Here are highlights of major activities that took place in the Senate today – screening confirmation, amendment of the railway law, police pension and the north central development commission bill.
The Senate has approved the appointment of Abdullahi Usman Bello for appointment as chairman, Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).
OrderPaper recalls that following the request from President Bola Tinubu for the confirmation of the nominee on May 9, 2024, the Senate referred the matter to its committee on ethics, code of conduct and public petitions to conduct a thorough screening to report back in one week.
Presenting the report to plenary, the chairman of the committee, Sen. Neda Imasuen mentioned that the nominee appeared before them on Tuesday, 11th June, 2024 for screening and was assessed using various methods, including the occurrence of cohesion, presentation of technical and general competence, special skills, administrative skills, specific and general knowledge of the anti-corruption policy.
- Senate passes North Central Development Commission bill
Apart from the confirmation, the Senate has passed the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) bill. This was sequel to the consideration of a report of the committee on special duties, presented by its chairman, Senator Kaka Shehu (APC, Borno Central).
The Bill which passed first reading on October 5, 2023, and second reading on February 21, 2024 was sponsored by the Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South) and co-sponsored by all north-central senators.
- Hope for Police as Senate progresses bill on pension board
The Senate may have granted a long-standing request for an Police Pension Board akin to that of the armed forces, with the adoption of a bill to that effect for second reading today. The bill titled “Police Pension Board (Establishment) Bill” and sponsored by Senator Binos Yaroe (PDP, Adamawa South) emphasised that, in contrast to other front-line security agencies like the Army, Navy, Air Force, Department of State Security Services (DSS), Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), officers of the Nigeria Police Force are disadvantaged by being included with other public agencies under the contributory pension scheme, which is managed by the Pension Commission (PENCOM).
He claimed that a quick comparison of the pension and gratuity benefits received by the Nigeria Police and their military counterparts reveals that, while the equivalent of a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in the Army (Captain), Navy (Lieutenant), Air Force (Flight Lieutenant), and DSS (Captain) is paid N12.8 million, DSPs in the Nigeria Police receive N2.5 million under the current pension scheme.
- Bill To amend Nigerian Railway Corporation Act passes second reading
The Senate has passed for second reading, a bill seeking to amend the Nigerian Railway Corporation Act. This followed the presentation of a bill sponsored by Senator Solomon Olamilekan (APC, Ogun West).
The bill, which was first read on July 20, 2023, aims to incorporate an insurance cost into the act, giving products and passengers sufficient insurance coverage against potential damage when using the railway corporation. The modernisation of Nigeria’s rail transport system, according to Olamilekan in his lead debate, has led to a recent resurgence of railway travel in the country. Olamilekan added that instead of using other forms of transportation, passengers board trains to travel from Abuja to Kaduna, Lagos to Ibadan, and most recently, Port-Harcourt to Aba. The legislator asserted that the extensive insurance coverage for both people and cargo utilising NRC’s services created a crucial void in the current rail system.
The Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin who presided over the plenary, thereafter referred the bill to the committee on land transport for further legislative action. The committee is expected to report back in 4 weeks.