The Senate yesterday opened debate on a report of its ad-hoc committee on legislative agenda for the upper legislative chamber.
The proposed agenda identified and indicated the direction the Senate intends to take to achieve its goals in the next four years.
Senate Leader, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, presented the report compiled by 18 members.
The Senate, and indeed the National Assembly has been battling to reposition itself in the minds of Nigerians as an effective and capable legislative chamber working for Nigerians to improve living conditions and governance.
It said the upper chamber, in its work, would be guided by the country’s best interest and work cordially and in synergy with the House of Representatives, the Executive and the Judiciary to deliver on legislative goals and improve governance.
It said the Eighth Senate would take the business of legislation serious by ensuring that “our legislative drive and activities will be targeted at reforming critical sectors of the Nigerian society and economy and will aim to deliver development, reforms, transparency and accountability in government.”
It said the Senate would take legislative steps to combat poverty.
The agenda dealt with needs assessment, legislative processes, standing and ad-hoc committees, oversight functions and public hearing, ethical and code of conduct for members, tracking of bills, motions and other legislative assignments and reduction of cost of governance.
Other areas covered by the agenda included electronic archives, Senate museum, (historical data gallery 1999 to date, internal and external relations, annual budget, national economy and sustainable development and strategies for the implementation of the agenda.
Senator Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos Central) said the legislative agenda of the Eighth Senate should be tailored to give Nigerians what they wanted.
She said there was no doubt that a lot of things were wrong in the country.
Senator Tinubu said the upper chamber should avoid a situation where old wine was put in a new bottle in the name of legislative agenda.
She said the Senate must work to ensure that the rising poverty indices in the country were brought down.
The lawmaker said the Eighth Senate must not go the way of the Seventh Senate, which she said failed to do a lot of things, including passing the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).
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