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Tag: Bills

  • Gov. Wike signs anti-kidnapping, anti-cultism bills with stiffer penalties into law

    In a bid to improve the security of communities, Rivers State Governor, Nysom Ezenwo Wike, has given his assent to the Rivers State Secret Cult and Similar Activities (Prohibition) (Amendment) Law 2018.

    The Governor also gave his assent to the Rivers State Neighbourhood Safety Corps Law 2018 and the Rivers State Kidnap (Prohibition) (Amendment) Law 2018.

    Giving his assent to the three laws passed by the Rivers State House of Assembly at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Thursday, Governor Wike said that the laws are necessary to enhance security across the state.

    He said that Neighbourhood Watch Safety Corps will support existing security agencies with intelligence and information for them to effectively fight crime and make the state safer.

    The governor said that the Neighbourhood Watch Safety Corps cannot work without the approval of security agencies who will profile all the operatives.

    He said anybody who loves Rivers State will not do anything to undermine steps that will enhance the security of lives in the state.

    He said: “If your hands are clean, you have nothing to fear about the three laws that I have given assent to. By tomorrow, I will appoint the person that will head the Neighbourhood Watch Safety Corps.

    “All criminals will face the full weight of the law. We will fight crime and ensure that the State is safe for investors “.

    He debunked claims by opposition elements that the State Government plans to use the Neighbourhood Watch to arm youths. The governor said that the corps is a replica of what is already in existence in Lagos State.

    Commenting on the Anti-kidnapping and Anti-Cultism Laws, Governor Wike said that stiffer penalties have been approved to discourage those who may want to be involved in the offences.

    “If you are a cultist and you are caught, it is life imprisonment. If you are a cultist and you kill during cult activities, you will face the death penalty.

    “If you are convicted of kidnapping and the Supreme Court affirms your conviction, I will sign the death warrant without looking back “, the governor said.

    The governor said that the State Government will battle cultism and kidnapping to a standstill, noting that enough is enough.

    Senator Representing Rivers West Senatorial District, Senator Osinakachukwu Ideozu said that the laws assented by the Rivers State Governor will strengthen security operations in the state. Senator Ideozu described as unfortunate the failed attempt by Senator Magnus Abe to mislead the Senate on the Neighbourhood Watch. He said it is within the purview of the Rivers State House of Assembly to pass the State Neighbourhood Watch SafetyCorps Law for the security of the state.

    Senator Ideozu commended Governor Wike for being proactive in the promotion of security in Rivers State by giving assent to the three laws.

    Presenting the bills, Majority Leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule said that the laws provided for stiffer penalties in the interest of the state.

    He said that the Neighbourhood Watch Safety Corps Bill was passed in line with extant laws and the constitution.

    Speaker of the House of Assembly, Ikuinyi Ibani said the Rivers State Governor has made a difference through service delivery.

     

  • UPDATE: Reps Spokesman says House’ll override Buhari on these 10 bills

    The House of Representatives has said it will override President Muhammadu Buhari’s veto power on ten bills including the Peace Corps of Nigeria Establishment Bill, but excluded the controversial bill amending the 2010 electoral act.

    Spokesman of the House, Abdulrazak Namdas, made this known during a press briefing after plenary on Wednesday.

    “We are in the process of overriding the veto of the president on ten bills, excluding the electoral act, but which includes the Peace Corps bill,” Namdas said.

    Buhari had rejected the Peace Corps bill, citing duplication of functions and lack of funds as his reasons.

    He listed the 10 bills to include a bill for an act to establish the Chartered Institute of Treasury Management, a bill for an act to establish the Nigerian Council for Social Works, a bill for an act to amend the currency conversion, freezing orders act to give discretionary powers to the judge of high court to order for forfeiture of assets of affected persons, and a bill for an act to establish the police procurement fund.

    Others are a bill for an act to amend the environmental health officers council registration act, a bill for an act to establish the Chartered Institute of loan and risk management of Nigeria, a bill for an act to establish the Chartered Institute of Public Management of Nigeria.

    Also included are a bill for an act to establish the Chartered Institute of Exports and Community Brokers of Nigeria and a bill for an act to establish the Federal University, Wukari.

