The Senate has announced its plans to increase the number of Standing Committees, however, the number was not made public.
The Senate also stated that it will appoint the committees’ chairs on Monday.
The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, revealed this at plenary after the completion of the day’s ministerial screening when he raised a point of order on the necessity to change the Senate’s Standing Orders.
The purpose of the amendment was to allow the Senate to increase the number of Standing Committees.
According to Bamidele, the rules are being amended to accommodate issues that will make the orders dynamic in order to support an effective legislative process.
According to him, despite the revision, a number of concerns still call for additional changes in response to new developments that would improve the rules or practises and processes for legislative practise.
He said:
“The amendment will ensure that the expansion facilitates the definition of the functions and jurisdictions of new committees. As a result, the consequential approval of the Senate is mandatory for the review of the renumbered Order 96 to accommodate the new committees.”
The Senate Leader prayed for the Senate to approve the suggested modifications.
The amendment was discussed by the Senate in a Committee of the Whole.
Five other applicants had already been examined by the Senate on Saturday.
The candidates are Dr. Bosun Tijani from Ogun State, Lola Ade-John from Lagos, Dr. Isiak Salako from Ogun State, Tahir Mamman from Adamawa, and Uba Ahmed from Taraba.
Festus Keyamo (Delta State) and Mariya Mahmoud (Kano), the final two candidates, were subsequently postponed by the Senate till Monday.
cc: Punch Ng
