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Tag: bill

  • LG enhancement bill scales 2nd reading

    A bill for an act to amend the constitution to give more power and responsibilities to local government councils the country has scaled second reading in the House of Representative.

    Rep. Oberuakpefe Afe, (PDP-Delta) the sponsor of the bill said on Wednesday in Abuja that the functions of the local councils under the 5th schedule was restrictive.

    Afe said that the functions were vague such that elected officers of the councils were not challenged enough to carry out projects for the benefit of Nigerians.

    “It is this obvious lacuna that this bill seeks to address by giving the councils a legal plank to play their roles as they collaborate with federal law enforcement agencies,” he said.

    The lawmaker said that section 7(5) of the bill sought to concede some responsibilities to local councils in the area of environmental challenge and development to make their administration more impactful.

    He stressed that the bill was a new regime that would give more latitude to state legislatures to determine the number and size of local councils in line with their economic viabilities.

    He urged the House to give its support for the passage of the bill.

    The bill was however, passed after a voice vote by the Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila.

  • ACF tells Reps northern caucus to prepare for a Bill on restructuring

    ACF tells Reps northern caucus to prepare for a Bill on restructuring

    By Emman Ovuakporie

    A pan northern socio-political organisation, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has placed northern lawmakers on the alert over a possible presentation of a bill on restructuring to the National Assembly by those agitating for it.

    TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) recalls this is coming barely 72hours after too south south delegates met with President Muhammdu Buhari declaring that they want to control resources in their vicinity like their counterparts in the northern region.

    Chairman of the Forum and former Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbe told members of the Northern Caucus of the House of Representatives on Monday to be on the lookout for such a law in view of the statement credited to the President that if the National Assembly passed a law on restructuring, he will have no opposition to signing it.

    Ogbe however said that the ACF will meet and present something to them which they should dwell on.

    He said “a lot has been said about the Petroleum Industry bill, but I will not duel on that. But there is something that will come before you very soon. The last time Mr. President met with a delegation from the South, he made a statement.

    “He said that if a bill is presented before the National Assembly on the question of restructuring and the Assembly passes it, he will have no objection than to sign it. It then means that the matter may not be too far away.

  • Assembly passes Ekiti Local Govt Joint Account Bill

    Assembly passes Ekiti Local Govt Joint Account Bill

    The Ekiti House of Assembly has passed the state’s Joint Local Government Account and Allocation of Revenue (Amendment) 2021 Bill.

    The bill was passed at Tuesday’s plenary presided over by the Speaker, Mr Funminiyi Afuye, in Ado-Ekiti.

    Contributing during the debate, the Deputy Leader of the House, Mr Tajudeen Akingbolu, said the bill would empower the local government auditor-general to scrutinise the accounts of local government areas.

    Also, Emmanuel Oso, APC member representing Ido/Osi 11, said the account belonged to the local government, and it behoves the local government auditor-general to scrutinise it.

    Ajibade Adeyemi, member representing Moba 1 APC, said that the Principal Law of 2002 empowered the state’s Auditor-General, but that if the amended bill is assented to by the governor, the responsibility would now be on the local government’s auditor-general.

    The House also deliberated on two other bills.

    They are: Ekiti Office of the Attorney-General 2021 bill and a Bill for a Law to ensure Food Security by ensuring Active Participation of Political Office Holders and Career Officers in Agriculture (otherwise known as Own a Farm Project and other Related Matters 2021).

    The bills were later sent to the House Committee on Judiciary and Legal Matters and Committee on Agriculture for further legislative scrutiny.

    The House, thereafter, adjourned until June 23 for plenary.

  • JUST IN: Senate passes bill prohibiting discrimination between BSc/HND holders

    JUST IN: Senate passes bill prohibiting discrimination between BSc/HND holders

    The Senate has passed a bill seeking to prohibit discrimination between the university degree and the Higher National Diploma (HND) certificate holders in the country.

    The bill was sponsored by Senator Ayo Akinyelure and passed the third reading during Wednesday’s plenary session.

    The Chairman of the Joint Committee which worked in the legislation Senator Ibrahim Shekerau said the bill will free the holders of HND from stagnation and ensure balanced treatment with their counterparts from other higher tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

    He added that the abolishment of the existing dichotomy between HND holders and graduates of Universities would meet the huge manpower needs of Nigerians, ensure social justice and enhanced corporate governance, as well encourage patriotic contributions amongst HND employees in both public and private sectors.

