Adaramodu claims that it would be incorrect to presume that the Senate would take a position on a bill that hasn’t been brought before it for consideration.
The Senate’s spokesman, Senator Yemi Adaramodu (APC, Ekiti South), has refuted media reports that the Senate is considering including a clause allowing for the seizure of funds from local and state councils in the New Minimum Wage Bill that the Executive is proposing.
Adaramodu disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, 15 June 2024, noting that the report was false and should be disregarded.
OrderPaper observes that a section of the media had reported that the lawmakers have decided to propose to the President that the statutory allocations of the two other subnationals (States and LGAs) should be seized if they fail to pay the new wage once it receives presidential assent and becomes an Act of Parliament.
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However, Adaramodu who chairs the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, countered that it would be incorrect to presume that the Senate would take a position on a bill that hasn’t been brought before it for consideration.
He said: “Mr. President in his national broadcast on Democracy Day only informed Nigerians that he would soon send the New Minimum Wage Bill to us. No one among us, not even the Senate President, knows the Bill’s content.
“How can we take a position on a document we haven’t sighted?
“During my interface with some selected journalists, as part of activities to mark the first anniversary of the 10th National Assembly, I did not at any point state that the allocations belonging to States and Local Governments will be seized.
“Nigeria is a federation, with sub-national governments that are autonomous. The misleading headline by The Punch Newspaper that allocations belonging to States and local councils will be seized is false and should be disregarded.”
“We are still awaiting the Executive Bill and once we have it, it will go through all Legislative stages and once this is done and it receives Presidential assent, it becomes law. And it is the law that can specify sanction, not the National Assembly.
“My interview was well reported today in the national dailies. It was not exclusive to The Punch. Other newspapers reflected adequately what I said. Why did Punch choose to misrepresent me? he added.
STAR Check: Nigerians, particularly, constituents of Ekiti South district, can keep tabs on the legislative performance of Sen. Adaramodu throughout the 10th senate here.
