It is usual for the senate to end its session within the month of June and for this year; it was no different as the sixth session of the senate on June 3, 2010 ended its third year of existence.

The Channels Television reports, according to the leadership of the senate that within this period, it was an eventful year for the senate as the number of bills passed into law increased to thirteen, while several resolutions, chief of which was the Doctrine of Necessity was reached by the senate.

The Senate also passed the harmonized version of the amendment bill of the 1999 constitution, while it is still working on the Electoral Reform Bill.

However bills like the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) and the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill which was introduced in the 5th session of the senate are still pending on the floor of the senate

It wasnt exactly a busy beginning for the third year of the six session of the senate, on resumption from its recess, the senate immediately swung into the amendment of the 1999 constitution holding a national public hearing and regional hearings at the six geopolitical zones in the country.

A controversy broke out between the two chambers of the National Assembly as to where the then president, late Umaru Musa YarAdua would present the 2010 budget.

The House of Representative insisted on a joint session to be held at the floor of the house while the Senate says it is the prerogative of the Senate President.

The bill was to be presented by the Special Assistant to the President separately in both chambers as the president was flown out of the country on the grounds of ill health.

That was to signal the beginning of the challenge to the senate as various attempts to deny the state of the health of the then president did not hold water.

This however led to the Nigerian Integrity Group (NIG) agitatation for concrete reports on the state of the presidents health.

A broadcast on the BBC did not douse the tension. The group wanted the then vice-president to take up governance in line with Section 143 of the 1999 constitution.

All of this was to change as the senate evoked the Doctrine of Necessity after several attempts to discuss the absence of the former president was turned down.

The situation was to change three months after his absence the senate decided to depend on the BBC broadcast by the then president as a transmission stipulated by Section 144 thus paving way for President Goodluck Jonathan to act as president.

The Senate also screened a third set of ministers as the then acting president dissolved the Federal Executive Council and reconstituted a new one.
Done with that the Senate settled back to work, passing its own version of the amendment of the 1999 constitution and later the harmonized version of the amendment bill by the house and the senate.

According to Senator Alysious Etuk, Chairman Senate Committee on Rules and Business, the breakdown of the activities of the senate shows that in the last one year, the senate received
a total of 119 bills,
while 114 of those were read for the first time,
40 passed through second reading,
while 13 were passed into law and one was accented to by the president.

It has no doubt been the most eventful year for the sixth session of the senate. Nigerians are however, expecting more from the senate in the remaining one year of its life span.

Expectations are that the review of the constitution and the electoral act will be completed while bills like the Petroleum Industry Bill may be allowed to see the light of day.

Report by Channels television.