By KINGSLEY OKOYE
ABUJA- The Senate will screen the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN),Justice Olukayode Ariwoola on Sept 21.
President of Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan made the disclosure, while delivering his opening remark at the resumption of plenary on Wednesday.
Lawan also said Senate would receive the 2023 budget estimates from President Muhammadu Bihari in Oct.
“Distinguished Colleagues in the next three months our focus will largely be on the confirmation of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, work on Medium Term Expenditure Framework / Fiscal Strategic Paper (MTEF/FSP) 2023 – 2025, Budget 2023, working to support our defense and security forces, amongst others.
” The Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria will be screened on Wednesday.
“Also, we are expecting Mr President Commander – in – Chief of the Armed Forces to present the Budget estimates in the first week of October.”
He commended the sense of duty and patriotism of lawmakers for engaging with MDAs,while the senate was on recess.
” In the last three years, we are prepared to make the remaining period very productive and successful.
“No doubt that, the Ninth Senate has performed creditably and will end very well.
“We scored so many feats and broke many jinxes through various legislative interventions,i must commend all of us for the commitment, dedication and patriotism and sense of duty. ”
He said the engagement of Senate on the security situation before the recess had resulted in an improvements in the security situation in the country.
“Distinguished colleagues, just before we embarked on our recess the Senate showed serious concerns on the Security situation in the country.
” We had intimate discussions on the security challenges across the country. Consequently, the Leadership of the senate had two engagements with the Office of the National Security Adviser, Chief of Defense Staff, Service Chiefs, Inspector General of Police.
” The Director-General of Department of State Services, Director General of Nigerian Intelligence Agency and other heads of other security agencies to ensure that our defense and Security Agencies improve on their operational strategies to secure citizens and indeed our country.
“From the assessment of the prevailing situation our security agencies are recording more successes and the situation seems to be improving. ”
He said Senate would continue to engage with the defence and security agencies through its appropriate committees, to ensure that the engagements are sustained.
” I commend our defence and security agencies for stepping up their operations.
“The Senate and indeed the National Assembly have always been supportive and will remain so.”
Lawan said the Senate, indeed the National Assembly would work with Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure a successful, transparent and credible elections.
“We are ready to support INEC in all possible ways as a Legislature.
” Already the timely amendment of the Electoral Act 2022 has provided very important innovations in ensuring better electoral climate.
” The Economy of our country is still challenged, Senate working with the House of Representatives, Executive needs to continually seek for better responses to the economic situation.”
He also said efforts must be intensified to ensure that everything was done to curtail crude oil theft in the oil and gas sector,s.
According to him, the next nine months, attention should be to bring improvement to the current situations in the country.
“This Senate is a senate that will continue to work for all Nigerians at all times,”Lawan said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ariwoola was sworn in as the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) on June 27 after the sudden resignation of Justice Ibrahim Muhammad as the head of the nation’s judiciary.
Justice Muhammad was said to have resigned his appointment as the head of the nation’s judiciary on health grounds. (NAN)