    Senator Ibrahim Shekarau had earlier moved that the Senate do receive and consider the report of the Joint Committee on Establishment and Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND on the Prohibition of Discrimination between First Degrees and Higher National Diplomas Bill, 2021 (SB.297).

    The motion was seconded by Senator Sadiq Umar and Senate dissolved into Committee of the Whole to consider the report.

    The Senate in the Committee of the Whole and Plenary then considered and approved Clauses 1-6 of the bill.

    The House of Representatives passed its own version of the bill in May 2019.

    Senate President Ahmed Lawan while congratulating the House said the bill has been in the process for a long time.

    “Congratulations to the Senate. This particular issue has been on the front burner for a long time. I recall that in the House between 2003 and 2007, this was one Bill that was so important and it is a way of encouraging our Polytechnic graduates.

    “This should not take away the kind of training they give but should be a motivation for our Polytechnic graduates,” the Senate President said.

  • Recovery of looted assets: Delay in passage of Bill stalling our efforts – Malami

    Recovery of looted assets: Delay in passage of Bill stalling our efforts – Malami

    By Emman Ovuakporie

    Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami SAN, on Tuesday said the delay in the passage of the Proceeds of Crimes Bill by the National Assembly is stalling efforts to recover looted funds adding that it is the major clog on the wheels of progress in recovery efforts.

    Malay disclosed this while appearing before the ongoing House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigative hearing on Recovery of Looted Funds, Movable and Immovable Assets for Effective Utilization and Management from 2002-2021 at the National Assembly complex, Malami said when he assumed office in 2015 as Attorney-General of the Federation, there was no blueprint of government on recovery of stolen funds and assets from corrupt public office holders past and present.

    The Attorney General of the Federation informed the lawmakers that he initiated the needed legal framework for asset recovery-the Asset Recovery and Management Bill an executive bill still pending before the two chambers of the apex legislature.

    He however regretted that the slow pace of the Proceed of Crimes Bill which is still undergoing legislative scrutiny at the legislative institution had affected the passage of the new legal instrument for funds and asset recovery.

    On the recovery efforts put up by the Ministry of Justice, he said that they established an asset recovery unit to fasttrack the process adding that different recovery accounts were opened at the Central Bank of Nigeria for it.

    He also said that it is the responsibility of of the agency of government involved in funds or asset recovery to take inventory and status of such funds and or assets.

    He however revealed that in December 2017, a total of $300million was recovered from Abacha’s loot.

    In May 2020, $311million was recovered from the Ireland of New Jersey USA. Another 5million Euros was again said to have been recovered from the Abacha loot and lately £4.2m was received from the Ibori loot from United Kingdom.

    According to him, all these funds had been deposited at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) recovery accounts and there are of different such accounts namely :Asset Recovery, Interim Forfeiture and Final Forfeiture for EFCC and ICPC.

    When quizzed by the Chairman, of the Ad-hoc Committee Hon. Adejoro Adeogun on how much is the total value of what has been recovered so far, Mr. Malami said that there has not been a coordinated way of getting the records of all the recoveries done so far.

    On what the recovered funds had been used for as queried by some other lawmakers in the probe panel, he said it had formed part of the budget of the government used to finance the Lagos-Ibadan, Abuja-Kaduna expressway road projects as well as the 2nd Niger Bridge.

    The committee revealed that it uncovered from the documents submitted to it that the Office of Attorney General of the Federation had withdrawn a whooping N2bn from the CBN recovery account for the prosecution of war against terrorism and queried the funding.

    On his part while at the probe panel the Accountant-General of the Federation Mr Ahmed Idris was also queried over withdrawals of N33million, N32million and N20M from the recovery account of the agency at the Central Bank of Nigeria.

    Mr. Idris explained to the committee that in 2021 budget of the agency, N33 B was provided for the recovery efforts of the office and it is making payments based on this provision.

    Not satisfied with the AGF explanation, chairman of the committee Hon. Adeogun in agreement with other members of the committee demanded another closed-door session with the Accountant-General be done on Thursday to confirm conflicting figures.

    The probe panel which continues Wednesday is expected to receive the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN), Independent Corrupt Practices and other related matters Commission(ICPC) among others.

