Constitution Amendment: Reps transmit 35 bills to Buhari

By Christiana Ekpa

The House of Representatives, Wednesday, directed the Clerk to the National Assembly to transmit the 35 Bills to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent.

The bills were said to have fulfilled the provisions of Section 9(2) of the Constitution and have been considered by 27 State Houses of Assembly.

The House also received the approval 24 state assemblies.

The state houses of assemblies had rejected 9 bills including financial and administrative autonomy for local government councils.

The House also called on Gombe, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kwara, Oyo, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, and Zamfara State Houses of assembly yet to approve the bills to do the needful.

The resolutions of the House followed the consideration of a motion by Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase, Hon. Ndudi Godwin Elumelu, Hon. Hassan Fulata and 68 other lawmakers.

Presenting the motion, Fulata who is the House chairman, Rules and Business Community said that 68 Bills were seeking alterations before the House and the Senate as at February 23, 2022.

He added that only 44 bills eventually got approval by both chambers and we’re transmitted to the State Houses of Assembly for their resolutions on the 27 March, 2022.

Informing that 27 Houses forwarded their resolutions on the Bills, Fulata however the listed 35 Constitution Alteration Bills that have satisfied the provisions of Section 9 (2) of the Constitution, for passage into law, having been approved by not less than 24 State Houses of Assembly.

He said: “Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 3–(Change of Names of Afikpo North and Afikpo South Local Government Areas (Ebonyi State);

(b) Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 4–Change of Name of Kunchi Local Government Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 5–Change of Names of Egbado North and Egbado South Local Government

Areas (Ogun State);

Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 7–Correction of the name of Atigbo Local Government Area (Oyo State);

Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 8–Correction of Name of Obia/Akpor Local Government Area (Rivers State);

Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 9–Financial autonomy of State legislatures and State Judiciary; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 10–Enforcement of Legislative Summon; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 11–Inauguration of Members-Elect.

“Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 21–Deletion of reference in the Constitution to the provisions of the Criminal Code, Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Act, Criminal Procedure Code or Evidence Act; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 22–Provision for Intervening Events in the Computation of Time for the Determination of Pre-Election Petitions, Election Petitions and Appeals therefrom; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 24–Expansion of the

Interpretation of Judicial Office; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 25–Appointment of Secretary of the National Judicial Council; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 29–Devolution of Powers (Airports); Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 30–Devolution of Powers (Fingerprints, identification and criminal records); Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 31–Devolution of Powers (Correctional Services); Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 32–Devolution of Powers (Railways); Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 33–Devolution of Powers (National Grid System); Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 39–Power to enforce compliance of remittance of Accruals into the Federation Account and Review of Revenue Allocation Formula.

“Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No.40–Independence of Certain bodies; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No.41–Removal of Transitional Law-making Powers of the Executive;

Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 43–Domestication of Treaties; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 44–Timeline for the Presentation of Appropriation Bills; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 45–Timeframe for the Submission of the Names of Ministerial or Commissioner Nominees; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No.48–Power to summon the President and Governors; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 49 Authorization of Expenditure; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 50–Replacement of the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation with the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federal Government; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 51–Creation of the Office of Accountant-General of the Federal Government; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 53–Separation of the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and of the State from the office of the Minister or Commissioner for Justice; and others.”

By Abubakar Yunusa Abuja

Aformer Bayelsa State Governor, currently the Senator representing Bayelsa West in the National Assembly, Seriake Dickson has called on Nigerians to support the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies to conduct free, fair, and peaceful elections.

Dickson disclose this at the bareit fellowship with Senator Henry Seriake Dickson with the theme “ Vocational diligence:From police post to government house -my story” organized by Rotary Club Abuja Maitama in Abuja yesterday.

He said, “The election is just about a month away, and let’s see how we work, support INEC, support the security services and all agencies concerned to deliver a free fair, and acceptable general election that will throw up a new class of leaders in our country.

“I know that we are not all on the same page and that is allowed. Democracy is a breeding ground and a marketplace of ideas. So ideas can differ, can vary, and perspectives need not be the same. But let us all bear in mind that in all of this, the political class should not commit class suicide, and should not lead the country toward destruction or crisis.

“We will find it difficult if there is a major crisis. Therefore, people should be temperate. People should be civil while disagreeing and while canvassing for votes.

Speaking further, he condemned every uncivil comment or attack on candidates generally, no one is justified in doing so. No supporter is justified in doing so. Nobody is justified in inciting by making statements that can create confusion or crisis.

