Senate president Ahmad Lawan said the confirmation of appointment of the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria and consideration of anticipated budget proposals for 2023 would be the immediate attention of the Senate on resumption.

The Senate is expected to resume from its two months annual summer recess on September 20.

Mr Lawan spoke on Friday in Abuja, while responding to questions from journalists after inspecting renovation work at the temporary venue for the sitting of the Senate in the light of the ongoing remodelling of the main Senate chamber.

Listing the issues on the Senate’s schedule, Mr Lawan said that “We have the confirmation of the Chief Justice of Nigeria already waiting. Recall that the President sent the request but that was a day before the Senate went on its annual summer recess.

“Therefore, this is going to be one of the first things we need to do to ensure that the acting capacity does not go beyond the required three months,” the Senate president added.

According to Mr Lawan, the lawmakers were also “going to receive Mr President for the presentation of the 2023 budget estimates and we expect that the President will be doing that in the first week of October even though it may not be taken place here.”

On security, he said “the security of our people has always been of great concern to us and will remain so and at this point let me commend our Armed Forces and other security agencies for upping the game and doing better in the last one month or so.

“We hope that they will do better than that but I want to assure Nigerians that the National Assembly, particularly the Senate, will continue to support our security agencies and defence forces to fight for restoration of normalcy in our security situation in the country.”

Mr Lawan said that the Senate was also going to focus on ensuring that the economy works for all Nigerians regardless of their socio-economic status, adding that “We are optimistic that we will be able to pass a budget that will provide for a better life for Nigerians.”

Speaking further, the Senate president said that the lawmakers will “support the INEC to the fullest to ensure that the 2023 general elections hold in such a manner that INEC does not lack anything, that Nigerians are able to exercise their franchise”.

(NAN)