As of March 29, 2018, 33 months after its inauguration, the 8th Senate had passed a total of 200 bills including Senate Bills, concorrence bills and constitution amendment bills.

From its inauguration on Juna 9, 2015 the 8th senate had surpassed the 7th, 6th and 5th Senate in the number of bills passed. While the 7th senate passed only 128 bills in four years, the 6th passed 82 and the 5th senate passed 129 bills.

The President of the Senate Dr Bukola Saraki took to his twitter handle @BukolaSaraki to make the announcemnet and to congratulate his colleagues for a job well done.

Saraki expressed optimism that in the 15 months that were left, the senate would pass more bills that will affect the lives of Nigerians.

As of today, the Senate has passed 201 Bills. We still have 15 months to go, yet, we have reached this milestone. I would like to thank my Distinguished Colleagues for their hard work and cooperation over the last 33 months.

As of today, the Senate has passed 201 Bills. We still have 15 months to go, yet, we have reached this milestone.

I would like to thank my Distinguished Colleagues for their hard work and cooperation over the last 33 months.

See the full list here:

Bukola Saraki (@bukolasaraki)

Below is the full list of the bills passed by the senate.

1. National Railway Corporation Act 1955 N129 LFN 2004 (Repeal & Re-enactment Bill 2015)

2. Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act CAP B2 LFN 2011 (Repeal and Re-enactment) 2015

3. National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (est,etc) Bill 2015

4. Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (est., etc) Bill 2015

5. Electronic Transaction Bill 2015

6. Agriculture Credit Guarantee Scheme Act (Amendment) Bill 2015

7. Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme (Est,etc) Bill, 2015

8. Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Bill 2015

9. National Poverty Eradication Commission (Est,etc)Bill 2015

10. North East Development Commission (NEDC) (Est,etc) Bill 2015

11. Erosion Control and Prevention Commission (Est, etc) Bill, 2015

12. Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods (Miscellaneous provision) Amendment Bill 2015

13. Federal University of Petroleum Resources Effuru (Est, etc) Bill 2015

14. Food Security Bill 2015

15. Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service (Establishment, etc) Bill 2015

