NASS Roundup: Ebola, fuel import, unity college funding, other top Senate stories

The lawmakers passed resolution on Ebola, move to amend Nigeria’s Quarantine Act.

The Senate on Tuesday debated and passed for second reading a bill seeking to amend the National Senior Secondary Education Commission Act to strengthen the administration and funding of federal unity colleges and Armed Forces senior secondary schools.

The bill was subsequently referred to the Senate Committee on Primary and Secondary Education for further legislative scrutiny and a public hearing.

Sponsored by the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, the bill seeks to strengthen the administration, coordination and funding of public senior secondary schools across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

It also proposes a legal framework for direct government intervention to address infrastructure deficits and shortages of learning resources in public senior secondary schools.

The Senate on Wednesday rejected a proposal for lawmakers to visit the entry points through which a woman infected with Ebola reportedly entered Nigeria before she was isolated at a private hospital in Abuja.

Instead, the upper chamber urged the federal government to immediately release emergency funds from the Service Wide Vote to prevent the spread of the virus.

The lawmakers adopted the resolution while debating a motion on the need to enforce mandatory health screening at all international airports and other entry points to prevent the spread of Ebola and other epidemic-prone diseases.

The motion was sponsored by Francis Faduyile, the senator representing Ondo South Senatorial District.

On Wednesday, the upper chamber of the National Assembly resolved to engage the presidency on reviewing Nigeria’s Quarantine Act to bring it in line with modern public health legislation and the International Health Regulations.

Mr Akpabio directed the Senate Committee on Judiciary to liaise with the executive arm of government and relevant health agencies to develop proposals for amending the law.

He gave the directive during plenary while lawmakers debated a motion on the need to enforce mandatory health screening at all international airports and other entry points to prevent the spread of Ebola and other epidemic-prone diseases.

The Senate president said the proposed amendment should be treated as urgent to strengthen Nigeria’s public health response to the Ebola outbreak and prevent further spread of the disease.

A bill seeking to repeal and re-enact the National Universities Commission (NUC) Act to strengthen the commission’s regulatory powers and modernise university accreditation processes passed second reading in the Senate on Thursday.

The bill was subsequently referred to the Senate Committee on Tertiary Education and TETFund for further legislative scrutiny and a public hearing.

The executive-sponsored bill seeks to strengthen the NUC’s regulatory framework, promote global best practices in university education, and encourage innovation and research.

It also proposes stronger enforcement measures against universities that violate the commission’s guidelines and procedures. In addition, it seeks to reinforce the NUC’s role as the apex regulatory body responsible for accrediting academic programmes in Nigerian universities.

The Senate Committee on Public Accounts on Tuesday resolved to summon the heads of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) over discrepancies in records of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) imports into Nigeria between 2021 and 2023.

The committee’s chairperson, Ibrahim Dankwambo, announced the resolution on Tuesday after the NMDPRA appeared before the panel to respond to queries raised in NEITI’s Oil and Gas Industry Audit Report covering the period.

Mr Dankwambo, who represents Gombe North Senatorial District, said the heads of the three agencies would be required to explain the discrepancies and work towards reconciling the conflicting figures.

On Thursday, the Senate on urged the federal government to explore appropriate budgetary provisions and international climate adaptation financing to protect coastal communities threatened by ocean surges and sea incursion.

The upper chamber also directed the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and relevant state authorities to provide immediate humanitarian assistance, including safe water, healthcare services and temporary shelter, to residents whose homes and livelihoods have been destroyed by ocean surges.

The lawmakers adopted the resolutions during plenary while debating a motion on the urgent need to construct shoreline protection infrastructure to save Ayetoro community in Ondo State from sea incursion.

The motion was sponsored by Francis Faduyile (APC, Ondo South).