It’s a new legislative day in the Nigerian Senate.
Senate President Bukola Saraki leads the Senate Leadership into the Chambers.
Senate President Bukola Saraki takes the Official Prayer.
Deputy Chief Whip, Senator Francis Alimikhena calls the Senate to Order.
Senator Jide Omoworare moves for the approval of the Votes and Proceedings of Thursday 27th October, 2016. Senator Danjuma Goje seconds.
Senate President Bukola Saraki reads a letter from President Muhammadu Buhari on appointment of the MD of the NDIC.
Senate President Bukola Saraki also announces membership of Conference Committees for some bills.
Senator Sonni Ogbuoji lays a petition from his constituency on unlawful disengagement.
Senator David Umaru also lays two petitions from his constituents over unlawful dismissals.
The Petitions are referred to the Ethics PPP Committee for further legislative action.
Senate Leader moves to the presentation of several 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) Bill 2016.
The Constitution Amendment Bills are referred to the Senate Constitutional Amendment Committee for further legislative work.
Senate moves for the presentation of the report of the INEC Committee on the INEC Nigeria Act (Amendment) Bill 2016 SB. 231 & 234.
Senator Abubakar Kyari lays the report of the INEC Committee.
Senate moves to the Executive Communication; Senate Leader moves to the 2016 – 2018 External Borrowing Rolling Plan.
Senate President Bukola Saraki puts the question & Senate votes NAY to the request of President Buhari on 2016 External Borrowing Plan
Senate approves the confirmation of nomination of Mr. Igo Weli by President Buhari as Representative of Oil Companies in the NDDC Board.
The confirmation of Mr. Igo Weli is referred to the Senate Niger Delta Committee for further legislative action.
Senate moves to the confirmation of the nomination of 46 Non-Career Ambassador Designates by President Buhari.
Senate President puts the question and refers the confirmation of the 46 Non-Career Ambassador Nominees to the Foreign Affairs Committee
Senator Phillip Aduda raises a Point of Order on the Exclusion of the FCT from having either a Career or Non-Career Ambassadorial Nominee.
Senate President Bukola Saraki says the Foreign Affairs Committee will look into the matter in the course of the confirmations.
Senate moves to the motions of the day.
BREAKING: Senate Rejects President Muhammadu Buhari’s $29.6bn External Borrowing Plan.
Senate Leader, Ali Ndume opens the debate on his motion on the need to avoid the mismanagement of the N500Billion Social Intervention Funds.
Senator Ndume notes that the National Assembly fully approved the request of the executive in the 2016 Budget to facilitate the N500B Fund.
Senator Ndume observes that the current economic situation & the need to have a social intervention scheme that can lift people out of poverty, was the overriding concern of the National Assembly when it did not insist on having a proper framework before approval.
Senator Ndume says he expects the social intervention fund should get to all the 9, 572 Wards of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Deputy Senate President Ekweremadu says he cannot find any beneficiary of the programmes of the Social Intervention Funds in his LG.
DSP Ekweremadu adds that Senate Leader Ali Ndume has done the right thing via this motion to call the attention to it.
Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah says aspects of the implementation of the Social Intervention Funds run afoul of the Constitution.
Senators turn down request for approval for external borrowing due to lack of documents supporting the request as referenced in the letter
Senator Na’Allah asks how the people in the hinterland and localities are supposed to get online to register on the website.
Senator Ndume notes that the concept of MPOWER requiring people to register online is faulty and discriminates against rural dwellers.
Senators Hope Uzodinma and Biodun Olujimi also condemn the implementation as not far – reaching to all nooks and corners of the Country.
Senate President Bukola Saraki asks that Chairman of the Poverty Alleviation Committee, Senator Ali Wakili sheds light on some of these concerns.
Senator Wakili says the Social Intervention Plans isn’t domiciled in any ministry but managed in VP Prof. Osinbajo’s Office by Consultants.
Senator Wakili says he expects that the National Assembly as the representative of the people ought to be carried along but this isn’t the case.
Senator Danjuma Goje speaks on his insistence on the details of the plans of the Social Intervention Funds while it was being considered.
Senator Buhari Abdulfatai says his people in Iwajowa don’t even have network to make phone calls not to speak of getting online.
Senator Buhari charges the 8th Senate to do things properly so that subsequent senates won’t see them as failures.
Senator Dino Melaye takes the floor. He says the challenge is that there is simply no trust between the Executive and the Legislature.
Senator Dino Melaye adds that Nigeriens, Beninoise and Cameroonians could as well claim being Nigerians and apply since it’s online.
Senate Dino Melaye concludes that a programme of action on the implementation of the Intervention Fund has to be brought to the senate
Senate resolves that manual registration of beneficiary from all Wards & LGs in the Country be incorporated in the N500B Intervention Programme.
Senate also resolves that a clear accountability channel must be created, continuously audited and submitted to the National Assembly.
SP Bukola Saraki says despite good intentions, the N500B might not achieve what it’s supposed to achieve with the current implementation.
SP Bukola Saraki charges the appropriate committee to work with the executive to ensure the success of the Social Intervention Fund.
Senate moves to the next motion.
The Motion on the need to give recognition to Anambra and Kogi States as oil producing states and to forestall further hostilities between the warring communities of Odeke Echeno in Ibaji LG of Kogi State & Enugu-Otu Guleri and Eziagulu-Otu in Anambra EastLG of Anambra State.
The motion is sponsored by Senator Stella Oduah who rises for the lead debate. She notes that the presidential declaration granting the status of an Oil producing state to Anambra State was not gazetted.
Senator Stella Oduah however says some corrections need to be made regarding the motion and wishes to stand it down.
The Motion is stood down to another legislative day.
Senate moves to the motion on addressing the problem of the rehabilitation of prison inmates through Agricultural Training Programmes of the Nigerian Prisons Service by Senator Ohuabunwa. He rises for the lead debate.
Savings made from proceeds, payable at point of inmate disengagement from Prisons, will serve both the reformed Prisoners and the Nation.
Senators Bayero Nafada and Emmanuel Bwacha support the motion. They remind other senators that the prisons are for rehabilitation.
Senate President Bukola Saraki says the Senate recently debated a bill on Prison Reforms and it will comprise these matters.
Senate resolves to brief invite the Nigerian Prisons Service to brief the Interior Committee on its programmes for rehabilitating prison inmates.
Senate Leader moves that all other matters on the Order Paper be Stepped Down to the next legislative day. The Minority Leader seconds.
Senate Leader moves that Plenary be adjourned to the next legislative day. The Minority Leader seconds.
Senate President Bukola Saraki puts the question and plenary is adjourned to Wednesday 2nd November, 2016.
Gavel bangs! (Elombah)