•The Nigerian Senate
A bill seeking to establish the South-South Development Commission has been stepped down by the Senate.
The bill sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong representing Cross River South failed to scale second reading after a voice vote where lawmakers unanimously declined to give backing to the bill, reports Channels TV.
In a debate, the lawmakers argued about the propriety of establishing multiple agencies, particularly against the backdrop of an existing commission in the Niger Delta.
However, as soon as he concluded his lead debate, the bill was immediately opposed by senators who spoke after him.
Two of them from the North – senators Adamu Aliero and Abdul Ningi – said the proposed commission was a duplication of the existing Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), advising the Senate to drop it.
In the ensuing voice vote, the house became polarised and after the voice votes, the bill was stepped down for further consultation.
Similarly, the Senate quashed a bill to establish the National Road Transport Council.
The bill sponsored by Senator Yisa Ashiru Oyelola representing Kwara South, was to be saddled with the responsibility of regulating the road transport industry and the transport profession in Nigeria.
As some lawmakers embraced the merits of the bill, the majority of them rose in dissent arguing that in line with recommendations from the Oransanye report which underpins shrinking agencies with multiplicity of functions, the legislature cannot be seen to be backing the creation of more.
