The senate on Tuesday resumed plenary after five weeks of recess and headed for a closed-door session which lasted for about an hour.
SEE ALSO: 8th National Assembly Best So Far – Mike Ozekhome
Speaking with the media, Sen. Godiya Akwashiki, Chairman, Committee on Media and Public Affairs, said the session was held to discuss five pressing issues, with the security challenges facing the country as a priority.
“ The primary assignment of every government is to protect life and property of its citizens, and today we went into a closed-door session, almost all 109 senators, including the president of the senate, we were all here.
“And in the closed-door, we have agreed on five important issues that affect the lives and property of our people, the people we are representing, and amongst these five issues is security.
“ And what we have agreed today is to set aside a day to discuss the security issues in the plenary, and the resolution will be taken.
“And we have agreed that we will engage the executive arm of government after the resolution of that special sitting on security.
“And I want to believe maybe you will air that special session with us, in the next 24 or 48 hours, you will hear what the senate will discuss.
“ So we cannot sit as a senate and overlook as our people are being killed as cows day-in-day-out, so we have agreed to take the security issue seriously.
“It is one of the 5 issues we have agreed to take on if I am not mistaken, either tomorrow or next, we are going to dedicate a day to purely discuss the issue of security.“ he said.
According to Akwashiki, with the precarious security situation in the country, the senate has no option but to take matters seriously to protect the lives and property of its citizens.
Sen. Akwashiki mentioned the other four issues to be; a robust constitutional amendment, amending the Electoral Act, Solid Minerals Development, enhancing agriculture as well as improving the power sector.
“The other four issues are that there is a robust constitutional amendment, electoral act.
“Last year we engaged stakeholders in Solid Minerals, Agriculture and Power, so the reports are ready; we are going to ask the committee chairmen to submit the report at plenary where all the senators will discuss it.
“And our resolution will be sent to the executive arm of government, even if it means asking them to forward a bill to make sure we amend the act that is establishing the various ministries, we will do so for the betterment of this country,” he said.
Akwashiki wished members of the media a happy new year and a warm welcome and urged all to continue to work toward disseminating information to the grassroots as was obtainable in the previous year.
He solicited for total cooperation of the media in carrying out the mandate of the 9th Assembly of taking the country to the Promised Land.
“ I also request that same cooperation you gave in 2019 should be given in 2020, so that whatever we are doing for the benefit of our people should be carried to them at the grassroots.
“So that you let Nigerians know what we are doing, in case, we are not doing the right thing, they should blow the whistle so that we can correct our mistakes, “ he said.