Senate President Lawan, Shekarau, Bulkachuwa, Others Sponsored No Bill in 1 Year

Senate President Lawan, Shekarau, Bulkachuwa, Others Sponsored No Bill in 1 Year

POLITICS DIGEST– Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, Adamu Bulkachuwa (APC, Bauchi) and former governor of Kano State, Ibrahim Shekarau (APC, Kano) are among the 10 senators who have not sponsored a single bill in the last one year.

The National Assembly, under Section 4 subsection (2) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, is vested with “powers to make laws for the peace, order and good governance of the Federation or any part thereof with respect to any matter included in the Exclusive Legislative List”.

The primary functions of a legislator include making laws on issues of public interest; representing the interest of citizens; and oversight of government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

The 9th Senate was inaugurated on 11 June, 2019. Since then, over 450 bills have been introduced, according to official records analysed by Daily Trust between October 2019, when bills sponsorship started and July 23, 2020 when the Red Chamber embarked on a two-month annual recess.

Other senators with no single bill to their names are: Christopher Stephen Ekpenyong (PDP, Akwa Ibom), Godiya Akwashiki (APC, Nasarawa), Emmanuel Yisa Orker-jev (PDP, Benue), Kabir Abdullahi Barkiya (APC, Katsina), Nicholas Olubukola Tofowomo (PDP, Ondo), Peter Onyeluka Nwaoboshi (PDP, Delta) and Lawali Hassan Anka (PDP, Zamfara).

The duo of   Ignatius Datong Longjan (APC, Plateau) and Sikiru Adebayo Osinowo (APC, Lagos) also had no bills to their credit until their death in February and June 2020 respectively.

While the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, did not respond to Daily Trust request for comment on the development, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau said he was currently working on a bill to amend the Pension Act.

Senator Adamu Muhammad Bulkachuwa (APC, Bauchi North) on his part said though he did not have any bill to his name alone, he co-sponsored some.

As campaigners for bills sponsorship by senators insisted that it was shameful for a lawmaker to spend one year in the chamber without any bill to his name, others are of the view that legislators should not be pressured into doing so. They said it was the duty of the Executive to sponsor bills.

Unlike Lawan, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has 16 bills to his credit in the period under review.  And just like Lawan, Gbajabiamila is a presiding officer.

In terms of bills sponsorship, Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi (APC, Kebbi) topped the chart with over 30 bills to his name. This is because the House of Representatives bills sent to the Senate for concurrence and the Executive bills stand in his name.

The Senate Leader is closely followed by Stella Oduah (PDP, Anambra), a two-time Senator, with 29 bills. Coming third on top of the chart is the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege (APC, Delta) who had 22 bills. Most of Omo-Agege’s bills are those seeking to alter the provisions of the constitution. He chairs the Senate Committee on Constitution Review.

Next is Ekwunife Lilian Uche (PDP, Anambra) with 17 bills to her name, followed by Mohammed Sani Musa (APC, Niger), who sponsored 14 bills while Ifeanyi Patrick Ubah (YPP, Anambra) has 13 bills and Ali Ndume (APC Borno) 12 bills.

Istifanus Dung Gyang (PDP, Plateau) and Gershom Henry Bassey, (PDP, Cross River)  sponsored 11 bills each, Olamilekan Adeola (APC, Lagos) 10, while Buhari Abdulfatai (APC, Oyo), Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti) and former deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu (PDP, Enugu) have 9 bills each.

Ibrahim Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano), Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (APC, Niger) and Betty Apiafi (PDP, Rives) sponsored 8 bills each. They are followed by Uba Sani (APC, Kaduna), Ibikunle Amosun (APC, Ogun) and Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe (APC, Kwara) with seven bills each.

Senators who sponsored six bills each are: Kashim Shettima (APC, Borno), Bassey Albert Akpan (PDP, Akwa Ibom), and Abba Patrick Moro (PDP, Benue).

