo Adeyinka’s demise. Senate then observed a one minute silence on the passing away of General Adebayo and a delegation to Ekiti State for Condolence visit.



The Motion raised on the demise of General Adebayo Adeyinka is Seconded by Senator Biodun Olujimi.



Deputy Senate President sent deep condolences on the passing away of Gen. Adeyinka," he was a gentleman and a warrior, may his soul rest in peace".



Senate observed a minute silence for the late General Adebayo Adeyinka.


*PRESENTATION OF REPORTS*



1. Report of the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions. By Senator Samuel Anyanwu.

-That the Senate do receive the reports of the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions in respect of:



a. Petition from the Attorney-General and commissioner of Justice of Rivers state on behalf of the government and people of Rivers State against Shell Petroleum Development Company for alleged planned relocation of its operational base from PH, Rivers to Lagos.



b. Petition from Aremiyau Y. Abubakar, Esq. on behalf of Late Hajiya Fatima Ladi Mohammed against the Bureau of public enterprises for Non payment of retirement benefits.



c. Petition from Sgt. Godwin Obanga against the Nigeria Police Force for his Wrongful Dismissal from the Force; and



d. Petition from Oluchukwu Ulasi, Esq. and Associate on behalf of the family of Late Arerebo Dreesman by Officils of the company.



2. Report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs By Senator Munsurat Sunmonu.

-That the senate do receive the committee on Foreign Affairs on the nomination of Mr. Adeyinka Asekun from Ogun state as Non-Career Ambassador for Confirmation as Ambassador Designate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.



3. Report of the Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crime By Senator Chukwuka Utazi.

-That the Senate do receive the report of the Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crime on the Confirmation of members of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commision (EFCC).



*COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE*



Senate now dissolved into the Committee of the Whole to receive the Comptroller General of Customs Col. Hameed Ali.


Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu thanked the Comptroller General of Customs for honouring Senate's invitation and asked why he is not wearing the Customs uniform.



The circular issued by the Comptroller General of Customs stating to the Senate that he won't wear his uniform is derogoratory.

-Sen. Ibn Na'Allah.



Senator Na'Allah cited Sections 7,8 and 10 of the Customs Act which states that the Customs shares same privileges with police and other institutions.


Senator Yayi Adeola said anyone can wear the Customs uniform and appear as the Comptroller General of Customs.


Senator Ali Wakili said the Senate should temper justice with mercy, "he is a man of integrity, we would liase with Comptroller General of Customs ".


Senator Magnus Abe pleaded with the Comptroller General of Customs to wear his uniform to preserve the image of the Customs and perception of other institutions.


Senator George sekibo said the Comptroller General of Customs must re-appear before the Senate in his uniform.


Senator Barnabas Gemade seconded and said it is respectable and important for the Comptroller General of Customs to wear his uniform.


Senate in a voice vote mandated the Comptroller General of Customs to come in uniform on Wednesday 22nd March, 2017.


Senate reverted to Plenary and Reported Progress on what transpired at the Committee of the Whole.


*CONSIDERATION OF REPORT*



Conference Committee Report, Nigerian Peace Corps (NPC) Bill, 2017 (SB. 173 & SB. 183).

- That the Senate do consider the Conference Committee Report on the Nigerian Peace Corps(NPC) (Establishment,etc.)Bill, 2017 (SB.173 and 183).



Senator Ibrahim Gobir seconded the Report on the Nigerian Peace Corps.


The Conference Committee report on the Nigerian Peace Corps Bill, was withdrawn due to conflicting reports from the committee's findings.


*ADJOURNMENT*

Senate Leader moved that other items on the Order Paper be stepped down to another Legislative day. Minority leader seconds.


Senate is hereby adjourned to Tuesday, 21st March, 2017.

*#GavelBangs*.

*#TodayInPlenary*

*PROCEEDINGS OF THE NIGERIAN SENATE OF WEDNESDAY 15TH MARCH 2017*

Welcome to a new Legislative day in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Senate President Bukola Saraki took the official prayer and led the chamber into today's proceedings.

Senator Yahaya Abdulahi moved for the approval of the Votes and Proceedings for Tuesday 14th March, 2017. Senator Hope Uzodinma seconded.

*EXECTUTIVE COMMUNICATION*

Senate President Bukola Saraki reads a letter from Acting President Yemi Osinbajo for a resolution from National Assembly to secure 500m Eurobond for funding of the#2017budget deficit.

*PETITIONS*

1. Senator Sekibo raised a petition on a pipeline explosion which claimed the lives of 2 women and a man in Rivers State.

2. Senator Akpan Bassey spoke on the sacking of the whistleblower who exposed corruption in Nigeria's Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Both Petitions laid were referred to Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions.

*COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE*

Senate dissolved into the Committee of the Whole to receive the Comptroller General of Customs as Senate President Bukola Saraki read his letter dated 14th March, 2017.

Senate President Bukola Saraki said the Comptroller General made a position to hold action on the implementation of tariff & will make a press statement.

Based on the tension and misinterpretation caused by tariff, actions should be put on hold till the Senate Committee on Customs reaches a resolution.

"Ordering an officer of the rank of AC to address a letter to the Nigerian Senate is undermining to the Senate as an institution." -Senator Marafa Kabir says. He also said "Respect is a two way thing, he who shows respect begets respect."

Nigerian Senate should not debate issues with individuals, its a constitutional matter, it has gone beyond the Comptroller General, I cite Section 89 of the Constitution. -Senator Sekibo.

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu said same way Customs should not be allowed to come into a Nigerians' house for duty on rice, same for cars. "This is not about the Comptroller General, it's about our people and the laws of our land, it's about the harassment of Nigerians by the imposition of duty" - Deputy Senate President.

Based on the constitution the Senate moved that the Comptroller General of Customs should appear tomorrow Thursday 16th March, 2017 by 10am unfailingly.

"Nobody is above the law, the CG must appear tomorrow." -Senate President Bukola Saraki.

Senate reverted to Plenary to discuss progress on the letter from the Comptroller General customs.

*CONFIRMATION OF APPOINTMENT*

Senate moved to the confirmation of appointment request of President Muhammadu Buhari of Mr. Ibrahim Magu as Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes and other related offences Commission (EFCC) chairman.

Acting Chairman of EFCC, Ibrahim Magu enters into the Chambers of te Nigrian Senate. He gave a brief introduction about himself. He stated that the National Assembly has been giving the needed Legislative backing to the EFCC. I look forward to the support towards fighting corruption. He looks forward to bringing new strategies for fighting corruption. He also looks forward to restructuring the Commision, expanding operations in Ibadan and Maiduguri, improve Manpower capacity.

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu congratulated Mr Ibrahim Magu and asked him to state the response about the last DSS report.

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu asked about the operations of the EFCC on disobeying court orders and cases of human rights abuse.

Senator Monsurat Sunmonu asked how the EFCC disposes its properties and if the public is carried along.

Senator Atai Aidoko asked about the operational procedure in detaining suspects on investigation.

Senate President Bukola Saraki stated a 14 page report was submitted by SSS against Mr Ibrahim Magu and would like to know how he replied to the Nigerian President.

Mr Ibrahim Magu said he did not come with the DSS report on the investigation carried out. He said on the house bought for him, he only stayed there because of its close proximity to work and to avoid late night movement.

"You need to expatiate on your activities on human rights. What are your findings and activities on the Paris Club fund?"
- Senator Shehu Sani

Mr Ibrahim Magu said it is difficult to give report on how much has been recovered from the fight against corruption. He said the EFCC is not always right on its decisions, but the agency strive to do its best.

Senator Duro Faseyi: How much has been recovered so far by EFCC since you took charge?

Mr Ibrahim Magu: It is very difficult for me to say.

Senator Misau questioned why Central Bank Government who released money to Dasuki is not being investigated by EFCC.

Senator Misau asked is it body language of Nigerian President that EFCC uses to fight corruption since people close to President are not probed?.

Mr Ibrahim Magu responded to Senator Misau's question on Dasukigate he said EFCC has invited all who needs to be invited.

Senator Isah Misau "Dasuki took money illegally and not a single person from the CBN has been investigated or prosecuted so far".What is the concept of Financial crime as stipulated in the EFCC Act.

Mr Ibrahim Magu said once we can remove corruption in Nigeria, everything will be okay.


Senator Isah Misau asked the EFCC Acting Chairman Ibrahim Magu if investigation or prosecution has to do with body language of the presidency.

Mr Ibrahim Magu said EFCC doesn't fight corruption alone that he is aware Nigerian Senate fights corruption as well. He said no body language in the fight against corruption. Said the commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari to the fight against corruption not in doubt. He also said Mrs. Diezani Alliison Madueke went to London with her clique that perpetuated the crime to defraud Nigeria,that they are on the run and he will get them. He mentioned that they are still fine tuning the whitlse blowers act. Mr Ibrahim Magu said he will not be surprised if whitlse blowers are to take the security agents to his house because he now has a big house. EFCC has special powers of being able to call up anyone for questioning even before a crime is committed.

"What are the special powers of EFCC under section 6 of the EFCC act".
- Senate President Bukola Saraki.

Senator Dino Melaye starts with "you speak the truth you die, if you lie, you die". He said he will speak the truth and die and that he loves Mr
Magu. He reads a new letter from the DSS received last night at 5.07pm. Paragraph 14 says "in the light of forgoing, "MAGU has FAILED INTEGRITY TEST". He stated that Every nominee before the Nigerian Senate we do request for screening by DSS, it did not start with you (Magu) and it won't end with you".

Senator Barnabas Gemade said in the DSS report are: Deals with security facts, Umaru Mohammed secured an accommodation for you and the question of integrity.

