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The Nigerian Senate

Senate panel moves to amend controversial Standing Orders

The Nigerian Senate
The Nigerian Senate
A 12-man Senate Committee on peace and reconciliation, has asked the upper chamber to immediately initiate an amendment of the Senate Standing Orders.
The Committee chaired by Senator James Manager (Delta South) also recommended that the Senate Standing Orders must be respected and adhered to in the working of the Senate.
This is contained in a nine-page report of the Senate Peace and Reconciliation Committee which was considered yesterday by the Senate during a closed session.
After the over one hour closed session, Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki announced that the Senate in closed session considered the report of its peace and reconciliation committee.
The report said to have jolted some Senators also mandated the Selection Committee headed by the Senate President to review and adjust the composition of the membership of committees to reflect equity and fairness by ensuring that every Senator is a member of the same number of committees with each committee having a minimum number of eight members and a maximum of 12 members.
It recommended that all vacant positions for chairmen and vice chairmen of committees be filled up forthwith and that no Senator should be chairman of vice chairman of more than one committee.
The report proposes that committee chairmanship should be shared equally to all states of the federation with a maximum of two chairmen of committee from each State.
The report urged aggrieved senators who are in court to withdraw their lawsuit for the sake of peace and unity in the Senate.
The committee recommended that all factional groups in the Senate be disbanded forthwith.
It said that the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs should improve on information management and articulate proper explanations on workings of the Senate.
The report also said that some petitions brought before the Senate should be referred to the relevant committees, instead of adding to the workload of the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions
It said that the Committee on Rules and Business should be strengthened to do its job efficiently without over-bearing influence and all matters not previously approved at the Principal Officers meeting should not be allowed on the Order Paper.
It said that all Senators should recognise and support the Presiding Officers of the Senate.
The report also recommended that “apparent discriminatory actions in choice of Senators for overseas conferences, seminars and tours should be corrected.”
”The conflict and disunity bedeviling the Senate started on the day of proclamation of the 8th Senate when the Presiding Officers were elected and inaugurated.
“There was an allegation of unilateral alteration of the Senate Standing Orders, 2011 giving rise to the 2015 Standing Orders used for the inauguration of the 8th Senate and the election of the Presiding Officers.”
Apart from Manager, other members of the committee that endorsed the report are Senators Ahmed Sani, Abdullahi Adamu, Godswill Akpabio, Joshua Lidani, Barnabas Genade, Hope Uzodinma, Buka Ibrahim, Samuel Egwu, Monsurat Sunmonu, Olugbenga Ashafa, and Suleiman Hunkuyi

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