JUST IN: Senate rejects bills to phase out petrol cars, open up Nigerian citizenship

The Senate on Wednesday rejected a bill that sought to phase out
the use of petrol cars and introduce electric cars in Nigeria by
the year 2035.

Senators also rejected another bill that sought to open up the
Nigerian citizenship to other Africans.

The two bills were sponsored separately by Sen Ben Murray-Bruce
(PDP, Bayelsa).

The senator told his colleagues that combustion cars were
causing pollution and contribute to global warming and that
developed countries were gradually phasing them out.

However, Sen Jibrin Barau (APC, Kano), said there was no need to
make any law compelling Nigerians to use electric cars at a
particular period.

He said in view of the economic strength of individual
Nigerians, it would be unwise to come up with such legislation.

Also, the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, while kicking
against the bill, said it would affect Nigeria’s economy as an oil
producing country.

“We cannot sit here as a parliament and do a legislation to
encourage something that will kill our own business as a nation,”
he said.

In the end, Murray-Bruce was advised to withdraw the bill, which
he later did.

On the bill to open up Nigerian citizenship, Sen Bala Ibn
Na’Allah (APC, Kebbi) said Sections 25, 26 and 27 of the
constitution adequately took care of that.

On his part, Sen Dino Melaye (PDP, Kogi) said the bill was “not
only utopian but also catastrophic,” noting that at a time Nigeria
was battling with myriad of challenges, it would be wrong to have
more population.

Most senators advised their Bayelsa colleague to once again
withdraw the bill, but he declined.

Consequently, Senate President Bukola Saraki put it to voice
vote, and majority of the senators voted against it.