     

  • Senate steps down bill for Armed Forces Service Commission

    Senate steps down bill for Armed Forces Service Commission

    The Senate on Wednesday stepped down the consideration of a bill seeking to establish the Armed Forces Services Commission.

    The commission was to ensure that the composition/appointment of Service Chiefs of the Armed Forces of the Federation reflected Federal Character of Nigeria in the manner prescribed in section 217 (3) of the 1999 Constitution.

    The upper chamber’s resolution was sequel to the presentation of the lead debate on the general principles of the bill by its sponsor, Sen. Eyinnaya Abaribe (PDP-Abia), during plenary.

    The bill was titled, “A Bill for an Act to give effect to Section 219 of the 1999 Constitution to provide for the establishment of the Armed Forces Service Commission and for other related matters, 2021.’’

    Realising that there was opposition to itl, Abaribe, who is Senate Minority Leader, raised Order 73 of the Senate Standing Rule.

    This was, however, rejected, prompting an executive session that lasted for about 15 minutes.

    Order 73 allows for head count instead of Voice Vote.

    Earlier, Abaribe said the bill was read for the first time on March 3, 2020.

    He said that it sought to get the National Assembly to give effect to the clear provisions of section 219 of the 1999 Constitution.

    “The Armed Forces of Nigeria is a National institution of Nigeria that should be insulated by the vagaries of political divisions.

    “Therefore, the framers of the Constitution in their wisdom inserted this section to prevent a situation where our national symbol of unity and strength could be sacrificed on the altar of political temperament.

    “The commission shall observe the Federal Character principle and adopt an equitable template to spread the Offices of the Service Chiefs, other Corps and ranks of the Armed Forces of the Federation among the six geopolitical zones of the country.’’

    Contributing, Senate Leader Yahaya Abdullahi affirmed his support for the bill.

    “I stand before this distinguished chamber to affirm that this bill stands on very solid constitutional grounds from Sections 217, 213 and 219.

    “They imposed it as a duty of this hollowed chamber to provide for the establishment of an institution to manage the armed forces.

    “What the section has done is to share the management of the armed forces between the Executive and the Legislature.

    “It gives the legislature the powers to manage the affairs of the Nigerian Armed Forces.”

    Abdullahi said that running away from this was running away from “our constitutional responsibility’’.

    Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege
    said, “On the surface, it is difficult to querry the content of the bill.

    “But Mr President, the ‘devil is in the details’. So, I will not be opposed to this bill being read for the second time so that we have the opportunity during the public hearing and when it comes before us here to look at the provisions.

    “Under Section 219 which is the anchor for this bill, what they are seeking to do is enact a law though provided for under 219 but also it would be an inferior legislation to the constitutional provisions.

    “The power to appoint the Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, Chief of the Air Staff and other security agencies that may be presented to us is already determined by the Constitution.

    “That power to make that appointment is already conferred on Mr President and that is a constitutional provision. That power is sacrosanct.

    “We should not end up making a law which is an Act of National Assembly that will derogate from the clear constitutional power already conferred on Mr President,’’ he said.

    Sen. Francis Alimikhena (APC-Edo) said the bill, if passed would create disunity.

    “In as much as this bill is put on paper, it is going to create disunity in the operation of the armed forces.

    “As it is presently composed the commission cannot take the function of the Chief of Army Staff or the functions of all the service chiefs.

    “If you allow this Bill to materialise, the armed forces will be politicised and the professionalism will be killed,’’ he said.
    President of the Senate Ahmad Lawan, after the Executive Session, said that the upper chamber reviewed the issues generated.

    “We have reviewed various things; the national interest and of course the need for this Senate to continue working in a very bipartisan manner regardless of our ethnic or regional dispositions.

    “We have appealed to the minority leader to withdraw the Standing Order 73.

    “Any distinguished senator would have the opportunity to look into that bill again in the future.

    “This is to ensure more consultations among distinguished senators so that variety of ideas into the Constitution or the bill will be such that when it comes it should have jet speed passage,’’ Ahmad said.

  • Commotion on Senate floor over bill to establish Armed Forces Service Commission

    Commotion on Senate floor over bill to establish Armed Forces Service Commission

    A bill that seeks to create an Armed Forces Commission stirred controversy on Wednesday in the Senate as the lawmakers.

    It all started when the Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe presented the lead debate of a bill for the Establishment of the Armed Forces Commission 2021 for second reading.

    The lawmakers were sharply divided over the bill as those against it argued that it will cause more disunity in the country.

