by crossriverwatch admin
Halfway into the tenure of the Senate, 34 senators have not sponsored any bill since coming to office, according to official records released by the Senate.
The Senate’s Mid-Term Assessment Report shows that of the total 109 senators, 74 have sponsored at least a bill during the period starting June 2011 while the rest initiated none.
Senate President David Mark sponsored no bill but, by convention, he is not expected to table any bill in his capacity as presiding officer of the Senate.
An analysis of the assessment report issued last month reveals that senators who did not sponsor any bill constitute about one-third of the upper chamber.
In terms of highest number of bills sponsored by an individual, Senate Leader and Senator representing Cross River Central Senatorial District, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba SAN topped the chat with 24 bills and he is closely followed by another Cross River Senator, Professor Benedict Ayade, a first time senator representing Cross River North Senatorial District, who introduced 18 bills in the two years under review. Next is Senator Ita Enang (PDP, Akwa Ibom), who sponsored 12 legislations.
Three senators came fourth on the chart with 11 bills each to their names. They are Senators Smart Adeyemi (PDP, Kogi), Domingo Obende (ACN, Edo) and Ifeanyi Okowa (PDP, Delta).
Ganiyu Solomon (ACN, Lagos) introduced nine bills, while Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan (ANPP, Yobe), Odion Ugbesia (PDP, Edo) and Aloysius Etuk (PDP, Akwa Ibom) sponsored seven bills each during the period.
Hope Uzodinma (PDP, Imo) had six bills, Barnabas Gemade (PDP, Benue) six, Chris Anyanwu (APGA, Imo) five, while nine others sponsored four bills each.
The two senators who died within the period, Gyang Dantong (PDP, Plateau) and Pious Ewherido (DPP, Delta), had sponsored one and four bills respectively.
Some of the senators on the list, including Sadiq Yar’Adua and Solomon Ewuga, only came to the Senate last year after winning tribunal judgements.
Deputy Senate Leader Abdul Ningi’s name did not appear on the list of senators who sponsored bills during the period.
An analysis of the midterm performance report show that although senators from the North are in the majority with 57 out of 109, they performed less than their counterparts from the South in terms of bills sponsorship.
Only 33 of the 57 Northern senators sponsored at least one bill in the two year-period under review while the remaining 24 had no single bill.
Of the total 342 bills introduced, 191 were sponsored by senators from the South, 85 bills sponsored by northern senators, 42 were Executive bills submitted by President Jonathan while 23 were forwarded from the House of Representatives for Senate’s concurrence.
This is coming amidst public debate on the emoluments of Nigerian federal lawmakers, who a recent report by the Economist ranked top in a global chart of legislators’ salaries.
Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) records show that each senator is entitled to N35 million in yearly salaries and allowances.
Based on this alone, the 34 senators who did not sponsor any bill would have collectively received more than N1 billion in wages, apart from other hefty allowances received in quarterly installments.
Senators who did not sponsor any bill in the two years under review, according to the assessment report, include Jibrilla Mohammed Bindowo (PDP, Adamawa), Chris Ngige (ACN, Anambra), Babayo Garba Gamawa (PDP, Bauchi), George Akume (ACN, Benue), Maina Ma’aji Lawan (ANPP, Borno), Mohammed Ali Ndume (PDP, Borno), Ahmad Zannah (PDP, Borno), Nwanko Christopher (PDP, Delta), Oguji Sunny (PDP, Ebonyi) and Babafemi Ojudu (ACN, Ekiti).
Other senators with no bills are Mohammed Danjuma Goje (PDP, Gombe), Abdulazeez Usman (PDP, Jigawa), Ahmed Makarfi (PDP, Kaduna), Mohammed Sani Saleh (CPC, Kaduna), Kabiru Gaya (ANPP, Kano), Sadiq Yar’Adua (CPC, Katsina), Mohammed Magoro (PDP, Kebbi), Suleiman Adoke (PDP, Nasarawa), Solomon Ewuga (CPC, Nasarawa), Obadara Olugbenga Onoalapa (ACN, Ogun), Kunlere Boluwaji (LP, Ondo), Robert Boroffice (LP, Ondo), Olusola Adeyeye (ACN, Osun) and Hosea Agboola Ayoola (PDP, Oyo).
Also on the list are Magnus Abe (PDP, Rivers), Wilson Asinobi Ake (PDP, Rivers), Mohammed Maccido (PDP, Sokoto), Abubakar Umar Turare (PDP, Taraba), Aisha Jummai Alhassan (PDP, Taraba), Alkali Jajere (ANPP, Yobe), Bukar Abba Ibrahim (ANPP, Yobe), Ahmed Sani Yarima (ANPP, Zamfara), Sahabi Alhaji Ya’u (PDP, Zamfara) and Kabiru Garba Marafa (ANPP, Zamfara).
Mr. Ushie Ando, a public commentator who spoke to CrossRiverWatch on the development said: “It is particularly commendable that the Senate Leader, Ndoma Egba has continued to demonstrate leadership by once again distinguishing himself on top of the chart and also very noteworthy that a first time senator, Prof. Ayade has also risen beyond the inexperience that his colleagues are pleading to come second on the chart.
“This calls for special celebration by Cross River State and recognition of these worthy sons of the state by the state government.”
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