SENATOR YAROE HAILS “RECORD” TURNOUT AT PUBLIC HEARING ON SOCIAL SECURITY TRUST FUND BILL
In a spirited display of legislative dedication, Senator Binos Dauda Yaroe representing Adamawa South in the upper legislative chamber, has commended the robust participation of stakeholders and lawmakers during the Senate Committee on Employment, Labour, and Productivity’s public hearing on the proposed Nigerian Social Security Trust Fund (Establishment) Bill 2025.
Speaking at the National Assembly complex on Monday, December 1, 2025, Senator Yaroe, a key member of the Committee, utilized the platform to articulate the vital importance of public input in the legislative process, drawing a sharp contrast between democratic lawmaking and military dictatorship.
The Public Hearing, which was declared open by the President of the Senate, Distinguished Senator Godswill Akpabio, sought to gather expert opinions and civil society contributions regarding the establishment of a Trust Fund, designed to bolster social security frameworks in Nigeria.
A VICTORY FOR PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY
Delivering the closing remarks at the event, Senator Yaroe, offered a poignant reflection on the value of the public hearing mechanism. He argued, that the gathering was not merely a procedural formality, but the very essence of civilian rule.
The Senator expressed deep satisfaction with the quality of the memoranda submitted, noting, that the committee found value in every contributions made.
Senator Yaroe explained, that from every single presentation we received today, there are one or two things that we can take from it.
BREAKING THE “MONDAY SYNDROME”
Earlier, while delivering the Vote of Thanks following the Senate President’s opening address, Senator Yaroe highlighted the exceptional nature of the attendance.
He pointed out, that Mondays are traditionally travel days for lawmakers returning from their constituencies, often resulting in lower attendance at committee functions. However, this hearing in reference proved to be an exception.
He described the event as a record public hearing by way of attendance, thanking the Senate President for sparing time to declare the event open and giving the Committee direction.
In his closing remarks, the lawmaker returned to this theme of dedication, offering a personal anecdote about his own schedule to underscore the importance of the Bill.
THE GENESIS OF THE BILL
He provided context on the origins of the Nigerian Social Security Trust Fund (Establishment) Bill 2025. He recalled a retreat held by the Committee in Lagos the previous year, where the gaps in the current legal framework were identified.
After much deliberation, we concluded that there is a need to look into the laws that we are talking about today, and specifically commended his colleague, Senator Cyril Fasuyi, for taking the initiative to sponsor the Bill following the resolutions reached at the Lagos retreat.
As the hearing concluded, Senator Yaroe outlined the immediate path forward for the legislation. He assured the stakeholders, including the Honorable Minister and Heads of Agencies present, that their contributions would not be shelved.
“The important thing is ,that the Senate Committee have listened to you all, assuring that “as a Committee, we are going to retreat and consider all the submissions that have been made and come up with a final document that we will finally present to the Senate for approval .