    Senator Abaribe however noted that the constitution mandates the National Assembly to set up the commission.

    The lawmaker noted that the bill “seeks to among other things, address the ‘lopsided appointment’ of heads of security agencies by the president.”

    The bill was later rejected during a voice vote and Senator Abaribe called for a division – that is lawmakers should vote individually.

    The Senate later went into a closed-door session.

    After the closed-door session, Senate President Ahmed Lawan said the entire Senate has appealed to the Minority Leader, Senator Abaribe to withdraw Order 73 which called for a division.

    Senator Abaribe then withdrew the bill to represent it another day after consultation.

  • Why Enugu State House of Assembly stepped down controversial ex-governors life pension bill

    Why Enugu State House of Assembly stepped down controversial ex-governors life pension bill

    Enugu State House of Assembly has stepped down the controversial life pensions Bill for former governors, their deputies and spouses.

    The stepping down of the Bill came after public outcry about the jumbo packages contained in it for the beneficiaries.

    The Bill sought to appropriate at least 900 per cent of a governor’s annual salary as his monetary entitlements every year after leaving office.

    The wife of the governor would also have gotten N12 million as annual medical allowances provided she was married to the governor while in office.

    Apart from the N12 million provided for a former governor’s wife as annual medical allowance, both ex-governor and ex-first lady will also receive free medical services until death.

    The Bill guarantees to cover almost any possible major expenses an ex-governor could incur in his or her life, including financial responsibility for burial.

    Its Section six states: “where a former governor or former deputy dies, the state government shall make adequate arrangement and bear the financial responsibility for his burial.

    “It shall also pay a condolence allowance of a sum equivalent to the annual basic salary of the incumbent to the next of kin.’’

    Section Four provides for “such other gratuity or allowances as may be provided by any other law” as may be entitled to a former governor other than what was stated in the Bill.

    In addition to the lifetime annual basic salary (ABS) for an ex-governor, there is also a house maintenance allowance, an annual salary for five domestic staff and a vehicle allowance, each valued at 300 per cent of the ABS.

    It provides three vehicles for the ex-governor to be replaced every four years as well as a personal assistant on salary Grade level 14.

    There are also similar provisions for former deputy governor who get 200 per cent of their ABS each for house allowance, vehicle allowance and annual salary for three domestic staff.

    The former deputy governor will also get two vehicles to be replaced every four years, free medical services for him and his wife as well as N6 million medical allowance for the latter.

    Enugu State was only able to generate N12.2 billion as revenue in the first half of 2020.

    Soon as the Bill passed through the first reading at the House of Assembly last Thursday, the Save Enugu Group (SEG) a socio-political group issued a 21-day ultimatum to the State House of Assembly to kill it.

    Its National Coordinator, Chief Willy Ezugwu, said in a statement that the lawmakers must kill the Bill immediately for peace and tranquillity in the state’s political arena to be sustained.

    He stated that SEG was already mobilising “conscious citizens, civil society groups and labour unions in the state to shut down Enugu State House of Assembly for as long as it will take to kill the most insensitive Bill’’.

    “It is shocking that while a state like Lagos, with high internally generated revenue that runs into billions of naira monthly, has abolished pensions for former governors, the Enugu State House of Assembly allowed such a Bill to pass first reading,’’ Ezugwu added.

    Other stakeholders in the state shared the views of the SEG and called for the killing of the Bill.

    At plenary session on Tuesday, Speaker of the House, Chief Edward Ubosi, said the Bill was not the making of the seventh Assembly but had existed since 2007, adding that the 1999 Constitution as amended, gave backing for such legislation.

    Ubosi said the stepping down of the Bill would help his colleagues to thoroughly go through it to enable them to delete as well as add necessary sections to it.

    According to the speaker, the public should have allowed the lawmakers to study the Bill, which just passed through the first reading last Thursday.

    He noted that former governors serving as senators would not benefit from the pension scheme, while the spouse of the former governors would also not benefit from the scheme since the Constitution did not recognise the spouses.

    Earlier, the Leader of the Assembly, Mr Ikechukwu Ezeugwu, expressed shock at the level of protest that followed the presentation of the Bill, which he said was not necessary.

    The leader said that the public could not dictate nor teach the lawmakers how to do their job of enacting laws for the growth and development of the state and warned members of the public to mind their utterances.