    Regarding the bill on the amendment of the electoral act which Buhari also rejected, Namdas said the lawmakers will address areas of the bill the President disagreed with and re-introduce it for passage.

    He said the House agreed with the President that Section 138 of the amended electoral act unduly limits the right of the candidate to a free and fair election.

    He also said the lawmakers agreed with the President on his position on Section 152 of the act regarding the competence of the national assembly to regulate local government elections.

    “We will re-gazette the electoral act and expunge the areas which the President mentioned and which we are in agreement with the President and in line with the constitution. We will then bring it back for debate and re-transmit it to the president for assent,” he said.

     

  • JUST IN: House of Reps to override President Buhari’s veto on 10 bills

    The House of Representatives is to override President Muhammadu Buhari’s veto power on ten bills including the Nigerian Peace Corp bill.

    This was made known at the House plenary session on Wednesday after Buhari declined to assent to the amendment of the 2010 Electoral Act forwarded to him by the National Assembly (NASS).

    A second look at why Buhari declined to assent to the Electoral Act amendment indicates the President cited Section 25, Section 138 and Section 152 Subsection 325 of the Principal Act to give reasons why he withheld assent.

    “The amendment to the sequence of elections in Section 25 of the principal act, may infringe upon the constitutionally guaranteed discretion of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to organize, undertake and supervise elections provided in Section 15(A) of the third statue to the Constitution.

    “The amendment to Section 138 of the principal act to delete two crucial grounds upon which an election may be challenged by candidates, unduly limits the rights of candidates in elections to a free and fair electoral review process.

    “The amendment to Section 152 Subsection 325 of the Principal Act may raise Constitutional issues over the competence of the National Assembly to legislate over local government elections,” he stated.

    However, it is yet to be known if the House will override Buhari’s veto power on the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2018 as well.

    Meanwhile, a professor of law at the Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Uli in Enugu state has said that Buhari’s decision to withhold assent to the Electoral Act as amended by the National Assembly is in order.

    Professor Osita Ogbu said that the prevailing circumstance needed not be misconstrued as a constitutional crisis, and that there was no cause for alarm as the president acted within the law.

    He said that if the NASS felt undone by the action of the president, they would have to muster third-majority of their members to veto such presidential decision.

    “The president has the constitutional right to veto the document but if the NASS can muster two- third majority against that decision, it can be overridden. This is a democratic process and part of checks and balances in the art of governance,” Ogbu said.

     

  • Buhari writes Senate, withholds assent on three bills

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday wrote the leadership of the Senate on why he is withholding accent to three bills passed by the National Assembly over inconsistency and conflict with the Constitution.

    The bills are – the Police Procurement Fund (Establishment) Bill 2017, Chartered Institute of Management of Nigeria Bill 2017, and the Nigerian Council for Social Works (Establishment) Bill 2017.

    The President informed the Senate about the development in a letter read by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, at Tuesday’s plenary.

    Ekweremadu presided over the plenary in the absence of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who is standing trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) for false assets declaration.

    The trial resumed on Tuesday after the Court of Appeal had in December last year restored three out of the 18-count charge and ordered the Senate president to present himself for trial on the matter.

    The letter reads: “I hereby convey to the Senate my decision on 25th January 2018 to decline presidential assent to three bills recently passed by the National Assembly, namely Police Procurement Fund (Establishment) Bill 2017, due to lack of clarity regarding the manner of disbursement of the fund as well as constitutional issues regarding the powers of the National Assembly to appropriate funds allocated to the 36 states and 744 local governments which conflicts with Sections 80 to 82 and 120 to 122 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

    “The Chartered Institute of Management of Nigeria Bill 2017, due to lack of clarity over the scope of the profession of public management, that this bill prohibits persons who are not members of the institute from practising.

    “Nigerian Council for Social Works (Establishment) Bill 2017, due to lack of clarity over the scope of the profession of social works, that this bill prohibits all persons who are not members of the institute from practising.”

  • JUST IN: Buhari assents to eight new bills

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday signed eight bills passed by the National Assembly into law.

