President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, Thursday dismissed as inconsequential the statement credited to the Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, that the National Assembly's resolutions on the Central Bank of Nigeria's (CBN) planned introduction of N5,000 note does not carry weight, because their input on the issue was merely advisory.
Mark who was represented by his deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, during the consideration of the second reading of a bill seeking for an Act to amend the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) 2004 , brought by Senator, Ifeanyi Okowa, representing Delta North senatorial district, said: "I don't think that we need the Minister of Information or any other minister, to tell us that our resolutions are not binding just as we don't need to remind him that he was not elected.
Mark, however said: "We know that our resolutions are not binding, but the positions we take in this Senate, especially regarding the resolutions are all well thought of.
"They are borne out patriotism, well researched and they are amalgamation of the views of very responsible Nigerians and to that extent, it is very persuasive, and any person who is ignoring the resolutions of this Senate is doing so at the expense of good governance, and we cannot encourage such a thing."
On the recommendations and findings by the red chamber regarding the BPE bill, which had been earlier presented to President Goodluck Jonathan, he advised: "I believe this is the opportunity for President Goodluck Jonathan to look for resolutions of the Senate regarding the BPE investigations.
"If there are very fat buttocks that are sitting on it, he should use the executive powers to push them out and get at the report and get to implement them in the overall interest of this country."
He said the bill under consideration is seeking, an Act to amend the public enterprises (Privatisation and Commercialisation) Act Cap P38 LFN 2004, to provide for inclusion of host communities in sale of shares and to ensures better accountability and for other related matters, as presented by Senator Okowa,
Okowa who made presentation on behalf of the committee, said the bill was co-sponsored by six other senators, is pushing for a further legislative framework for improved accountability, provide appropriately for host communities and staff of public enterprises in the sales of shares of such public enterprise.
According to him, the bill also seeks to amend the functions of the National Council on Privatisation (NCP), to remove all forms of contradictions.
He recalled: "The Senate constituted ad hoc committee in July last year to investigate the activities of the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) from inception to date."
Continuing, he said: "On submission of the committee's report, a number of recommendations were made and the Senate did approve the report of the committee on December, 2011."
The lawmakers were unanimous that the amendment would enhance the security of the public enterprise as both the staff of the enterprise and the host community will buy-in to the process of privatisation and would, as co-owners, protect such enterprise post privatisation, adding: "The local economy will also be stimulated and the gains made would help to transform our communities. These challenges of local content and employment within such enterprises are more likely to be addressed by the communities as co-owners."
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