10th NASS will not review social media regulations -Akpabio

The Senate of the 10th National Assembly resumed from its annual vacation to commence the beginning of another legislative year. Our Correspondent ANDREW OOTA takes a look at the task ahead of the Senator Godswill Akpabio led red-chamber .
The 10th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria reconvened yesterday after its months long annual vacation.
It will be recalled that the upper legislative chamber embarked on its recess shortly after the screening and confirmation of ministerial nominees for appointments by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
Besides this major assignment after its proclamation and subsequent inauguration, the Senate had conducted a few other businesses such as Constitution of its selection committee as well as its standing committees .
The selection committee of the Senate is made up of its leadership.
The standing panels of the Senate and indeed in all parliaments are vested with the responsibilities of oversight that provides the constitutionally guaranteed checks and balances .
Standing committees are expected to track budget spending and expenditure of ministries, parastatals and agencies of the executive to ensure total accountability, fairness and probity . They are to ensure that monies are applied for the purposes they were budgeted for.
Recently , the National Assembly hasn’t looked good in the eye of the public regarding holding the agencies of Government accountable .
The 9th Senate,it would seem made little or no efforts in holding agencies accountable, records have shown that perhaps ,the 8th Senate exhibited more dexterity and sincerity of purpose in the areas of oversight.
The challenge before the Senator Godswill Akpabio led 10th will be if, the Senate will surpass the 9th Senate in terms of docility or will mark out the 8th in terms of proactivity .
The 10th Senate remains the most favoured by the Executive , what this would mean to some people will be that it will simply stamp and approve all executive communications and decisions.
The emergence of the presiding officers of the 10th was with the full backing of the Presidency and Governors of the All Progressives Congress; therefore it will be the expectation of some ,that the executive paid the piper and should naturally dictate the tune.
The challenge before the Akpabio led Senate as it resumes from it’s annual vacation will be to work assiduously to prove bookmakers wrong by upholding the integrity and independence of the legislature .
The courage of the 10th Senate to withhold confirmation of immediate past Kaduna state Governor ,Mallam Nasir El-Rufai for whatever security reports was a sign that the current Senate looks unpredictable .
There were other nominees that fell short of minimum expectations whom the public raised eye brows over their confirmation ,but El-Rufai’s case was loudest because of his closeness to President Tinubu which ,rightly or wrongly conferred on him a sense of entitlement .
The 10th Senate will be required to conduct another screening for yet another important office , the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria nominee .
The state of the Nigerian economy is in shambles , with multiple exchange rates and complete secrecy of the operations of the apex bank.
The Central Bank of Nigeria appears to be literally above the laws of the land, the behaviour of this institution and its leadership needs no kid gloves, it is also expected that the Senate carries a very rigorous and detail screening of the nominee to ascertain that the occupant of that office comes with the required experience to salvage the geometric fall of the naira and work to restore its stability.
As the 10th Senate reconvenes , it will receive the 2024 budget estimates as well as the Mid Term Framework from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The expectation of many will be that the upper legislative chamber will allocate funds to areas that will address the yearnings and aspirations of the electorate, work out a realistic crude oil price benchmark , rather than the yearly needless forth and backs over budget paddings, inflation, dubious insertions and duplication of project sums in a shameful collaborative fashion.
The expectations of many will include an early passage of the money bill with accompanying laws that mandates the ministry of Finance to ensure prompt releases of funds as timely,necessary as possible .
The 10th Senate must infuse into the psyche of the approving authorities that the budget estimates is a money bill and once passed and signed by the President it becomes a law that must be implemented in full and within 12 months .
As the Senate reconvenes, it’s current leadership must up it’s game by ensuring that lawmakers are not only seen to be above board in the conduct of there oversight but are indeed above board as they interact or interface with MDA’s . The good of the people must be the guiding principle .
Another challenge before the 10th Senate will be the constitution of the Constitution amendment panel with deputy Senate President as chairman while the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives usually serves as vice chairman .
Year in year out, the National Assembly appropriates a whooping one billion naira for the exercise .
Records have also revealed that donor agencies local and international also makes funds availlable for the exercise , however ,the amendment of the 1999 constitution is usually shambolic and serves no-public purpose .
It is either poorly handled or overwhelmed with vested undemocratic interest .
The 10th under the leadership of a former Governor, former minister and former minority leader is expected to navigate this murky waters and break the jinx with meaningful results and resolutions that will enhance the welfare and wellbeing of the people , improve there lives, improve governance,address certain imbalances ,rejig the Nigerian structure , ensure fairness and equity and put Nigeria on the right footing .
Some of these tricky issues agitating the minds of many people are the issues of true federalism, autonomy and functionality of the third tier of the Government, insecurity , economy , citizenship , states creation , the status of Abuja etc.
The Senate as it reconvenes will be faced with turbulence, spilling from the emergence of it’s leadership and its inability to close ranks and work to make laws for the good Governance of Nigeria .
A former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Honourable Babangida Nguroje told PEOPLES DAILY Newspapers that the 10th Senate and National Assembly in general will work to address the challenges of the people and in harmony with the executive arm of the Government in the interest of Nigeria .
According to him,”my expectation will be that the 10th Senate will churn out laws that will stand the test of time, the Senate President Godswill Akpabio is somebody I have confidence in, and as a former Governor ,former Senator and former minister he will direct the Senate appropriately and ensure that the right things are done. The right thing means focusing on working in harmony but independently with the other two arms of the government for the good of Nigeria.
“There is much expectations from this government and the National Assembly is part of this same government ,so it will be right to look at laws that offer succour and address the challenges of the day.
“I know the Deputy Senate President ,Senator Jibrin Barau as well . He is a serious minded person and very experienced as well . The leadership of the Senate looks good and I am confident that at the end of the day they will deliver on the promises we made to the people ,it is ultimately going to be about the people and there welfare and wellbeing “, Nguroje declared .