Abuja – The upper chamber of the National Assembly on Tuesday adjourned plenary session for one week after sitting for just 10 minutes.
The Senate, which fixed the next legislative day for Tuesday, November 20, said it had to adjourn for lack of quorum.
It is reportedly the second time the Senate is adjourning plenary for oversight since it resumed from its annual recess on October 9.
On October 24, it had suspended sitting for two weeks to “allow the various standing committees to embark on oversight of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs)”.
Barely three minutes into the session that began at about 10.55a.m, the Minority Whip of the Senate, Philip Tanimu Aduda (PDP, FCT), cited Order 10(3) of the Senate’s standing rules to draw the attention of his colleagues to the lack of quorum and the need for adjournment.
The lawmaker pointed out that the Order stated that plenary session could only be held when the required quorum of 37 members out of 109 was formed, adding that without that the Senate should adjourn sitting till the next legislative day.
Aduda said, “We are less than 10, Mr. President. I want to move that since we have not formed quorum, we may therefore adjourn but in doing so, I want to say that the Senate is empty because various committees are carrying out oversight duties, they are all over the country ensuring that the budget is performing.
“On that note, the Senate may wish to extend the period of oversight functions if the Senate so wish by another week till Tuesday November 20.”
The Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, seconded the motion by saying, “I rise to second the motion ably moved by Senator Aduda, but let me add that we are more than 10 but certainly not up to 38. We are somewhere between 15 and 20. Just for the record, we are not less than 10 but less than 20.”
Accordingly, the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, put it to voice votes and got overwhelming support from the 20 senators in the chamber, that plenary session be adjourned.
But after adoption of the motion, Saraki said, “It is important that our members who are not here, we should communicate to them, those on oversight to finish what they have during the week – in the area of oversight.
“Some of the findings from the oversight are important and it is important that the exercise is done diligently and we should ensure that it is completed by the end of this week. That is in line with Order 10 (3).”
The Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan (APC, Yobe North) said, “Having adopted this motion, it is mandatory that we stand down all the items on the order paper to the next legislative week, precisely next week Tuesday, November 20, 2018.”
This was seconded by the Senate Deputy Minority Leader, Emmanuel Bwacha (PDP, Taraba South).
Meanwhile, it was observed that none of the seven female senators was among the 20 senators who attended the plenary session.
Saraki, Ekweremadu, Lawan, Bwacha, Aduda, Abu Ibrahim, Rafiu Ibrahim, Joshua Lidani, Emmanuel Paulker, among others, were the male senators in attendance.
The post Senate Adjourns Plenary For One Week Over Lack Of Quorum appeared first on Independent Newspapers Nigeria.
Source: Daily Independent
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