16. Environmental Managers Registration Council of Nigeria (Establishment, etc) Bill 2015

17. Nigeria Institute of Soil Science (Establishment, etc) Bill 2015

18. Nigeria Football Federation (Establishment, etc) Bill 2015

19. National Sports Commission (Establishment, etc) Bill 2015

20. Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Bill 2015

21. Witness Protection Programme Bill 2015

22. Supplementary Appropriation Bill 2015

23. Defence Space Agency (Establishment, etc) Bill 2015

24. High Court of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja (Amendment) Bill 2015

25. Air Force Institute of Technology (Establishment, etc) Bill 2015

26. Credit Bureau Reporting Bill 2015

27. 2015 Appropriation Act (Amendment) Bill 2015

28. 2016 Appropriation Bill

29. Federal Roads Authority (Establishment, etc) Bill 2016

30. National Assembly Budget and Research Office (Establishment, etc) Bill 2016

31. Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Bill 2016

32. Federal Capital Territory Statutory Appropriation Act (Amendment) Bill 2016

33. Federal University of Petroleum Resources Effurun Bill 2016

34. National Lottery Act 2005 (Amendment) Bill 2016

35. Electoral Act №6 2010 (Amendment) Bill 2016

36. Public Procurement Act (Amendment) Bill 2016

37. Petroleum Industry Governance Bill 2016

38. National Inland Waterways Act Cap N47 LFN 2004 (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill 2016

39. Nigerian Ports and Harbours Authority Act (Amendment) Bill 2016

40. JAMB Act (Amendment) Bill 2016

41. Nigerian Customs Service Bill 2016 and Nigerian Customs Service Act (Repeal and Re-enacment) Bill 2016

42. Warehouse Receipts Bill 2016

43. Secured Transactions in Movable Assets Bill 2016

44. Sexual Harassment in Tertiary Educational Institution Bill 2016

45. Federal University of Wukari (Establishment, etc) Bill 2016

46. Maritime University of Nigeria, Okerenkoko (Establishment, etc) Bill 2016

47. 2016 FCT Appropriation Bill

48. Appropriation Bill, 2017

49. Nigerian Peace Corps (Establishment, etc) Bill 2015 (SB 173)

50. National Unity and Peace Corps (Establishment, etc) Bill 2015 (SB 183)

51. National Open University of Nigeria Act (Amendment) Bill 2017

52. Federal University of Maritime Studies, Oron Bill, 2017

53. National Institute for Legislative Studies Act (Amendment) Bill 2017

54. National Research and Innovation (Est, etc.) Bill, 2017

55. Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act 2004 (Amendment) Bill 2016 and Universal Basic Education Act 2003 (Amendment) Bill 2016

56. Nigeria Financial Intelligence Agency (Est, Etc.) Bill, 2017

57. Institute of Chartered Biochemist and Molecular Biologist Bill, 2016

58. Whistle Blowers Protection Bill 2015

59. Abduction, wrongful restraints and wrongful confinement for ransom bill 2017

60. Prohibition and Protection of persons from lynching, mob action and Extra Judicial Executions Bill, 2017

61. Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation Act (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill 2017

62. Hydroelectric Power Producing Area Development Commission (Amendment) Bill 2015

63. Chartered Institute of Entrepreneurs (est., etc.) Bill 2015

64. Chartered Institute of Capital Market Registrars Bill 2017

65. Presidential Inauguration Bill 2016

66. National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (Establishment, etc) Bill 2016

67. FCT Statutory Appropriation Bill 2017

68. Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2017

69. Federal University of Agriculture Kaaba (Establishment, etc) Bill 2016

70. Federal Colleges of Education Act (Amendment) Bill 2017

71. Niger Delta Development Commission (Amendment) Bill 2017

72. Nigeria Arabic Language Village, Ngala (Establishment, etc.) Bill, 2017

73. Nigeria French Language Village, Badagry (est., etc.) Bill, 2017

74. Demutualization Bill, 2017

75. The Revised Edition (Laws of the Federation of Nigeria) Bill, 2018

76. 2017 FCT Appropriation Act (Amendment) Bill, 2018

77. Arbitration and Conciliation act cap A18 LFN 2004(Repeal and re-enactment) Bill 2018

78. Emergency Powers (Repeal and re-enactment) Bill, 2018

79. Federal University Gashua (establishment, etc.) Bill, 2018 (SB459)

80. National Transport Commission (Est., etc.) Bill, 2018 (SB. 242)

81. Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill, 2018 (SB. 216)

82. River Basin Development Act CAP R9 LFN 2004 (Amendment) Bill, 2018 (SB. 358)

83. National Centre for Disease Control Prevention (Establishment, etc) Bill, 2018 (SB. 256)

See More Here: NAN

As the World celebrates Easter, the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has called on Christians and Nigerians across the nation to work towards emulating the virtues of Jesus Christ as epitomized by his passion, persecution, death and resurrection.

In a message signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, in Abuja, Saraki also stated that all Nigerians must remain constant in their efforts to promote unity across all lines.

He noted that it was imperative for all Nigerians to come together in order to build a country that both present and future generations can take pride in just like the work of Christ which has endured for over 2000 years and has continued to inspire generations.

This weekend, we join our Christian brothers and sisters in Nigeria and across the world to celebrate the Easter festivities.

This commemoration is a time for deep reflection as it marks the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and his victory over death. It is a time to reach out to our brothers and sisters in need.

It is also a time for all of us regardless of faith, or ethnicity to come together to pray for the peace of our nation.

We must all remain constant in our efforts to promote unity across all lines because united, our nation remains stronger and we thrive as a people.

As we do this, we must all collectively work towards playing our part in the development of our nation and its economy, Saraki stated.

