In the third week of March 2014, the Senate and the House of Representatives in Nigeria held plenary on the recruitment exercise of the Nigeria Immigration Service that led to the death of over 15 applicants.
The exercise that had been cancelled by the Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathan, was marred by stampede that occurred at some centres across the nation.
The Senate, deliberating on the issue, condemned the poor organisation of the exercise by the immigration.
Both the Senate and the House of Representatives also looked at the increasing attacks by Fulani herdsmen on villages in the north central region of Nigeria and urged the Inspector General of Police and the Chief of Army Staff to work together and bring all herdsmen killing and destroying property in some states in the north central to book.
Also within the week the House of Representatives mandated its committee on public account to probe what it called “reckless spending” of over 10 billion Naira by the Minster of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke, for an air charter service.
A lawmaker, Babatunde Adejare, said that the Minister had been alleged to have committed 3.12 billion Naira within 2 years to maintain a private jet, used only for herself and her immediate family.
“Several other billions of Naira have been wasted in flying the jet all over the world on things that are not of benefit to the country,” he said.
According to the lawmaker, the act is a misplacement of priority and an action that offends the fiscal responsibility act and all other laws of fiscal discipline.
The House also directed the committee on Public Account to conclude its investigative hearing within two weeks and report back to the rest of the House.
The House of Representatives committee on Natural Gas was also mandated to investigate the non-remittance of funds to the Federation Account by the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Bonny from 2004 till date.
Hon. Aminu Suleiman said that the action of the agency is a clear violation of the Nigerian constitution.
The house also condemned the killing of Nigerians in the diaspora in the last few months and stressed the need for intervention from the government.
It also urged embassies in Ghana, Malaysia, Russia the UAE and South Africa to ensure that all the cases were thoroughly investigated.
