By Sanni Onogu
Notwithstanding the predictions of catastrophe that followed the emergence of the leadership of the 8th Senate, the upper chamber has continued to prove critics wrong as it has since settled down to work.

The goings-on inside the Senate since its inception on June 9, 2015 do not show that the new leaders on the saddle are rookies. The lawmakers have also left no one in doubt that they mean business, which is simply to champion the change agenda of the present administration.

It will be recalled that the change agenda  include but not limited to war against corruption, insecurity, unemployment and economic downturn.

It is worthy of note that the Senate taking a cue from the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki’s vision of a new Senate that would be responsive to the day to day needs of the average Nigerian, has continued to organise its activities in such a way that it would be maximally beneficial to the poor masses rather than serving the interest of a select few in the society. A good example is the quality of motions and resolutions that have emanated from the Senate since it was inaugurated.

Saraki had set the tone of the change and level of work to be expected in the Senate in his inaugural address when he said that “we are entering the saddle at a time when a lot is being expected of us. Nigerians expect the barest minimum out of our agenda; that the new Senate and National Assembly must make laws that will enable us renew our infrastructure, reform the oil sector, reform our security systems, boost agriculture, create jobs and make doing business in Nigeria much more competitive.”

As a follow up on this all encompassing roadmap, the Senate had constituted adhoc Committees on Finance and Legislative Agenda to recommend to it the way forward. The two committees are to make for a more transparent and open Senate apart from having a guiding beacon in the form of a self generated legislative agenda.

It is worth noting that some of the motions so far moved on the floor of the Senate find their locus in making life more meaningful for Nigerians as they touch on issues the people   need daily to live a good and abundant life. These issues are so important that if adequate and quality provisions are not for them, the dream of a developed country will be derailed. They include roads, economy, anti-corruption and insecurity in the land, etc.

One of the motions, although not strictly in the order of presentation, was the one moved by  Senator Adebayo Rafiu Ibrahim (Kwara South) entitled: “Indiscriminate Use and Abuse of Waivers for Rice Importation.” The import of the motion was in line with the pledge of the Senate President that the 8th Senate would work hand in hand with President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to block all financial leakages in the system especially with the drastic fall in the prices of the nation’s mainstay – oil – at the international market.

For instance, Senator Ibrahim in his motion highlighted how the nation’s economy had been hemorrhaging as a result of illegal practices of granting waivers to agricultural product importers. According to him, the unwholesome practice had rendered impotent the Federal Government’s ability to encourage local production which could in turn lead to lower and cheap prices of food and other essential items.

He noted that  though the  Federal Government has a policy to encourage agriculture and agriculture business as a deliberate policy to diversify the economy, the grant of waiver  policy especially as it relates to agricultural products had become counter-productive.

The gains from the agricultural policy had been made less viable due to  indiscriminate abusive grant of waivers, concession and grants especially on rice importation.  In 2011 alone, according to him, the last administration granted import duty waivers to 10 rice and palm oil importing companies to the tune of N150billion. He stated that records made available by the Central Bank of Nigeria to the Senate reveal that some of the  importers had overshot their quota and now owe the Federal Government duties running into billions of Naira.

The Kwara South lawmaker further expressed dismay  that some of the defaulting companies had notwithstanding their default been awarded fresh waivers to import more within the last few days of the previous administration, while urging his colleagues to note that the  Federal Government loses N71billion annually on duty waivers especially to importers of rice, palm oil, energy equipment, steel and vegetable oil.

Following its resolution on the motion, the Senate constituted an Adhoc Committee chaired by a former Governor of Kebbi State and former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on import duty waivers to determine the extent of the practice and also to suggest ways through which the Federal Government can recoup the humongous amount lost to the unwholesome and illegal practice and also advance strategies to prevent future occurrence. Remember that Aliero retired as a director of customs. Talking of a round peg in a round hole.

Another landmark motion of the 8th Senate was the menace of environmental degradation as a result of both man action and natural disasters.  Senator Uche Ekwunife (Anambra Central) in her lead debate on the motion, entitled: “Flood and Erosion Disaster in Awka, Isuanaocha, Obosi and other communities of Anambra Central”,  explained that rain had Tuesday, 28th  July 2015   devastated over 30 residential buildings, brought down many school buildings, wash away farmlands and major roads cut off thereby making it impossible for commuters to gain access to their homes.

