Abdullahi Yahaya emerges Senate majority leader

• Lawan names committee for legislative agenda
• Reps order release of N10b for resettlement of IDPs
Senate President Ahmad Lawan yesterday announced principal officers for the upper legislative chamber in two separate letters he read to his colleagues.

Before reading the names in the quiet chamber, he said the entire Senate leadership stood constituted by the two letters. Although none of the lawmakers opposed the names read, there were cases of last minute replacements and removals in the lists sent by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Senator Yahaya Abdullahi (APC, Kebbi State) emerged Senate Majority Leader, while a former deputy governor of Abia State, Ehinnayya Abaribe of the PDP, was named Senate Minority Leader.Also, a former Abia State Governor, Orji Kalu of the APC, became Senate Majority Whip, just as Philip Aduda (PDP, FCT) emerged Senate Minority Whip.

Aliu Sabi Abdullahi (APC, Niger State) was named Senate Deputy Majority Whip, while Robert Ajayi Borofice (APC, Ondo State) became Deputy Majority Leader.

However, Emmanuel Bwacha (PDP, Taraba State) became Deputy Minority Leader, while Sahabi Yau (PDP, Zamfara State) was named Deputy Minority Whip.Lawan’s announcement of the names was shocking to some senators, just as it was pleasing to others.

Former Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Adamu, whose name had been touted as APC’s preferred candidate for Senate Majority Leader, remained calm as Lawan read the names.

Responding, Yahaya said he was humbled by the experience of being named Majority Leader, while Abaribe said senators do not see themselves as party members, but as statesmen ready to solve Nigeria’s problems.Besides, Lawan announced a 13-member Ad-hoc Committee with a mandate to fashion out a Legislative Agenda for the Ninth Senate.

There were feelers that the committee would be constituted as the Senate resumes after its two weeks break.The 13-member committee, which has former governor of Kebbi State, Mohammed Adamu Aliero as Chairman, was given two weeks to submit its report.Meanwhile, the House of Representatives yesterday urged the Federal Government to immediately release the N10 billion meant for resettlement of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to enable the committee commence the project.

This followed the adoption of a motion on the urgent Need for Immediate Resettlement of IDPs and Rebuilding of Public Infrastructure destroyed in Gashish, Ropp and other communities in Plateau State moved by Simon D. Mwadkwon.

Mwadkwon lamented the killings of June 18, 2018, which affected over 20 communities in Gashish, Gana Ropp Forom and Bachlit districts of Barkin Ladi and Riyom local government areas of Plateau State.He said over 280 persons were killed by suspected herdsmen, while thousands of women and children were displaced, and property worth millions were destroyed.