Mr Ibrahim Magu said two reports were submitted in one day about him and that questions the integrity of the DSS as well. He said Myself and Senator Dino Melaye have been fighting corruption before he became a Senator.

Senator Olujimi said "Mr
Magu, I feel for you, it is clear there are inter-agency problem in Nigeria. Can you say that anybody you are prosecuting will take you serious, why prosecute people on the Newspaper before it gets to court?"

Senate President Bukola Saraki thanked Mr Ibrahim Magu for his time and for answering questions before him. Magu now takes his leave. He said there's an administrative problem and asked the clerk to confirm if he received two letters from DG SSS.

The Clerk confirms that he received only one letter.

Senate President Bukola Saraki put the question before the Nigerian Senate on the confirmation of Ibrahim Magu as EFCC Chairman. By popular votes, the nomination of Acting Chairman of EFCC is hereby rejected by the Nigerian Senate.

Ibrahim Magu's nomination and confirmation as Chairman EFCC was rejected by majority of Senators.

Senator Ndume raised to oppose the rejection of Magu. He agrees that Majority will have its way but minority must have its say.

Senate reverted to plenary to report progress of what transpired at the committee of the whole.

Senator Ali Ndume in a point of Order protested the non-confirmation of Ibrahim Magu and stated that the Nigerian Senate received two letters.

Senator Dino Melaye asked that following rejection of Magu as acting chairman of EFCC he should mandate most senior officer to take over.

"We should not rubbish the entire institution because of an individual". - Senate President Bukola Saraki.

Senate President Bukola Saraki thanked his colleagues for their questions and observations, said "this is democracy and what we have done here is to ensure due process".

*ADJOURNMENT*

Senate Leader moved that other items on the Order Paper be stepped down to another Legislative day. Minority seconds.

Senate Plenary is adjourned to Thursday 16th March, 2017.


#GavelBangs.

Kwara to host 137th National Joint Tax Board Meeting

The 137th meeting of the National Joint Tax Board (JTB) is to be hosted by the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KWIRS). According to the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of KWIRS, Mrs. Habibah Aiyelabegan, the two-day event will hold in Ilorin between Monday and Tuesday next week. 

She said that dignitaries expected at the meeting include the Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, Executive Chairman of Federal Internal Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr. Babatunde Fowler and chairmen of revenue agencies of all the 36 states in the county.

*Economy, N/East, Power Dominate Senate Meetings With Germans*
*Economy, N/East, Power Dominate Senate Meetings With Germans*

The issues bordering on how to forge strong economic co-operation, assistance for rebuilding of the insurgency ravaged North-East zone and how to benefit from the advanced technologies for energy supply dominated the various discussions held Thursday by a Senate delegation presently in Berlin, Germany.

A statement by Special Adviser ( Media and Publicity) to Senate President stated that from the meeting with the Vice President of the lower chamber of the German Parliament, the Bundestag, Mr. Johannes Singhammer to the ones with top officials of the think-tank group, Konrad Adenauer Foundation, the German-African Business Associations, the Foreign Office and members of the Parliamentary Friendship Group for relations with the English and Portuguese speaking States of West and Central Africa, Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki who led the Nigerian delegation was consistent with the message as he maintained that Germans must prove in action that Nigeria was actually very important to their strategic interests in Africa.

Saraki accompanied by Deputy Senate Leader, Bala Ibn Naallah, Senators Enyinaya Abaribe, Monsurat Sunmonu and Abubakar Kyari arrived the Bundestag at a time when the German lower House was discussing Europe-Africa relations and the Senate President said Germany was the first country the 8th Senate visited at the leadership level.

While thanking the Germans for their contributions to funds towards the rehabilitation of the North-east zone of Nigeria during last month's meeting of the European Union in Oslo, Norway, Saraki said the next challenge is how to rebuild the devastated region, rehabilitate and resettle the people.

He said the areas affected by the Boko Haram has two million displaced people, a figure greater than that of the Syrian crisis which now gets all the attention and commitment of resources from the international community.

He urged the Germans to go beyond the provision of intelligence and training as well as light equipment for the military. He said Germans can influence other countries to sell durable and more efficient military hardware to Nigeria so as to strengthen the armed forces.

"I am happy at the coincidence that as we are visiting you, you at your plenary session are discussing the role of Europe in Africa. Though a lot is already happening in our relations with your country, however, we need more German investments in our country, even as we take deliberate, well planned steps to diversify our economy and pay more attention to agriculture, mining of mineral resources and manufacturing.

" No economy in the world has the kind of potentials that Nigeria has and if we talk of Africa, you are talking of Nigeria as the leader. We, in the parliament, are working on several Bills that will open up the economy and make it easy to do business with great rate of return on investment", he said.

The Senate President explained to the Germans that Nigeria now gives visa at the point of entry to genuine business people and tourists, a fact testified to by a member of the German-African Business Association present at one of the meetings.

He also talked about the Ease of Doing Business Committee headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the National Assembly Business Environment Roundtable and the efforts to fully open up the national economy to private sector participation through laws and policies.

While speaking with the various groups, Saraki explained the various measures introduced to fight corruption and entrench transparency in the public sector. He assured members of the German-African business community and the Parliamentary Friendship Group that various laws that will ensure easy entry and exit into the economy as well as dispute resolution and contract enforcement that comply with global best practices are being enacted.

The Senate President in his address to Singhammer, Vice President of Bundestag, and the Parliamentary Friendship Group led by Charles Hubber, also canvassed for the co-operation of the German lawmakers in granting legal stay to law abiding and skilful Nigerians who have been living in Germany for a long time so that they can meaningfully and positively contribute to the economy of their host country.

In the area of power, the Senate President and Abaribe who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Power, Steel and Metallurgy urged the Germans to invest in the sector in Nigeria.

Abaribe explained that Nigeria is open to utilising different sources of energy like the solar, gas turbines, renewable energy, bio-gas, particularly as there is need to decentralise the operation.
The Senate President also explained that Nigeria was about to experiment with having some educational and health institutions operate independent sources of power not connected to the national grid.

In most of the places visited, the Germans identified the need for Nigeria to invest in adequate security and infrastructure, create necessary legal framework and review policies aimed at driving investments if she wants to attract[truncated by WhatsApp]

*Economy, N/East, Power Dominate Senate Meetings With Germans*

The issues bordering on how to forge strong economic co-operation, assistance for rebuilding of the insurgency ravaged North-East zone and how to benefit from the advanced technologies for energy supply dominated the various discussions held Thursday by a Senate delegation presently in Berlin, Germany.

A statement by Special Adviser ( Media and Publicity) to Senate President stated that from the meeting with the Vice President of the lower chamber of the German Parliament, the Bundestag, Mr. Johannes Singhammer to the ones with top officials of the think-tank group, Konrad Adenauer Foundation, the German-African Business Associations, the Foreign Office and members of the Parliamentary Friendship Group for relations with the English and Portuguese speaking States of West and Central Africa, Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki who led the Nigerian delegation was consistent with the message as he maintained that Germans must prove in action that Nigeria was actually very important to their strategic interests in Africa.

Saraki accompanied by Deputy Senate Leader, Bala Ibn Naallah, Senators Enyinaya Abaribe, Monsurat Sunmonu and Abubakar Kyari arrived the Bundestag at a time when the German lower House was discussing Europe-Africa relations and the Senate President said Germany was the first country the 8th Senate visited at the leadership level.

While thanking the Germans for their contributions to funds towards the rehabilitation of the North-east zone of Nigeria during last month's meeting of the European Union in Oslo, Norway, Saraki said the next challenge is how to rebuild the devastated region, rehabilitate and resettle the people.

He said the areas affected by the Boko Haram has two million displaced people, a figure greater than that of the Syrian crisis which now gets all the attention and commitment of resources from the international community.

He urged the Germans to go beyond the provision of intelligence and training as well as light equipment for the military. He said Germans can influence other countries to sell durable and more efficient military hardware to Nigeria so as to strengthen the armed forces.

"I am happy at the coincidence that as we are visiting you, you at your plenary session are discussing the role of Europe in Africa. Though a lot is already happening in our relations with your country, however, we need more German investments in our country, even as we take deliberate, well planned steps to diversify our economy and pay more attention to agriculture, mining of mineral resources and manufacturing.

" No economy in the world has the kind of potentials that Nigeria has and if we talk of Africa, you are talking of Nigeria as the leader. We, in the parliament, are working on several Bills that will open up the economy and make it easy to do business with great rate of return on investment", he said.

The Senate President explained to the Germans that Nigeria now gives visa at the point of entry to genuine business people and tourists, a fact testified to by a member of the German-African Business Association present at one of the meetings.

He also talked about the Ease of Doing Business Committee headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the National Assembly Business Environment Roundtable and the efforts to fully open up the national economy to private sector participation through laws and policies.

While speaking with the various groups, Saraki explained the various measures introduced to fight corruption and entrench transparency in the public sector. He assured members of the German-African business community and the Parliamentary Friendship Group that various laws that will ensure easy entry and exit into the economy as well as dispute resolution and contract enforcement that comply with global best practices are being enacted.

The Senate President in his address to Singhammer, Vice President of Bundestag, and the Parliamentary Friendship Group led by Charles Hubber, also canvassed for the co-operation of the German lawmakers in granting legal stay to law abiding and skilful Nigerians who have been living in Germany for a long time so that they can meaningfully and positively contribute to the economy of their host country.

In the area of power, the Senate President and Abaribe who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Power, Steel and Metallurgy urged the Germans to invest in the sector in Nigeria.

Abaribe explained that Nigeria is open to utilising different sources of energy like the solar, gas turbines, renewable energy, bio-gas, particularly as there is need to decentralise the operation.
The Senate President also explained that Nigeria was about to experiment with having some educational and health institutions operate independent sources of power not connected to the national grid.

