The 8th senate under the leadership of Bukola Saraki on Friday commemorated its second legislative year anniversary. For Saraki, it has been “two years of productive lawmaking period”. But for the public, it’s been two years of not just legislating but drama as well.

Here’s a recap of some of the latter:

SARAKI: SENATE PRESIDENT BY HOOK OR BY CROOK

Nothing took Nigerians unaware after the success of the 2015 general election like the surprise emergence of Bukola Saraki as Senate President. His party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the presidency were caught off the guard by the scheming and intrigues that produced him rather than Ahmed Lawan, the party’s choice.

The APC had chosen Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila as candidates for the Senate Presidency and Speaker slots respectively but in a stunning development, Saraki was elected president after garnering the block support of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) members and some APC senators who broke ranks with their party.

In a similar vein, PDP members of the House of Representatives threw their block votes behind Yakubu Dogararather than the endorsed Gbajabiamila. Thus, the eighth Senate was inaugurated on the throes of crisis.For the first two months of its inauguration, the Senate sat for just 14 days and went on recess three times.

ASSET DECLARATION SCANDAL

The senate president again was in the eye of the storm over alleged failure to declare his assets in full. He became the first public official to be charged to the Code of Conduct Tribunal over false asset declaration.

Unlike the forgery case that has been dropped and closed, Saraki is still facing the 13-count charge that ranges from misuse of the state funds for purchasing private assets while serving as Kwara state governor to anticipatory declaration of assets and making false declaration of assets. He is also said to have been operating foreign accounts during his governorship and senatorial terms.

50 SENATOR-SPECTATORS AT CCT

When his trial began in September 2015, Saraki made a habit of going to the CCT with a retinue senators. Once, 81 of the total 109 senators in the upper chamber, led by Ike Ekweremadu,Deputy Senate President, accompanied him to the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) to show solidarity. It was so hardin such a moment not to think the senate was jobless!

FRIVOLOUS SOCIAL MEDIA BILL

On December 1 2016, the senate drew the ire of the public when it proposed a bill for an act to prohibit frivolous petitions and other matters connected. And if the bill had scaled through, it might not be business as usual for those who often make abusive statements on social media against government and public office holders. As stated in the bill, anybody or group of persons who sends any false text message or posts false message on the social media against another person shall be jailed for two years upon conviction by the law court.

The bill is applicable to whoever makes allegation or publishes any statement or petition in the newspaper, radio or medium of whatever description against another person, institutions of government or any public office holder. The bill, sponsored by Ibn Na’Allah, (APC, Kebbi South), scaled through second reading in the Senate before it was stepped down after widespread public outcry.

MELAYE TO RAPE AND IMPREGNATE REMI TINUBU

Nigerians were treated to another orgy of shame on the floor of the senate when flamboyant and controversial ally of Saraki, Dino Melaye, allegedly threatened  to beat, rape and impregnate Remi Tinubu, a senator from Lagos and wife of former governor of Lagos state and leader of APC, Bola Tinubu.

Those who witnessed the incident, which occurred during a closed-door meeting held by senators, said trouble started when Melaye urged the senate to descend heavily on members who had offered to serve as prosecution witnesses in the forgery case against Saraki and Ekweremadu.

At some point, Melaye was alleged to have told Tinubu: “Look this is not Bourdillon, I will beat you up …. Impregnate you and nothing will happen.”

The Kogi senator eventually denied the threat in some dramatic manner, saying: ” It is malicious and a lie that I said I would impregnate Mrs Tinubu. Biologically, it is even impossible to impregnate Mrs Tinubu because she has arrived menopause.”

PARLOUR COUP AGAINST NDUME

One of the dramatic moments at the senate was the removal of Ali Ndume (APC, Borno) as the senate’s Majority Leader in a “palace coup-like manner”. His ouster paved the way for Ahmed Lawan to become new Senate Leader. That was January 10, 2017.

On the day, Ndume had left the floor to perform Zuhr (noon) prayers, when his removal was perfected.Thirty-one of the 63 APC senators signed him out. But he wouldn’t go without ruffling more feathers. Days after his removal, he raised a point of order demanding that the budget of the National Assembly be made public. The multi-billion naira budget has been shrouded in secrecy since 2010.

