7TH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY FIRST SESSION NO. 145 344

THE SENATE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF ORDER PAPER Thursday, 8th March 2012

1. Prayers 2. Approval of the Votes and Proceedings 3. Oaths 4. Announcements (if any) 5. Petitions

ORDERS OF THE DAY

I. Confirmation of Nominations: Sen. Victor Ndoma-Egba SAN, OFR (Senate Leader) "That the Senate do Consider the request of Mr. President, Commander-In-Chief, for the confirmation of ALHAJI AYINLA OLOMODA, OON and LT. COL. DAUDU SULEIMAN (RTD) for appointment as Members of the Federal Judicial Service Commission, in accordance with Section 154(1) and (3) and Paragraph 12(f) of Part 1 to the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as Amended".

MOTION

1. Economic Growth and Worsening Inequality in Nigeria: A Call for New Approaches to Poverty Reduction: Sen. Olubunmi Adetunmbi (Ekiti North)

Sen. Victor Ndoma-Egba, OFR, SAN, Sen. Abdul Ningi Sen. Bello H. Gwarzo Sen. Sen.OluremiTinubu Sen. Sen. Sen. James E. Manager Sen. George T. Sekibo Sen. Gyang D. Dantong Sen. Lokpo bori Heineken Sen. Wilson A. Ake Sen. Sen. Anthony Adeniyi Sen. Babalola A. Odunsi Sen. Agboola H. Ayoola Sen. Sen. Ahmed M Makarfi Sen. Atiku A. Bagudu Sen Ahmad I. Lawan Sen Adegbenga S. Kaka Sen. Boluwaji Kunlere Sen. Marafa Kabir Garba Sen. Pius Ewherido Sen. Sen. Ehigie Uzamere Sen. Mudashiru Hussain Sen. Abdulmumin Hassan Sen. Ayo Akinyelure Sen. Domingo Obende Sen. Nurudeen Abaterni-Usman

THE SENATE NOTES that the 2011 Human Development report was released by the UNDP in November 2011. The report contains Human Development Index (HDI) that has become globally accepted as a broader definition of well- being and provides a composite measure of three basic dimensions of human development namely health, education and income;

WORRIED that Nigeria's HDI is 0.459, which gives the country a rank of 156 out of 187 countries. The average HDI of Sub-Saharan Africa region increased from 0.365 in 1980 to 0.463 today, placing Nigeria below the regional average. Nigeria was displaced by 14 countries from its 142nd in 2010;

R1NTED BY NATIONAL ASSEMBLY PRESS, 345 Thursday 8th March 2012 145 NOTES that Nigeria's HDI is the lowest among oil producing countries and occupies the unenviable status of low human development category with Angola slightly ahead of Nigeria;

NOTES the impressive annual real GDP growth rate averaged 9.2% between 2009 and 2010.Correspondingly over the same period, poverty incidence has remained high, rising from 42.7% in 1992 to 65.6%in 1996;

NOTES that for Nigeria and indeed Africa to meet their Millennium Development Goals target, Nigeria would need to achieve a poverty incidence of 21.4% from the 60.9% by 2015. At the current pace of performance Africa is at the risk of a drag down by Nigeria in meeting MDG's continental targets;

NOTES that on the global competitiveness index, which provides a holistic overview factors that are critical to driving productivity, competitiveness and confidence that are of vital importance to human capital development, Nigeria declined from 99 in '2009 to 127 in 2011 in a survey of 142 countries. This trend threatens Nigeria's quest to attain the goal of emerging as one of the top twenty economies in the world by the year 2020;

FURTHER notes that if Nigeria must be one of the leading economies in the world as currently being targeted, it has to match and exceed Argentina which currently has the least GDP among the G20 countries. To achieve this Nigeria has to double its growth rate, reduce poverty by over 50% and reduce income inequality by the same degree;

NOTES that many studies have shown that despite its vast resources, Nigeria ranks among the most unequal countries in the world. It manifests in highly unequal income distribution, differential access to basic infrastructure, education, training, and job opportunities;

WORRIED that if unchecked, the grinding poverty, underemployment, job loss and unemployment, growing inequality and widening gap between the rich and the poor could further worsen social and political unrests in Nigeria.

Accordingly resolves to: I. MANDATE its committee on National Planning and Economic Development to investigate the effectiveness of poverty reduction interventions in Nigeria, assess the role and impact of national planning in the development of Nigeria;

ii. URGE the Federal Government to present a people oriented road map for the transformation agenda to reverse the current low human development rating in the country on Education, Health, Food security, Public Infrastructure among others;

iii. URGE the government to consider new approaches to develop and implement policies and programmes on how to promote and generate job intensive economic growth.

CONSIDERATION OF BILLS

1. A Bill for an Act to establish the National Social Security Agency Charged with the Responsibility for, among Other Things, Providing Financial Assistance to Elderly Persons in Nigeria; and for Related Matters. (SB.114) - Second Reading Sen. , (Lagos Central)

2. A Bill for an Act to Provide for the Establishment of the National Social Welfare Commission, to Provide for Among Other Things, the Administration of Benefit and Assistance to enhance the Welfare of Citizens Especially Disadvantaged Persons, Particularly Children, Women, the Handicapped, the Sick, the Aged and the Unemployed; and for Connected Purposes. (SB.11S)- Second Reading Sen. Domingo Obende (Edo North)

3. A BILL for an Act to Establish the Chartered Institute for Certified Secretaries and Reporters of Nigeria, 2012 (SB.107) - Second Reading Sen. (Akwa Ibom North East)

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COMMITTEE MEETINGS Committee Date Time Venue 1. Rules & Business Thursday, 8th March, 2012 2.00pm Committee Room 107 Senate New Building

2. Agriculture and Rural Thursday, 8th March, 2012 1.30pm Committee Room 204 Development Senate New Building

3. Aviation Thursday, 8th March, 2012 2.00 pm Conference Room 107 Senate New Building

4. Appropriation Thursday, 8th March, 2012 1.00 pm Committee Room 305 Senate New Building

5. Power, Steel Dev and Friday 9th March, 2012 11.00 am Conference Room 117 Metallurgy Senate New Building

6. Banking, Insurance Tuesday, 13th March, 2012 2.00 pm Committee Room 107 and Other Financial Senate New Building Institutions

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