In most of the places visited, the Germans identified the need for Nigeria to invest in adequate security and infrastructure, create necessary legal framework and review policies aimed at driving investments if she wants to attract more investments.

End

*#TodayInPlenary*

*PROCEEDINGS OF THE NIGERIAN SENATE OF THURSDAY 9TH MARCH 2017.*


Welcome to a new Legislative Day in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu takes the official prayer & leads the chamber into today's proceedings.


Senator Tayo Alasoadura moves for the approval of votes and proceedings of 8th March 2017. Senator Abdul-aziz Nyako seconds.


*PETITIONS*

Senator T. Aduda cites order 43 (Personal Explanation) regarding a Youth Corper serving in Zamfara who was beaten and redeployed for punishing a student.

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu says that the issue should be investigated by the Committee on Youths and Sports to report back in 1 week.


Senator Dino Melaye cites order 42/45 and refers to the Front page of The Sun Newspaper which reads "Customs dares Nigerian Senate."

"The Nigerian Customs Service is operating under its own laws." "The comptroller general of the Nigerian customs should appear before the Nigerian Senate in his uniform. "-Senator Dino Melaye

Senators Solomon Adeola, Kabiru Marafa and Aliyu Wamakko reiterates that the Comptroller General Colonel Ahmed Ali should appear before the Senate.

"The customs must make an effort in securing the borders and
Senate Leader Ahmed Lawan says Customs must make effort in securing the borders.
"We should not act based on what the newspapers say, let's call for a proper dialogue with the Customs."
"Any Government official that is asked to face the Senate must do so within the stipulated time." - Senator Ahmed Lawan.


"Government officials must respect the rule of law, if they undermine the Senate they are indirectly undermining the president."
-Senator Emmanuel Bwacha

"It is painful if you buy a car, you are not a car dealer and they say your documents are fake and your car is impounded."
- Senator Atai Aidoko

"I support the motion, the advice of the senate must not be thrown into the dust"
-Senator Obina Ogba

"Customs official killed 2 men from my constituency, we must look into the activities of the Customs"
-Senator Lanre Tejuoso

Deputy Senate Ike Ekweremadu says we must also fight impunity alongside corruption and the comptroller of customs must appear before the Senate in his appropriate uniform on Wednesday 15th of March, 2017.


*PRESENTATION OF BILL - FIRST READING*

1. Nigerian Postal Bill,2017 (SB. 437) By Senator Gbenga Ashafa.

2. Unclained Dividends Funds Bill, 2017 (SB. 195)
By Senator Robert Boroffice.

3. Law Officers Bill, 2017 (SB. 269) By Senator John Enoh.

4. Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (Amendment) Bill, 2017 (SB.315)
By Senator Abdullahi Adamu.

5. Legal Practitioners Act CAP C11LFN 2004 (Repeal & Re-enactment ) Bill, 2017 (SB. 435) By Senator Godswill Akpabio.

6. Income Tax Holiday Bill, 2017 (SB. 319)
By Senator Gbenga Ashafa.

7. Artisan Development Centre (Est, etc) Bill, 2017 (SB. 322) By Senator Stella Oduah

8. Sports University of Nigeria Abuja (Est.etc) Bill 2017 (SB. 393) By Senator Obinna Ogba.

9. Nigerian Police Act CAP P19 LFN 2004(Amendment) Bill, 2017 (SB. 413)
By Senator Ahmed Ogembe.

10. Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission Act CAP R7 LF (Amendment) Bill,2017
By Senator Francis Alimikhena

11. Federal College of Education Gumel (Est, etc) Bill, 2017 (SB. 418).
By Senator Abubakar Gumel.

12. Nigeria Foreign Service Commission Bill, 2017 (SB. 422) By Senator Shehu Sani.

13. Arbitration and Conciliation Act CAP A18 LFN 2014 (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, 2017 (SB. 427) By Senator Andy Uba.

14. Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation Act CAP 137 LFN 2004( Amendment) Bill, 2017 (SB. 428)
By Senator Matthew Uroghide.

15. National Energy Bill, 2017 (SB. 431) By Senator Ibrahim Gobir.

16. Nigerian Police Development Fund (Est, etc) Bill, 2017 (SB. 433) By Senator Abu Ibrahim.

17. Federal Polytechnic Ukana (Est,etc) Bill, 2017 (SB. 434) By Senator Godswill Akpabio.

18. Private Detectives and Investigators (Licensing and Regulation) Bill, 2027 (SB. 436) By Senator Ike Ekweremadu.

19. Federal Medical Centres Bill, 2017 (SB. 434).
By Senator Ali Wakili.


*PRESENTATION OF REPORT*

1. Report of the Committee on Sports on the Nigerian Football Association Act CA N110 LFN 2004, Bill, 2017 (SB. 154).
By Senator Obinna Ogba


*CONSIDERATION OF REPORT*

1. Report in respect of a MOTION on the need to urgently flush out Boko Haram Insurgents Re-assembling in Taraba & halt ongoing genocide.
By Senator Kabiru Gaya .

"If we are selective In our intervention, we will be leaving a gap for other avenues of insurgencies."
"Intervention by the govt should be seen as a permanent step to eradicate the insurgency."
-Sen Shehu Sani

"We must pursue the culprits of this Insurgency so they don't settle into other areas"
-Sen. Godswill Akpabio.

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu thanks the Committee for doing a thorough job and urges them to conclude this within the time frame to stem this menace.


*CONSIDERATION OF BILLS  - SECOND READING*


1. A Bill for an Act to prohibit Flaring of Natural Gas in Nigeria and for matters connected therewith, 2017 (SB. 337) By Senator Albert Bassey.

"This bill has taken into cognizance, experience from other countries like the U.S.A."
- Senator Albert Bassey.

"Companies flare gas at no cost, there must be an Act which guides gas flaring."
-Senator John Enoh.

This is a bill that has the capacity of correcting corruption in the oil and gas industry. Nigerian losses about 174 billion to gas flaring every year. We must look at the health and environmental impact of gas flaring."- Senator Melaye.

"No sensible business man will put up with Nigeria at the moment. There must be a penalty for gas flaring, companies shouldn't be allowed to violate our law."
-Senator Ben Murray Bruce.

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu says Nigeria is not short of supply on laws, our problem is implementation. Our greatest problem is the area of enforcing the law, we must do our work and allow the agencies involved to carry out their duties lawfully. This should be referred to the Committee on gas and to report back in 4 weeks.


2. A Bill for an Act to Amend the compulsory, free, Universal Basic Education Act 2004 to Enforce Quality, Compulsory Mandatory and free Education up to Senior Secondary Three or Equivalent. 2017 (SB.307)
By Senator Suleiman Adokwe.


"We must intervene on the condition of infrastructure and social welfare. We should intervene on all levels of Education to improve the overall quality."
-Senator Rose Ooko.

"We can have quality education from Primary to Secondary but what is the condition of infrastructures. We should bring back a teacher training college,to get a basic teaching ability"
-Senator Jonah Jang.

Deputy Senate President refers the bill to the Committee on Basic Education and to report back in 4 weeks.

3. A Bill for an Act to Repeal the factories Act & make Comprehensive Provisions for Occupational Safety & Health.(SB. 200)
By Senator Duro Faseyi

"A lot of workers are exposed to different hazards at their places of work" - Senator Duro Faseyi.

"I fully identify with this bill as it seeks to provide occupational safety. Absence of laws has exposed workers to hazard at work places. Companies employ Nigerians, and treat them in the most dehumanizing manner. We must give the companies a necessary parliamentary push to ensure occupational safety. - Senator Shehu Sani

Deputy Senate President says this bill should be referred to the Committee on Labour and productivity and to report back in 4 weeks.

4. A Bill for an Act to provide for the Periodic Revision of the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria. 2017 (SB. 391).
By Senator David Umaru.

"This bill will provide a legal frame work to prevent contradictions & duplication of the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This bill will ensure regular reviews and regulations of our law.
-Senator David Umaru.

Senator James Manager lends his voice by supporting the bill.

Deputy Senate President says that most of the laws end with the attorney general and never gets to the Senate, then refers the bill to the Committee on Judiciary & Legal matters and to report back in 4 weeks.

5. A Bill for an Act to Establish the Solid Minerals Development Bank charged with the responsibility for providing facilities and development for the Solid Mineral sector and other related matters,2017 (SB.56)
By Senator Tijani Kaura.

Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi supports the bill.

Deputy Senate President refers the bill to the Committee on Solid minerals and to report back in 4 weeks.

6. A Bill for an Act to Repeal the Emergency Powers Act,1966 & provide for the declaration of a State of Emergency 2017 (SB. 182) By Senator John Enoh

Senate Leader Ahmed Lawan says it's an important bill & supports the bill.

Deputy Senate President refers the bill to the Committee on Judiciary, Human right and Legal matters and report back in 4weeks.


*ADJOURNMENT*

Senate leader Ahmed Lawan moves that other items on the Order Paper be stepped down to another Legistlative day. Minority leader Godswill Akpabio seconds.

Senate Plenary is now adjourned to Tuesday 14th March, 2017. 


*#GavelBangs*

*#TodayInPlenary*


*PROCEEDINGS OF THE NIGERIAN SENATE OF WEDNESDAY 8TH MARCH 2017.*

*50 YEARS OF STATEHOOD: KWARA HAS EVERY REASON TO CELEBRATE*

By Abdulraman Salami


As the government and good people of Kwara State look forward, with gratitude to God, to the 50th anniversary of the creation of our state, those who delight in dragging the name of our state in the mud are already hard at work questioning and condemning our very existence as a people.

They are saying we have no right to celebrate our own achievements, no matter how modest they may be.

