October 03, (THEWILL) – The Senate has amended its standing Rule 3(2) (1-3), to stop newly elected or first-time Senators from contesting for the position of presiding officers of the Red Chamber
The amendments follow a motion moved at plenary session on Tuesday, by Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele and seconded by the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Simon Mwadkwon.
According to Rule 3 (as amended), any senator wishing to contest for the position of the Senate President and Deputy Senate President must have spent a minimum of one term in the Senate.
With the new amendment, first-term senators are now ineligible to contest for the position of presiding officers of the upper chamber.
Also, at plenary on Tuesday, the Senate effected nine other amendments, aimed at accommodating new standing committees in addition to the 74 Standing Committees of the Senate.
It created the Committee on Atomic and Nuclear Energy, which would oversee the Nigeria Nuclear Energy Regulatory Commission, Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission, and their annual budget estimates.
The Senate also split the Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT) into two different standing committees, namely the Committee on FCT and Committee on FCT Area Councils.
Consequently, the Committee on FCT would oversee matters affecting the FCT, Planning and Development of the new Federal Capital Territory and control of development within the Federal Capital Territory and its annual budget.
The Committee on FCT Area Councils would oversee Area Council Mandate, Area Council Service Commission, Area Council Staff Pension Board, Auditor-General for the Area Council and other agencie or departments under FCT.
Similarly, the Committee on Sports was split into two standing committees, making Committee on Sports Development, as well as Committee on Youth and Community Engagements.
According to the Senate, the jurisdiction of the Committee on Sports Development shall include Federal Ministry of Sport Development, National Lottery Commission, National Institute for Sports, Nigeria Football Federation, Sport Arena Development, national and international sporting activities, sports administration and annual budget estimates.
The Senate further said the jurisdiction of the Committee on Youth and Community engagements should include Federal Ministry of Youth Development, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Citizens and Leadership Training Centre, Offices of the Senior Assistant to the President on Community Engagement in the six geo-political zones, youth movements activities and associations and its annual budget estimates.
Also, the Senate also split the Committee on Solid Minerals, Steel Development and Metallurgy into the Committee on Solid Mineral Development and the Committee on Mines and Steel Development.
The Committee on Solid Mineral Development “shall oversee Federal Ministry of Solid Mineral Development, Nigerian Geological Survey Agency, Mining Cadastre Office and Council of Nigerian Mining Engineers and Geoscientist, Nigerian Metallurgical Training Institute, Solid Minerals Development Fund, Nigeria Institute of Mining and Geoscience, National Metallurgical Development Centre, exploration of minerals extraction and quarry, geological survey and minerals investigation, as well as explosives.
“The Committee on Mines and Steel Development shall oversee Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Aluminum Smelting Company of Nigeria, Ajaokuta Steel Development Company, National Iron Ore Mining Company, National Steel Raw Material Exploration Agency and their budgets.”
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