Those with five bills each are: Senators Muhammad Enagi Bima (APC, Niger), Abdullahi Adamu (APC, Nasarawa), Sadiq Suleiman Umar (APC, Kwara), Theodore Ahamefule Orji (PDP, Abia), Tolulope Akinremi Odebiyi (APC, Ogun) and Joseph Obinna Ogba (PDP, Ebonyi).

Senators Matthew Urhoghide (PDP, Edo), Ayo Patrick Akinyelure (PDP, Ondo), Aduda Philip Tanimu (PDP, FCT) and Samuel Ominyi Egwu (PDP, Ebonyi) sponsored four bills each.

Others in this category are: Biodun Olujimi (PDP, Ekiti), Ezenwa Francis Onyewuchi (PDP, Imo), Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko (APC, Sokoto), Teslim Kolawale Folarin (APC, Oyo) and Barinada Barry Mpigi (PDP, Rivers).

Lawmakers in the Red Chamber who have sponsored three bills each are: Abdullahi Gobir (APC, Sokoto), Robert Ajayi Boroffice (APC, Ondo), Ademola Kola Balogun (PDP, Oyo), Ahmad Babba-kaita (APC, Katsina), Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed (APC, Adamawa), Francis Fadahunsi (PDP, Osun), Hassan Mohammed Gusau (PDP, Zamfara), Rochas Okorocha (APC, Imo) and Hezekiah Ayuba Dimka (APC, Plateau).

Others with three bills are: Michael Ama Nnachi (PDP, Ebonyi), Olubunmi Ayodeji Adetunmbi (APC, Ekiti), Ramoni Olalekan Mustapha (APC, Ogun), Late Rose Okoji Oko (PDP, Cross River), Suswam Torwua Gabriel (PDP, Benue), Yusuf Abubakar Yusuf (APC, Taraba), Alhaji Ya’u Sahabi (PDP, Zamfara) Francis Alimikhena (APC, Edo), Adelere Adeyemi Oriolowo (APC, Osun) and Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru (APC, Osun).

Senators Amos Bulus Kilawangs (APC, Gombe), Clifford Ordia (PDP, Edo), Ibrahim Hadejia (APC, Jigawa), Abubakar Kyari (APC, Borno), Late Benjamin Uwajumogu (APC, Imo), Chukwuka Utazi (PDP, Enugu), Danjuma Goje (APC, Gombe), Degi-eremienyo Wangagra (APC, Bayelsa), Emmanuel Bwacha (PDP, Taraba), Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP, Abia) and Ibrahim Gaidam (APC, Yobe) sponsored two bills each.

Others in this category are: Jibrin Isah (APC, Kogi), Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya (APC, Kano), Adamu Aliero (APC, Yobe), Oluremi Tinubu (APC, Lagos), Suleiman Abdu Kwari (APC, Kaduna), Binos Dauda Yaroe (PDP, Adamawa), Halliru Dauda Jika (APC, Bauchi), Sabo Mohammed (APC, Jigawa), Smart Adeyemi (APC, Kogi) and Ibrahim Abdullahi Danbaba (PDP, Sokoto).

Those with single bill each are: Ishaku Elisha cliff Abbo (PDP, Adamawa), Akon Etim Eyakenyi (PDP, Akwa Ibom), Ashiru Oyelola Yisa (APC, Kwara), Bala Ibn Na’allah (APC, Kebbi), Bello Mandiya (APC, Katsina), Chimaroke Nnamani (PDP, Enugu), Danjuma Tella La’ah (PDP, Kaduna), Danladi Abdullahi Sankara (APC, Jigawa), and George Thompson Sekibo (PDP, Rivers).

Others are: Ibrahim Mohammed Bomai (APC, Yobe), Lawal Yahaya Gumau (APC, Bauchi), Orji Uzor Kalu (APC, Abia), Oseni Yakubu (APC Kogi), Sandy Ojang Onor (PDP, Cross River), Shuaibu Isa Lau (PDP, Taraba), James Ebiowou Manager (PDP, Delta), Saidu Ahmed Alkali (APC, Gombe) and Umaru Tanko Almakura (APC, Nasarawa).