Outgoing Senators Hurriedly Introduce, Pass Bills Amending 2022 Supplementary Budget, CBN Act, Others

In a last-minute legislative flurry, outgoing senators of the 9th Nigerian Senate have introduced and swiftly passed several bills amending crucial laws, including the 2022 Supplementary Budget and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Act, 2004.

This eleventh-hour rush to enact legislation has raised concerns about the motive behind actions of the outgoing senators.

The Senators considered four bills during the emergency plenary session, including two bills originating from the Senate and two from the House of Representatives.

Two of the Senate bills were read for the first, second and third times and consequently passed by the upper legislative chamber during the session.

They are: the 2022 Supplementary Appropriations Act (Amendment) Bill, 2023 (SB. 1124) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2023 (SB. 1125).

The House of Reps bills are: the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act (Repeal & Re-enactment) Bill, 2023 (HB. 87) and Nigerian Weight and Measures Regulatory Agency (Establishment) Bill, 2023 (HB. 2183), both of which were read for the first time.

All four bills were introduced by the Senate Leader, Senator Ibrahim Gobir.

The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, while speaking on passage of the bill for amendment of the 2022 supplementary budget, said: “This is not a normal sitting day. This is a Special session and I apologize for that.

“Essentially, what we are trying to do here is we have passed the Supplementary Budget and the implementation lapses end of June and majority of what is in that Act are roads and bridges that were destroyed by the 2022 floods. And of course, we need the roads to be fixed. If we don’t hasten it and the rain takes over, it may be near impossible to rehabilitate those roads and bridges.”

According to Lawan, the bill would equally be passed by the House of Representatives “so as to allow the implementation of the Supplementary Budget to continue after the stipulated June deadline.”

The passing of the bills comes as the tenure of the 9th Senate is drawing to a close, and many lawmakers will not be returning for the next legislative session.

Critics may argue that the haste in which these bills were introduced and passed raises questions about the integrity of the legislative process and the level of scrutiny given to such important pieces of legislation.

The supplementary budget, for instance, aims to address critical gaps in the country’s budgetary allocations.