Senate defers amendment of Transport Commission Bill

The Senate on Wednesday stepped down a motion seeking to amend the National Transport Commission (Establishment) Bill, 2022.

The motion for re-commital of the bill to the Committee of the Whole was sponsored by the Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi.

The chamber relied on Order 1(b) and 52(6) of the Senate Standing Order, 2022 as amended.

Senator Abdullahi, in his presentation, recalled that the National Transport Commission (Establishment) Bill, 2022 was passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives and sent to the President C-in-C but assent was withheld with observations.

According to him, after critical examination of the observations by the Technical Team of the National Assembly and critical stakeholders, it was imperative “to address these observations and make necessary amendments in order to rejig the transport sector of the economy”.

Senator James Manager (Delta South), however, advised his colleagues that the motion for re-commital of the Transport Commission bill be stepped down until when details of the observations raised by the President are detailed in a report.

The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, who shared Manager’s view said, “The areas observed by the President on the bill should have been highlighted because not all of us were there.

“It is appropriate that we stand down consideration of this report until those areas of concern are made available to Senators in the lead debate, because that will help us make informed judgment on how we treat and process this bill.”

Manager, thereafter, moved a motion for the amendment of the bill by the Committee of the Whole to be stepped down.

The motion was seconded by Senator Ibrahim Gobir (Sokoto East).