    One of the signed bills is the National Senior Citizens Center Act, 2018.

    The Act seeks to establish a National Senior Citizens Center in the country to cater for the needs of the elderly.

    The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly matters, Senate, Ita Enang, briefed State House Correspondents after the president signed the bills into law on Friday.

    Mr. Enang said other bills signed include the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges), 2018, the National Institute of Legislative Studies (Amendment) Act, 2018, and Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Kingdom of Spain (Domestication and Enforcement ) Act, 2018.

    Others are Rail Loan (International Bank) (Repeal) Act, 2018, Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2018, Chartered Institute of Local Government and Public Administration Act, 2018 and Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (Establishment), Act, 2018.

    The presidential aide said the Legislative House Powers and Privileges Act grant the Legislative Houses in the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly immunity from litigation for actions taken in plenary or committee proceedings of the House or committee.

    He said the Act strengthens the power of the legislators to carry out their legislative functions.

    The powers include powers to summon any person to appear before the Assemblies and give evidence, including power of an officer of the legislative house to arrest any person who commits an offense against the Act.

    “The National Institute for Legislative Studies (Amendment) Act establishing the Institute widens her Powers to include powers to provide training courses and Award Degrees on Democracy, Party Politics, Electoral Process, Legislative Practice and Procedures among others,” he said.

  • Buhari signs three bills into law

    President Muhammadu Buhari has signed three bills, which had earlier been passed by the National Assembly, into law.

    The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja on Wednesday.

    Adesina said the President signed the three bills on Tuesday.

    One of the bills, he said, was the Federal College of Dental Technology and Therapy (Establishment) Bill, 2017.

    “The college to be sited in Enugu is to provide courses of instruction leading to the award of degrees, diplomas and certificates in dental technology, dental therapy and related courses,” Adesina said.

    According to him, the second bill is the Air Force Institute of Technology of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, 2017.

    He said the institute, to be situated in Kaduna, is to give technical training to the personnel of the Nigerian Air Force and other services of the Nigerian Armed Forces, Nigerians and citizens of other African countries.

    The third bill, according to Adesina, is the National Intelligence Agency Pensions (Establishment) Bill, 2017, which is to administer the pensions scheme for personnel of the Agency, sequel to the exit of the Agency from the application of the Contributory Pension’s Scheme under the Pension’s Reform Act, 2004.

  • Senate to give rapt attention to passage of hate speech, jungle justice bills – Saraki

    Senate to give rapt attention to passage of hate speech, jungle justice bills – Saraki

    Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has said the 8th Senate will give rapt attention to the passage of passage of bills against hate speech and jungle justice will enjoy speedy passage when the chamber resumes from annual recess.

    Saraki stated that the passage of the bills will help tackle the menace of hate speech and jungle justice which was fast hitting up the polity and becoming a norm.

    In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki stated that the Senate was ready to give the Hate Speech Bill accelerated consideration when it is presented by the Executive.

    He said, “At this point in time when people are heating up the political and social space with their utterances, the Hate Speech Bill will help to mitigate against verbal attacks or expressions against individuals or groups on the basis of ethnicity, religion, and even gender.

    “This will help to send a clear message with accompanying punitive measures to those negative elements in our society that are fond of distasteful comments that hurt, offend and provoke retaliation.”

    The Senate President also stated that the Anti-Jungle Justice Bill, which was sponsored by Senator Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi-West) would also help to “curtail, protect and prohibit Nigerians across the country from meting out extra-judicial justice to perceived offenders without recourse to statutory legal channels.”

    Saraki said, “There have been many cases of extrajudicial executions across the nation. We all remember the ‘AluuFour’ incident and several other notorious cases of phone and food thieves being set ablaze. We cannot have a situation where people feel that they can take the law into their hands. Therefore, we must put in place careful stopgaps and penal measures to protect the sanctity of our communities.”

    The Senate President also stated that the Committees on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters; and Rules and Business of the Senate would work to ensure that Anti-Jungle Justice Bill was quickly passed and sent to the House of Representatives for concurrence.