Source: NAN

The Security operatives have raised the alarm of plans by some groups to disrupt the processes leading to the 2019 elections.

The evil plan, according to security, was for the groups to create a stalemate.

They warned the media against the activities of some unregistered groups that had lately been active in trying to undermine critical institutions such the law-enforcement agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Malam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, said the security chieftains made this known at an interactive meeting with owners and decision makers in the media industry.

The meeting which was held at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja on Tuesday, was addressed by the Directors-General of the Department of State Services, Mr. Lawal Daura , and his counterpart in National Intelligence Agency, Mr. Ahmed RufaI as well as the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin.

The security heads, however, assured that security situation in the country was within the control of the government but could be helped where the media reduced sensation from their daily coverage.

In their own assessment, our state of national security is not as bad as it is painted by the media.

Shehu said: In seeking the support from the media towards the achievement of security for everyone, the heads of the agencies emphasized that sharing and coordination among security agencies and the media is essential to counter the ever-changing threats faced by the nation.

The security chieftains also called for closer cooperation from the media to prevent terrorists and radical ideologies directed from abroad from undermining the ongoing efforts to restore security in parts of the country facing the challenges of terrorism, economic sabotage, criminality, farmers-herdsmen clashes and the spread of illegal weapons.

In a special submission by the NIA, its Director-General, Ahmed RufaI, recalled unsavoury developments of the last one year, which had put the agency in a negative limelight, but said that such developments were not peculiar to the Agency.

Similar institutions across the world have passed through this phase. What is, however, important is for the right lessons to be learnt from these developments.

I see these challenges as impetus to reposition the Agency for effective service delivery in realization of its core mandate, as a critical component of our National Security Architecture, he said.

He appealed for media support to enable the agency to reform and remain focused on tackling the challenges of international nature facing the nation which included terrorism and violent extremism manifested in activities of Boko Haram (BH), ISIS, AQIM, Al Shabaab, Al Qaeda, Ansaru, among others.

He said the nation also faced threats from the human trafficking and illegal migration, smuggling, slavery, forced labour, prostitutions, drugs trafficking, activities of drug cartels and their networks, as well as trafficking in small arms and light weapons (SALW).

He pledged that the NIA would henceforth accord much attention toward addressing the challenges of financial Crimes, identification of financial resources and properties suspected to be obtained by corrupt means belonging to Nigerians especially Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs).

RufaI said Herdsmen and Farmers clashes, cattle rustling etc; Piracy and Militancy, particularly in the Niger Delta: Oil theft, illegal oil bunkering, pipeline vandalism; and Cyber Crimes/ Cyber security: activities of online fraudsters and hacking would also receive priority attention.

The intelligence and security chieftains also expressed the view that the Nigerian media has a role in securing Nigerias national interest.

This expected role of the press is in tandem with global best practices, particularly on issues that have bearing on national security, they observed.

They, therefore, invited the media as partners to continue to be security conscious and exercise restraint in disseminating information that could expose the Services to ridicule or harm our National Security.

They therefore maintained that prior consultation with appropriate members of the Intelligence Community is the best way to go.(NAN)

Source: NAN

By Ifeanyi Nwoko

President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has expressed sadness over the Jibrin, the Deputy Leader of the House of Representatives, who died in the early hours of Friday.

In posts on his social media pages, Saraki said that Nigeria has lost another seasoned legislator and champion of the common man.

My thoughts and prayers are with the family and constituents of the late Rt. Hon Umar Buba Jibrin, deputy leader of the House of Representatives, who passed away early this morning.

As a former Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Jibrin, was a seasoned legislator and a conscientious lawmaker who always put the interests of the common man first and championed them at the federal level. He will be greatly missed.

My deep condolences go out to Speaker Dogara, his colleagues in the House of Representives and the government and people of Kogi State over this great loss, Saraki said.

My deep condolences also go out to Speaker Dogara and the government and people of Kogi State over the loss of Hon. Jibril.

May the Almighty forgive his shortcomings and grant him a place amongst the righteous ones in Aljannah Firdaus. Amin.

