Senate Returns: Party Primaries, Oyo Kidnapping, and Key Discussions

The Senate started work again last Tuesday after a four-week break. This break allowed senators to take part in their party primaries.

In the three days of plenary last week, various national issues got the attention of the lawmakers. This began with the welcoming speech by Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

Hope for Senators Without Reelection Tickets

In his welcome speech, Mr Akpabio lifted the spirits of senators who did not get reelection tickets during the primaries. He mentioned that the Senate leadership was surprised by the number of senators who lost their seats.

Mr Akpabio also said that the leadership is looking at ways to support affected lawmakers from all parties regarding the primaries' results.

Senate Works on Unpaid Contractor Debts

On the same day, Mr Akpabio announced a new six-member committee. This committee will work with the Federal Ministry of Finance to push for the payment of debts owed to local contractors for projects across Nigeria.

The committee will be led by Sani Musa, who is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance. Other members include Adetokunbo Abiru, Kawu Sumaila, Abubakar Sani Bello, Isah Jibrin, and Abdullahi Yahaya.

The Senate president asked the committee to present its report in one week. This report should detail how the federal government plans to clear the debts owed to contractors.

Kidnapping in Oyo

On the second day after their break, the Senate passed a motion from Oyo North senator, Abdulfatai Buhari. This motion condemned the kidnapping of schoolchildren and teachers in Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State.

Senator Buhari, whose district covers the area, shared that the kidnappers, armed with guns, tied up to eight children on a motorcycle and took them into the forest.

He praised the Nigerian government for its efforts to free the victims. He also urged them to strengthen the Safe Schools Initiative to stop future attacks on schools.

Many senators who spoke during the debate also condemned the kidnapping. They linked it to similar cases in their areas, showing that insecurity is a nationwide problem.

At the end of the debate, the lawmakers called on security agencies to work harder to rescue the victims. They also observed a minute's silence for one of the victims, Michael Oyedokun, a mathematics teacher who was killed by his captors.

New Tax on Sugar Drinks

The Senate also approved a report from its Joint Committee on Finance and Customs, Excise and Tariff. This report recommends a new tax structure for sugary drinks.

Sani Musa, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, presented the report on behalf of the joint committees. The new bill will replace the current ₦10-per-litre sugar levy with a tax based on the retail price.

This new tax aims to create funds for health programs, disease prevention, primary healthcare, and health insurance for the poor. The tax will be a percentage of the retail price, with the rate decided by the Minister of Finance. The bill has now been sent to the House of Representatives for approval.

New Malaria Elimination Agency

On Wednesday, the Senate passed a bill to create the National Agency for Malaria Elimination in Nigeria. This bill was sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko from Delta North.

The agency will coordinate national efforts to prevent and control malaria in Nigeria. It will also create and update a national strategy to eliminate malaria and oversee related programs across the country.

The bill also plans to set up zonal and state offices to push malaria elimination efforts. The agency will aim to institutionalize malaria control through laws, scientific methods, and accountability.

Tinubu Requests New NDDC Board Member

During Thursday's session, Mr Akpabio read a letter from President Bola Tinubu. The letter asked the Senate to confirm Zainab Marwa as a member of the Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

After reading the letter, Mr Akpabio sent the request to the Committee on NDDC for screening. He told the committee to report back to the Senate in two weeks.