*National Assembly joint committees probe $4.4bn NLNG train 7 project
CHIGOZIE AMADI
Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele, yesterday disclosed that the upper legislative chamber in the last one year, initiated 477 bills.
Bamidele in a statement to mark the first anniversary of the 10th Senate made available to journalists in Abuja, said the red chamber had successfully passed 25 bills in the period under review.
He said: “For instance, as of June 11, 2024, our records revealed that at least 477 bills were initiated since the 10th Senate kicked off its activities precisely on June 13, 2023.
“Of this figure, only 25 bills were fully passed into law while others are currently at different stages before the Senate. Comparatively, this figure only accounts for 5.24 per cent of the entire bills introduced within the timeframe.
“Many people may measure our performance based on the number of bills that were fully passed into law. Different reasons that account for the low number of fully enacted legislations.
“This can be ascribed mainly to other issues of highly fundamental national priority that occupied the attention of the Senate. Put differently, it is purely due to the imperatives of attending to other obligations as required by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999,” he stated.
Aside the 25 fully enacted legislations, he said that no fewer than 275 bills (57.65 per cent) were read first time within the timeframe, about 135 (28.32 per cent) awaiting first reading; 45 (9.43 per cent) awaiting the second reading while 43 (9.02 per cent) is currently at the committee stage.
He added: “Similarly three bills (0.63 per cent) were refused on different grounds. While only 13 (2.73,per cent) of the total bills originated from the executive arm, 464 (97.27 per cent) are private member bills.
“Apart from the bills, the Senate arrived at 115 resolutions, which are far-reaching in consequence; profound in their significance to our economic development and strategic to the cohesion, growth and stability of our nation.”
He explained that the resolutions arose from motions of national importance, which different Senators sponsored after due diligence was conducted.
Also, within the timeframe, the senate leader explained that the Red Chamber received and treated petitions from members of the public on diverse matters of grave concern.
He said: “Despite time constraints, 50 of the public petitions were successfully and satisfactorily resolved.”
He also added that the Senate screened and confirmed 215 nominees for different political offices at the request of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Bola Tinubu, in accordance with Section 147 (2-6) of the 1999 Constitution and other Acts of the National Assembly.
He stressed: “Among others, the confirmations include key appointments into the Federal Executive Council (FEC), Board of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the leadership of the Nigeria Armed Forces.
“They also include the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
“The confirmation is key to our national development. It no doubt sped up the process of forming or constituting the national government at a very critical time when our domestic economy was struggling to stay afloat.
“During the period under review, the national security was under threats and internal cohesion was seriously gasping for fresh breath. Already, the first year has passed by. And we have decisively addressed issues of strategic national interest with utmost priority.
“In the last 366 days, the 10th Senate has been strategically collaborating with key public institutions, especially the Executive Arm, to defend our core interest as a federation and ensure macroeconomic stability.
“It has promoted internal cohesion as well as foster unity among ethnic nationalities that constitute our dear nation.
“Like never before, we have been utterly committed to this national assignment to position our Nation not just for more notable regional and sub-regional roles, but also for global leadership.
“Driven by this ambitious national aspiration convincingly scribbled in our revised legislative agenda, the Senate has adopted a strategic partnership approach aimed at building resilient synergy with other arms of government and nurturing a competitive, functional and viable federation that works for all.
“Evident in all our parliamentary engagements, this has been our preoccupation since the inauguration of the 10th Senate as the foremost institution of representative democracy.
“From our observation so far, we are confident Nigeria is now more stable and the future of our Nation looks more promising than anytime in our recent history.”
As people of collective purpose, he said the senate was under obligations to support governments, whether at the national or sub-national level, to build a resilient economy and an equitable federation that supports the aspiration of all its constituents.
“As we embark upon the journey into a brighter, greater and more glorious future, we will devote much of our time to developing legal frameworks that will further stabilise our fiscal and monetary spaces.
“We will prioritise security of lives and strategic assets; that will deescalate consumer price index, especially food inflation and that will engender a more functional governance structure.
“Aside from the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution, the Senate has initiated diverse processes with a clear and well-defined mandate.
“The processes are designed to create, develop and evolve a more efficient, responsive and viable governance structure, whether with respect to the economy or security, politics or security, science or technology, agriculture or education,” he added.
Meanwhile, an Investigation by the National Assembly into the $4.451 billion Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) project 7, attracted controversies, disagreements and uproar among stakeholders yesterday during a session by the Senate and House of Representatives joint committee.
The panels over the two chambers had to resort to closed sessions on two occasions with the NLNG officials led by NLNG Project Director, Ali Uwais, as well as the contractors handling the project.
But having failed to get the information they required, the committees, in a resolution, agreed to formally make their requests known to the NLNG in terms of document and other information needed.
It also charged the NLNG to halt further variations in the $4.451,731,937 billion contract.
Thursday’s investigative hearing attracted many lawmakers comprising members and non-members of the gas committees because of the hostile atmosphere that has weakened and crippled the investigation since its beginning.
Trouble started when Uwais submitted a document containing what the lawmakers called limited information.
The chairman of the joint committee, Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe ( PDP Cross River North), expressed disappointment that a clause in the document, clearly said that “figures contained therein are disputed and subject to ongoing legally privileged commercial negotiations”. Jarigbe said it means the figures can’t be used for the investigation.
Amidst the tense situation, the committee went into the first closed door session. After an hour of secret talks, journalists were called in to monitor the situation.
Lawmakers took their turns to condemn the insistence of NLNG and the contractors on not making useful information available for the investigation.
The contentious issues include lack of information and explanation on the original contract sum which was $4,372,760,462.
Others are limited information on the 99 total variation requests worth $177,892,289; approved 62 variation orders amounting to $43,771,475; and approved amendments (claims/settlement) worth $35,000,000.
The NLNG had informed the committee that there were five variation requests being evaluated and they amounted to $7,609,678.
Uwais also told the committee that the fluctuation in foreign exchange rate was a principal cause of contract variation.
On the status of the project, he said: “The overall progress of the project is at 67 per cent completion, made up of engineering at 97.9 per cent, procurement at 95.5 per cent and construction at 52.5 per cent”. The Committee adjourned to reconvene on July 3, 2024.