Apart from the sporadic recall of certain points in Nigeria’s national history, the piece titled KWARA FIFTY YEARS OF FAILED STATECRAFT as posted and shared on social media represents another attempt to denigrate Kwara State and its people - the stock in trade of those who see nothing good in the state for as long as they don’t control the polity or hold the reins of power.

The writer of the piece, Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo, made veiled attempts to smear some leading figures and iconic institutions that represent our collective aspirations as a hardworking, peaceful and indisputably cultured people.

His beef with the government and people of Kwara seems to be the very thought that we chose to mark the Golden Jubilee of the creation of our state.

Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo dismisses Kwarans as lacking in vision and knowledge; says the whole state is a grave yard. He also slanders all the members of the anniversary committee.

He raises unsubstantiated issues for which he blames Lugard, Gowon, and every Kwaran except himself.

The whole world is aware that the masterminds of the counter coup that ushered Lt. Col. (as he then was) Yakubu Gowon into power did not conduct a plebiscite before deciding on the number, ethnic composition and even the need (or lack of it) to create the twelve states, that the writer complained of, in 1967.

The same can also be said of the decision by Lord Lugard to create what is today known as Nigeria back in 1914.

However, he failed, albeit deliberately, to disclose to his readers that the same State that he sees nothing good about today made him and gave him everything he has.

He failed to mention that he benefitted from the same state that he is now struggling to demonise.

He failed to mention that he played roles in public positions at crucial times in the same history that he now seeks to denigrate and dismiss.

Akogun failed also to mention that he was actively involved in the affairs of this state as a Commissioner; that he was also at a point in history a member of the legislative arm of government saddled with the responsibility of legislating for the progress of the state.

If indeed, nothing good has happened in the last fifty years as he claims, then, he is as culpable as any of those he has indicted without facts.

Kwara, like all its peers, has had its share of the effects of protracted military rule which eventually ended in 1999.

With a total of 19 governors (military and civilian) in its 50 years of existence, the state is on record as one of those with the highest turnover of governors. And it cannot be denied that each of them have proud records of varying achievements within the limits of priorities, time and resources available to them.

But for differing reasons, even the most developed states have areas where they are lagging behind. Therefore, that we, as a people are not yet where we aspire to be, or that we have widespread yearnings for further progress cannot be reasons to despondently dismiss everything else that our leaders past and present have achieved. After all, development is a continuous and gradual process.

Real Kwarans have no reason to complain or cry over the ethnic plurality of our state. Indeed, we can hold our heads very high at 50, that notwithstanding our ethnic differences, Kwara continues to accommodate various ethnic groups from all parts of Nigeria.

We all have found a home in Kwara State. Not even the most ardent hater of the success of our state can validly contend the record that we in Kwara State have continued to live without any serious ethnic, political, or sectarian crises.

We have lived; we are living; and will by the grace of the Almighty continue to live peacefully together as the State of Harmony, our diversity notwithstanding.

Yes, we may not boast the nature and extent of resources available to some other states of the nation, we are happy and hopeful because peace is a desideratum for the entry and thriving of big businesses like KAM Industries Limited, LUBCON Limited, Dangote Group, TUYIL Pharmaceuticals, among others.

Mass Media companies, public and private institutions of learning, major financial/banking institutions, hospitality businesses, agro-allied ventures, are among the discerning players in the real world who can see and tap into the diverse opportunities that Kwara has to offer.

Our vast and fertile land mass, generous annual rainfall, numerous mineral resources that far outstrip crude oil in extent and values, rich cultures with irresistible destinations for tourists, an upright and hardworking population, added to the fortune of being equidistant to all parts of Nigeria by air, road and rail, are further reasons why we are happy and hopeful of a greater tomorrow for Kwara.

We have every reason to be happy because in fifty years of existence, Kwara has never ceased to sparkle like a stellar in the fields of sports. We have produced numerous superstars and champions in boxing, table tennis, football, weightlifting, athletics, badminton, wrestling, among others.

We are happy and proud to be Kwarans because even many more are doing our state proud within Nigeria and in the Diaspora in diverse fields like academics, law, medicine, engineering, music, theatre, creative writing, business, and other professions.

What is man without God? We are happy and grateful that Kwara ranks among the best in the practice of world religions. Indeed, the state has a long list of prominent religious pioneers and leaders who are well known around the world, Christians and Muslims alike. They are also key players in our development story as a people with the spiritual guidance and employment opportunities they provide vide various faith-based initiatives.

Salami writes Abuja

*#TodayInPlenary*

*PROCEEDINGS OF THE NIGERIAN SENATE OF TUESDAY 7TH MARCH 2017.*


Welcome to a new Legislative Day in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Senate President Bukola Saraki takes the official prayer & leads the chamber into today's proceedings.

Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso moves for the approval of votes and proceedings of 2nd March 2017. Senator Akpan Bassey seconds.

*PETITIONS*


1. Senator Ovie Omo Agege raises a petition and cites order 43 in respect of the leadership crises in the Labour Party as he officially decamps to the All Progressives Congress.

2. Deputy Majority Leader Bala Na'allah cites order 42 & 52 in regards to the circular by the Nigeria Customs Service on the 1 month grace to clear vehicles. Senator Na'allah says it a serious issue & urges his colleagues to look into its justification.

Sen Dino Melaye says it's impossible to import and clear a vehicle without the knowledge and corroboration of Custom officers. "We should not pay for the incompetence of the Customs Service."
- Senator Dino  Melaye


Senate President reads a prayer to direct Customs to stop all actions on the circular until they appear before the Senate #CustomsCttee. He adds that it's a straight forward motion and it's the responsibility of Senate to ensure the welfare of the masses are protected.


*PRESENTATION OF BILLS - FIRST READING*


1. Animal Health and Husbandry Technologies Bill, 2017 (HB. 320) by Senate leader.


2. Railway Loan (International Bank) (Repeal) Bill, 2017 (HB. 300) By Senate Leader.

3. Chartered Institute of Customer Relationship Management Bill, 2017 (HB.69) By Senate Leader.

4. Chartered Institute of Export and Commodity Brokers of Nigeria Bill, 2017 (HB. 85) By Senate Leader.

5. Chartered Institute of Directors of Nigeria (Est, etc) Bill, 2017(SB.424) by Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu .

*CONSIDERATION OF BILLS  - SECOND READING*



1. A bill for an Act to Repeal the National Health Insurance Scheme Act CAP N42 LFN 2004 (SB. 278) by Senator Lanre Tejuoso.

"We need to ensure a health scheme that caters for the average Nigerian's Health. We need to include the participation of the private sector in the Nigerian health Scheme." - Sen. Tejuoso.

Deputy Majority Leader Na'Allah supports the bill & says its an innovative one for the country, it was tested in Kwara state & succeeded. "Any good govt must create a system which gives citizens direct access to Health Services." - Senator Barau Jibrin.

Senate President thanks Senator Tejuoso for the bill and says mortality is largely due to lack of basic health& d focus shuld be on health cover for all.

 
2. A Bill for Act to provide for Secured Transactions, Registration & Regulation of Security Interest in Movable Assets. , 2017 (SB. 261) by Senator Rabiu Ibrahim (Kwara South)

"This bill seeks to enhance micro scale business, finance movable assets & creates a means to collateral. This bill is one of the priorities of the 8th senate, good for economic recovery&access to capital" -Senator Ibrahim

"Nigerians are poor, Majority are small scale business owners and lack access to capital-Senator Ben Murray-Bruce. Senate President Bukola Saraki thanks Senator Rafiu Ibrahim  and says the senates commitment is in the area of moving the economy forward.

"One of the ways to do this is through acces to finance for the small and medium scale enterprise." saya Senate President Bukola Saraki. The bill is referred to the C'ttee on banking and financial institution.


3. A Bill for an Act to provide for the Establishment of the Federal University of Agriculture, Kabba for due management & admin matters, 2017 (SB. 402) by Senator Dino Melaye. 

"The legacy from creation by the great Ahmadu Bello should not fall by the road side. In the spirit of Awo, Zik, Ahmadu Bello we should let the bill pass. The bill will expand agric institution, exploit existing Agro-Infrastructure and need to develop new ones" - Senator Dino Melaye.


Senate President Bukola Saraki reads that the bill should be sent to C'mtte on Tertiary Institution and tetfund for further legislative input.

Senate President thanks Senator Melaye & says such bills will help us diversify and make Agric the core of our economy.


4. A Bill for an Act to Amend the compulsory, free, universal basic education Act 04 to increase grant of FG & reduce State 2017 (SB. 374) by Senator Aliyu Wamakko

"We should provide children with good education and improve the standard of education."- Sen Rose Oko. Senate President Bukola Saraki reads that the bill should be referred to the C'mtte on education &says we hope to meet the standard of education required in the country

Senate President Bukola Saraki reads that the bill be referred to the Cttee on education & says we hope to meet the standard of education required in the country


5. A Bill for an Act to establish a Nationwide Toll-Free Emergency Number for Reporting of Emergncies throughout the Federation 2017 (SB.107) by Sen.Isa Hamman Misau (Bauchi Central).

The response of the emergency outfit is the main concern,we should be concerned about the quick and rapid response." - Senator Dino Melaye

"My problem is how the emergency response should be handled administratively, calls for an agency where someone in stress can call." Senator Gemade.

Senate President Bukola Saraki refers the bill to the committee on communication.

6. A Bill for an Act to provide for the establishment of the National Commision for Peace, Reconciliation and Mediation to identify conflicts and for the supervision, coordination and monitoring of all peaceful resolutions between governments organizations in Nigeria 2017 (SB. 74) by Senator Shehu Sani

"I'm convinced that the bill will reduce conflict, promote peace and unity among citizens." Senator Sani. Where there is no peace, there is no development & progress, if the bill is established, problems will be identified." -Senator Philip Gyunka

Senate President Bukola Saraki refers the bill should be sent to the Committee on Judiciary and legal matters.



