The 8th Senate on Tuesday emulated the one before it by constituting an Ad-hoc Committee to review the 1979 Nigerian Constitution. Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, is statutorily the chairman of the committee. Members of the committee are drawn from each state of the Federation, including the FCT, Abuja. A similar venture by the 7th Senate took a lot of time and gulped billions of naira.

President of the Senate Bukola Saraki announced the creation of the new committee shortly before the proceeded to the joint session of the National Assembly. He advised the committee to ensure the barest minimum expenses, especially on travels.

“The task before the committee would be made easier by the advanced work that had been done by the 7th National Assembly,” Saraki said.

He urged members of the committee to concentrate on the issues that have been substantially agreed during the previous exercise, stressing that they remain relevant.

The Senate, also yesterday, passed an amendment to the 2015 budget to extend its lifespan to the end of March 2016.

The motion for the amendment was sponsored by the Senate Majority Leader, Ali Ndume (APC, Borno), with the suspension of relevant sections of the senate standing rule to enable the amendment scale through.

Both chambers of the National Assembly have adjourned plenary to Tuesday, January 12, 2016, with a view to enabling legislators enjoy the Christmas and New Year holidays.

The adjournment came shortly after President Muhammadu Buhari presented the 2016 budget to the joint session.

•Photo shows President Buhari bowing before the joint session of the National Assembly . . . Tuesday in Abuja.