Senate President Ahmad Lawan has assured that the chamber will speed up action on the Electoral Law Amendment Bill after all consultations on the President’s response have been concluded.
Lawan gave the hint Tuesday in a speech at the start of the plenary session to welcome senators back from the Christmas and New Year break.
He recalled that the Senate postponed discussions on consideration of President Muhammadu Buhari’s response on the 2010 Electoral Law Amendment Bill in December last year.
He said this became imperative to allow the chamber to consult with their counterparts in the House of Representatives and their Constituents, respectively.
According to him, the chamber would expeditiously study the Electoral Law Project having concluded all the necessary consultations on the President’s response.
“As we all know, the Senate and indeed the National Assembly worked very hard on the bill. Once consulted, the Senate will study the issue expeditiously,” he said.
The president of the Senate also assured that the upper house would continue to provide the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with the required support through legislative interventions to ensure that the Commission is successful in holding the 2023 general elections.
He said: “Distinguished colleagues, the political activities leading up to the 2023 general election have already started.
“This Senate must continue to provide the support that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) needs for successful elections throughout the country.”
Mr. Lawan also tasked the standing committees with strategizing on ways to effectively oversee government ministries, departments and agencies to ensure the full implementation of the 2022 budget passed by the National Assembly in December last year and signed into law by President Buhari. .
“My Distinguished Colleagues, before we went into recess, we considered and passed the Appropriations Bill on December 22, 2021. That was the third time in a row that we passed the annual appropriations bill before the end of the year.
“The bill was promulgated on December 31, 2021 by the President, to give the desired effect of beginning the implementation of the Budget as of January 2022.
“Distinguished colleagues, once again I congratulate the Senate, indeed the National Assembly and the executive arm of the Government for working tirelessly to maintain the instituted budget cycle from January to December.
“Distinguished colleagues, as we all know, oversight of Budget implementation is a critical function of the National Assembly.
“Therefore, we must strategize on effective oversight of Budget 2022 implementation.
“This is going to be the last budget to be fully implemented for 12 months in the life of the Ninth Senate. So we have to monitor very closely,” Lawan said.
The Senate President assured that the Senate would develop an engagement strategy with revenue-generating agencies on how to get them to meet their goals and generate more revenue by 2022.
According to him, this would reduce the country’s dependence on foreign loans to finance critical infrastructure projects.
“Distinguished colleagues, the financing of the 2022 budget is based on a significant loan. Our country is caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.
“We have to build and provide infrastructure, everywhere in our country because infrastructure is necessary for our nation to develop.
“However, we do not generate enough revenue to finance the provision of such infrastructure. Until more revenue is generated, the country has to borrow and also turn to other sources of financing our infrastructure development. But we cannot continue to borrow endlessly.
“It is imperative that we need to improve the relationship between income and Gross Domestic Product (GDP). With a revenue to GDP ratio of about 8%, our country is basically at the 50% of what is required of the 15% revenue to GDP to support any significant economic development.
“Distinguished colleagues, the Senate will develop an engagement strategy with revenue-generating agencies on how to get them to achieve their goals and generate more revenue in 2022.
“The Senate will make sure we increase its revenue-generating drive with an eye to reducing borrowing for the development of our much-needed infrastructure. This is a major challenge for our development and we must treat it as such,” he said.
Distinguished Colleagues, The Petroleum Industry Act, PIA, 2021 was enacted in order to provide a better investment climate for a better performing oil and gas industry. The Senate therefore
Mr. Lawan underlined the need for the upper house to seriously monitor the implementation of the IAP 2021, to allow the country to benefit from its approval.
He added that the Senate must continue to prioritize the safety and well-being of citizens as enshrined in the constitution, while urging Nigerians not to despair as a result of the security challenges facing the nation.
On the chamber’s plans to revise the 1999 Constitution, he said: “Our 1999 Constitution Revision Committee has done a lot of work so far.
“Working with their counterparts in the House of Representatives, the Committee’s report will be submitted to the Senate for consideration soon.
“The Senate will consider the report and the National Assembly will communicate it to the Houses of the State Assembly within the first quarter of this year.”