Ndume would later land himself a six-month suspension, for claiming that the senate was victimising Hameed Ali, Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service. over the seizure of a vehicle belonging to Saraki.

MELAYE’S CERTIFICATE SCANDAL

Did someone just say “Melaye again”? Well, it is not our fault.

The senate, according to Ndume, was a subject of ridicule, following the allegation that Melaye did not graduate from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he claimed to have obtained BSc in Geography.

The uproar that greeted the scandal got to a crescendo when Ibrahim Garba, Vice Chancellor of the university, testified before the probe panel set up by the senate to investigate the matter.

He confirmed that Melaye indeed was indeed a student at the university who also graduated in 2000 as Daniel Jonah Melaye. The comical aspect of it was when the controversial senator appeared at the red chamber the following day in full academic regalia.

THE REJECTION AND ‘RE-REJECTION’ OF MAGU

Since his appointment in November 2017, Ibrahim Magu has acted as Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The senate refused to confirm his appointment after two failed nominations by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The senate based its action on a report by the Department of Security Services (DSS) tainting the integrity of Magu, but many Nigerians believe the rejection was in bad faith.

ALI’S REFUSAL TO WEAR THE CUSTOMS UNIFORM

March 2017 was drama-filled on the floor of the senate. One of the occurrences was the confrontation between Custom’s Ali and the senate over the comptroller-general’s refusal to dress in the Customs uniform.

“I was not appointed Comptroller-General to wear uniform,” was his response to the order by the lawmakers that he should appear in “appropriate” uniform next week over the service’s planned action against owners of vehicles without duty payment.

He was summoned by the senate over the service’s plan to run after owners of vehicles without duty payment, but he maintained that the Senate should be more concerned about his performance than his uniform.

In the end, it was no victor no vanquished, as Ali bluntly refused to wear the uniform — but he was also forced to shelve the implementation of the vehicle policy.

BILLS UPON BILLS

Despite all these crises, the senate has passed 96 bills and 72 petitions in just 2 years, eclipsing the highest ever in the history of the National Assembly — a record held by the 5th senate, which passed 65 bills and six petitions within the same time period.

The Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF) has expressed total disappointment in governors from the region for criticising members of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), who called on Igbo in the region to leave before October 1 or be forced out.

Speaking on Friday while addressing journalists in Zaria, Kaduna State, Ango Abdullahi, spokesman of the group, claimed that the resources of the north had been used in the past to develop the south.

He said the governors ought to have stood behind the youths from the region just as the south-eastern governors supported their youths.

Abdullahi noted that the Igbo people cannot be agitating for secession and yet they continue to live in other parts of the country.

“I am disappointed in the decision taken by northern governors’ forum disowning and condemning the agitation by this young agile and progressive youth groups,” he said.

“Let me ask these northern governors, who are they representing? Are they representing spirits, ghosts or people of the north?

“Recently, people from eastern part of this country, specifically Igbo, were busy calling for the sovereign state of Biafra and from all indication their leaders, including governors, are behind them.”

He added that anybody that was no longer comfortable in Nigeria should quit, as the ultimatum by the Arewa youths was “not a sin”.

Abdullahi said that when Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Independent People of Biafra, IPOB, was granted bail, he was escorted home by a motorcade of more than 100 vehicles, including big personalities from the south-west and south-east.

“This is somebody who has been agitating for the breakup of Nigeria but his people were behind him, therefore I am behind the youths,” he said.

“This is because the northern youths are pushed to the wall; we have been calming them down in any event similar to this.

“These people (southerners) always pretend that the north is cheating them, not minding the fact that southern Nigeria was developed by resources from the north.

“Please, look for a book written by Adamu FiKa, the Waziri of Fika, on Nigeria’s budget before and after independence.

“Each year, up to the time Nigeria gained its independence, none of the two regions was able to provide for itself. I mean none of the western and eastern regions had the money to effectively run the affairs of its region until they get financial support from the Northern region.

“First oil exploration was conducted using money from groundnut pyramid, cotton, hide and skin among other cash crops from northern Nigeria.