Bukola Saraki (@bukolasaraki)

Jibril, a three time member of the house, died in the early hours of Saturday in Abuja, one of his political associates, Mr Amuda Dan Sulaiman confirmed to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) .

He was until his death, the Deputy Majority Leader of the house, as a member of the All Progressives Congress.
He was also a former Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly.

Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello expressed deep shock over the demise of Jibril, who he described as one of the states most astute politicians.

Bello described the late Jibril as a man who lived in the hearts of his people, saying the vacuum he left in the state and the ruling party will be difficult to fill, according to a statement by Kingsley Fanwo, the Director General of Media and Publicity.

Source: NAN

The Nigerian Presidency has advised Nigerians to be cautious of the less-than-honest apology offered by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Mr. Uche Secondus.

It rebuffed the opposition partys apology and instead asked it and its members to return the money stolen from the public till, during the partys 16 years in the saddle.

In a statement Malam Garba Shehu, senior special assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari, said PDPs apology should be seen in the context of a former ruling party which is desperate to recapture power because it no longer has unhindered access to national resources for private uses.

The PDP has not even acknowledged the fact that it plundered the national economy, and for a party that dismissed the anti-corruption war as a political witch hunt, it is impossible to believe that its public apology comes from the bottom of the heart.

Shehudescribed as apt an earlier statement by the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, that there are heavy moral duties that go with apologies if the culprits want to be taken seriously.

Even desperate thieves apologise because they are caught and not because they are incapable of repeating the crime if they had another opportunity.

We believe that the PDP should not only apologise for the imposition of candidates, and the culture of impunity, but must also come clean and acknowledge that they participated in large scale corruption and massive diversions of public funds to private pockets while poverty was ravaging the ordinary Nigerians.

We challenge individual PDP leaders to publicly and voluntarily tell Nigerians how much they stole and then agree to cough up their illegal acquisitions of wealth if they want their apology to be taken seriously.

Apology borne by desperation to recapture power without a desire to admit how much they stole and the reluctance to return the loot is morally hollow. This goes beyond rebranding. Nigerians are not interested in brands. They want their money back.

For such apology to gain acceptance, the offenders must first of all show remorse; then return that which was unlawfully taken or restore the damage caused the nation; and commit to never doing the wrong they did again. The PDP has done none of these for them to be taken seriously by anyone.

Instead of addressing this cogent issue raised by the Minister, the PDP veered off to accuse this administration of borrowing money but failed, in that regard to admit that they borrowed to steal, while Buhari administration is borrowing to set up long-delayed infrastructure.

They accused the President of unevenness, of inflaming ethnic and religious tensions, when it is on record that they gave this country its divisive president who chose the hallowed premises of places of worship to read important national statements.

President Buhari never fails in his duty as the Chief Security Officer of the nation. He acts fast whenever and wherever there are incidents by ordering law-enforcement agencies to do their job and fact-finding mission to give him actionable reports.

PDPs uncaring attitude to these matters, including the kidnapping of 270 girls from Chibok is the hallmark of the long years of misrule.

Another issue of moral and political significance is about the recent disclosure by US investigators that the PDP government engaged in massive data theft that included the hacking of Candidate Muhammadu Buharis personal data before the last general elections. PDPs continued silence on this reprehensible heist only goes to confirm their remorselessness even as more and more facts are emerging that the same unfair method was the modus operandi that they used to capture political power in the 2017 elections.

Source: NAN

Lagos is to introduce 5,000 new buses and 13 terminals as part of its plan to improve the it transport sector.

The state is also to introduce an assembly plant for the production of buses, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, said this during the inauguration of the Ikeja Bus Terminal alongside President Muhammadu Buhari.

He said the plan of the government is to introduce the buses within a space of three years and also introduce 820 environment-friendly buses before the last quarter of 2018.

The Ikeja Bus Terminal is one of our flagship transport infrastructure under the State Bus Reform Initiative.