  • Delta Assembly passes 18 bills in 12 months – Speaker

    Delta Assembly passes 18 bills in 12 months – Speaker

    The 6th Assembly of the Delta House of Assembly says out of the 34 bills received in the last 12 months, it passed 18.

    The Speaker of the Assembly, Chief Sheriff Oborevwori announced this while briefing newsmen on the activities of the assembly as it marks its second anniversary on Thursday in Asaba.

    Oborevwori said that out of the 18 bills passed by the assembly, 12 of them had received assent by Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa, while the remaining six were waiting for his assent.

    He said that some of the bills, which had been assented to by the governor included the Delta State Economic Planning Council Amendment Law, 2015 and the Delta State Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy Law.

    Oborevwori said that the Delta State Anti-kidnapping and Hostage bill was also passed into law.

    He said that bills awaiting the governor’s assent included the Delta state agency for control of HIV/AIDS Bill, 2016 and the Delta State Bureau for Lands Instrument Preparation Charges Bill.

    Oborevwori assured the governor that the assembly would continue to maintain a cordial working relationship with the executive arm of government.

    He further assured the people of the state of the assembly’s readiness to improve on its performance as it commenced the third legislative year.

    Oborevwori said that the remaining 16 bills, which had not been passed by the house, were at various committee stages.

    The Speaker assured people of the state that the assembly would continue to do that which was expected of them as lawmakers.

    “We are aware that the people of the state are looking forward to the delivery of more dividends of democracy and it is in our place to make it happen.

    “Despite the harsh economic situation which has affected service delivery, the assembly remains committed to providing effective representation to our constituencies,’’ he said.

    Oborevwori said that in the next parliamentary year, the house would ensure that it retained its focus and engage in deliberations and matters that would improve the fortune of the state.

     

  • Dogara receives 72 Bills from law reform committee, promises speedy passage

    Dogara receives 72 Bills from law reform committee, promises speedy passage

    The Committee on Review of Existing Laws and Law Reform set up by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, to review obsolete laws and review the nation’s statutes has presented another Set of 72 bills to the Speaker for passage into law.

    The team was led by the director general of National Institute of Legislative Studies, Dr Ladi Hamalai, to submit the report, which is of the final phase of the committee’s work, at the National Assembly.

    Submitting the report, Dr Hamalai said, “the committee considered over 100 legislation, out of which seventy-two bills were drafted. The drafted bills consist of repeals, amendments, consolidations and new bills. Key legislation reviewed and bills drafted include but not limited to:

    (a)The Electoral Act

    (b) Federal Universities establishment laws

    (c) The Electric Power Sector Reform Act

    (d) The Legal Education (Consolidation,etc) Act

    (e) The Companies and Allied Matters Act

    (f) The Evidence Act and

    (g) The Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.

    Receiving the report, the Speaker assured the committee that the House of Representatives will give the bills expeditious passage, while commending them for their selfless contribution to the strengthening of the laws of Nigeria.

    The committee had in the last 18 months submitted about 300 bills some of which have since been passed into law and assented to by the President.

  • Ambode bars LAWMA from collecting waste bills

    …bills to be collected henceforth by private operators

    In bid to encourage investment and accountability, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State has directed the Lagos State Waste Management Authority, LAWMA to stop the collection of waste bills, mandating Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators to take charge of revenue collection.

    This was revealed by the Chairman of LAWMA, Olumuyiwa Adejokun, its General Manager, Segun Adeniji, on Thursday at the opening session of a three-day training workshop for officials of the agency held at Lekki.

    Speaking at the event tagged, ‘Reformed Waste Management in Lagos State: The Role of LAWMA,’ Adejokun noted that the directive was part of the reforms to make the agency more effective.

    He said, “The government does not have the huge funds required to manage waste in the state. This is why the governor has decided to embark on waste management reform.

    “LAWMA issues bill to commercial outfits when waste is collected, and when the bills are paid, LAWMA keeps 40 per cent of the payment, and the PSP operators keep 60 per cent. But the governor has directed that 100 per cent of the fund should go to the PSP operators.”

    TheNewsGuru.com recalls that the from inception, LAWMA has been the sole collector of revenue from residents.