JUST IN: Osun Central Senator, Basiru Emerges Senate Spokesperson

The Senate President has named Osun senator, Ajibola Basiru, as the new chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs.

Mr Basiru will take over from Godiya Akwashiki, who was acting spokesperson after a court sacked Adedayo Adeyeye from the Senate.

Mr Akwashiki (APC, Nasarawa) will now chair the Senate Committee on Employment, Labour and Productivity while Biodun Olujinmi (PDP, Ekiti) is named the chairperson, Senate Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.

Lawan made the announcement at the close of plenary on Tuesday.

In his closing remarks, Mr Lawan thanked his colleagues for their hard work and consistency.

He said the upper legislative chamber would reconvene to consider and pass the reviewed budget and the amended Medium Term Expenditure Framework as soon as the leadership of the chamber receive communication from the Executive on the matter.

He also directed all committees to continue their relevant activities.

Mr Lawan thereafter moved that the Senate adjourns sine dine so lawmakers could continue to work from home.

That means that there is no official resumption date yet and lawmakers will only reconvene when necessary.

The National Assembly had on March 24 adjourned plenary for two weeks, fixing April 7 as resumption date.

The resolution to so do was reached during a closed session by members, which lasted about 40 minutes.

Mr Lawan had explained that members unanimously agreed that the National Assembly adjourns plenary for a period of two weeks due to the Coronavirus pandemic which forced a number of countries to shut down so as to curtail the spread of the disease.

The lawmakers were unable to reconvene on April 7 as scheduled because Nigeria has been on lockdown for more than four weeks now.