The Senate has rejected a bill seeking to relocate the Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa, to Eggon, while urging the Federal Government to intervene in erosion and flooding affecting the Bogoro community in the Bayelsa Central Senatorial District.
The decisions were taken during plenary on Tuesday, where lawmakers also advanced a bill seeking to strengthen the funding and administration of senior secondary education across the country.
The Senate passed the proposed amendment to the National Senior Secondary Education Commission Act, 2023, for second reading after a debate led by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele.
Bamidele said the proposed changes were intended to address challenges facing public senior secondary schools, including inadequate infrastructure, poor learning facilities, shortages of instructional materials and unequal access to quality education.
He said stronger collaboration among the Federal Government, state governments and education authorities was necessary to improve educational standards and learning outcomes.
The bill also provides for education boards in states and the Federal Capital Territory, alongside targeted support for federal, community and Armed Forces senior secondary schools.
Bamidele stressed the need for transparent funding, clear implementation guidelines and effective monitoring to ensure the reforms achieve their objectives.
Senate Chief Whip Mohammed Monguno supported the proposal, saying improved funding and coordination would expand access to secondary education.
Senators Diket Plang and Ahmad Lawan also backed the bill, expressing optimism that strengthening the commission would improve curriculum delivery and educational standards.
However, Senator Adam Oshiomhole questioned the legislative process, asking why lawmakers were expected to consider amendments to an existing law without copies of the proposed bill before them.
Despite the objection, the Senate passed the bill for second reading through a voice vote and referred it for further legislative consideration.
In a separate decision, lawmakers rejected a bill proposing the relocation of the Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa, to Eggon. The plenary account did not provide further details of the arguments behind the rejection.
Meanwhile, the Senate called on the Federal Government and relevant agencies, particularly the Ecological Project Office, to urgently address erosion threatening the Bogoro community in Bayelsa Central.
The lawmakers also urged the National Emergency Management Agency to provide relief materials to residents affected by flooding and erosion.
The resolutions followed concerns over the environmental threat to residents and their property, with the Senate seeking immediate intervention to mitigate the impact.
In another development, the Senate received the report of its Committee on Foreign Affairs on the nomination of Sani Ndanusa as ambassador.
The committee endorsed the nominee, describing him as a suitable choice for the position.
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