The senate witnessed a rowdy session on Thursday, as the senators rejected Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s Bill, which seeks to provide a special status and federal grant for Lagos.
Tinubu, whose bill failed to scale second reading for committee stage, represents Lagos Central.
While leading the motion on her bill, she harped on Lagos State being the commercial capital and business nerve centre of Nigeria, which tends to have strategic socio-economic significance and other connected purposes.
Some senators backed the bill, but it was defeated after a majority voted against it, Senate chief whip, Senator Olusola Adeyeye, one of those who supported the bill, had asked why the Federal Capital Territory was being subsidised by the Federal Government, whereas taxes were being paid for same government services in Lagos, while Senator James Manager criticized the bill during the session, saying that the bill negates the provisions ?of the 1999 Constitution on the discretionary powers regarding grants.
Leading the debate on the general principle of the bill, Senator Oluremi Tinubu noted that Lagos State is the commercial capital and business nerve centre of Nigeria, adding that the ?bill? was not just for now but for the future and generations to come.
Speaking in support of the bill, some law-makers opined that Lagos has been pushed the very point where it cannot but ask for economic help from the Federal Government, stating all tribes in Nigeria will benefit if Lagos State was given the special status for Federal Grants,
Increase in population of Lagos in contrast with the infrastructure available?, others said the Bill was requesting for only 1% of revenue as special Grants to Lagos State.
In his remarks the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu who presided over the senate put the question and Senate votes against the Bill to make provisions for Federal Grants to Lagos State.
Other senators who supported the bill were Sen. Adeola Olamilekan, Sen. Gershom Bassey, Sen.Phillip Aduda, Sen, Abdullahi Adamu, Sen. Aliyu Wamakko, among others.
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