Senate shuts down in honour of 44 slain soldiers

…Asks Committees on Army, Defence to probe killings, condole with Army Chief,
…To give financial support to grieved families, visit soldiers at war front
The Senate on Thursday suspended proceedings in honour of the 44 officers and men of the 157 Task Force Battalion, Metele, Borno State killed by Boko Haram insurgents.

It stood down items on the order paper for the day till Tuesday November 27, 2018.

The upper Chamber resolved to visit Nigerian troops at warfront to ascertain the level of their welfare and to encourage them. It as well ordered its committees on Army and that of Defence to investigate circumstances leading to the loss of such high number of military men.

The Committee on Army headed by Senator George Akume was also mandated to pay condolence visits to the Chief of Army Staff and families of the fallen heroes with financial donations for the upkeep of families they left behind.

Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah (APC Kebbi) who was the lead sponsoring the motion prayed that the Senate go beyond observing the traditional one minute silence for departed soul to shutting down proceedings due to the weighty incident.

Na’Allah in his lead debate, made three prayers for observance of a one-minute silence, pay a condolence visit to the Army and embark on investigation but Uchendu added that the Senate should adjourn sitting rather than observing a mere one-minute silence which was unanimously approved.

He said, “Mr President and dear colleagues, I have no reasons to doubt the figure of the 44 dead soldiers. But if that figure is correct, then this Senate must come out and show massive concern, not just one-minute silence.

“We must shut down for one whole day in honour of those fallen heroes”.

Senator Shehu Sani urged his colleagues to consider financial succour to families left behind by the slained soldiers while Senator Adamu Aliero (APC Kebbi) called on government to look into the welfare of personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces and other security agencies to build confidence in hem and enhance their commitment.

Senate Minority Leader, Biodun Olujinmi (PDP Ekiti) berated the Federal government for being economical with the truth over situation of insurgency in the North East zone.

She reiterated that the Senate call for an overhaul of the nation’s entire security architecture

Meanwhile, the vice chairman of the Senate committee on Army, Senator Ibrahim Dambaba(PDP Sokoto) drew the attention of the upper chamber through a point of order alleging that the Army committee under the chairmanship of Senator George Akume from Benue state has been grossly inactive for over two years now.

The lawmaker added that the committee has not undertaken any oversight functions on the Army projects.

In his words, “In fact, the only thing the committee has done that can be said to be oversight was our visit to the Army headquarters in 2016.

“In fact, Mr President, the Senate is completely detached from the Nigerian Army. We in the Senate do not know what the Army is actually doing.

“I want to say this again that there was a draft bill that was referred to the committee about two years ago; that bill is still lying down in the secretariat of the committee.

“This is because the leadership of the committee has not been able to give direction as to what to do with the bill”.

Dambaba further urged the hallowed chamber to direct the Committee on Ethics to investigate the conduct of the committee and why it’s leadership should be allowed to stand.

He warned that the alleged inactivity of the committee would drag the Senate into disrepute if nothing was done to reverse the situation.

Following this unpleasant development, Senate President Bukola Saraki directed Majority Leader of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan to discuss with the committee’s leadership and report back for further legislative action.

Issues listed on the order paper for the day had included; presentation of reports of the Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND on the bills to establish, Federal University of Education, Aguleri, Anambra State, Federal Polytechnic Daura, National Institute of Construction Technology and Management and Federal Polytechnic, Ikom, Cross Rivers State.

Also, the Senate yesterday should have considered the Conference Committee Report on National Biotechnology Development Agency Bill 2018, report on the establishment of the Counselling Practitioners Council of Nigeria, and the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (Repeal and Re-enactment Bill).