DESPITE numerous bills that are yet to be passed by the Nigerian Senate, the upper legislative chamber has embarked on Easter break nine days ahead of the celebration.
The Senate on Wednesday announced the commencement of the break that would end on April 13.
While the Nigerian Senate is going on Easter break, legislators in other serious countries are at work.
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The United States Senate, on Wednesday, approved the appointment of a deputy attorney-general nominee Lisa Monaco while the UK House of Lords had an evidence session on impact of UK aid cuts on voluntary service. Both are continuing their sessions beyond Wednesday.
The ICIR observed there were numerous bills lying at Senate begging for the legislative attention.
For instance, The Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) 2020, whose hearing commenced on January 25, 2021, is still pending at the upper chamber.
Similarly, the proposed bill to get rid of discrimination against B.Sc and HND certificates is also at the Senate begging for attention.
Also, the Civil Aviation Amendment Bills, which seeks to make the country’s aviation industry in tandem with international best practices, is also waiting at the Senate.
The controversial Social Media Bill is yet another bill in the Senate that has not responded to.
“Senate in other countries still go on recess or break during celebrations, but that is often very few days to the celebration. This shows how unserious we are as a nation,” Frank Umeh, a civil rights activist, told The ICIR.
'Niyi worked with The ICIR as an Investigative Reporter and Fact-checker from 2020 till September 2022. You can shoot him an email via [email protected]. You can as well follow him on Twitter via @niyi_oyedeji.