The deputy senate president, Ike
Ekweremadu on Wednesday, November 11, presided over the plenary for
the first time.
He held forth for the Senate President, Bukola Saraki who was attending the inauguration of the ministers by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Rock Villa.
However, this did not go down well with some APC
senators who walked out of plenary.
Their suspected grievances is not unconnected with the
fact that they were not in support of Ekweremadu’s controversial emergence as
the deputy senate president.
Saraki took over plenary midway upon arrival from the
presidential villa.
As at the time of this report, the senate went into an
executive session.
The Senate also mandated the committees on
finance, banking and other financial institutions and public account to carry
out holistic investigation on the remittance of the Treasury Single
Account(TSA) funds.
This was disclosed on a three prayer motion sponsored
by Dino Melaye representing Kogi West senatorial district.
The Senate also directed the Central Bank of Nigeria
(CBN) to immediately stop payment to the company.
It also commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the
introduction of the Treasury Single Account(TSA).
Melaye who said that the Senate is aware that the essence
of the TSA is to prevent a situation whereby the revenue of the federal
government is handled and kept by different bodies, on September 15 directed
all its MDAs to close the account.
He said: “In the course of the operation of the
TSA, the federal government mopped up the sum of 2.5 trillion naira through its
e-collection agent called REMITA who charges one percent of all monies passing
through it.
“The implication of which one percent of which one
percent of the 2.5 trillion mopped up on September 15, 2015 alone amounted to
25 billion naira largesse to REMITA for doing nothing.”
Ibn na’Allah representing Kebbi state assured
Nigerians that the Senate will get to the root of the matter.
“I assure Nigerians that the eighth senate will not
subject itself to referendum of any social media.
“We will bring whoever is involved and hunt him down,” he said.
Saraki who commended his colleagues on the motion said
the committee on finance should handle the case with due diligence.
He said: “This is a lot of work but the committee
will do a very diligent work and let us know what the issues are. I believe the
committee will do a job that will reflect well on the Senate.”
Meanwhile, a bill titled FCT University of Science and
Technology, Abaji bill 2015 sponsored by Philip Aduda(FCT) was presented for
first reading.
Also, three reports were presented on the floor of the
senate in which two were from the committee on ethics, privileges and public
petitions while the other was from the ad-hoc committee on import waivers,
concessions and grants.
However, the senate adjourned
plenary till next Tuesday.
Source: Naij.com
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