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Senate Begins Debate On 2019 Budget …Resumes Action On Minimum Wage Bill

The Senate will commence debate of the general principles of the 2019 budget, today, Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, has said.
Saraki scheduled the date of the debate of the general principles of the fiscal document shortly before the upper chamber adjourned plenary session in honour of late member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Temitope Olaoye “Sugar” who was killed by unknown persons.
It would be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari, had presented a budget N8.6trillion to a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives for consideration and passage on December 19, 2018.
Christened, “Budget of Continuity”, the 2019 fiscal document is planned to continue the country’s drive for inclusive economic growth, diversification and sustainable development.
Saraki asked Senators who have contributions to make on the budget to list their names for proper coordination of the debate.
He said that the debate will take two days, today and Tuesday, March 19, 2019, to enable many senators to contribute.
The conclusion of the debate of the general principles of the 2019 Appropriation Bill will pave the way for its reference to the Appropriation Committee for further legislative action.
Saraki also mandated the ad-hoc committee on the new minimum wage Bill to hasten and conclude its assignment.
He directed Senator Francis Alimikhena to take over the chairmanship of the committee in the absence of its substantive chairman, Senator Olusola Adeyeye.
The House of Representatives had debated and approved the N30, 000 new national minimum wage as proposed by the Federal Government.
Meanwhile, the Senate, yesterday, adjourned plenary till today, March 13, 2019, over the death of Hon. Temitope Olatoye Sugar representing Akinyele/Lagelu Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
The adjournment followed a point of Order by the Senate leader, Senator Ahmad Lawan, to suspend plenary as a result of the death of the lawmaker in the lower chamber.
“Mr. President and my respected colleagues, I rise under Order 43 that in keeping with our tradition that when a sad event happened, we suspend parliamentary activities as a mark of respect.”
“You will recall that Honourable Temitope Olatoye Sugar died during the election and I hereby move a motion for adjournment till Wednesday.”
Seconding the motion, Senator Biodun Olujimi representing Ekiti South Senatorial District noted that plenary be adjourned.
After a one minute silence observed by the lawmakers, the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki adjourned plenary till today.
At the House, the session lasted less than 15 minutes, during which Christian and Islamic prayers were offered to the deceased.
The House Speaker, Hon Yakubu Dogara; Deputy Speaker, Hon Lasun Yusuf, other leaders and members of the chamber later proceeded to the condolence register to eulogise the late Olatoye.
Nigerian Senate and the House of Representatives resumed sitting after two weeks break which enabled lawmakers to participate in the gubernatorial and the State Assembly elections.
In another development, The Senate yesterday appointed Senate Deputy Majority Whip, Sen. Francis Alimikhena, as Acting Chairman of the Adhoc Committee on Minimum Wage.
The President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, who made the announcement at plenary yesterday, said Alimikhena would work in acting capacity while the Chairman, Sen. Olusola Adeyeye, was away on health grounds.
Saraki charged the committee to expedite action on the matter to enable the senate to be able to catch up with the House of Representatives which had already passed the bill through third reading.
The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, had on January 24, appointed the Chief Whip of the Senate, OlusolaAdeyeye, as Chairman of an eight-member ad-hoc committee mandated to work on the minimum wage bill.
The members of the adhoc committee are: Sen. Abu Ibrahim (APC-Katsina State); Sen. ShehuSani (PRP-Kaduna State) and Sen. Sam Egwu (PDP-Ebonyi).
Others are: Sen. Suleiman Adokwe (PDP-Nasarawa State); Sen. Francis Alimikhena (APC-Edo); Sen. Solomon Adeola(APC-Lagos State) and BintaGarba(APC-Adamawa).
The House of Representatives had on Jan. 29 approved N30,000 as minimum wage for workers in the public and private sectors.
The lower chamber increased the threshold for public and private sectors workers in states and local governments from N27,000 as proposed in the National Minimum Wage Act Amendment Bill to N30,000.
Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi, Abuja
News
I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
News
RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
News
Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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