Saraki decries undue delay of bills

Senate President, Bukola Saraki, yesterday expressed dismay over delay on about 24 bills which have passed second reading in Senate but are yet to pass third reading because they are pending with the various committees.

Saraki said: “24 reports of committees on bills are yet to be submitted many weeks after the bills passed through second reading. This is unacceptable.” Responding to the query, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Land Transport, Senator Gbenga Ashafa(APC, Lagos East) said his committee could not organise a public hearing following the delay in the release of funds.

He assured that public hearing would be conducted as soon as funds were made available, adding that report on the bill would be presented in the next two weeks if the committee is funded

Ashafa said: “It is paucity of funds because up till now we cannot hold our public hearing and without it we cannot write our report.”