As the Senate resumes plenary on January 28, 2020 after its one month Christmas and New year recess, IGNATIUS OKOROCHA examines major events that marked the upper legislative chamber and the tasks ahead in the 2020 legislative year
When on June 11, 2019, the 9th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was inaugurated with one of the oldest parliamentarian, Senator Ahmad Lawan, as its President from the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), majority of Nigerians were left in no doubt that the present National Assembly would impact positively on the economy and lives of the citizenry.
We all know that the bane of the previous leadership of two chambers of the National Assembly hinged on the unfriendly relationship between the Executive arm of government and the legislature.
Recall that the ninth Senate started on a peaceful note, with the election of Ahmad Lawan as the Senate President and other principal officers devoid of rancour and much drama that characterized the election of former President of 8th Senate, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki. In his election, Lawan ‘s votes cut across party lines and left no bad blood in their wakes.
This good start is significant, given the upheaval that the same process had assumed four years before, at the beginning of the eighth Senate when a large group of senators did not even have the opportunity to cast their votes. The leadership election crisis of June 2015 shaped the mood of the senators and would eventually define that assembly, culminating in the defection of the then Senate President Dr Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon Yakubu Dogara from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the main opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party ( PDP).
The seemingly political twist in the emergence of Saraki led leadership of the 8th Senate to some political pundits was a practical demonstration of the independency of the legislature as an arm of government with a mandate to checkmate the excesses of the Executive, and this was demonstrated in certain decisions of that administration in its relationship with the Executive arm.
To that extent, some of the resolutions and Bills passed by the Saraki led 8th Senate were glaringly rejected or ignored by President Muhammadu Buhari without recourse to their positive impact on the economy and well-being of the citizenry. Hence the, saying “when two elephants fight, the grasses suffer.”
But the smooth take off by the 9th Senate by having its presiding offices coming from the ruling APC party has set the stage for the harmonious relationship with the Executive. The assembly has a sizeable opposition caucus, but its tone has been mostly bi-partisan, temperate and cooperative. The opposition has its voice on every issue while the majority has their way.
It would again be recalled that on his emergence as the President of the 9th Senate, Ahmad Lawan vowed to revise the budget cycle to January -December passage and implementation that was introduced into the nation’s fiscal years by the military contrary to what has been the practice since the return of civil rule in 1999 which has culminated into the unrealizable implementation of the nation’s budgets over the years.
The result is the outstanding achievements that have been made in the first half-year of the ninth Senate that has been most rewarding.
The assembly has passed Six Bills into law, four of which were members’ bills. The first to be passed was the Deep Off-shore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contracts Act CAP D3 LFN 2004 (Amendment Bill, 2019) that was jointly sponsored by Senators Albert Akpan Bassey (PDP Akwa Ibom East) and Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah ( YPP Anambra South) respectively.
While declaring open a public hearing on the Bill in October, the Senate President said passing the bill had become “absolutely necessary so that Nigeria can generate more revenues from its endowments.” He added that the National Assembly was determined to pass the bill as a precursor to its determination to pass the Petroleum Industry Bill in 2020.
The Deep Off-shore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contracts Bill was promptly assented into law by President Muhammadu Buhari on November 4, 2019, within days of being passed by the National Assembly.
The Senate also passed the Finance Bill, 2019 on 21 November, 2019. The Bill amended seven existing tax and fiscal policy laws (Companies Income Tax Act, 2004; Value Added Tax Act, 2007; Customs and Excise Tariff (Consolidation) Act, 2004; Personal Income Tax Act, 2007; Capital Gains Tax Act, 2007; Stamp Duties Act, 2007; and Petroleum Profit Tax Act, 2004).
Its objective is to reform Nigeria’s tax system for enhanced implementation and effectiveness. It is in line with the reform of the tax system initiated by the Federal Government so as to create an enabling business environment and reduce the tax burden for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
The Senate also promptly passed the Appropriation Bill in line with the commitment of the senators to realigning the fiscal calendar to a predictable January-December budget cycle.
The ninth Senate has enjoyed a harmonious working relationship with the House of Representatives and the Executive. These have been of tremendous benefits to the nation as it has removed the mutual suspicion and hostility between the two arms that obviously slowed progress in the previous dispensation.
Under the new atmosphere, the National Assembly passed the budget and finance bills timeously and the president reciprocated the gesture with prompt assent to the Deep Off-shore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contracts Act CAP D3 LFN 2004 (Amendment Bill, 2019 and the Appropriation Act, 2020..
The passage is the earliest in recent memory and was done by the lawmakers to enable the government have a full year to implement its budgets. Lawan said the lawmakers believe this will “enhance planning, implementation and monitoring of the budget by the relevant organs and agencies and significantly improve our annual budget performance.”
Aside from the six bills passed, 185 Bills have also gone through first reading, while 32 other Bills have passed second reading and are before the relevant Senate Committees for the necessary legislative work.
