Senate urges Buhari to immediately reconstitute FCC

• Orders reconstruction of destroyed religious institutions in Adamawa
• Moves to enforce road safety laws on haulage

The Senate yesterday urged President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately reconstitute the Federal Character Commission (FCC).

The lawmakers reminded the Nigerian leader that the failure to reconstitute the commission would amount to a breach of the Act establishing the agency and the 1999 constitution (as amended).

The call followed a motion on the urgent need to reconstitute the commission moved by the Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe.

Abaribe, while presenting the motion under Order 42 and 52, said Act No. 34, 3, 1996 and Section 153 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) provided for the establishment of the Federal Character Commission (FCC).

He explained further that Act No.34 of 1996, LFN subsections 1, 2 & 3 stipulate the establishment, membership and tenure of office of the chairman and members of the commission.

The former deputy governor of Abia State observed that the board of the commission had lapsed since 2018.

“Since 2018, the Federal Character Commission has been run by an acting chairman who has now become a sole administrator,” he said.

According to him, there is no provision in the Act or the constitution that caters for the office of a sole administrator or an acting chairman in the organisation.

He claimed that the FCC had been a tool for unity, equitable formula distribution and good governance.

Abaribe warned that failure to reconstitute the commission amounts to a constitutional.

Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (Niger North), who seconded the motion said: “Indeed the role of the FCC is too important for this kind of vacuum to be left unattended to.”

Also, the upper legislative chamber called on the North East Development Commission to immediately embark on rehabilitation of public and religious institutions destroyed as well as provide assistance to other individuals affected by the recent attack on Garkida in Gombi Local Council of Adamawa State on February 21 this year.

The lawmakers also directed the Chief of Army Staff to immediately re-establish a military command in Garkida and all other major settlements bordering the Sambisa Forest.

They equally urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to assess the extent of damage and provide relief materials immediately to the community affected.

The resolutions were was sequel to a motion moved under Order 42 and 52 by Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed (Binani), Adamawa Central.

Besides, the Red Chamber is to enforce compliance on road safety legislations among haulage operators, owners and drivers as it mandated its Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs to investigate compliance level.

The Senate also asked the panel to investigate adoption and implementation of the recommendations from the 2018 haulage operators stakeholders’ summit.

The lawmakers also implored the police, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) to clamp down on trucks and articulated lorries plying the highways without road safety requirements.

The decisions were consequent upon a motion sponsored by Senator Teslim Folarin (APC: Oyo) during plenary and co-sponsored by 12 others.

The motion was entitled, “Urgent Need To Reduce Accidents Involving Trucks And Articulated Lorries On Our Highways.”