NASS Roundup: Party primaries, Oyo abduction, other top stories from the Senate

The Senate resumed plenary last Tuesday after a four-week break, enabling senators to participate in party primaries.

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During the three days of plenaries last week, several national issues engaged the lawmakers, beginning with those in the welcome address by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

Hope for senators who lost return tickets

In his welcome address, Mr Akpabio raised the hopes of senators who failed to secure reelection tickets during the primaries.

He said the Senate leadership was surprised by the high number of casualties recorded during the primaries.

The Senate president also disclosed that the leadership was exploring possible ways to address some of the outcomes of the primaries in favour of affected lawmakers across party lines.

Senators liaising with FG over unpaid contractors’ debts

On the same day, Mr Akpabio announced the composition of a six-member committee to liaise with the Federal Ministry of Finance and facilitate payment of debts owed to local contractors for capital projects executed across the country.

The committee would be chaired by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Sani Musa (APC, Niger East).

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Other members of the committee are Adetokunbo Abiru (APC, Lagos East), Kawu Sumaila (APC, Kano South), Abubakar Sani Bello (APC, Niger North), Isah Jibrin (APC, Kano North) and Abdullahi Yahaya (APC, Kebbi Central).

The Senate president directed the committee to submit its report within one week, detailing the federal government’s efforts to settle the outstanding debts owed to contractors.

Oyo abductions

On the second day after resumption, the Senate adopted a motion sponsored by Oyo North senator, Abdulfatai Buhari, condemning the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State.

Mr Buhari, whose district covers the area, said the abductors, armed with machine guns, tied as many as eight children together on a motorcycle and escorted them into the forest.

He commended the Nigerian government’s efforts to secure the release of the victims but urged authorities to strengthen the Safe Schools Initiative to prevent future attacks on educational institutions.

Many senators who contributed to the debate condemned the abduction and linked it to similar incidents in their constituencies, suggesting that insecurity is across the country.

At the end of the debate, the lawmakers called on security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue the victims.

The senators also observed a minute’s silence in honour of one of the victims, Michael Oyedokun, a mathematics teacher who the kidnappers beheaded.

New excise duty on sugar drinks

The Senate also adopted a report of its Joint Committee on Finance and Customs, Excise and Tariff, recommending the introduction of a new excise duty framework for sugar-sweetened beverages.

The report was presented by Sani Musa, chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, on behalf of the joint committees.

The amendment bill replaces the current ₦10-per-litre sugar levy with a retail price-based tax system designed to create a dedicated funding stream for health promotion programmes, disease prevention initiatives, primary healthcare services, and health insurance coverage for poor and vulnerable Nigerians.

Under the proposed framework, the levy will be calculated as a percentage of the retail price, with the rate to be determined by the Minister of Finance.

The bill has been transmitted to the House of Representatives for concurrence.

New agency for malaria elimination

On Wednesday, the upper chamber passed a bill seeking to establish the National Agency for Malaria Elimination in Nigeria.

The bill was sponsored by the senator representing Delta North Senatorial District, Ned Nwoko.

READ ALSO: Senate passes bill to create agency for malaria elimination

It seeks to establish an agency responsible for coordinating national efforts to prevent, control, and eventually eliminate malaria in Nigeria.

The proposed agency will formulate and periodically review a national malaria elimination strategy and coordinate the implementation of malaria programmes and interventions across the country.

The bill also provides for the establishment of zonal and state offices to drive malaria elimination efforts nationwide

The agency is expected to institutionalise malaria elimination through a framework backed by law, science and accountability.

Tinubu requests a new NDDC board member

During Thursday’s plenary, Mr Akpabio read a letter from President Bola Tinubu seeking the Senate’s confirmation of Zainab Marwa as a member of the Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

After reading the letter, Mr Akpabio referred the request to the Committee on NDDC for screening and consideration.

He directed the committee to report back to the Senate within two weeks.