OrderPaper’s forecast on issues for deliberation at the National Asembly (NASS) last week proved substantially accurate.
We don’t mean to brag (maybe a little) but when we tell you we can see the future, it’s not far-fetched.
OrderPaper’s Legislative Intelligence Forecast Entry (LIFE) for last week, wherein we predicted the issues that the National Assembly will address during plenary week July 9th – 11th, has proved to be substantially accurate.
With an impressive 62.5% score, our LIFE article published last Tuesday proved to be a reliable resource for decision-making in public and private life, as several predicted issues were indeed discussed on the floor of the National Assembly during plenary and at committee meetings.
Let’s dive into it!
The never ending fuel queues
OrderPaper predicted that fuel queues would be addressed as long queues were sighted in different parts of the country and we were right! The motion to address the unending fuel queues was brought up as a matter of urgent public importance by Rep. Billy Osawaru (APC Edo) in the House of Representatives. The motion, which called for investigation of the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), was adopted by the House. The proposed investigation aims to promote transparency, accountability, and fairness in the petroleum industry, while also supporting local crude refiners and Nigeria’s economic development.
Insecurity again and again
From kidnappings to suicide bombings, OrderPaper also accurately forecasted the National Assembly addressing issues related to insecurity as an unabating concern in Nigeria. The issue however came via a motion on fire outbreak in Abuja. The Senate on Tuesday addressed the rising trend of fire outbreaks in Nigeria which has resulted in loss of lives. economic losses, and environmental hazards. A motion which was sponsored by Senator Ireti Kingibe (LP, FCT) was adopted, and the Senate urged the ministry of humanitarian affairs, disaster management, social development, and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to provide emergency relief to traders affected by the recent Karu Main Market fire in Abuja.
The controversial Samoa agreement
OrderPaper accurately predicted that lawmakers would address the Samoa agreement seeing as it conflicts with the existing anti-same sex marriage law. In the House of Representatives on Tuesday, Rep. Aliyu Madaki (NNPP Kano) called for the suspension of this agreement stating that it contravenes Nigeria’s ethics and values. Rep. Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers) also expressed concerns about the lack of consultation with lawmakers before signing the agreement. The House subsequently adopted the motion, calling for an immediate suspension of the agreement.
Women affairs minister vs House committee on women affairs
The women affairs minister was summoned to appear before the National Assembly over a N1.375bn alleged fraud and although some top government functionaries have recently ignored legislative summons, we predicted Minister Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye’s appearance in the National Assembly. On Tuesday, she appeared before the House of Representatives committee on women affairs and there was a heated exchange between the members of the committee and the minister over her handling of funds allocated for various projects. The committee chairperson, Rep. Khalifat Ogbara (APC, Lagos), questioned her about several irregularities in her expenditures, including payments made for new year parties and sanitary pads. The minister became agitated during the questioning, insisting that she was not responsible for some of the expenditures in question. After much back and forth, the tense atmosphere eventually led to an adjournment of the hearing.
Food wahala
As predicted, the Senate on Tuesday addressed food insecurity in the country. Presenting a motion of urgent importance, Senator Sunday Karimi (APC, Kogi West) lamented that in the last few months, the price of goods and household consumables have skyrocketed in the country, leading to a high rate of inflation, weakened buying power, and general worsening of living conditions of the vast majority of Nigerians. There was a debate in the red chamber and finally, the Senate subsequently passed a resolution calling on the government to take immediate action to combat food insecurity. The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio (APC Akwa Ibom), also announced that plans were underway to distribute fertilisers across all 36 states in Nigeria as part of an emergency solution to address food scarcity.
LIFE SCORECARD
With over 60 percent accuracy, our assessment of LIFE last week has demonstrated the OrderPaper’s authoritative expertise and keen insight on the NASS and legislative matters generally in Nigeria. Among all the issues plaguing Nigeria at the moment, what issues would be addressed by the National Assembly this week? Stay tuned to our LIFE Service this week to know what’s coming next. Subscribe to our newsletter to get the forecast right in your inbox.
