6rn NATIONAL ASSEMBLY THIRD SESSION No. 45 347

SENATE OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS Wednesday, 13th January, 2010

1. The Senate met at 10.35 a.m. The Senate President read prayers.

2. Votes and Proceedings: The Senate President announced that he had examined the Votes and Proceedings of Tuesday, 12th January, 2010 and approved same.

By unanimous consent, the Votes and Proceedings were approved.

3. Announcement: The Senate President read a letter from Senator Abubakar D. Sodangi as follows:

SENATOR A. D. SODANGI DANMALIKIN NASARA WA & JARMAN LERE NASARA WA WEST SENATORIAL DISTRICT, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA NATIONALASSEMBLY, THREEARMS ZONE, P.M.B. 141, GARKI - TEL: 08035865642

Our Ref No: NASS/SEN. ADS/2010/l 13-01-2010

The Senate President All Senators National Assembly Complex Abuja.

Your Excellency the Senate President

APPRECIATION OF YOUR PRESENCE. PRAYERS AND GIFTS

With gratitude to God I wish to sincerely thank on behalf of my humble self, my family and the wedded couple and appreciate the Senate President Distinguished Senator David Alechenu B. Mark GCON, fnim and my Distinguished colleagues who sent gifts, acknowledgments or

PRINTED BY NATIONAL ASSEMBLY PRESS, ABUJA 348 Wednesday, 13th January, 2010 No. 45

attended the Wedding Fatiha of my daughter - Fadila Abubakar Sodangi which took place on 19th December, 2009 at Marhabal-Halal Mosque - Keffi Road, Nasarawa Town, . I thank you all very much for your presence, prayers and gifts. I equally thank all of you including our First Lady Mrs. Helen Mark, the wife of the Senate President for attending the Pre- Wedding Dinner that took place at the International Conference Centre in Abuja on 17th December, 2009.

My Distinguished colleagues, my family and I are overjoyed by your presence and the gifts with prayers I received from all of you. I pray that Allah will continue to guide, protect the leadership of the Senate, all Senators and our great country Nigeria to a successful execution of project Nigeria, for the benefit of all and sundry.

Thanks and God bless the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Na gode!

Signed: Senator Abubakar D. Sodangi (Dan Malikin Nasarawa) Nasarawa West Senatorial District Chairman, Senate Committee on FCT

4. Attempted Bombing of a Delta Airline in Detroit, Michigan, USA: Motion made: That the Senate notes with dismay the attempt by a 23 year-old Nigerian, Umar Farouk AbdulmutaIlab, to bomb an American Delta Airline on Christmas Day, the 25th of December, 2009;

Notes that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab's father, Alhaji (Dr.) Umar Mutallab was said to have alerted both the Nigerian and some foreign Agencies about the radical behaviour of his son in recent past;

Notes that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab lived outside Nigeria almost all his life;

Notes that AI Qaeda, a terrorist organisation based in Yemen has claimed responsibility for the attempted terrorist attack, saying it was in retaliation for alleged US strikes on Yemen soil;

Imagines the colossal loss of lives of Nigerians and other nationals abroad the aircraft if the attempted bombing had succeeded;

Notes that Nigeria has a policy of zero tolerance on Terrorism;

Worried about the consequent negative effect of the incident on the image of Nigeria, which is currently confronted with other developmental problems;

Worried that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab had passed through security checks in Lagos and Amsterdam where standard detector arch-way failed to detect the l.5cm long explosive weighing 80grams Pentaerythritol Tetrnitrate (PETN) sewn to his underwear;

Worried that the United States of America has since Monday, 4th January, 2010 listed Nigeria as "Countries of Interest" along with Afghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somali and Yemen, whose nationals will have to undergo enhanced screening techniques such as body scans, pat downs and a thorough search of carry-on luggage at all Airports.

Accordingly resolved to.· (i) Condemn the 2009 Christmas Day attempted terrorist act in totality;

(ii) Urge the Executive to take urgent diplomatic steps to have Nigeria removed from the list of countries of interest;

(iii) Direct the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs to open up links with its counterpart in the United States of America with a view to resolving the problem; No. 45 Wednesday, 13th January, 2010 349

(iv) Commend Umar Farouk's father. Alhaji Mutallab, a frontline Nigerian Banker for reporting his son's radical tendencies to the American Embassy and other appropriate Security Agencies (Senator Teslim K. Folarin}.

Debate:

Prayers (i): Question: That the Senate do condemn the 2009 Christmas Day attempted terrorist act in totality - Agreed to.

Prayers (ii): Question: That the Senate do urge the Executive to take urgent diplomatic steps to have Nigeria removed from the list of countries of interest - Agreed to.

Prayers (iii): Question: That the Senate do direct the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs to open up links with its counterpart in the United States of America with a view to resolving the problem.

Amendment Proposed: Leave out the word "links" in line 2 and insert the word "communication" instead thereof (Senator ).

Question that the amendment be made, put and agreed to.

Prayers (iv): Question: That the Senate do commend Umar Farouk's father, Alhaji Mutallab, a frontline Nigerian Banker for reporting his son's radical tendencies to the American Embassy and other appropriate Security Agencies - Agreed to.

Another Amendment Proposed: Insert a new Prayer (v) as follows "Direct the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence to investigate the way the information given to the security agencies by Alhaji Mutallab was handled" (Senator -Bello).

Question that the amendment be made, put and agreed to.

Resolved:

(i) That the Senate do condemn the 2009 Christmas Day attempted terrorist act in totality .

(ii) That the Senate do urge the Executive to take urgent diplomatic steps to have Nigeria removed from the list of countries of interest.

(iii) That the Senate do direct the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs to open up communication with its counterpart in the United States of America with a view to resolving the problem.

(iv) That the Senate do commend Umar Farouk's father, Alhaji Mutallab, a frontline Nigerian Banker for reporting his son's radical tendencies to the American Embassy and other appropriate Security Agencies.

(v) That the Senate do direct the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence to investigate the way the information given to the security agencies by Alhaji Mutallab was handled (S. Res/3/6J).

5. The Demise of Dr. Mrs. Maryam Ibrahim Babangida:

Consideration of the Motion deferred to the next legislative day, 350 Wednesday, 13th January, 2010 No. 45

6. Committee on Finance: Report on the screening of a nominee:

Consideration of Report deferred to the next legislative day.

7. Committee on Education: Report on the National Institutefor Educational Planning and Administration Bill 20/0 (SB. 123):

Consideration of Report deferred to the next legislative day.

8. Adjournment: And it being 2.02p.m, Senate President adjourned the Senate till Thursday, 14th January, 2010 at 10.00 a.m.

Adjourned accordingly at 2.02 p.m.

Dr. David A. B. Mark, GcON, fnim President, Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

CORRIGENDA

In the Votes and Proceedings of Tuesday, 12th January, 2010 at Page 346 under "Resolved" insert the following Prayers:

(i) That the Senate do urge the Federal Executive Council or the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to urge Mr. President, Commander-in-Chiefto speak to Nigerians through a Local Media.

(ii) That Nigerians should continue to pray for the speedy recovery of Mr. President, Commander-in-Chief