(Fred Itua, ABUJA)

The Senate will on the 9th of June, 2016, hold a special session to commemorate its one year anniversary.

The Senate, during plenary, is expected to take stock of major events that have shaped the Upper Legislative Chamber in the last one year.

During the special session, lawmakers will take their turn to appraise their individual and collective performances, as well as areas that need improvements.

Recall that the Senate was inaugurated on the 9th of June, 2015.

According to records made available to Daily Sun, 167 bills that have passed first reading. There are 39 others which are in second reading stage, while 6 are in third reading.

Similarly, 54 laws affecting ease of doing business in Nigeria with a view to amending them are currently under review. The Senate, in the last one year, has considered162 motions and resolutions which are seen to be of top benefits to Nigerians.

Some of the motions and resolutions include ban on Nigeria Agriculture Export products by European Union, flood and erosion disaster and landslide in parts of the country, etc.

Also,125 petitions have been presented to Red Chamber. Out of this figure, 32 have already been concluded, while 82 are under consideration. There are also efforts to restore peace in North-east through top level visitation, donation to IDP camps, establishment of Presidential Committee on Rehabilitation and about to enact North-east Development Commission Law.

The Senate has democratised debate on budget by holding public hearing with stakeholders on the 2016 budget. It has promoted Made in Nigeria. Similarly, it has adopted Legislative Agenda to set a benchmark for the 8th Senate. For the first time, the Senate under Bukola Saraki is proposing to set up of a Transparency and Anti-corruption Commission.

Under Saraki’s leadership as President of the Senate, the Electronic Transaction Law 2015 was enacted. Also, there was the enactment of the FCT High Court (Amendment) Law 2015. Similarly, the enactment into law of the Insolvency and Debt Recovery Bill 2015 sailed through.

There are however some low points of the Senate in the last one year. The leadership tussle, controversy over committees’ headships, among others, are considered as some of the low point of the Red Chamber.

In his remarks ahead of the one year anniversary, Saraki said the Senate had been on the side of the people. He added that the current crop of Senators were willing to put the interest of the nation ahead of their own.

Hear him: “I believe that where we are now , the group of senators we have are focused , patriotic and they are committed to solving Nigeria’s problems . They are patriotic because this is the first time we have a senate that is very divided , the majority is very slim.

“You cannot really compare it to the previous senate . You have a senate with this slim majority, everyday should be chaotic , the senators should be up in arms . But in the last one year, anytime we discussed national issues, issues that have to do with the economy , senators have jettisoned their political leanings and have presented themselves as senators of the federal republic of Nigeria.

“What we have done, despite the power that is given to the legislature by the constitution, is to stand with the people.

“As part of the cooperation with the executive we ensured that the executive got what they want so that they will not give the excuse that they are not family with the budget or that it is not theirs . We bent backwards and even relinquished some powers we have as part of the support.”