*ADJOURNMENT*

Senate Plenary is now adjourned to Wednesday 8th March

Saraki Leads Senate Team to German Parliament

Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki will on Tuesday lead a five-man delegation bbbbon a three-day visit to the German Parliament, the Bundestag, to promote improved economic relations between Nigeria and Germany as well as for the purpose of peer review.

A statement signed by Yusuph Olaniyonu, Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) to the Senate President stated that the delegation which includes Senate Deputy Leader, Bala Ibn Na'allah, Chairman, Foreign Affairs Committee, Monsurat Sunmonu, Chairman, Committee on Power, Enyinnaya Abaribe and Chairman, Committee on Defence, Abubakar Kyari will hold series of meetings with the leadership of the German Parliament and the German-African business groups.

The visit will commence with a visit to a German Village, Feldheim, which was the first community in the country to achieve 100 percent self sufficient renewable energy. This will enable the Nigerian delegation to learn a few things on how to resolve the nation's perennial energy crisis.

The Senators will at different times meet with the President of the Bundestag, Mrs Dreyer, her Deputy, Johannes Singhammer, the Parliamentary State Secretary in charge of the Federal Ministry for Economic Co-operation and Development, Thomas Silberhorn, the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, head of Julius Berger, Mr. Walter J. Lindener and President of the Berlin House of Representatives, Ralf Wieland.

It will also hold discussions with economic representatives of the German-African Business Association, the Parliamentary Friendship Group for relations with the English and Portuguese speaking States of West and Central Africa of the Bundestag and attend plenary of the German Parliament.

The legislators, apart from visiting important legislative institutions in Berlin, will hold discussions with Nigerian embassy officials and discuss possible ways of engaging with the German authorities to further attract German investment into Nigeria and improve economic relations between both countries.

The visit to the German Parliament by the leadership of the Nigeria legislature will present opportunities for the visitors to explain the economic policies of the present administration and the legislative support being offered by the National Assembly in that regard. The Senators will further solicit support from the Germans for Nigeria's drive for diversification of its economy and solicit the support of the German business community.
Signed

Yusuph Olaniyonu
Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) to the Senate President

REMARK BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, HIS EXCELLENCY SENATOR (DR.) ABUBAKAR BUKOLA SARAKI, AT THE INAUGURATION OF THE SENATE JOINT TECHNICAL COMMITTEE ON THE TRANSPORT SECTOR REFORM BILLS, ON FRIDAY 3RD MARCH, 2017.
 
Protocol;
 
1. This Senate has made the passage of the various transport sector infrastructure bills, a critical aspect of our legislative agenda. These bills include;
 
a. The Railway Bill; to reform our rail systems;
 
b. The Port and Harbour Bill; for the efficient running of the ports;
 
c. The National Transport Commission Bill; to serve as the sector, economic regulator;
 
d. The National Inland Waterway Bill; to develop the inland waterways transport system;
 
e. The Federal Roads Fund Bill; to ensure theefficient maintenance of our federal road network;
 
f. And the Federal Roads Authority Bill; to manage our federal roads.
 
 
 
 
 
 
2. These bills if passed in our view, will help us modernize and expand our transport sector infrastructure. There are already subsequent NASSBER report suggesting that these bills alone can help add 87,000 new jobs annually for the next 5years, with an income growth average of 7%. 
 
3. This is our aim, to see more jobs added to get our people out of the streets and occupied and opportunity to see our economy diversify and recoverfrom recession. But this will only happen if these bills are well and carefully synchronized to deliver especially in the regulatory framework we have adopted.
 
4. This Senate is on the same page with the Executive on this. Distinguished colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, the task we have set for ourselves has never been done before. We are however, not overawed by it. Rather we have embraced it as the necessary challenge and needed sacrifice to make for us to achieve a secure Nigerian economy for tomorrow. We have set out to comprehensively reform our entire market framework to entrench efficiency, accountability, independency and market orientation across our economic base. 
 
 
 
 
 
This is especially so with the infrastructure market architecture with our adoption of the intermodal transport sector scheme. This is where the work of this committee is most critical. 
 
5. We have invited you today, therefore, to use your technical knowledge to enrich and assist the work of the various Senate Committees to ensure there is regulatory alignment across the entire regulatory arrangements in the transport sector. Your work therefore, is to ensure the integrity of the entire system, the efficiency and legal integrity of the various transport bills enumerated above to enable the Senate reduce areas of conflict, inefficiency, unnecessary regulatory burden and ensure the achievement of the overarching objective of reducing cost of doing business and increasing the ease of doing business for our SMEs.
 
6. Like you, this present National Assembly is not unaware of the cry of our people over the issue of bad roads, inefficient rails, bad port operations and dropping efficiency levels in the aviation industry.  Like you also, we want to see the day when we shall no longer hear that our people spend endless man-hours stuck in traffic; weeks on end clearing simple goods from the port and the attendant rise in cost of doing business due to these challenges. 
 
 
 
 
7. While we are, yes indeed, in a hurry to ensure we deliver on our promise to our people to pass all our economic reform bills, this 8th Senate is determined toalso ensure that they actually meet our needs not just for today but for generations yet unborn. We want to ensure that these exercise is able to cut by a half, our World Bank ease of doing business ranking. In a nutshell, it is important to us that we get it right and your invaluable contribution will be most helpful.
 
8. I believe that we have in our country men and women, some of the most talented and most technically gifted individuals in the world. You have been carefully chosen to serve under this committee because of your technical knowledge of the transportsector coupled with your experience. Let me assure you of the cooperation of our committees to your assignment. My office is open to you to ensure that you are able to deliver on this assignment within 5-7 working days. The Senate is hopeful therefore, that you will give us your best. 
 
9. Let me reiterate that your assignment is to advise the committees on ensuring the attainment of the regulatory alignment of the bills I have set out earlier as the reports of the various committees working separately on each of them have either concluded work or at the verge of concluding their work.
 
 
 
 
10. Your work today, is very critical and will help ensure that our decisions on these bills are grounded in knowledge and field experience vital for the success of the objectives of the laws as these bills will not only serve this generation effectively but many more generations to come.
 
11. It is my pleasure therefore to inaugurate your committee and wish you very fruitful deliberations.
 
12. Thank you.
 
 
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE

Sahara Reporters' Tendency to Fabricate Lies Against Me Now an Obsession, Says Saraki

Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has said that the desire by Sahara Reporters and its publisher, Omoyele Sowore, to fabricate lies and and create phantom information designed to libel him is so legendary and has turned to an obsession.

In a statement by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki said it is from that prism that he viewed recent stories by Sowore accusing him of collecting and laundering funds related to the Nigerian Governors' Forum (NGF) from the so-called Paris Club Fund refund.

"Sowore as usual is merely creating fiction and quoting faceless, non-existent sources in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) without providing any document or stating any fact to support his claim. This is sheer blackmail and character assassination.

"This time he was talking of the Senate President "grabbing N3.5 billion" from the NGF fund. We challenge Sowore and his sponsors to produce evidence of payment of N3.5 billion to Saraki within the next 24 hours.

"Sowore has consistently engaged in this game of defaming Saraki since the election of the Senate President on June 9, 2015 believing that he and his sponsors will through lies, mischief and libellous publications bring Saraki down in a matter of days.

"We recall how at the commencement of the case on Asset Declaration at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, he was reeling out lies which the proceedings in the CCT have since proved to be untrue. As at yesterday, the key Prosecution Witness from the Code Of Conduct Bureau has admitted that in September 2015 when they filed the case against Saraki, there was no evidence against him.

"We recall that this same Sowore had alleged that Saraki bribed a former Chief Justice of Nigeria to influence the CCT case. This has since proved to be a lie that cannot be supported by any fact. Later, he shifted his bribery allegation to the Director of Public Prosecution in the Federal Ministry of Justice who he claimed was induced to withdraw the CCT case. This has since been proved to be another bare-faced lie. He later alleged that the Senate President had influenced the verdict of a judgement at the Court of Appeal which was then arrested. That was another fabrication not supported by any fact. Other areas where he had concocted lies against Saraki was the allegation that the Senate President was involved in the Sambo Dasuki fund saga. That was another lie. Again, when there was a robbery incident involving money owned by a Bureau de Change, Sahara Reporters claimed Saraki owned the money. This has been proved to be a big lie. Just as this claim of N3.5bn payment by NGF has not been supported by any fact.

"It is only in Nigeria that one person will be flagrantly and irresponsibly violating other people's right without care and get away with it while claiming to be practicing journalism. Journalism is about truth, facts, objectivity founded on strong ethics and responsible behaviour. All these are observed in the breach by Sowore and his Organisation. It is clear that what Sowore practiced is not journalism but outright blackmail. He goes after those not ready to pay his price. That is why he has continued to live beyond his legitimate means. We are set to expose his game and let people see him for what he is.

"It should be known that there is nothing that depicts corruption more than the circulation of falsehood and engaging in the game of blackmail. Yet, this character claims to fight corruption and acting on behalf of the public while in actual fact he is profiting from this game of deception, peddling wrong information and false news.

"It is our plan to employ all lawful means to protect the integrity and reputation of Dr. Saraki, including exposing the antics of this man who pretend to be acting in public interest.


"We therefore call on all members of the public to ignore and disregard the claims contained in Sahara Reporters stories concerning Saraki and the N 3.5 billion NGF Paris Club fund. The Senate President has absolutely nothing to do with any transfer or repayment of money by the NGF. Like their past reports, a few of which was chronicled above, the fabrications by Sahara Reporters were just figment of the imagination of Sowore and his sponsors. We restate our challenge to him to produce within 24 hours evidence of payment to the Senate President by the NGF", Saraki stated.

