During an orientation programme for members-elect of the 9th National Assembly recently, Saraki said he was proud that the 8th Senate is going out on a high. He said: “We have passed 274 Bills in 46 months, and cleared 192 Petitions in the same period.
“There were major milestones in the area of the economy, with the passing of landmark legislation such as the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), which is undoubtedly the most comprehensive review of business laws in this country in 30 years.
“Other gamechanger laws include Bankruptcy and Insolvency (Repeal and Reenactment) Act and the Credit Reporting Act.
“To support the anti-corruption drive, we passed the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit Bill (NFIU), as a direct result of which Nigeria was readmitted into the Egmont Group.
“We successfully amended the Constitution, and this made progressive changes possible, such as the Not Too Young To Run law. Additionally, we saw to the implementation of the 1% budgetary provision for primary healthcare, to make for a stronger Nigeria.
“These are just a few examples. I am sure our legislators will be able to build on the solid foundation and achievements and record even greater success.
”The 8th National Assembly made a lot of interventions on everyday human issues affecting Nigerians, be it unfair price hikes, examination malpractices, sexual harassment in our educational institutions or the drug problem ravaging our communities.”
Also recently at the Valedictory Session for the 8th Senate, two books detailing the achievements of the 8th Senate were distributed to research agencies, academic institutions and businesses all over Nigeria.
The 8th Senate greatly improved key sectors of the economy including manufacturing and processing, healthcare and agriculture.
The 2 books entitled ‘Legislative Legacy: 8th Senate on Record’ and ‘Masterplan: The Economic Reform Agenda of the 8th National Assembly’, both highlight the impact of the work of the legislature between 2015 and 2019.
“‘Legislative Legacy: 8th Senate on Record’, sets out the indisputable facts of the achievements of the upper chamber in rich and absorbing detail, so that Nigerians can read and see for themselves what was done on their behalf,” Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, says in the Foreword of the achievements book.
“‘Masterplan’ is a book about legislative solutions, it is also a book about setting institutional goals and actualizing them to safeguard the interests of the Nigerian people.
‘Masterplan’ is a valuable record of the priority bills and the process of their creation. The book answers the oft-posed question: “What did Nigerian legislators do for the country in the 8th National Assembly?” said Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, President of the Senate and Chairman of the 8th National Assembly in the Foreword of the economic priority book.