She added that market stalls containing valuable goods and property worth millions of naira were destroyed. She further lamented that about  10 communities in Anambra Central which include Ogidi, Abatete, Alor, Ideani, Enekwasumpu, Awada, Odume, Awka, Amawbi, Isuanaocha, Okpuno and others have been ravaged by erosion, landslide and flood within the last three weeks.

Following the motion, the Senate resolved that the  ad-hoc Committee on Works chaired by Senator Barnabas should visit the affected communities for on-the-spot assessment of the extent of damage even as it mandated the Ecological Fund Office to immediately visit the affected communities, raise Bill of Quantities and put up measures to remedy the most critical cases.

The Senate had also called  on the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to provide relief materials in support of the victims. The Senate President having chaired the Environment and Ecology Committee in the 7th Senate will no doubt ensure that all the resolutions are promptly executed in the interest of all such victims across the country.

Added to this is the concern the Senate has expressed about the “Collapse of Road Infrastructure in Nigeria.” Senator Dino Melaye while introducing the debate lamented that  several trillions of Naira had been spent on road construction and rehabilitation since democracy returned to the country in 1999 with minimal or no impact on the nation’s roads. The Kogi West lawmaker further observed that the collapse of the road infrastructure had virtually cut off many parts of Nigeria, with its attendant negative impact on trade and commerce.

He argued that the  collapse had led to a decline in agricultural activities, thus adversely affecting the movement of agricultural produce from rural areas to urban centres across the country. He said the situation had resulted in a slide in the country’s agricultural output and economy especially now that the country needs to diversify its economy.

He said it was  saddening that loss of lives continue to occur as a result of the bad state of the roads, as evidenced by the chilling statistics reeled out by the Federal Road Safety Commission which he said represented a price too high and too prohibitive to pay for the obvious failure of governance.

The Senate acted on the motion by calling on the  Federal Government to reorganize the Federal Ministry of Works and its Agencies, especially the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), with a view to re-positioning them for the onerous task of rebuilding of the roads and also  to undertake the immediate rehabilitation and the dualization of major highways and interstate roads across the country.

The Red Chamber directed its  Committee on Works, when constituted, to embark on audit of all road projects across the country with a view to producing raw data for further necessary legislative action. The  Committee on Works was also directed to liaise with the appropriate government agencies to ensure the rehabilitation or completion of all abandoned and on-going road projects across the country.

Moreover, one of the motions on which the Senate led by Saraki has commenced immediate execution of its resolution was the one moved by  Senator George Thompson Sekibo (Rivers East), entitled: “Establishment of Presidential Intervention Committee on the Rehabilitation of North East Zone.”  The Senate, apart from condemning in no unmistakable terms the continual assault on the people of the North East Zones and other parts of the country by Boko Haram elements, urged the President to do everything within his powers as provided by the Constitution to eradicate insurgency in the country.

It also called on the President to  establish a “Presidential Intervention Committee on the Rehabilitation of the North East Zone”, especially the three most affected States of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe. Besides. Also, the visit to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) by a Senate delegation led by Saraki was a direct fallout of the motion. The Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu had also led another delegation of the upper chamber to visit IDPs camps in Adamawa state.

Also following a motion on: “The State of the Economy: Naira Depreciation and Its Implication” sponsored by  Senator Nazif Suleiman (Bauchi North), the lawmakers bemoaned the  state of the nation’s economy which has occasioned a drastic depreciation of the Naira.

While the Senate expressed worry  that the Naira had depreciated in the last few months at a much faster rate than it had appreciated over the last two years, the legislative chamber said it was aware that the cause of the depreciation was a consequence of the negative cash flow because of the downward trend in oil prices which had been further worsened by speculations in the foreign exchange market.

To stem the depreciation and weakening of the nation’s legal tender, the Senate urged the Federal Government to step up efforts in diversifying the economy from oil to taxation, agriculture, manufacturing, international tourism and solid minerals prospecting.

It also invited the CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele to brief it on efforts he is making to address the situation.  It is worthy of note that the 8th Senate led by Saraki has continued to prove its mettle as a responsible, responsive, sympathetic and focused body ready to collaborate with President Muhammadu Buhari to bring about needed positive changes in the polity for the benefit of the people.