"Congratulations to Justice Walter Samuel Onnonghen, CFR. "- Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki


Today, we screened and cleared Justice Walter Samuel Onnonghen, CFR for confirmation as the Chief Justice of Nigeria. The screening represents a major milestone in the progress of our democratic process.
I am pleased to note that all arms of government have played their parts exactly as envisaged in our constition.
On behalf of my distinguished colleagues, I congratulate Justice Walter Samuel Onnonghen, CFR, for his well deserved elevation to the highest judicial office in the land.
This achievement should underscore the inspiring reality that a Nigerian can rise to any position he merits.
We look forward to productive engagement between the legislature and judiciary under the leadership of the new Chief Justice of Nigeria.
The Senate will collaborate with the two other arms to support critical reforms and other initiatives that will improve the integrity and the impact of the judiciary as put Nation deepens it's democratic foundations in the lives of its citizens.
On behalf of my colleagues, I wish Justice Walter Samuel Onnonghen, CFR, a most fruitful tenure as Chief Justice of Nigeria.

Wife Of Senate President Decries Spate Of Road Accidents In Nigeria

Wednesday 1st March, Abuja

Mrs. Toyin Ojora- Saraki, the Wife of the President of the Senate, Founder-President of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa and Chair of Nigeria’s Primary Health Care Revitalization Support Group today spoke out against the increase in road accidents in Nigeria, which have now reached a record high of 79,875 accidents in the last three years, according to the Economic Economic Confidential.

“Road safety is a Sustainable Development Goal which Nigeria is falling behind on, and must meet the target of reducing road traffic accidents by 50% by 2020. I commend the Federal Road Safety Commission who have been working tirelessly to reduce the amount of incidents that occur, through installing speed reducing technologies such as the Speed Limiting Device, and are swift in conveying accident victims to the nearest medical facility. However, we must do more.

I call on the Government of Nigeria to embrace health records and national health insurance for all, so the victims of road accidents can be identified and also medically treated as quickly as possible.” Mrs. Saraki noted.

Mrs. Saraki continued: “Last week, we donated for the emergency medical care of, Iheoma, an elderly hit-and-run road accident victim in Kubwa General Hospital whose full identity could not be reliably ascertained, and whose family has not been successfully traced. This is a case in point, for the urgent need for certifiable identities, for every citizen through personal health records. Every single life lost counts, and we must treat it as so.”

“I also call on the communities to check the pictures of the victims and accidents on social media which will help the Federal Road Safety Commission to identify witnesses and families of victims.” ended Mrs. Saraki.


-ends-



Notes to the editor:

PHC Revitalisation Support Group: The group is made up of 92 civil society and non-governmental organisation which was started after the Public Hearing on the Revitalization of Primary Healthcare convened by the Honourable Chike Okafor and the Representatives of the House Committee of Healthcare Services on 22 November 2016.

#Flash : *NASS, Presidency Resolve Differences over Social Intervention Fund*

Contrary to reports in certain sections of the media, the two chambers of the National Assembly and the Presidency have settled their differences on the implementation of the Federal Government's social intervention programme.

A statement signed by Mohammed Isa, Special Assistant to the Senate President on Public Affairs denied the insinuation that the lawmakers were opposed to the operations of the programme.

"Contrary to such mischievous and unfounded rumors, the National Assembly is fully committed and working hard to ensure that all impediments to the successful implementation of the programme are removed.

"Let it be made clear to those peddling the mischievous reports, particularly on social media platforms that the National Assembly is not opposed to the intervention programme or seek to hijack and bastardize it.

"Rather, the leadership of the two chambers of the National Assembly acted responsibly by engaging with the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo whose office supervises the implementation of the programme, the Special Adviser to the President on Social Protection Plan, Hajiya Maryam Uwais and other critical stakeholders on how to resolve some contentious issues.

"Such engagements, the last of which took place in the National Assembly yesterday are still on-going and have already started yielding positive results as some issues raised by both parties have been substantially addressed and common position taken on them

"It is therefore, a pure mischief to suggest that the National Assembly wants to corrupt the integrity of the programme or its operations as the engagement with the stakeholders has been used by the lawmakers to demonstrate enough political will to ensure that all gray areas were addressed for the hitch-free, just and equitable implementation of the programme."

END

FACEBOOK COMMENDS SARAKI FOR OPENING UP NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

The Office of the President of the Senate is indeed delighted at the endorsement of the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki for opening up the activities of the 8th Nigerian National Assembly through various channels, especially the daily Facebook Live Video streaming from Senate Plenary.

The Chief Product Officer and Company Lead on Product Management and Development of Facebook, Christopher Cox, gave the commendation while speaking at The Future of Media Keynote Session and opening of the annual Social Media Week held at the Landmark Centre in Lagos.
Special Assistant to the Senate President on New Media, Bamikole Omishore, in a statement in Abuja, said: "This commendation reinforces one of the core mandates of the Senate President to the New Media unit, which is to bridge the gap between the Senate and Nigerians.

"The Nigerian Senate facebook live streaming has an average view of four million unique clicks monthly for the plenary live feeds and we will be expanding coverage to courtesy calls, committee hearings and oversights in the next few months," he said.

Omishore added: "You would recall that Saraki personally attended the 2016 edition of the Social Media Week in company of Senators Foster Ogola, Dino Melaye and Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi amongst others, where he spoke on the topic: "Promoting Online Communities to improve Participatory Governance" and subsequently had a no-holds-barred interaction with traditional and social media enthusiasts on how to continue bridging the gap between elected government officials and Nigerians passionate about the use of social media for political engagement.

"We are encouraged to do more with this commendation and wish to kindly reiterate and assure our friends, from the online community and beyond, of the commitment of the Senate President towards ensuring that the 8th National Assembly continues to witness improved transparency and accountability on government functions and people participation," he said.

END
(Signed)
Bamikole Omishore
Special Assistant (New Media) to the President of the Senate

#BillTracker

Today on #BillTracker, we track the Bill for an Act to Repeal the Consumer Protection Act, 2004. SBc257 by Sen. Andy Uba (Anambra South)" 


The Consumer Protection Act, SB. 257 went for first reading 19th April, 2016 and second reading on Wednesday 26th October, 2016.

 The Consumer Protection Act is to establish a Commission to promote and maintain competitive markets in the Nigerian economy and economic efficiency

 The Bill seeks to protect and promote interests and welfare of consumers by providing consumers with competitive price and product choices."

 The Consumer Protection Bill when passed will prohibit restrictive business practices that distorts competition or constitute an abuse of a dominant position of market power in Nigeria and contribute to sustainable development of the Nigerian economy." 

‎Just like the Consumer Protection Act in India enacted in 1986, the Act will check unfair trade practices and defects in goods and services.

 The Consumer Protection Act applies to all undertakings and all commercial activities within or having an effect within Nigeria." 

 The Commission is empowered to establish specialised department and units necessary for efficient and effective discharge of its functions." 

 The Consumer Protection Commission shall prevent the circulation of goods and services which constitutes a public hazard or an imminent public hazard"

 With this power, the Commission can compel manufacturers, suppliers, dealers, importers, wholesalers, retailers, providers of services and other undertakings to cause quality tests to be conducted on consumer goods as it deems necessary. #ConsumerProtectionBill" 

 Under this Act, the Commission has power to:
- Summon & Examine witnesses
- Call for and examine documents
- Administer oaths
- Verify docs" 

 Senator Andy Uba says the bill would lead to the establishment of a Tribunal which would take over the existing structures of the CPC." 

 The #ConsumerProtectionBill SB. 257 is currently before the Senate Committee on Trade and Investment for further legislative actions."

*Saraki Seeks Efficient Healthcare Services In The Country
...Commissions Hospital built by Senator in Yobe*

Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, on Saturday urged the Federal Government, States and Local governments to ensure efficiency in all healthcare facilities across the country for the benefit of the masses.

Saraki, according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sanni Onogu, made the call during the commissioning and handing over of an 80-bed hospital built by Senator Hassan Mohammed and donated to the Federal Government in Potiskum, Yobe State.

The Senate President noted that with the hospital, the residents of Potiskum will no longer need to travel to neighbouring states for treatment.

He said: "This is why I committed to helping Senator Mohammad with getting the support of the Federal Government in the running of this hospital so that its benefits to the people of Potiskum and Yobe at large, are guaranteed and sustained.

"This is the kind of leaders we find today in the Nigerian Senate; people who are abandoning the practice of yesterday’s politics. It must be strongly lauded that this is a PDP Senator, in an APC led state, donating this edifice to an APC government.

"The lesson is that what matters is not the political party or the government in power but the love you have for your people and your connection with them. I challenge the Federal Government to ensure that this hospital that has been entrusted to them is adequately taken care of, and is run with the highest level of professionalism and efficiency possible.

"I implore the Ministry of Health to ensure this Hospital continues to receive priority attention both in management and in resource. I expect that this hospital will be run with the highest degree of efficiency possible; and to the good people of Potiskum, I encourage you to use this hospital and demand efficiency in service from the management," he said.

He added that the Senator chose to make a difference in the lives of people in his Senatorial District by building the hospital. "To build such an imposing edifice at a time like this, is not a mean feat," Saraki said. "To build and then transfer by donation, a hospital of this size and capacity to a different government in power other than his party, freely, for the service of his people is a signature statement of extraordinary leadership," he said.

The Senate President said he was moved when Senator Mohammad told him that he preferred to build a befitting hospital than the typical practice of sharing money to constituents. He said that with the hospital, the lives of many children and that of many pregnant women will be saved.