By Christiana Ekpa

Abill for Act to federal fire act, to provide for safety measures in buildings, regulations, and penalty for default has scaled through a second reading at the House of Representatives.

The bill seeks to put in place a legal framework for the establishment of requisite prevention mechanisms and global best practices and safety world standards of measures, regulations, and penalty for default.

Titled “A bill for an Act to Amend the Provisions of the the Fire Service Act, Cap.F29, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and Make Provisions for the Establishment of Building Safety Measures, Regulations and Penalty for Default”, it was sponsored by Hon. Unyime Idem, member representing Ukanafun/Oruk Anam Federal Constituency of Akwa Ibom State.

Leading the debate on the general principle of the bill at Wednesday plenary, Idem said that fire outbreaks have been on tbe increase and so, needed a new measure to adequately tackle it.

He said: “Fire outbreaks in Nigeria have risen to a worldwide attention in recent years causing great loss to both the environmental and economic lives and Nigerian government and people have continued to record high loses as a result of fire disasters and outbreak and critical sectors of the nation’s economy and infrastructure are consumed by fire leaving in their trail huge economic loses to individuals and the nation at large.

Private homes, public buildings, markets, warehouses, sawmills, fuel tankers, educational establishments, shops, clubs, hotels, and restaurants are all victims of unpreparedness in management and fighting fire incidences.”

According to him, the bill has an amendment of about 6 sections, which were vital and significant to the management and prevention of fire disaster in the country.

He said: “In order for the innovation to be effective, Section 2 of the Principal Act is amended by adding the word “management. Section 5 of the Principal Act is amended by the introduction of fresh paragraph to read; “give approval for building after thorough perusal of the submitted building plan and compliance with provision of necessary fire services prevention and management kits and supervision protocols.

“Section 24 of the Principal Act is amended by inserting fresh sub-section to read: “Subsequent upon submission for an approval for a building compliance with the fire service protocol, the officials of the Fire service shall charge a particular fee to the intended developer and such funds shall be remitted to the covers of the Government of the Federation.

“Section 28 of the Principal Act is hereby amended by addition of fresh paragraph to read thus: “Any person who contravenes or fails to comply with any of the provisions of this Act, or with any regulation or requirement made thereunder, for which no other penalty is specifically provided shall be guilty of an offence and on summary conviction thereof shall be liable to a fine not exceeding forty naira or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two months or to both such fine and imprisonment”.

“Section 28 of the Principal Act is hereby and further amended by inserting to read thus: “Any person who contravenes or fails to comply with the provisions of Section 5 (e) of this Bill, or with any regulation or requirement made thereunder shall be guilty of an offence and on summary conviction thereof shall be liable to a fine not exceeding One Million Naira or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five months or to both such fine and imprisonment”.

The bill when put to a voice vote got the support of the majority of the members.

In a related development, the House also urged the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, Director General of State Security Service, Yusuf Bichi and Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba to direct “Operation Save Heaven” to initiate a coordinated joint operation with other security agencies to flush out criminals within the system.

The House also mandated its Committees on Police Affairs, Interior, Defence and National Security to investigate the cases of extra-judicial

National President, Federation of Agricultural commodity Association of Nigeria, Dr. Victor Halim iyama (middle) flanked by the National President, National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN) Prince Ojo Joseph Ajanaku, and ,Dr. Babagana of Nexim bank and other stakeholders at the NIgeria Cashew day held recently in Benin killings in Jos and environs.

The resolutions were sequel to the consideration of a motion sponsored by Hon. Muhammad Adam Alkali, at the plenary on Wednesday.

Presenting the motion, Alkali recalled the reported cases of extrajudicial killings of innocent Nigerians by security operatives, on the 21 September, 2022, when 16 year Usman Bala was shot dead, while two others were injured by a Police Officer attached to the Division C of the Nigeria Police Force Jos, Plateau State.

He said “Also notes that on 4 December 2022, security operatives allegedly shot and killed one Magaji Ahmad, a Keke NAPEP rider of Dutse Uku Area of Jos for exceeding the approved operations hours imposed by the State Government.

“Worried that if stringent security measures are not taken to safeguard the lives of the citizens in compliance with Chapter 2 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) particularly Section 14 (2)(b) which states that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government; it might constitute a threat to national security.”

Adopting the motion, the House gave the committee six weeks within which to do the assignment and report back to the House for further legislative action.