These twin reports on the two chambers of the National Assembly are presented with a view to appraising the activities of the leadership and members of the legislative arm of government. Due to resume sitting next month, the Senate and the House of Representatives are yet to constitute standing committees the engine rooms for the activities of the National Assembly. So, how did both chambers fare before going on recess? Read these piece.
By Henry Umoru
TAKE-OFF OF THE 7TH SENATE- "We have just made history in this Hallowed Chamber of the Senate a few minutes ago. This is the first time since the commencement of our current democratic dispensation that an immediate past President of the Senate is re-elected to preside over the next session.
The same applies to the Deputy President of the Senate. I am deeply humbled and overwhelmed by this rare gesture and even more humbling is the unanimity of your confidence, which is reflected in the mandate you have given me today. I will be honest, transparent, fair and I will ensure that there is equity and justice and above all, I will preside with the fear of God."
These were the words of Senator David Alechenu Bonaventure Mark, June 6, 2011. Venue was the Chambers of the Senate during the inauguration of the 7th Senate. He became the President of the 7th Senate and Chairman of the 7th National Assembly, having been re-elected into that position for the second time and as the first Senate President to have returned to the red carpets of the chambers.
His election and that of Ike Ekweremadu came following the absence of further nominations for their positions. Mark was retuned unopposed when lawmakers chorused "no" to the three times call by the Clerk of the National Assembly, Salisu Abubakar Maikasuwa for further nomination to the office of the Senate President in line with the rules of the Senate.
June 6 was on Monday, an unusual day since Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays are usually set aside by the Senate for plenary. The explanation was that it could be excused against the backdrop that the Senate had not been inaugurated, so the rule could not stand. That was how the journey for the 7th Senate began.
On Tuesday, June 7, Mark announced the appointment of principal officers. They were drawn from Peoples' Democratic Party, PDP and other minority parties. They were Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Deputy Senate President; Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba,SAN, Senate Majority Leader; Senator Bello Gwarzo, Senate Chief Whip; Senator Hosea Agboola, Deputy Chief Whip; Senator George Akume, Minority Leader; Senator Ganiyu Solomon, Deputy Minority Leader; Senator Sani Ahmed Rufai, Deputy Minority Leader; Senator Abu Ibrahim, Deputy Minority Whip and Senator Abdul Ningi who was later elected as Deputy Majority Leader.
Of the 109 senators, the 36 states of the federation have three each while the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, has one. The Senate promises to be vibrant because of the quality of representation this time round. In the Senate, there seems to be no much noise about you-must-be-a-PDP-member for you to be a committee chairman at least for some committees outside the ones that could be termed untouchable as it were in the 6th Senate.
This is because they expect a closer working relationship with the opposition and the leadership of the Senate, therefore, the PDP members in the Senate would be left with no choice than to carry other opposition parties along owing to the fact that PDP prides itself with 71 senators, ACN 18, ANPP 7; LP 3; DPP,1; CPC 7 and APGA1.
CHALLEGES
Soon after the leadership of the Senate was put together, the senators went on recess as a result of accommodation challenges.
Fresh from the break, the senators began with the screening of the ministerial nominees which list was sent by President Goodluck Jonathan which they all cleared except for Dr. Obadiah Ando, from Taraba State, following some irreconcilable differences in his home state.
One unique thing about the 7th Senate is the fact that there are many young people among them. Eager to make an impact, they are recognised even from day one, where a new senator could move a motion unlike in some other climes.
In the 7th Senate, new senators like Hope Uzodinma, PDP, Imo West, moved a motion lamenting the high rate of unemployment in the country and was passed by the Senate. The motion which was moved by him alongside 40 other senators, prayed the Senate to prevail on the Presidency to create job centers in the 36 states and 774 local government areas. Senator Ita Solomon Enang, Akwa Ibom North-East, fresh and vibrant, who came in after his stint in the House of Representatives as former Chairman, Rules and Business Committee, also sponsored a bill.
Also the bill for an act to amend the transfer of Convicted Offenders within Commonwealth countries introduced by Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba and tagged "A bill for an Act to Amend the Transfer of Convicted Offender's Amendment Bill 2011", scaled through its Second Reading in a seeming controversial manner as some senators immediately after the Senate President ruled were not happy with expressions on their faces.
There was also the motion on the state of privatised government enterprises which was moved by Senator Ahmad Lawan, ANPP Yobe North, and it was passed. The Senate also set up an ad-hoc committee to probe the privatisation activities of Federal Government companies by Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE from 1999 till date. The seven-member probe committee which was given four weeks to carry out its investigation, has Senator Ahmed Lawan, Yobe North as Chairman, with senators Philip Aduda; Babafemi Ojudu, Ekiti Central; Mohammed Ali Ndume, Borno South; Ifeanyi Okowa, Delta North; Hope Uzodinma, Imo West and Mohammadu Magoro, Kebbi as members.
The committee carried out its public hearing for a week where major stakeholders were invited to the Senate Hearing Room 1.
The work of this committee made waves as revelations upon revelations came to the fore penultimate week when it held its public sitting.
As Senate resumes Tuesday, September 13
If there is one major issue that the Senator Mark-led seventh Senate will be confronted with as the Senate resumes from its 30-day recess is the composition of standing committees. It was expected that eight weeks into its inauguration and before the Senate adjourned July 28, the committees would have been put in place, but the Senate President kept members in suspense and in the dark.
The standing committees form the engine room of the Senate and not being in place yet is an indication that the leadership is yet to be stable and that could not stand as a pass mark for Senator David Mark.
Mark chairs the Selection Committee which is made up of 10 members of the Body of Principal Officers of the Senate.
