Members of the House of Representatives and senators on Tuesday rejected a legislation seeking to provide pension for presiding The beneficiaries would have included President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Deputy President of the Senate, and Deputy Speaker of the House.Senate President, his deputy, and speaker and his deputy.
The bill was entitled: ‘Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Provide Pension for Presiding Officers of the National Assembly and for Related Matters.’
Using the electronic system, 88 senators registered but after voting, Senate President Ahmad Lawan jokingly refused to declare the tally.
The senate president announced that the bill failed to pass amid laughter.
It is the 16th out of the 68 constitutional bills the Senate and House of Representatives are voting on today.
Lawan said the rejection of the legislation is an indication that the federal lawmakers are not working to favour themselves.
“This bill has conclusively failed,” he said.
“It is a good message to our country that we don’t do things for ourselves.”
In the House of Representatives, 162 members voted for the provision, 193 voted no and three others abstained.
The votes failed to meet the required two-thirds or 240 of the 360 members of the House.
