Senate warns members against unethical conducts

• Confirms Kuru, Danbatta for AMCON, NCC top jobs
• Wants FG to immortalise Audu
SENATE President Abubakar Bukola Saraki announced yesterday that the Senate would soon commence the enforcement of its code of ethics by sanctioning any senator found to have breached the ethical codes.

Inaugurating some committees of the Senate on Thursday in Abuja, Saraki said the Senate would not condone acts that would bring the upper chamber into disrepute.

Declaring that the Senate under his leadership would take the issue of ethics very seriously, he called on senators to observe high ethical standards in their dealings with Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
Saraki said, “The Eight Senate cannot be business as usual. The Eight Senate expects that we all roll up our sleeves and face the work ahead. We expect that you treat all bills referred to the committee expeditiously, especially those relating to our Legislative Agenda. It is my expectation that in your dealings with government agencies, you will observe the highest ethical standard of the Eight Senate.

“You must take care that you do not bring any ethical question upon this hallowed chamber. Any committee member found in any unethical, doubtful behaviour will be sanctioned by the Eight Senate,” the Senate President warned.

“I will also enjoin the management and clerks to observe the highest standard of ethical behaviour in all their engagements with all the committees, especially on oversight functions.”

The Committees inaugurated include those of Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters; Solid Minerals; Local and Foreign Debts; Ecology and Climate Change; Environment; National Identity and National Population as well as Public Procurement.

Also yesterday, the Senate confirmed the nomination of Ahmed Lawan Kuru and Umaru Garba Danbatta for appointment as the Managing Director of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), as well as the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) respectively.

The confirmation followed the adoption of reports of their screening by the committees on communication as well as the committee on Banking, Insurance and Financial Institutions.

Others confirmed by the Senate for the AMCON executive directors were Kola Ayeye, Eberechukwu Uneze, and Aminu Ismail.

In a related development, the Senate yesterday passed a resolution urging the Federal Government to immortalise the late former Governor of Kogi State, Abubakar Audu, who died last Sunday amid electoral contest.
Recall that Audu was the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in last Saturday inconclusive election held in Kogi State, in which he was the main challenger to the incumbent Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governorship candidate, Idris Wada.

In a motion brought before the Senate by Senator Abdulrahman Abubakar (APC Kogi East), the Senate was told that the late Audu Abubakar made valuable contributions to the banking sector of Nigeria, adding that he also left indelible marks on the sands of time in Kogi State where he served as governor for two terms.
“The Kogi State University, the Confluence Stadium and a host of other developmental projects, which were Audu’s handiwork,” he said.