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It was a let down on Thursday when the Senate failed to notify the arrival of the list of ministerial candidates that the Presidency allegedly presented.
The Senate went into a closed-door meeting just before starting the day’s legislative business, which was their last for the week, contrary to the hopes of Nigerians regarding the Ministerial list of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which raised hopes as they were about to brainstorm on the cabinet nominees of Mr. President.
The Senate’s leader, Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), had earlier announced the secret session, and shortly after accepting the petitions—the fifth item on the Order Paper—Godswill Akpabio made the announcement that the senators should enter an executive session.
At 11.59 am, the Senate convened in secret session; it adjourned at 1.41 pm.
Nothing of the kind was addressed when the plenary resumed at 1:46 p.m. since the list hadn’t reached the Senate.
However, the Senate President said that the focus of their “marathon” conversation was enhancing internal security on National Assembly property. Additionally, the Senate President declared the formation of an ad hoc committee with Senator Danjuma Goje as its chair.
Because of this development, President Tinubu will have just one week left before the 1999 Constitution, as amended, expires. The Constitution mandates that the president and governors submit the names of individuals nominated as Ministers or Commissioners within 60 days of taking the oath of office for confirmation by the Senate or state House of Assembly. After taking office on May 29, 2023, Tinubu has until July 27 to present his cabinet.
Additionally, Senator Victor Umeh of Anambra Central refuted claims that the discussion at the closed-door meeting was on the presidential list of applicants for ministerial positions. The congressman stated that the meeting was not related to the ministerial list but rather was due to other matters, which he did not specify, in a brief interview with reporters following the plenary.
The Senate was reportedly pushed into a closed-door meeting at 11:59 a.m., just a few minutes before the start of Thursday’s plenary, because of a list of ministerial nominations that was reportedly provided by the Presidency. Tuesday morning, sources claimed that the Presidency had spoken with the Clerk of the National Assembly on the Ministerial list.
On its part, the House of Representatives encouraged President Tinubu yesterday to take into account the proclamation on 35% affirmative action for women’s involvement in governance via the ministerial nominations. The motion by Billy Osawaru, entitled “Need to Ensure Beijing Declaration on 35% Affirmative Action on Women’s Appointment into Positions,” was then discussed.
Osawaru, who was introducing the motion, said that Nigeria, as a United Nations member, had signed and ratified all relevant international documents, agreements, and conventions, including the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action 1995, without any reservations.
These documents have consistently emphasized that member countries put in place the essential mechanisms to combat gender discrimination, guarantee equality, and uphold the human dignity of all people, male and female.
Since 2006, the National Gender Policy (NGP) in Nigeria has established a 35% Affirmative Action (AA) policy. This policy mandates that 35% of women participate in all aspects of government.
“The NGP is acknowledged, but it is not implemented as expected, leaving our nation behind many other African nations, including Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, and Namibia, which have increased their women’s participation to over 40%. Many international reports do not speak well of our nation in this regard.
A 2022 report by the nongovernmental organization Gender Strategy Advancement International (GSAI) showed that Nigeria ranked 181 of 193 countries on the Gender Equality Index, for countries with low women representation in governance. The World Gender Gap report placed Nigeria 123rd out of a total of 146 countries.
“Nigerian women have continued to achieve in Nigeria and other nations, holding highly-ranking positions and succeeding in the business sector in these nations, but they have not yet attained this 35% status in Nigeria.
“The President Muhammadu Buhari government, which ran from 2015 to 2019 and from 2019 to 2023, broke his pledges to Nigerian women by appointing just six women out of the 36 cabinet members, or around 16% of the total.
“Despite worldwide calls for more female involvement in politics and other fields, Nigeria seems to be moving in the opposite way since 1999. Only approximately 157 women have been sworn in as members of the National Assembly out of the more than 2,657 lawmakers (both Senate and Reps).
The resolution was approved by the majority of the members after being submitted to a voice vote, and it was consequently adopted.
In the meanwhile, the Senate yesterday barred the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) from securing a financing facility from the World Bank for the mass manufacture of local meters in the amount of $155 million. The upper parliamentary chamber decided to halt loan applications since the loan’s arrangement favors international manufacturers over the nation’s capable and experienced indigenous meter makers.
After the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) of the Federal Government received permission for a $155 million World Bank loan, the Senate moved to safeguard regional producers of prepaid meters. The motion, proposed by Umeh (LP, Anambra Central), was followed by the resolution.
When introducing the motion, Umeh said that industrial procurement regulators in any developing country have a responsibility to support local producers and “would only attempt to augment importation of goods and services where there is a clear-cut gap between local production and consumption.”
“Members of the Association of Meter Manufacturers of Nigeria (AMMON) are capable of producing world-standard smart meters, so the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), under Phase 1 of the Mass Metering Programme of the Federal Government, issued the association, after a competitive bidding process, a ‘Letter of No Objection’ to award four million meters in 2022.
The National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP), Phase 1, was to be funded by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in 2020, but after eight months of awards to local manufacturers, the CBN withdrew financing, which had an impact on the program’s viability.
However, Umeh expressed concern that “the ongoing World Bank-funded NMMP Phase 2 seeks to promote foreign companies’ participation against competent and pre-qualified local meter manufacturers, which will ultimately result in the loss of jobs and revenue.” Umeh revealed that the World Bank has approved a $155 million loan for the National Mass Metering Programme.
The congressman said that TCN, on behalf of the World Bank, has extended the deadline for bids until July 25, 2023 after closing the bid advertising on July 11, 2023, for the delivery and installation of 1.2 million smart meters at the country’s 11 distribution companies (DisCos).
According to him, the 35 local meter makers’ involvement had been completely marginalized and excluded by the bidding conditions, which could only be fulfilled by international businesses.
He emphasized that if the situation were to persist, it would be devastating for AMMON members, who have made billions of naira in investments in the industry and now employ 10,000 direct employees and more than 30,000 indirect ones.
In his defense, Umeh pointed out that the nation’s meter producers could obtain 70% of the meter’s components domestically.
“Local sources may provide 70% of the meter’s content. There are additional electrical components accessible. We cannot stand by while they continue to undermine the economy. We don’t object to the borrowing. We’re talking about applying for the loan, which will disadvantage domestic producers and give foreign producers the advantage. “Nigeria will be a giant among nations of the world if we can produce 70% of what we use here,” he remarked.
The meters will be more effective if they are produced locally, according to Umeh, than if they are handled by international producers.
Many senators voted in favor of suspending the loan when the issue was put up for discussion.
In the event that the World Bank loan terms do not support local economic growth at this crucial time of high unemployment and naira devaluation, the transmission company should negotiate for an alternative loan with the African Export-Import Bank (AFREXIM) and the African Development Bank (AfDB), and the loan processing should be suspended.
The Senate requested the Federal Government in its resolutions to immediately halt the TCN Tender for the NMMP Phase 2 World Bank-funded project. The goal is to conduct a thorough evaluation of the procurement criteria in order to give local manufacture and assembly top priority in accordance with the local content and backward integration policies that stimulate Nigeria’s economy by creating jobs, strengthening capacity, and fostering development.
The Senate also demanded that the CBN intervention funds for AMMON members be evaluated in order to advance the sector’s growth and the country’s economy.
The resolution by Ifeanyi Ubah (YPP, Anambra South) to ask TCN to get intervention money from CBN for the implementation of the mass metering production received further approval from Akpabio.
