Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) chieftain, Dr. Chris Ngige, the Senator representing Anambra Central, is among 34 members of Nigeria’s upper house who have tabled no single bill after spending over tow years in the Senate, during which he took home a princely sum of at least N70 million.

This was disclosed this morning by the Abuja-based Daily Trust which based its story on official Senate records. Instructively, a single Senator (Victor Ndoma-Egba, PDP, Cross River) has sponsored 24 bills out of a total of 342 bills being tabled by the Seventh Senate since June 28, 2011. Below is an excerpt of the story:

Halfway into the tenure of the Senate, 34 senators have not sponsored any bill since coming to office, according to official records released by the Senate.

The Senate’s Mid-Term Assessment Report shows that of the total 109 senators, 74 have sponsored at least a bill during the period starting June 2011 while the rest initiated none. Senate President David Mark sponsored no bill but, by convention, he is not expected to table any bill in his capacity as presiding officer of the Senate.

A Daily Trust analysis of the assessment report issued last month reveals that senators who did not sponsor any bill constitute about one-third of the upper chamber.

This is coming amidst public debate on the emoluments of Nigerian federal lawmakers, who a recent report by the Economist ranked top in a global chart of Economist ranked top in a global chart of legislators’ salaries.

Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) records in possession of Daily Trust show that each senator is entitled to N35 million in yearly salaries and allowances.

Based on this alone, the 34 senators would have collectively received more than N1 billion in wages, apart from other hefty allowances received in quarterly installments.

Senators who did not sponsor any bill in the two years under review, according to the assessment report, include Jibrilla Mohammed Bindowo (PDP, Adamawa), Chris Ngige (ACN, Anambra), Babayo Garba Gamawa (PDP, Bauchi), George Akume (ACN, Benue), Maina Ma’aji Lawan (ANPP, Borno), Mohammed Ali Ndume (PDP, Borno), Ahmad Zannah (PDP, Borno), Nwanko Christopher (PDP, Delta), Oguji Sunny (PDP, Ebonyi) and Babafemi Ojudu (ACN, Ekiti).

Other senators with no bills are Mohammed Danjuma Goje (PDP, Gombe), Abdulazeez Usman (PDP, Jigawa), Ahmed Makarfi (PDP, Kaduna), Mohammed Sani Saleh (CPC, Kaduna), Kabiru Gaya (ANPP, Kano), Sadiq Yar’Adua (CPC, Katsina), Mohammed Magoro (PDP, Kebbi), Suleiman Adoke (PDP, Nasarawa), Solomon Ewuga (CPC, Nasarawa), Obadara Olugbenga Onoalapa (ACN, Ogun), Kunlere Boluwaji (LP, Ondo), Robert Boroffice (LP, Ondo), Olusola Adeyeye (ACN, Osun) and Hosea Agboola Ayoola (PDP, Oyo).

Also on the list are Magnus Abe (PDP, Rivers), Wilson Asinobi Ake (PDP, Rivers), Mohammed Maccido (PDP, Sokoto), Abubakar Umar Turare (PDP, Taraba), Aisha Jummai Alhassan (PDP, Taraba), Alkali Jajere (ANPP, Yobe), Bukar Abba Ibrahim (ANPP, Yobe), Ahmed Sani Yarima (ANPP, Zamfara), Sahabi Alhaji Ya’u (PDP, Zamfara) and Kabiru Garba Marafa (ANPP, Zamfara).

Since the inception of the seventh Senate on June 6, 2011, a total of 342 bills were introduced, with the first bill being tabled on June 28, 2011 by Senate leader Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba (PDP, Cross Rivers) who also sponsored a total of 24 bills, placing him on top of the chart among senators. The last bill during the period was sponsored by Senator Ibrahim Gobir (PDP, Sokoto), tabled on June 5, 2013.

In terms of highest number of bills sponsored by an individual, Ndoma-Egba is closely followed by Senator Benedict Ayade (PDP, Cross Rivers), who introduced 18 bills in two years under review. Next is Senator Ita Enang (PDP, Akwa Ibom), who sponsored 12 legislations.

Three senators came fourth on the chart with 11 bills each to their names. They are Senators Smart Adeyemi (PDP, Kogi), Domingo Obende (ACN, Edo) and Ifeanyi Okowa (PDP, Delta).

Ganiyu Solomon (ACN, Lagos) introduced nine bills, while Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan (ANPP, Yobe), Odion Ugbesia (PDP, Edo) and Aloysius Etuk (PDP, Akwa Ibom) sponsored seven bills each during the period.

Hope Uzodinma (PDP, Imo) had six bills, Barnabas Gemade (PDP, Benue) six, Chris Anyanwu (APGA, Imo) five, while nine others sponsored four bills each.

The two senators who died within the period, Gyang Dantong (PDP, Plateau) and Pious Ewherido (DPP, Delta), had sponsored one and four bills respectively.

•Photo shows Senator Ngige.

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