“However, these people tend to forget all these goodies provided by the north towards ensuring the unity and corporate existence of Nigeria. They always look down on us, feeling that northerners are parasites in this country.”

For deliberately murdering a suspected Boko Haram terrorist, an army general court martial in Borno State has sentenced Hillary Joel, a Lance Corporal, to death.

Channels television reports that Joel allegedly committed the murder during a cordon-and-search operation by the army in Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State.

He was said to have set the suspect ablaze, leading his death.

The court martial handed down different sanctions to the other soldiers who were also facing trial.

The sanctions included jail terms and demotions.

He said that Nigeria will continue to remain one irrespective of its multi-ethnic diversity.

Speaking at his palace on Friday while addressing leaders of the Igbo community in the state, Kabir condemned the quit notice issued by some members of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) for the Igbo to leave Northern Nigeria before October 1. He described the group as “people who are enemies of peace”.

“Here in Katsina, I am ready to sacrifice my last drop of blood to ensure peace and protect all Nigerians residing in the state,” NAN quoted the Emir as saying.

“You are Nigerians, because some of you were born here and you don’t have better place than Katsina. So, continue to conduct your lawful business activities, we are behind you.

“You are my sons and daughters like any other person, Katsina is your home, so feel free; do not go anywhere.’’

The emir urged all Nigerians to continue to pray for peace and unity in the country, as it would lead to sustainable growth and development.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has likened Dino Melaye, the senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District at the National Assembly, to a “misfit hunter, whose misfired dane gun got his fingers burnt, and he becomes the hunted”.

In the June edition of EFCC ALERT, a monthly magazine of the anti-corruption agency, Melaye was lampooned for his “chameleon-like behavior, championing the anti-corruption campaign when he was an ordinary citizen but doing the exact opposite once in position of power”.

The piece — titled ‘Dino, an anti-corruption crusader’? — recalled the remarks made by Ibrahim Magu. Acting Chairman of the EFCC, during his second confirmation appearance before the Senate: “Dino is [our] friend; we were fighting corruption together till he got to this house and abandoned us.”

The anti-graft agency criticised Melaye’s recent launch of the book, ‘Antidotes For Corruption: The Nigerian Story’, describing it as the “parable of a misfit hunter whose misfired dane gun got his fingers burnt, and he becomes the hunted”.

“The book is a show and an insult on the sensibilities of Nigerians,” EFCC quoted Itse Sagay, Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption, as saying of the book written by Melaye.

“Dino advising us on corruption is the biggest joke of the year. Maybe the author thinks we are suffering from forgetory (syndrome). If the book is meant to be a joke, we are not laughing.”

The article further read: “Dino’s chaotic and scandal-plagued time in the corridors of power, portrays a man adorned with the beard of narcissism, driven by insatiable thirst for the water of self-adulation, and acknowledgement of his burly voice.

“Dino Melaye’s recently launched book… is, to say the least, ‘an affront to the Federal Government and the EFCC’s anti-corruption war’.

“Indeed, Nigerians are far from impressed that a book purporting to be providing antidotes to corruption was coming from Dino – a man whose very own steps are rife with unmentionable scandals.”

The Court of Appeal has upheld the judgement of the Edo State election petition tribunal affirming Godwin Obaseki as winner of the governorship election of December 2016.

Obaseki, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was declared winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) — a decision that was challenged by Osagie Ize-Iyanmu, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Ize-Iyanmu and the PDP alleged that the poll was characterised by gross irregularities, claiming that results from PDP-strong areas were controversially cancelled on false claims of violence in the areas.

He asked the tribunal to declare him winner of the election and issue him a certificate of return.

But in April this year, Ahmed Badamosi, chairman of the tribunal, struck out his application, saying it lacked merit.

Dissatisfied with the tribunal’s verdict, Ize-Iyanmu took his case to the court of appeal.

But on Friday, the appeal court upheld the decision of the tribunal, ruling that Obaseki was the winner of the election and was rightly returned elected.

Only the Supreme Court hurdle now separate Obaseki from a permanent grip on the state house.

The Economic and Financial Commission (EFCC) has presented a list before the federal high court Lagos, detailing how senior police, army and DSS officers benefited from the $115 million “bribe” disbursed by Diezani Madueke, former Minister of Petroleum Resources, for the 2015 general election.