During a visit by the Senate President to the Palace of the Emir of Fika, Alhaji Aliyu Mohammed Abale, the Emir expressed gratitude to Saraki and his colleagues for making possible the passage of a law creating the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) which he said will help to rebuild and restore the areas ravaged by the Boko Haram insurgency.

The Emir said his Emirate was a popular commercial centre before the advent of insurgency and sought for the help of all Nigerians to bring back prosperity and normalcy in the area. He thereafter presented a horse to the Senate President as a mark of honour and appreciation.

The Senate President who thanked the Emir for the gift said from his experience in the banking sector he could attest to the fact that Borno and Yobe States were major trading centres which all banks could not ignore before the outbreak of the crisis and that he was committed to the rebuilding of the area.

He noted that his interest in bring life back to normalcy in the area made him to quickly intervene to ensure that the Federal Government assumed responsibility for the running of the newly commissioned hospital.

The Founder and President of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, Mrs Toyin Saraki speaks on "What Young Women Need to Know" at the Girls Revolution Conference, at the University of Lagos.

https://web.facebook.com/ToyinSaraki/videos/1615245665159306/?_rdr

*#CCTTRIAL Prosecution Witness Contradicts Own Affidavit*

The code of conduct tribunal prosecuting the senate president , Doctor Bukola saraki on false asset declaration has been told that it is lawful for the senate president to own shares in companies like any other public servant .


A prosecution witness in the trial Mister Samuel madojemu  told the tribunal that saraki as a former governor of kwara state was not prevented by law to own shares in any company while he held sway as kwara state governor .


Under cross examination by mister paul Erukoro who is a counsel to saraki, the witness who is the head of investigation unit of the code of conduct bureau , admitted that public officers are allowed to  own shares in companies in addition to owning farms for agricultural purposes.


The witness informed the Danladi Umar led tribunal that there is no law that forbids public officers from having majority shares in a company.


Specifically the witness  said the senate president has right to own shares In a company that traded i. Rice and sugar commodities .


Under further cross examination, madojemu said that he never asked the senate president whether he had shares in any company trading In rice and sugar .


And that he is never seen any audited account of any company linked to saraki 



The senate president  had earlier in the day being re-arraigned on an 18 count further amended charges In Which he denied any wrong doing in the falsification of his asset declaration .


The prosecution witness had earlier testified that saraki in one of his asset forms claimed to have acquired properties at number 15a and 17 a Macdonald streets  ikoyi lagos from proceeds of rice and sugar commodities .


According to him engaging in rice and sugar commodities is unlawful for any public officer.


The witness also said that contrary to his averment in his asset declaration form , the senate president did not acquired the said properties from the presidential committee on sales of federal government properties , but from another company g and c real estate property and investment company which is also unlawful .


However under cross examination , the witness claimed that , he did not know the year , the senate president assumed office as governor of kwara state and that he never met the senate president in person before he became governor .


As the head of investigation into of the code of conduct bureau , the witness admitted that he never treated any letter from the senate president to the ccb and that he had no knowledge of saraki'S handwriting other than the one on his asset declaration form .


The witness said that most of the document tendered as exhibits were obtained by He efcc operatives and not by his own team .


He recalled that on September 14,2015 , He swore to an affidavit at the code of co duct tribunal and that he knew that the affidavit was going to be used by the federal government was going to use it to file the present charge against the senate president .


He added that at the time he made the affidavit , that he was aware that it must be truthful in fact and content and that he still stands by the truthfulness of the affidavit.


However ,when his attention  was drawn to his claim that the senate president returned four asset forms to the code of conduct bureau as against the seven tendered by the prosecution.the witness said that four and seven are not the same


Trial has been adjourned to continue march 2nd 2017 .

#TodayInPlenary

* SENATE PROCEEDINGS FOR TUESDAY 21st FEBRUARY 2017*


Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki leads the Senate Leadership into the Chambers. He also takes the Official Prayers

Senator Abdullahi Adamu moves for the approval of Votes and Proceedings of Thursday 26th January, 2017. Senator John Enoh seconds.

*Announcement*

Senate President, Bukola Saraki reads Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari’s letter dated 5th February 2017 on the extension of his annual leave.

Senate President, Bukola Saraki announces the defection of Senator Andy Uba from the PDP to the APC

Senator Andy Uba formerly of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), now officially defected to the All Progressive Congress (APC).

Senate President, Bukola Saraki reads Acting President's letter on the additional nomination Mr Adeyinka Asekun as non-career ambassador designate.

Senate President, Bukola Sarak reads another letter from the Acting Pres. on the confirmation of Justice Walter Onnoghen as Chief Justice of Nigeria.

*Condolence*

Senate observes one-minute silence on the passing away of Hon. Bello Sani, a member of the House of Representative who died at the age of 51.

 
*Adjournment*

Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan now moves that Plenary be adjourned in honour of the late ‪@HouseNGR member, Bello Sani and minority seconds.

Senate President, Bukola Saraki‪ puts the question and Plenary is adjourned to Wednesday, 22nd February 2017. ‪

#GavelBang

*National Assembly and the 2017 Budget Process*

By Sanni Onogu

The vetting of the 2017 budget by the National Assembly entered a crucial stage last week with a national public hearing conducted by the joint committee on appropriation of the Senate and House of Representatives. The positive appraisal of the National Assembly's handling of the 2017 budget so far is arguably a direct attribute of a reset thinking by its leadership. One thing is clear. Unlike previous episodes of budget consideration, the process this time has witnessed smooth sail.

Right from the day of presentation of the appropriation bill by President Muhammadu Buhari, on December 14, 2016, the budget has remained scandal free. There have been no stories of the budget developing wings and disappearing into thin air; no issues of 'padding' or 'stuffing' or 'insertion'  by unauthorized means; ministers and lawmakers have not been found engaged in hot exchange of words over who did what. The spirit and eagerness  to get things done and done differently for the good of the country has been palpable. Standing committees of the National Assembly have given ministries, departments and agencies ample opportunity to defend their proposals.

The fact that the 2017 budget is cruising home seamlessly is soothing to the heart of all and sundry.  The National Assembly under the solid leadership of its Chairman, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has amply demonstrated its commitment to a paradigm shift in attitudes and mindset by rising above the din of past omissions and commissions to  do things differently.

Courageous innovations were articulated and introduced to smoothen rough edges of the sometimes amorphous budget process. For instance, to avoid the 2016 experience, the National Assembly under Saraki constituted and inaugurated the public sector budget reform committee comprising senators, members of the House of Representatives, members of the executive arm of government, the academia and civil society organizations. Headed by the former Senate Leader, Mohammed Ali Ndume, the report of the committee and the committee’s recommendations, have in no small measure, contributed greatly to this year's seamless budget defence in the growing understanding between the Executive and the Legislature.

One of the major recommendations of the committee was the opening up of the budget process to members of the public. That may have been informed by the pressure for open and inclusive budget process by Nigerians. The implementation of the recommendation to open up the budget process may have given rise to the hugely successful national public scrutiny of the budget last Monday through Wednesday.

The idea behind the public hearing was to give Nigerians the opportunity to scrutinise the document and air their opinions about the line items. The three-day event has been adjudged successful and rewarding by observers. Issues about the budget and how to make it better to serve and improve the lot of ordinary Nigerians  most especially during a time of economic recession were critically interrogated.

Participants and observers alike have no doubt that the current open process of budget consideration would go a long way to engender transparency and accountability. Transparency and accountability in the budget process, they contended, would in turn aid the fight against corruption - from the roots rather than allowing the hydra-headed monster to fester before attempting to deal with it. That lack of transparency and accountability remained the bane of previous budget exercises which no doubt stifled their implementation.

Another innovation in the handling of the 2017 budget by the National Assembly was that critical standing committees of the Senate and House of Representatives held  joint sessions to give MDAs an unencumbered opportunity to defend their budget proposals. The new arrangement did not only save time and cost on the part of the National Assembly and the executive, it made for greater collaboration between the stakeholders. Above all, the arrangement would also facilitate the early passage of the Appropriation Bill. This is because the two chambers would have nothing to harmonize or reconcile. It also presents early signals that will translate to more collaborative and beneficial working relationship between the Executive and the legislature.

Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Mohammed Danjuma Goje, has already assured Nigerians that the National Assembly is working to produce an implementable 2017 budget. Goje also alluded to the success of the national public hearing for the 2017 budget, saying that a total of 44 stakeholders made submissions at the hearing. He added that the 2017 special budget hearing was the first of its kind in the history of parliamentary/legislative practice in the National Assembly.

The level of excitement and enthusiasm shown by stakeholders, especially Civil Society Organisations, he said, was quite unprecedented and encouraging. The pension, health, education and agricultural sectors, Goje said, came up and were given serious emphasis as the areas the country should pay urgent attention to. The challenge in the areas of pension payment, administration and general matters of non-performance, he added, was so clear and must be accorded top and effective priority.

What may be described as the clincher of the novel exercise was the point Goje said was repeatedly made that “the National Assembly must reassert itself as the possessor of the power of appropriation in order to produce the budget of the people at all times.” He further said that “all proceedings we took have been properly documented and will be presented and considered by the joint committee to enable the National Assembly produce an implementable budget for Nigeria and Nigerians.”

While declaring the public hearing open, Saraki did not lose sight of the observations of some stakeholders. “As most of you may have observed, while government has made efforts to ensure that provisions in the budget proposal align with the arching goal of pulling the economy out of recession and laying the foundations for diversified growth, certain provisions are clearly off the path. The budget must address the critical issues setting back our national growth and development," Saraki said. Apart from assisting to pull the economy out of recession, Saraki was equally particularly interested in seeing the budget help in the creation of jobs and promotion of the non-oil sector.

