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| Members of the Nigerian Senate during a plenary |
The Senate on Wednesday suspended further deliberation on the
amendment of Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and Tribunals Act as well as
the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.
The Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over
plenary, announced the suspension following a two-hour closed door
session.
The close-door session was informed by a Point of Order raised by
Sen. Hope Uzodinma (PDP-Imo West) on the need for the senate to discuss
some issues affecting the integrity of the upper house.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Bill to amend the
Acts, sponsored by Sen. Peter Nwoboshi (PDP-Delta North), passed through
the first and second readings on April 12 and April 14.
The senate, while declaring support for the President of the Senate,
Bukola Saraki, in view of his trial, also suspended discussions on the
petition of inflammatory statements on the Senate against Sen. Kabiru
Marafa (APC-Zamfara Central).
“The senate in a closed-door session discussed a number of issues affecting the smooth working of the senate.
“And I am happy to announce to our colleagues and the entire nation
that after exhaustive deliberations and being sincere to ourselves, we
decided to put behind us all things that have divided us since the
inception of the 8 Senate and work as a united senate in the best
interest of our country.
“We also agreed in the closed-session to suspend the discussion of the committee on Ethics report on Senator Marafa.
“We agreed to suspend further deliberation on the amendment on the
Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal’s Act and the Criminal and
Administration of Justice Act the amendment thereto.
“We agreed that this senate should stand and we do stand by the
senate president in his trial until proven guilty by the court in
accordance with our constitution and democratic practices all over the
world including South Africa, Brazil and Russia.”
The deputy president of the senate further announced that the upper
house had set up committees to reconcile the warring factions in the
senate and other pertinent issues.
“We also agreed to set up a committee two from each geo-political
zone to address all the remaining issues and as part of the
reconciliation those in court should consider withdrawing the cases.
“Further to the agreement to set up the committees, the geo-political zones have sent names of their representatives.
“For South South, we have Sen. Akpabio and Sen. James Manager; for
North West, we have Sen. Sani Yerima and Suleiman Hunkuyi; for the North
East, we have Sen. Bukar Abba and Joshua Lidani.
“For the South East, we have Sam Egwu and Hope Uzodinma; for the
North Central, we have Gemade and Abdullahi Adamu; and for the South
West, we have Monsurat Sumonu and Sen. Gbenga Ashafa.”
The senate, thereafter, went into another closed-door session with
the National Security Adviser and all the Service Chiefs over the
abduction of the more than 200 Chibok girls.
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PLEASE BE POLITE