This was disclosed by the Leader of the 7th Senate, Victor Ndoma-Egba, who moved the motion that the 7th Senate be adjourned sine die, marking the official dissolution of the assembly.
According to Victor Ndoma-Egba, of the five hundred and ninety one Bills which came into the 7th Senate over the last four years, only one hundred and twenty three Bills were successfully treated and dispatched to the President for assent.
Some of the bills according to him, include Occupational Safety and Health Bill, Pension Reform Amendment (Repeal and Re-enactment) Act, Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Bill, Discrimination Against Persons With Disabilities (Prohibition) Bill, Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2011 Bill and Proceeds of Crime Bill.
He said the Senate had over the last four years ensured effective executive-legislature relations in the overall interest of the nation, saying “this is most evident in the ratification of the State of Emergency proclaimed by the president in the three northern states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, as well as the intrinsic support given to the executive in convening the National Conference of 2014.”
He also expressed satisfaction that one of the most remarkable features of the 7th Senate was that the assembly was free of any scandal or impeachment, which has now ensured stability in the polity.
He said this stability has become a testament to the peaceful elections witnessed in the country in 2015 polls, where the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lost power to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).
“Lessons must be learnt from the last elections- a second term is no longer taken for granted, incumbency has its limitations, impunity is unsustainable anywhere, internal party democracy is the only assurance to electoral victory”, he said.
He said through the political sagacity of the immediate past Senate President, David Mark, the 7th Senate was able to discharge itself creditably in the areas of law making, legislative advocacy and oversighting the executive.
On this note, he urged the incoming 8th Senate not to dither, but to exhibit courage and leadership to address government’s obligations to the citizens, saying the security and social vices facing the country is a manifestation of the high level of injustice, impunity and economic deprivation in the country.
Earlier, the president of the Senate had commended his colleagues for their contributions to the development of Nigeria through their work at the Senate.
He however regretted that some major bills such as that of the 2015 Constitution Amendment and the Petroleum Industry Bills , failed to see the light of day.
He specifically lamented that the important Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) is “still in limbo,” adding that events of the last few years revealed security lapses which the legislature tried to address by supporting the executive through passage of the Anti-Terrorism Bill and approval of $1 billion for procurement of arms and equipment for the military.
Describing the abduction of Chibok girls a national scar, the Senate President, however, commended the Military for its resolute posture towards confronting the Boko Haram scourge which has led to the deaths of thousands of Nigerians.
Among dignitaries who attended the valedictory session were former Senate Presidents, Joseph Wayas ( 2nd Republic) , Ameh Ebute ( 3rd Republic) and Ken Nnamani ( 5th Senate).
Others are former deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu, former Senate leader, Teslim Folarin; current and former clerks of the National Assembly and many other former senators led by Senator Khairat Gwadabe , the Chairman of Senators’ forum comprising of serving and former senators.
Meanwhile, seventh House of Representatives dropped the curtain yesterday with the passage of the controversial Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), which had endured a torturous debate for two years.
The House also passed 11 other bills in yesterday’s sitting but rejected Senate’s penultimate day’s passage of the oil and gas bill, arguing that sufficient time ought to have been devoted to scrutinise the bill in order to determine whether its contents conform to international best practice.
Acting Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha, had momentarily stepped down debate on the PIB to allow the Adhoc Committee headed by Muhammed Bawa that was constituted on Wednesday to liaise with technical experts with a view to sealing up loose ends before resuming debate from clause 209.
The controversial clause 209 in particular to do with exploration of the Chad basin and the concomitant benefits that should accrue to the communities within the zone including their contribution as applicable to people of the Niger Delta.
Once the technical issues in clauses 209 and 247 through 252, which had generated heated disagreements, were resolved, the members adopted all the other 422 clauses including schedules and subsections.
Though members had previously expressed dissenting views bordering on regional and political intrigues during debate the bill, however, yesterday’s debate threw up few and far in between objections to the clauses and once there were resolved every clause was given a nod of approval.
The House’s passage of the bill, which was first formally presented as draft in 2012 and laid for consideration last February, brought to an end sharp divisions among members over sundry controversies.
Recall that on May 13, the House had in apparent inability to reach consensus in some critical areas suspended debate until those technical and political issues were resolved in the 368-page document made up of 312 sections.
Only section 1 was attempted as issues arose questioning the validity of some clauses relative to provisions of the constitution. Deputy Leader of the House, Leo Ogor, had made observation on clause 2 which deals with ownership of resources, saying: “An Act of the National Assembly must not be subjected to addition or subtraction from the view expressed by the constitution regarding protection of territorial waters of Nigeria and mineral resources therein.”
He argued that the provision of the clause is purely a duplication of the constitution and should be deleted and when that was eventually sorted out section 6 (2) presented another headache as had several other clauses and sub-clauses all which resolved before the final debate on, adoption and passage of the PIB.
Speaking after the third reading and passage of the Bill, Ihedioha, the Acting Speaker said among others, “We have received media bashing on the PIB, we had been resolved to forgo political consideration and concentrate on the larger benefits for the country. We set up ad hoc committee to liaise with technical experts to resolve issues so that we can painstakingly review the report and clear all hitches,” he said stressing that national interest was paramount in the minds of members’ overall contributions to the debate.
He urged the Senate to tidy up their loose ends on the bill to ensure that the nation eventually benefits from the efficacies of the re-invigorated oil industry law.
The senate was yet to complete its debate and passage of the bill as yesterday when the red chamber was formally adjourned sine die.
-People’ s Daily
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