The senate leader had to once explain that constituting committees involves looking at the diverse background of the senators to determine the appropriate committee they should belong, but independent views point to the direction that the issue may be more political than the senate leader explained.
Another issue waiting for the Senate as it resumes September 13 is the proposed bill for the six-year single term for the president and governors which President Goodluck Jonathan may have concluded arrangements to send to the Senate.
The 7th Senate as it resumes will also table before it the independence of the Legislature against the backdrop that the Legislature wants to be on the first line charge like the Judiciary. The issue of state creation will also preoccupy the Senate as well as discussions on the probe of the activities of Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE, among others.
As the Senate resumes, Nigerians await how it would manage the aftermath of the late composition of its standing committees.
THE SENATORS
PDP – 71
ACN – 18
ANPP – 7
LP – 3
DPP – 1
CPC –7
APGA – 1
House of Reps: Tambuwal: The balancing acts of Mr Speaker
By Ben Agande
The emergence of Mr. Aminu Tambuwal and Mr. Emeka Ihedioha as Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, respectively, against the machinations of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which had zoned the two presiding officers' positions to zones other than those of the incumbent, was seen by most members of the House as a first step to assert the independence of the legislature.
For a country whose legislature had been emasculated for so long, the independence of the legislature, which constitutes the direct representatives of the people, have been widely applauded and commended as a positive step in the right direction towards the consolidation of democracy in Nigeria.
For the speaker and his deputy, the support from their colleagues in ensuring their emergence has given them the edge their predecessors did not have. Since they are wholly the product of majority of the members, with Tambuwal who defeated his rival with a comfortable lead to emerge as the speaker, his actions while presiding over the affairs of the house would be closely scrutinised by members of the House and those who felt slighted by his decision to present himself for the position when the party had preferred a speaker from another zone.
Since he assumed office in June, Speaker Tambuwal has not only been cautious and courteous but meticulously deliberate in his actions in the chambers and out of it in order not only to meet the huge expectations of his supporters but to also decently accommodate the disparate tendencies that produced him and the minority that voted against him.
This has been very manifest in the way he recognises members to speak on the floor of the House and in the way he tactfully dismisses those whose contribution are sometimes off the mark or manifestly tangential.
Though the various standing committees of the House are yet to be formed, the few Ad Hoc Committees set up by the Speaker have betrayed his sensitivity to the various tendencies in the House.
But beyond these, the Speaker has demonstrated a deep knowledge of the parliament and an understanding that when it comes to doing a great job for the general benefit of the House as an institution, merit and not the narrow prism of political affiliation would be the guiding principles.
When the House set up an Ad Hoc committee to liaise with the media, though members of the committee cut across all political parties in the House, the choice of Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele, a member of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, as the chairman of the committee was instantly hailed not only because his choice was seen as a round peg in a round hole, but it was a loud testimony of the speaker's determination to preside over a House that will not be bugged down by partisan squabbles.
As if reiterating this point, Deputy Speaker Ihedioha who is largely seen as Tambuwal's alter ego explained that the choice of members of the Ad Hoc committee on media was done in pursuit of the House leadership's desire to ensure cohesion in the chambers, no matter the member's party.
He said: "That is why you have not only a first time member but an opposition party member as chair of that committee. It says a lot about the style of leadership of Mr. Speaker who believes competence, experience and expertise are key factors in determining who does what in the performance of the duties of the House and he deserves to be commended for that."
Even in the vexed issue of who becomes the Majority Leader of the House, the Speaker demonstrated maturity that portrays him as one not keen on confrontation. Although the House leader has not been formally announced, it was learnt that against the wish of some of his ardent supporters, the speaker put his feet down and worked hard to convince members that his opponent in the contest for the speakership, Mrs. Mulikat Akande-Adeola to accept to be the leader.
For a man whose acceptance by his party is conditional, this singular move by the speaker is capable of worming his way into the hearts of the leadership of his political party and the executive arm of government which had backed her for the speakership position.
Even in the meeting of the House with some government officers of the executive arm of government, the Speaker demonstrated tact in allowing only questions that would elicit clarification and not questions that would deliberately undermine and embarrass the persons of the holders of such offices.
In one instance when the house invited the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to elucidate on the contentious policies of limiting the daily withdrawal to N150,000 and the introduction of Islamic banking, the wise decision by the Speaker to allow Ihedioha preside on that day was able to minimise the reaction that would have trailed the appearance if he a fellow Muslim like the CBN governor had presided.
Critics, however, observed that in his quest to satisfy everybody during debates on motions in the house, the Speaker sometimes allow the real issues on the motion on ground to be lost. But better allow all have their say than be accused of partisanship.
According to a member who spoke with Sunday Vanguard, "The Speaker sometimes, in his desire not to be seen as offending anybody, lose track of debates such that sometimes only one motion get debated in a whole parliamentary day. The earlier he realises that as a leader he cannot satisfy everybody, the better for him. Rather than allow people who are not making positive contributions to debates continue to blab, it would have been better to call such people to order. This way, the House can make more progress."
Although two months is too soon to provide an inkling into how the Tambuwal Speakership will be, if he is able to carry the majority of members along as he presides over the house, not minding the time-wasting blabbing of some members, it would go a long way in determining whether he would serve out his term or he would trample on the legendary banana peels that is said to dog the foot steps of the leadership of the National Assembly. The impending constitution of the standing committees of the House would provide a litmus test on how well he would be able to carry most members along.
So far, Tambuwal appears to be on top of his game.
THE REPS
PDP – 202
ACN – 65
CPC – 35
ANPP – 29
LP – 7
APGA – 7
ACCORD – 5
Vanguard