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The Senate will today resume to a pile of significant bills that may suffer huge setbacks if not passed within the month.

The 2011
Appropriation Bill, the Petroleum Industry Bill and the Freedom of
information Bill are expected to top the agenda. However, bills like
the Anti Money Laundering bill and Anti Terrorism bill, which is
awaiting passage by the House of Reps and subsequent harmonisation, may
have to be carried over to the next session of the assembly.

According to the
spokesperson for the senate, Ayogu Eze, the senate will give top
priority to “working out the details of the 2011 budget and sending it
for presidential assent.”

The 2011 budget was passed shortly before the lawmakers went on the election break but its details have not been sorted.

Mr Eze added that the senate would also focus on the FOI bill which was also passed by both chambers before the election break.

“The FOI bill will equally be given accelerated treatment in harmonising the two versions passed by both chambers,” he said.

The bulky
Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) which the senate dumped after a pressure
group called for its accelerated passages would also receive attention,
according Mr Eze.

He said the PIB
will equally receive urgent attention considering its overall short and
long term impact on the Nigerian economy.

The decision of
the senate to consider the PIB, Mr Eze said, is “considering too that
those campaigning for it (to be passed) have changed tactic from
blackmail to civilised messages which appeal to the conscience of all
concerned.

“The point we have
been trying to make is that no one loves Nigeria more than the
legislators. We are equally patriotic and committed to policies and
laws that will promote Nigeria’s growth for today and tomorrow,” the
senate spokesman added.

A couple of other
equally important bills may however not be passed in this session of
the senate. The Anti Money Laundering Bill and Anti Terrorism bill
which has been passed by senate may have to wait for a fresh start in
the incoming session of the National Assembly as it does not appear in
the priority list of the senate. Although it has been passed by the
senate, it has not been passed by the House of Reps. The senate,
however, still has a role to play in its final harmonization and
passage.