The revelation came during Thursday’s hearing of the corruption case of Dele Belgore, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), who is being tried on allegations of collecting N450 million bribe from Allison-Madueke to induce authorities in Kwara State to rig the governorship election.

Belgore is standing trial alongside Abubakar Suleiman, former Minister of National Planning.

Usman Zakari, an EFCC investigator who presented the list before the court while appearing as a prosecution witness in the case, said Belgore had volunteered the list to the commission in the course of investigation.

Zakari told the court that during interrogation, Belgore admitted that all the payments were made in cash.

Below is a table of what each official received, according to the document presented before Justice R.M Aikawa of the federal high court, Lagos.

The document was titled, ‘Security and Transportation per State’, and Zakari pointed out Belgore’s endorsement on the list thus: “Document supplied by me, Mohammed Dele Belgore (SAN).”

Also, Zakari presented another document before the court, which he said was also recovered from Belgore.

The second document, simply titled ‘Kwara State’, contains beneficiaries of a sum of N155,220,000 and the breakdown of what they got.

They include 15 electoral officers who each received N250,000, 15 supervisors who were given N100,000 each, the state Returning Officer who got N1 million, among others.

Rotimi Oyedepo, counsel to the EFCC, tendered the two documents and they were admitted in evidence and marked exhibits 7 and 7A against the accused persons, Belgore and Suleiman.

Their counsels, Ebun Shofunde (SAN) and Olatunji Ayanlaja (SAN), raised no objection.

The case was subsequently adjourned to July 7 for continuation of hearing.

According to the EFCC, the actions of the accused persons contravened sections 1(a), 16(d), 15(2)(d) and 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012; and punishable under sections 15(3)(4), and 16(2)(b) of the same Act.

The third accused person, Allison-Madueke, was described in the charge sheet as “still at large”.

Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, has flagged off the construction of what will be “the largest sugar plant in Africa” when completed.

During the event in Tunga, Nasarawa State, on Thursday, the billionaire expressed optimism that the project would not only boost the economic diversification agenda of the federal government but also provide jobs for the teeming unemployed population while bringing Nigeria closer to sugar self-sufficiency.

In a series of tweets Thursday evening, Dangote also praised Godwin Emefiele, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), for his “contribution towards reviving the nation’s agricultural sector”.

In another tweet, he eulogised Audu Ogbeh, Minister of Agriculture, and Okechukwu Enalamah, his trade and investment counterpart.

Below are the tweets:

Today we celebrate another milestone that will transform our economy. Our Tunga Sugar Project will create the largest sugar plant in Africa

— Aliko Dangote (@AlikoDangote) June 8, 2017

This project will further diversify our economy, create employment and help achieve self-sufficiency in sugar production.

— Aliko Dangote (@AlikoDangote) June 8, 2017

Our profound gratitude to our host, H.E. the Gov. of Nasarawa State, Alhaji Al-Makura & the good people of Nasarawa State for their support

— Aliko Dangote (@AlikoDangote) June 8, 2017

(cont) the CBN Gov., Mr Godwin Emefiele, for his contribution towards reviving the nation’s agricultural sector.

— Aliko Dangote (@AlikoDangote) June 8, 2017

(cont) Hon. Min. of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh for transforming the Agricultural sector

— Aliko Dangote (@AlikoDangote) June 8, 2017

(cont)and the the Min.of Industry, Trade & Investment, Dr. Okey Enelamah, a constant factor in increasing our confidence in the Nig.economy

— Aliko Dangote (@AlikoDangote) June 8, 2017

Earlier last month during a visit to Tanko Al-Makura, Governor of Nasarawa State, Dangote had said the plant would be capable of producing 480 tons of sugar while generating 96 mega watts of electricity for the state.

“The production capacity of the sugar factory in Nasarawa will be the first in West Africa,” he said.

“No sugar factory produces more than 250 tones, so we are doing double in the state. We need about 600 trucks to distribute the sugar across the country.”

The Dangote group is also undertaking a Petroleum refinery project in Lekki, Lagos State, which will “satisfy 100% of the petrol need of Nigeria”.