A motion calling for an investigation into alleged land grabbing, demolitions, salaries, sewage disposal and other administrative issues in the Federal Capital Territory suffered a setback on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday, December 17, after it was ruled procedurally defective.
The motion, sponsored by Senator Ireti Kingibe, was presented as a matter of urgent national importance under Orders 41 and 51 of the Senate Standing Rules.
In the motion, Kingibe raised concerns over alleged illegal revocation of land, forced evictions and reallocations, as well as the development of green areas designated under the Abuja Master Plan as service corridors for sewage, water and electricity infrastructure and as environmental buffers.
She reminded the Senate that less than a year ago, the upper chamber had intervened in similar matters and summoned the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over issues bordering on unlawful land administration, disregard for due process and encroachment on legally vested land rights. Kingibe said it was worrisome that despite the earlier legislative intervention, the same practices were continuing.
However, the Senate declined to debate the motion, ruling that it did not meet the requirements for urgency as stipulated by its rules.
During deliberations, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin argued that the motion was dead on arrival, praising the FCT Minister for what he described as commendable performance in transforming Abuja.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio said the motion lacked focus and could not be regarded as urgent. He noted that Abuja is now rated as one of the most developed cities in Africa, adding that the motion combined several unrelated issues.
“When a senator raises a matter of urgent national importance, it must be specific and focused. If it is about waste management, then it should be on waste management alone, not linking salaries, demolition and land administration. This cannot be described as a matter of urgent national importance,” Akpabio said.
The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, also faulted the motion, stressing that matters of urgent national importance must be issues that cannot wait until the next day. He advised Kingibe to withdraw the motion and re present it as a substantive motion.
Senator Victor Umeh, however, defended the motion, arguing that the waste management aspect was serious and deserved urgent attention by the Senate.
Further clarifying his position, Akpabio said the motion amounted to a broad probe of the entire FCT, which was outside the scope of Orders 41 and 51. He added that the inclusion of multiple issues beyond waste management rendered the motion inadmissible.
Senator Munguno also described the motion as incurably bad. Consequently, Senator Kingibe was given the opportunity to withdraw the motion and resubmit it as a substantive motion restricted strictly to waste management issues.