The first phase of this programme will see 13 new Bus terminals introduced including major terminals at Oshodi, Yaba, Ojota, Agege and the already completed Tafawa Balewa Bus Terminal.

We have commenced the introduction of 5,000 new buses into the Lagos economy in the next 3 years.

We will inject 820 environmentally-friendly high capacity buses in the first phase of this reform by September 2018, 300 New Bus Stops, 3 Bus Depots, and Intelligent Transport System which will aid Lagosians to plan their journeys on our public transport system, he said.

Furthermore, the governor explained that the success of the state largely depends on the efficiency of the transport system, hence the need to invest more in the sector even beyond road transport.

This according to him, will help to meet the connectivity and mobility needs of Lagos residents as well as promote healthy lifestyles.

Our concentration is not only on bus/road transportation. We are promoting Non-Motorised Transport such as walking and cycling paths to give our people modal choices while promoting healthy living.

Work is ongoing on the 27-kilometre Blue Line Rail project from Okokomaiko West of Lagos to Marina in Central Lagos. We are in discussions with various investors and stakeholders on our urban rail project, the Red Line from Alagbada to Marina.

The success of a highly populated, cosmopolitan smart city-State like Lagos is strongly dependent on the efficiency of its transportation system.

We are committed to a functional, efficient and integrated transport system which will support our population and facilitate our commerce and we will continually work till we achieve this objective and we will always count on your usual support, , he said.

Source: NAN

Clement Ogbeh, a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria, has died.

He died last week in an accident along Markudi-Lafia Road on his way to Benue.

Until his death, he was the Principal Manager at Central Bank in Abuja. He will be buried today.

Clement was the younger brother of Chief Audu Ogbeh, the minister of agriculture and Rural Development.

President Muhammadu Buhari has sent condolences to Audu Ogbeh, Clement Ogbehs nucleus family, his friends and colleagues at the CBN.

According to a statement from Senior Special Assistant on media to the President , Garba Shehu President Buhari prays that God will comfort the family of the departed, and grant his soul eternal rest.

Source: NAN

A judge in Los Angeles, California, United States has ordered coffees globally known retailer Starbucks Corp and other coffee sellers to put a cancer warning on coffee sold in the state.

A little-known not-for-profit group sued some 90 coffee retailers, including Starbucks, on grounds they were violating a California law requiring companies to warn consumers of chemicals in their products that could cause cancer.

One of those chemicals is acrylamide, a byproduct of roasting coffee beans that is present in high levels in brewed coffee.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Elihu Berle said in a decision dated Wednesday that Starbucks and other companies had failed to show there was no significant risk from a carcinogen produced in the coffee roasting process, court documents showed.

Starbucks and other defendants have until April 10 to file objections to the decision.

Starbucks declined to comment, referring reporters to a statement by the National Coffee Association (NCA) that said the industry was considering an appeal and further legal actions.

Cancer warning labels on coffee would be misleading. The U.S. governments own Dietary Guidelines state that coffee can be part of a healthy lifestyle, the NCA statement said.

In his decision, Berle said: Defendants failed to satisfy their burden of proving by a preponderance of evidence that consumption of coffee confers a benefit to human health.

Officials from Dunkin Donuts, McDonalds Corp , Peets and other big coffee sellers did not immediately respond to requests for comment, Reuters reported.

The lawsuit was filed in 2010 by the Council for Education and Research on Toxics (CERT). It calls for fines as large as $2,500 per person for every exposure to the chemical since 2002 at the defendants shops in California.

Any civil penalties, which will be decided in a third phase of the trial, could be huge in California, which has a population of nearly 40 million.

CERTs lawyer Raphael Metzger did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Starbucks lost the first phase of the trial in which it failed to show the level of acrylamide in coffee was below that which would pose a significant risk of cancer. In the second phase of the trial, defendants failed to prove there was an acceptable alternative risk level for the carcinogen, court documents showed.

