Senate Passes 96 Bills, 72 Petitions

Fri, Jun 9, 2017 | By publisher


Political Briefs

BUKOLA Saraki, president of the Nigerian Senate, has commended the eighth Senate, saying it has so far passed 96 Bills and 72 petitions since its inauguration in 2015 to June, this year.

Saraki disclosed this at a special session to mark the second anniversary of the eighth Senate in Abuja on Friday, June 9.

The Senate president said that the passage of the bills and petitions by the chamber during the period eclipsed the highest ever in the history of the National Assembly.

He said that the closest record to it was by the fifth Senate which passed 65 bills and six petitions within the same period.

“When we started, I knew that the eighth Senate was going to be significantly different and effective. I saw across the aisle, a passionate, energetic, and a set of leaders made of sterner stuff with a desire to make the difference.

“Though we inherited a legacy that created in some minds, cynicism and despondency, we were undeterred irrespective of an unending barrage of virulent attacks and unprovoked aggression.

“The eighth Senate marched on together, erasing records and setting new ones,” he said.

Besides, Saraki noted that the eighth Senate had led with courage and taken up more hot-button-national and legislative issues and successfully dealt with them.

“We committed ourselves to greater openness and accountability and many doubted our capacity to do as we preach.

“But, we have led from the frontline on the war against corruption, having passed several corruption-exposing resolutions that have saved our government billions of naira cumulatively.

“Today, in keeping with our pledge, the National Assembly has opened its line-by-line itemed-budget to the world, first in the history of the National Assembly.”

He congratulated and commended his fellow lawmakers for putting in the shift to ensure they realised the milestones.

—  Jun 19, 2017 @ 01:00 GMT

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