After PREMIUM TIMES report, Senate changes sitting time

The Senate on Thursday amended its resumption time for plenary from 10:00 a.m. to 11: 00 a.m.

The upper chamber also amended its closing hours from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the amendment during the plenary after most lawmakers supported a motion moved by the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele.

The new rule says, “Order 8 sub-section (2) of the Senate Standing Rule (as amended) now states “On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, the Senate shall meet at 11:00 a.m. and unless previously adjourned shall seat until 3:00 p.m., unless before a substantive motion had been moved by the Leader of the Senate or a Senator acting in that capacity “that this Senate do now adjourn” and if such a motion be moved and if the questions thereon has not been previously been determined, at 3: 00 p.m. the President of the Senate shall adjourn the Senate without question being put.”

The amendment clauses were considered and approved by the Committee of the Whole.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how Mr Akpabio continuously disregarded legislative timing mandated by the Senate rules for the commencement of plenaries.

The former rule of the Senate, Rule 8 sub-section (2) states that the plenary should commence by 10 a.m. every legislative day.

However, a review of the votes and proceedings of the plenaries indicated that since Mr Akpabio became the senate president in June last year, the sittings had yet to meet the time requirement.

Two days later, the senate president confirmed this newspaper observation and explained that the delay in the commencement of plenary sessions was because he held meetings with principal officers of the Senate before coming to the chamber.

Amendment

Mr Bamidele, while presenting the amendment notice, said it is pursuant to Order 109 of the Senate Standing Orders as amended.

He explained that the primary reason for the change of time was because the lawmakers used to commence the plenary late in disregard to the legislative clock.

“The logic, Mr President, is that a lot of times, distinguished senators have reasons to go to bed late, and there is no point having in our rule book that our sitting time is 10 a.m. and every day we sit at 11 o’clock.

“Of course, there are some distinguished senators who would be here 10 a.m. for 10 a.m., but there have been a lot of times where even you, Mr President, at 11 a.m. or 10:30 a.m. we have to wait for some of our colleagues to come so that we could form a quorum. It is important that we walk our talk.

“If our rule had said 10 a.m. and we have not been able to sit 10 a.m. for 10 a.m., I think what is most important is that if we say 11 o’clock, it should be 11 o’clock.

“I think it makes sense that we amend our rules to read 11 o’clock rather than our rule book saying 10 a.m. and we don’t sit until 11 a.m. For me, this is the basic justification,” the senate leader said.

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Contributions

The immediate past Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, rejected the amendment of the time to begin plenary sessions.

Mr Lawan (APC, Yobe North) based his position on the fact that many lawmakers will have the energy to engage in legislative matters in the morning.

“I don’t know the basis at the moment for which we want to shift our sitting from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and end at 3 p.m. To me, we have more energy, our eyes are clearer in the morning, and one hour into the day, probably we would have lost some energy,” he said.

He also said the committees may not be able to function properly if the plenary time is extended.

“If we work between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and sit in the plenary between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., our committees would do better. If we don’t have any reason except we have to synchronise with the House, I think we need to look at it again.

“The House may have their reasons for sitting at 11 a.m. and close by 3 p.m., but here, I don’t think we have reasons,” Mr Lawan added.

Abdullahi Yahaya (PDP, Kebbi North) supported the amendment but urged the senate leadership to ensure the plenary commences at the stipulated time.