A copy of the USAID-sponsored performance evaluations of Nigeria’s 9th National Assembly, which the Daily Post was able to view, revealed that Anambra State senators topped the list of representatives with the most inactive legislation since the 9th National Assembly’s June 11, 2019, inception.
By law, legislators must sponsor private or executive measures, and if a bill is popular, it may receive the support of as many senators as are inclined to support it.
On June 11, 2023, the 9th Assembly’s term will come to an end. According to the “bills dumping index,” all of the senators representing Anambra State’s three senatorial flanks have performed dismally in terms of the bills they have sponsored but were forced to abandon in the middle of the legislative process.
Stella Oduah (PDP), Uche Ekwunife (PDP), and Ifeanyi Uba (YPP) are the senators from the state of Anambra. Stella Oduah represents the Anambra North Senatorial District, while Uche Ekwunife represents the Anambra Central Senatorial District. While Ifeanyi Uba is a first-time member of the Young Progressive Party’s 9th Assembly, Senators Oduah and Uche Ekwunife are ranking senators (YPP).
As of the time of this special report, Senator Stella Oduah has sponsored 39 measures, of which 29 passed first reading and five passed second reading after the basic principles had been read, discussed, and submitted to the committees, where they have remained dormant ever since. Five of the measures have also received no mention at all.
Even though he was a ranking senator with legislative expertise, Senator Uche Lilian Ekwunife sponsored 29 measures in the 9th National Assembly, and 13 of those bills were eventually voted into law. Ten of the bills were dumped, while one was assented to.
Despite being a rookie, Senator Ifeanyi Uba sponsored 20 measures during his brief tenure in the 9th National Assembly, which lasted just four years. None of the 14 pieces of legislation that were first read had any chance of becoming law; three of them had already been referred to the appropriate committees, while three more were in limbo.
With the exception of bills they have co-sponsored with other Senators and their involvement in legislative motions and resolutions, this is true.
They are all 10 in number and have a high index for the number of measures that senators from other states have introduced. Kwara North Senatorial District’s Sadiq Suleiman Umar He has sponsored 25 bills; however, none have been signed into law. Although 11 of those pieces of legislation made it past first reading, 11 are still in committee.
Orji Uzor Kalu, a former governor of Abia State and the Senate’s chief whip, sponsored 25 proposals, 11 of which reached first reading but none of which were eventually voted into law in less than four years. Three of the measures had advanced to the committee stage, while the whereabouts of 11 others could not be determined.
In the previous four years, Senator Jibrin Barau of Kano North Senatorial District, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, and a second-time senator, introduced 21 measures, but only 11 of those proposals went through first reading and were never seen again. Seven of the measures have advanced to the committee level, while three are missing.
Senator Gyang Istifanus Dung of the Plateau North Senatorial District has a total of 18 pieces of legislation under his belt, but only 11 have reached first reading, and three more are unaccounted for, placing him among the worst achievers in terms of bill sponsorship.
In the 9th Senate, Senator Gershom Henry Bassey of the Cross River South Senatorial District sponsored 22 proposals; however, only 10 of them reached first reading, and none were ultimately passed. Another two are still in the committee stage, while the remaining eight were unaccounted for.
Rochas Anayo Okorocha, a former governor of Imo State and senator for the Imo West Senatorial District, sponsored 15 proposals, of which 9 made it to the first reading stage but were not passed; the remaining 2 are in the committee stage, and the remaining 4 are unaccounted for.
Even though he was a newcomer to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Mukhail Abiru of Lagos East sponsored 15 pieces of legislation, of which 6 passed through first reading but none became law, 3 are in the committee stage, and 6 are nowhere to be found.
An ex-Senator from the 8th National Assembly who spoke with the Daily Post on Thursday emphasized his admiration for his colleagues and begged that his identity not be published. He mentioned some legislators’ lack of dedication in the lower or upper legislative chamber.
He said that it is hard to sponsor a bill, especially in the field of research, where he said that societal needs must be taken into account.
In his words, “The bill’s sponsorship begins with research based on the requirements of the people, which are not just your senatorial district but the entire 109 senatorial districts.” Other legislators will oppose the bill during the discussion of the fundamental ideas if it falls short of them.
“Second, some senators are burdened by legal problems that undermine their dedication to legislative duties.” A large number of senators frequently need to appear in court to defend lawsuits. According to me, this has an impact on their performance dossier.
“One cannot judge a legislator by the laws that they have sponsored because there are many legislative activities, including influence and citing of constituency initiatives, contributing to debates in the chambers and at committee meetings,” he said.
The lower and upper legislative chambers have a tradition that any laws that aren’t passed during a session end with it. There is concern that all of the pending bills may not be passed before the 9th National Assembly ends.
