By Sylvanus Tyoakaa, Abuja
The senate on Tuesday resumed plenary, promising to expedite action on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill which was rejected by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan stated this on Tuesday
in an address delivered at the start of plenary to welcome Senators back from the Christmas and New Year holidays.
Lawan said the chamber would expeditiously look into the Bill having concluded all the needed consultations on the President’s response.
He said, “Like we all know, the Senate and indeed the National Assembly worked so hard on the Bill. Having consulted, the Senate will expeditiously look into the issue”.
The Senate President further assured that the upper chamber would continue to give the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the required support through legislative interventions to ensure that it succeeds in the conduct of the 2023 general elections.
“Distinguished colleagues, political activities leading to 2023 general elections have already started.
“This senate should continue to provide the support that Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) needs for successful elections across the country”, he said.
Lawan also tasked standing committees of the senate to strategies on ways to effectively oversight Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government to ensure the thorough implementation of the 2022 budget passed by the National Assembly in December last year and signed into law by President Buhari.
“Distinguished colleagues, as we all know the oversight of the implementation of the budget is a critical function of the National Assembly.
“We must therefore strategize on effective oversight of the implementation of the 2022 budget,” the senate president said.
He assured that the Senate would develop a strategy of engagement with revenue generating agencies on how to make them achieve their targets and generate more revenues in 2022 so as to reduce the country’s dependence on external borrowing to fund critical infrastructural projects.
Also commenting on plans to review the 1999 Constitution, he said, Lawan said the Senate Committee on Review of the 1999 Constitution has done so much work.
“Working with their counter parts in the House of Representatives the report of the Committee will be presented to the Senate for consideration soon.
“The Senate will consider the report and the National Assembly will communicate to the State Houses of Assembly within the first quarter of this year”, he said.