For the Senate President, “On a more specific note, the 2017 capital budget proposal is intended to support activities that will help to speed up the diversification of the economy and the promotion of the non-oil sector, as well as create jobs for our youth. Accordingly, it is expected that “Made-in-Nigeria” (that is, domestic production of food, materials and other commodities) will be encouraged. In addition, 2017 capital budget proposal is intended to engender private sector partnership in infrastructure as well as other critical sectors of the economy such as agriculture, manufacturing and services." Indications are that the 2017 budget will perform better. If the budget is passed in March as promised, chances are that implementation of the budget will begin immediately.

The success of the public hearing especially flowing from the quality of interventions made by members of the public and other critical stakeholders has placed the legislative actions on the 2017 budget far above its 2016 counterpart. It must be said that the handling of the 2017 budget has taken a higher ground against the 2016 budget, which was first reported ‘missing,’ padded’ and later said to have been withdrawn. These absurdities are completely absent this time around. It may be argued that the sheer controversies that buffeted the 2016 budget may have affected the overall implementation and performance of the fiscal document as well as other economic variables notwithstanding.

Overall, Nigerians have not only thumbs up for the National Assembly and its leadership, they have called for such open processes and citizens' participation to henceforth be a regular feature when national budget is being considered. They also said that such open house budget hearing should always be held months before the annual budget presentation to a joint session of the National Assembly by the executive. This they reason, would make room for some of the cerebral interventions,  from such array of experts and ordinary Nigerians as witnessed during the just concluded public hearing to be incorporated by the executive during the collation of sectoral allocation for the capital budget and to the various MDAs.

It would make for a true budget document that would be in tandem with the wishes and aspirations of Nigerians, reduce waste, promote transparency, accountability and make for a more implementable budget. There is also a consensus among analysts that the open budget consideration process pioneered by the 8th National Assembly will be one of the glaring legacies of the current leadership of the Eight National Assembly if transparency and openness is thus institutionalized in the budgeting process of the country. That is the way to go!

Why APC Gombe Caretaker Committee Was Reconstituted

·         I Have No Plans To Impose Governor In 2019 – Sen. Goje

 

The national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has stated reasons why the Gombe State Caretaker Working Committee was reconstituted.



The Party’s Deputy National Chairman (North), Sen. Lawal Shuaibu on Monday evening while inaugurating the newly constituted four-member caretaker committee, cited “irreconcilable differences” among members of the previous Caretaker Working Committee.



Sen. Shuaibu said: “We have had a lot of challenges running the Party in Gombe state, challenges which I narrated when we inaugurated the first caretaker committee. We got to a stage where a consensus was reached as to how we can move the Party in Gombe state forward. Arising from that, we constituted a caretaker committee. The caretaker committee did a wonderful job, but along the line we observed some irreconcilable differences among the members.



“Observing that there was no way they could reconcile themselves, their personal differences, for that reason and only that reason we decided to ask them to step aside and we are today inaugurating a newly reconstituted caretaker committee.



“The caretaker committee basically is not there to do any other thing except what the National headquarter has asked them to do on the basis of resolutions reached with the stakeholders of Gombe during its meeting with the National Working Committee (NWC). Any other thing should be left for the NWC to handle. We can handle every challenge if we have the cooperation of the stakeholders. The newly constituted caretaker committee have a mission, a mandate and they are only expected to discharge their mandate not any other thing.”


The newly constituted caretaker members are: Hon. Idi Barde Gubana (State Chairman); Alh. Sani Haruna (State Dep. Chairman); Bello Kasimu Maigari (State Secretary) and Barr. A.B. Lusa (State Legal Adviser). The caretaker function will be for an initial renewable period of three (3) months commencing from 17th February, 2017 unless otherwise terminated by the National Working Committee (NWC).
 

In acceptance remarks on behalf of the Gombe APC Caretaker Working Committee members, the Caretaker Chairman, Hon. Idi Barde Gubana promised to work strictly in line with the Terms of Reference provided by the APC NWC. Gubana called for the support of stakeholders in the Gombe state chapter of the Party so that the APC can emerge as a strong and united political force in the leadup to the 2019 general elections. “I plead with APC elders in Gombe state to come together let us solve this problem. Let us have one APC in Gombe state. Let us ensure that in 2019 an APC governor takes over the administration of the state.” Gubana said.



Meanwhile, former governor of Gombe State and Senator, Mohammed Danjuma Goje while delivering a vote of thanks at the inauguration debunked reports that he was planning to impose a Governor in Gombe State, come 2019. He expressed readiness to work and support the newly inaugurated caretaker committee. “Danjuma Goje has no governorship candidate he wants to install in Gombe. The ultimate aim is to have an APC governor in Gombe state, come 2019.“ Sen. Goje said.



In attendance at the inauguration were the APC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi; National Youth leader, Ibrahim Dasuki Jalo; National Treasurer, Alh. Bala Mohammed Gwagwarwa; National Welfare Secretary, Alh. Ibrahim Masari; Zonal Woman Leader (North East), Fatima  Danjuma; former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Aliyu Modibbo Umar; former Minister of Transport, Sen. Abdullahi Idris and other party leaders and stakeholders in the Gombe State Chapter of the Party.

 

PHOTO CAPTION



DSC_3621: (L-R) Deputy National Chairman (North), All Progressives Congress (APC) Sen. Lawal Shuaibu; APC National Treasurer, Alh. Bala Mohammed Gwagwarwa and State Chairman, Gombe State APC Caretaker Working Committee, Hon. Idi Barde Gubana during the inauguration.



DSC_3608: State Chairman, Gombe State All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker Working Committee, Hon. Idi Barde Gubana (standing) giving an acceptance speech during the inauguration. He is flanked by the State Secretary, Bello Kasimu Maigari (middle) and State Deputy Chairman, Alh. Sani Haruna.


DSC_3583: A cross-section of dignitaries during the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) reconstituted Gombe State Caretaker Working Committee at the Party’s National Secretariat on Monday evening.

#Madeinnigeria @UN #Motherlanguageday #Yoruba #Edeyoruba - Yoruba is a pluricentric language spoken in West Africa, mainly in Nigeria. The number of speakers of Yoruba is estimated at over 30 million principally in Nigeria and Benin Republic. With communities in other parts of Africa, the Americas, and Europe, it is estimated that there are over 40 million Yoruba primary and secondary language speakers, with several other millions of speakers outside Nigeria, making it one the most widely spoken African languages globally.

In Nigeria, Yoruba, a tonal language, is closely related to the Itsekiri language spoken in the Niger Delta, and to Igala, spoken in Central Nigeria. Globally, a variety of the Yoruba language, Lucumi, is the liturgical language of the Santeria religion of the Caribbean, while many Yoruba words are used in the Afro-Brazilian religion known as Candomble.

To mark UN International Mother Tongue Day, and the UN World Day Of Social Justice, Wellbeing Foundation Africa Founder Toyin Saraki joins NTA's "Obinrin To Dàngàjià" to share an anti-domestic violence message on Respectful Relationships in her mother tongue, Yoruba.

"Obinrin tò Dàngàjià - Ose kòkò ninu igbàgbògbò àt àjin re àrà. Ile àbòbò àti ònà àbàyò Làti fi iyàjije kòsin se pàtò ninu Abà jògbe òni jàgidijàgàn: Abà se pò tò"

"Respectful Relationships - Whilst invaluable in terms of saving lives and promoting wellbeing, safe-houses and exit plans to leave an abusive situation are not the primary safeguard against Intimate Partner Violence: Respectful Relationships are. By educating children and adolescents on the importance of respect, independence, and compassion in their interpersonal relationships, we can build the capability, harness the wisdom, and embrace the kindness to facilitate a fairer society for all genders. Let's save lives and change the world for the better." - Toyin Saraki, UN International Mother Tongue Day, 2017.


#madeinnigeria @UN #motherlanguageday #yoruba #edeyoruba - Yoruba is a pluricentric language spoken in West Africa, mainly in Nigeria. The number of speakers of Yoruba is estimated at over 30 million principally in Nigeria and Benin Republic. With communities in other parts of Africa, the Americas, and Europe, it is estimated that there are over 40 million Yoruba primary and secondary language speakers, with several other millions of speakers outside Nigeria, making it one the most widely spoken African languages globally.

In Nigeria, Yoruba, a tonal language, is closely related to the Itsekiri language spoken in the Niger Delta, and to Igala, spoken in Central Nigeria. Globally, a variety of the Yoruba language, Lucumi, is the liturgical language of the Santeria religion of the Caribbean, while many Yoruba words are used in the Afro-Brazilian religion known as Candomble.

To mark UN International Mother Tongue Day, and the UN World Day Of Social Justice, Wellbeing Foundation Africa Founder Toyin Saraki joins NTA's "Obinrin To Dàngàjià" to share an anti-domestic violence message on Respectful Relationships in her mother tongue, Yoruba.

"Obinrin tò Dàngàjià - Ose kòkò ninu igbàgbògbò àt àjin re àrà. Ile àbòbò àti ònà àbàyò Làti fi iyàjije kòsin se pàtò ninu Abà jògbe òni jàgidijàgàn: Abà se pò tò"

"Respectful Relationships - Whilst invaluable in terms of saving lives and promoting wellbeing, safe-houses and exit plans to leave an abusive situation are not the primary safeguard against Intimate Partner Violence: Respectful Relationships are. By educating children and adolescents on the importance of respect, independence, and compassion in their interpersonal relationships, we can build the capability, harness the wisdom, and embrace the kindness to facilitate a fairer society for all genders. Let's save lives and change the world for the better." - Toyin Saraki, UN International Mother Tongue Day, 2017.