Senate yet to fulfil ‘standing order’ on special committees

Presiding officers of the Senate are yet to fulfil the “Standing Orders 2015” on constitution of special committees, our correspondent has observed.

Our correspondent reports that Order 96 of the Senate Standing Orders 2015 (As amended) stipulated that the six special committees be constituted within the first legislative days but only five have been done months after the inauguration of the 8th Senate.

Records have shown that so far, the Senators have sat for 19 days since inauguration on June 9th this year.

The section read thus: “Within the first fourteen legislative days following the first sitting of the Senate, the membership of the special committees shall be appointed.”

The special committees as contained in the Standing orders are Committee of selection, Rules and Business, Services, Ethics, Code of Conduct and public petitions; Public Account, and National Security and Intelligence.

Our correspondent reports that five out of the six special committees have been constituted by the Senate president but he is yet to constitute that on National Security and Intelligence.

The security committee when constituted, according to the standing orders are expected to look into public security and relate with security agencies.

But when contacted, Deputy Leader of the Senate, Bala Ibn Na’Allah said the Senate President has not violated the Standing Orders in that regard.

“It was the resolution of the leadership of the Senate that the Senate President should oversee the security committee pending its constitution. It was not that we defied it, it was our deliberate attempt to give more attention to the security area,” he said.