    Ezeugwu noted, however, that the Assembly would be guided by the opinions of their constituents in the consideration of the Bill and added that it would hold a public hearing to allow members of the public to make their inputs.

    He maintained that the seventh Assembly was “not a rubber stamp’’.

    Ezeugwu stressed that the lawmakers were also not elected by their constituents just to be collecting salaries and other allowances without making laws that would better the lot of Enugu State.

  • Bill seeking to empower NASS to summon president, governors passes second reading

    Bill seeking to empower NASS to summon president, governors passes second reading

    A Bill that will empower the National Assembly to summon the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Governors of States has passed second reading in the House of Representatives.

    The bill, sponsored by Representative Sergius Ogun, seeks to amend the constitution to compel the President and governors to respond to issues of security or any other matter before parliament.

    Although the bill was not debated during plenary on Tuesday, it was referred to the constitution review committee.

    This is sequel to the controversy that trailed the refusal of President Muhammadu Buhari to honour the invitation of the House in December, last year.

    The House of Representatives had earlier in December passed a resolution to invite President Buhari to brief the house on the true state of the security situation in the country.

    The decision to summon President Buhari was taken when the House considered a motion moved by members from Borno State on the massacre of 43 rice farmers in the state by Boko Haram insurgents.

    The debate turned rowdy after Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila appealed that it would be inappropriate to invite the president to disclose the actions being taken towards handling the security situation in the country. The Speaker described it as counter-productive.

  • Bill to reserve one female senatorial seat per state for second reading

    Bill to reserve one female senatorial seat per state for second reading

    A bill to make it compulsory for every state to reserve one seat for female senator will soon come up for second reading in the House of Representatives.

    Rep Taiwo Oluga, who is the Chairman, House Committee on Women in Parliament, made this known when receiving the Legal Defence and Assistance Project (LEDAP), a coalition partner to Advance Gender Equality (SAGE) in Abuja.

    She said that the bill is an initiative of the committee and part of the efforts being made to increase women representation in government.

    “What we are proposing in the bill is to have at least a senator from every state, it can be two out of the three.

    “It is not just because the female want to occupy positions, we want to complement the efforts of the men; we are not in competition, just to complement them.

    “Why is the committee advocating this? It is because we know we have women who are intelligent and are capable in this country.

    “We have females that have the ability, they have demonstrated the ability; we are just 12 in this 9th House but our contributions on the floor cannot be swept under the carpet, the house recognises that.

    Oluga commended the contributions of female lawmakers to national issues such as security, health and in reducing the number of children out of school.

    The lawmaker said that the issues in the country today cannot be addressed without the participation of women.

    She said that women, with population of about 100 million cannot be ignored or left out in the scheme of things.

    Oluga said that following the interventions of the committee all 20 female lawmakers in the National Assembly were included in the Constitution Review Committee.

    “My own personal opinion is to have 360 members divided by two; how we are going to do it, let the political parties and the INEC cooperate and let everyone be on the same page and make it a reality.

    “If you cannot do that, in 2023 give us the 35 per cent affirmative action, and that is what we are doing in collaboration with all stakeholders,” she said.

    Earlier, the Senior Programme Manager, Ms Pamela Okoroigwe, said that there was need to strategise on how to increase women representation in government.

    Okoroigwe said that such strategy was most necessary as the Constitution was being amended by the National Assembly.

    She also recommended that the Constitution should be amended to change the language to reflect all gender.

    She said that “He” as used in the Constitution should be removed and let ‘Chairman’ be replaced with ‘Chairperson’.

    Okoroigwe said that the Constitution should be amended to ensure 35 per cent affirmative action for women was reflected in political parties’ candidates.

    According to her, INEC can be empowered by the Constitution to enforce it by deregistering political parties that fail to conform.

    Okoroigwe said that the Constitution should be amended to make it mandatory for the offices of chairman and secretary of political party leadership be occupied by a man and woman at all times.

    She said that the Constitution should also be amended to reflect 35 per cent affirmative action in ministerial appointments and in the Judiciary.

    The Programme Manager, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Mr Okeke Anya, said that the SAGE is a USAID supported project.

    He said that the aim was to drive a campaign to increase the number of women in governance across all tiers.

    Anya said that a political party advisory group was being worked on to engage political parties on the need to produce more female candidates.

    He said that a Civil Society group was also in place to help amplify and increase the momentum of the SAGE.