Several defendants in the case settled before Wednesdays decision, agreeing to post signage about the cancer-linked chemical and pay millions in fines, according to published reports.

Source: NAN

The Czech Republic has extradited Russian citizen Yevgeniy Nikulin to the United States where he is accused of hacking social networks including LinkedIn.

The Czech Justice Ministry announced the extradition on Friday.

The decision by Minister Robert Pelikan defied Russia, which had also sought his extradition after Nikulin was arrested in Prague in cooperation with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2016.

We confirm extradition to the United States, a Justice Ministry spokeswoman said in a text message after earlier reports. He has already flown out.

A U.S. federal grand jury in California indicted the 29-year-old Nikulin in 2016 on suspicion of hacking into the U.S.-based social media firms LinkedIn, Dropbox and Formspring in 2012.

LinkedIn has said the case was related to a 2012 breach that it previously said might have compromised the credentials of 100 million LinkedIn users, prompting it to launch a massive password reset operation.

Nikulin has in the past denied any wrongdoing in comments to Czech media. Reuters could not immediately reach his attorney on Friday.

After Nikulins arrest in Prague, a Moscow court issued a warrant for his arrest in November 2016 for the alleged theft of $3,450 via Webmoney in 2009, the Czech Justice Ministry said then.

The U.S. embassy in Prague welcomed Nikulins extradition.

We value immensely our cooperation with the Czech Republic on a range of issues including judicial, law enforcement, and police matters, it said in a statement.

Courts in the Czech Republic, an EU country and U.S. ally in NATO, ruled extradition to both countries was permissible, and the decision was up to Pelikan.

Prime Minister Andrej Babis said he was in favor of extradition to the United States but Pelikan said President Milos Zeman, who often takes a pro-Russian stance, had urged extradition to Russia.

Pelikans decision was closely watched because Babis needs Zemans support as he tries to build a new government after his minority cabinet lost a confidence vote last month. Zeman has the right to appoint prime ministers and has promised Babis another try at installing a government.

Pelikan refused in 2016 to extradite two Lebanese citizens charged in the United States with an attempt to sell ground-to-air missiles, cocaine trafficking and other crimes.

Another Czech cabinet minister said at the time that this decision was connected with the return of five Czechs from a presumed kidnapping in Lebanon.

Source: NAN

The Ekiti Government says it has paid N400 million as compensation to those affected by the ongoing demolition exercise in the state.

The State Commissioner for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Mr. Tayelolu Otitoju disclosed this during a press conference in Ado-Ekiti on Friday.

Otitoju explained that governments action on the demolition was not to deliberately render residents homeless, and thereby make life difficult for them, as being insinuated.

He said that the exercise was part of the Urban Renewal programme of the present administration, aimed at giving Ado Ekiti, the state capital and other major towns a facelift that would make it wear the toga of a real state capital.

The beneficiaries received between N100,000 to N2 million as compensation, depending on the nature and size of the structure because, some of them were either built with mud while others were modern houses.

The Commissioner disclosed that more than 300 houses had so far been demolished under the exercise in Ado Ekiti, Ikere Ekiti, Efon Alaaye, Omuo Ekiti, Ise Ekiti, Emure Ekiti and Ijero Ekiti, among others.

He said the relatively high number of houses demolished by the present administration was as a result of the rapid development going on in the state.

He emphasised the level of development witnessed in the state in the last three and a half years adding that it was a confirmation of the determination of Governor Fayose to improve the lot of the people.

Otitoju said that government embarked on the project to ease traffic congestion and adhere to urban policy of any civilized society.

The Commissioner, however announced that government would not compensate owners of demolished houses that were built on waterways noting that the recalcitrant property owners had treated several government notices of contravention with disdain.

He warned developers in the state against further construction without approved building plan and enjoined interested developers to henceforth avail themselves with the status of any plot of land before the purchase.

He added that necessary title deeds must first be obtained from the Ministry before commencing construction in order to prevent avoidable embarrassment in future.

Source: NAN