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N/Assembly Postpones Resumption Date, Details Emerge
The Nigerian Senate has announced a postponement of its scheduled resumption from the ongoing Easter and Sallah break, moving the date from Tuesday, April 16, 2024, to Tuesday, April 23, 2024.
This decision was communicated to senators through a brief message from the Clerk to the Senate, Chinedu Akubueze, citing “unforeseen circumstances” as the reason for the delay.
This announcement follows a similar decision by the House of Representatives, which also delayed its resumption to April 23.
The House cited ongoing renovations to the main chambers as the cause for their postponement, ensuring that the facilities are in optimal condition for lawmakers’ return.
The Clerk to the House of Representatives, Yahaya Danzaria, indicated that the extension is meant to prepare the premises adequately for legislative activities.
The Senate’s postponement, as outlined in a message entitled “For the information of Distinguished Senators,” seeks to address issues that were not anticipated, although specific details of these circumstances were not disclosed.
The message expressed regret for any inconvenience this change might cause to the senators’ schedules and plans.
Both legislative bodies are currently on a break for the Easter and Sallah holidays, a common practice to allow members to observe these significant religious periods.
Meanwhile, the Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to prevail on the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission to cancel the recent increment in electricity tariff across the country.
The NERC recently approved a 300 per cent tariff increment for Band A consumers, allowing power distribution companies to raise electricity prices for city dwellers from N68 to N225 per kilowatt-hour with effect from April 1, 2024.
In a statement issued on Friday in Abuja, Minority Leader of the House, Kingsley Chinda, described the hike as “inhuman and evil”.
The statement read in part, “We urge Mr President, Bola Tinubu to prevail on the electricity regulator, NERC, to rescind this decision and prioritize the welfare of the people.
“Transparent dialogue and inclusive decision-making processes are imperative to address the root causes of the energy sector’s inefficiencies and ensure sustainable solutions that benefit all stakeholders and not consistent and persistent increase in tariff.
“We call for increased accountability and transparency in the management of resources within the electricity sector. Citizens have the right to demand efficient service delivery and fair pricing mechanisms that align with their economic realities.”
The caucus also noted that “The hike which is over 200 per cent above the rate of inflation, utterly disregards the plight of ordinary citizens, who are grappling with the adverse effects of the removal of oil subsidy, galloping inflation, unemployment, and inadequate access to basic amenities.”
