Is four years enough time to bring to bear a lofty idea? This is a question-begging for an answer as the House of Representatives roll out its legislative agenda, a document that is supposed to guide its legislative activities in the next four years, writes TONY AKOWE
THE Legislative Agenda is a declaration of the intent of members of the House of Representatives to serve the country with dedication, focusing considerable energies on those issues that most affect the lives of the citizens. The House has indicated its intention to pay close attention to the general welfare of the Nigerian people. There is a wide range of items on the agenda, as contained in a document prepared by an ad hoc committee led by Hon. Julius Ihonvbare. These items deliberated upon and approved by the lawmakers include Reform of the House of Representatives, social justice, sustainable power, environment and climate change. Others are economic growth, development and job creation; gender; education reform; anti-corruption; sustainable agricultural development and food security; security; open governance, transparency and accountability; Internally Displaced Persons; public health; media and national development as well as the national budget.
Presenting the document to the public, House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila said the legislative agenda was a product of the determination of the House to be the people’s parliament and to take the welfare of the Nigerian people as a top priority.
Gbajabiamila said: “We have codified in these pages an ambitious agenda that we absolutely intend to achieve. First among these, is to reform the way the House of Representatives manages its affairs in every area, from the administration of our finances to the operations of the committee system and the process of the vote taking and recording in the House. Our goal is accountability and transparency because as we seek to drive reforms across the government, we are obliged to make sure our own House is in the best order. We have collaborated with the private sector to outline a set of objectives and develop a programme of activities that will facilitate increased investment, encourage innovation and drive economic growth. We will act to protect those who are most vulnerable amongst us.”
He assured the Nigerian people that the House will seek through legislation and oversight, engagement and collaboration, the achievement of a kinder, gentler, more prosperous nation, so that we may leave as our legacy a bequest of love and promise greater than anything else that has come before. He stressed that nothing of substance or consequence is ever achieved by the endeavours of one individual alone, especially in government and public affairs.
In his statement of purpose, the Speaker lamented that 20 years into the present democratic journey, the promise and benefits of democracy are yet to be fully felt in the lives of many Nigerians.
A close study of the legislative agenda showed what could be described as an ambitious agenda. The question then will be whether members of the House will be able to actualise these lofty agenda in the overall interest of the Nigerian people. The house pledged to pay special attention to the vexing issues of rape, violence against women and child abuse while promising to work with development partners, human rights organisations, religious leaders, and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to firmly address this malady.
The document further stated that, “Issues of wealth and job creation, mass housing, access to water, education reforms especially at the basic level, social and food security, prison reforms, the conditions of internally displaced persons, protection of the girl child, environmental protection, and socio-economic and cultural rights will form part of the core of our interest and concern in the 9th Assembly”. The lawmakers noted that for decades, corruption has been the bane of the nation’s development. They also observed that policymaking processes have been distorted and compromised to produce policy outcomes expressly designed to serve the interests of a few, at the expense of the majority whilst resources for development and security, healthcare and education are diverted to enrich the private interests of a few public officials. The House further noted that the private sector has not been spared, as corruption has continued to limit its ability to make the breakthroughs required for industrialisation and growth. “Until we put in place a system that punishes acts of public corruption quickly and decisively. The Nigerian people will never be convinced of our commitment to rid ourselves of corrupt tendencies.
They are not oblivious of the fact that the fight against corruption has been slowed down by cumbersome legal processes and concluded that the anti-corruption law is not strong enough to bring about great success.
Conscious of the clamour by Nigerians for a special court to try corruption cases, the lawmakers resolved to examine the possibility of establishing, through legislation, and (or) constitutional amendment, Special Courts for the prosecution of public corruption cases under the proposed Omnibus Corruption and Racketeering in Public Service law in the same way that special tribunals are used for election petition matters. The special courts being considered by the lawmakers will allow for an expedited process of investigation, indictment and prosecution to allow for rapid dispensation of these matters.
THE agenda also suggested an amendment to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Act to allow for appointment of qualified persons from the judiciary, academia, legal practice etc., to lead the Commission, instead of the current practice that allows for only current or former security and law enforcement personnel to be appointed to chair the Commission. It also sought to increase funding for the EFCC and the ICPC for recruitment of lawyers and forensic accountants with expertise in investigation and prosecution of crimes of financial misappropriation and public corruption. “We will further seek, through legislation, to ensure that the two Commissions can engage foreign and local experts and partners to aid in the investigation and prosecution of crimes”, the document said.
Prison reform is to get commendable attention from the lawmakers within the period. It is of the view that the prisons are overburdened by thousands of inmates who, having never been convicted, are incarcerated while awaiting trial. In some cases, the incarceration lasts for much longer than it would have been had they been convicted by a court of competent jurisdiction. To this end, the House intends to pass the Prisoners’ Rights Bill for an Act for the protection of the rights of prisoners. It also seeks a review of the statutory framework for the establishment, maintenance and control of prisons.
One major area of special attention in the legislative agenda in the state of power supply in the country. According to the document, constant, cost-effective power supply remained an integral part of the economic development of any nation. They are not happy that Nigeria has not yet begun to generate or distribute sufficient power to meet present needs or provide for future demand, despite the involvement of the private sector in the process through privatisation. They stressed that the paucity in power generation negatively affects productive sectors – from large industry to small and medium scale enterprises resulting in measurable adverse effects on economic productivity, industrial sustainability and general prices of goods and services. The House believes that getting things right with electricity generation, transmission and distribution will drastically improve the nation’s economic outlook and it’s essential to put it on the path of sustained economic development.
THEY vowed to revisit laws, policies and investments including the roles of the Power Distribution Companies (DISCOs) and Power Generating Companies (GENCOs). In doing this, the House said it will initiate a comprehensive review of all legislation relating to the power sector in Nigeria and engage all stakeholders in the industry and take all necessary steps to guarantee that the views of businesses are considered in the process. The House will also step up its oversight functions to ensure that the funds allocated to the development of the power industry are judiciously and effectively deployed, adding that the mismanagement and misuse of funds are also one of the issues crippling electricity development in Nigeria. All records of legislative proceedings and documents for the energy sector, particularly those relating to misuse of funds would be reviewed for onward legislative deliberations and resolutions. That is, oversight should ensure that there is no diversion of funds meant for electricity.
Besides, the House intends to use its legislative instrument to mandate allocation of pre-paid meters to all electricity consumers, pointing out that currently, less than 20 per cent of consumers in Nigeria is on a prepaid meter system. This, the Reps noted, is an inefficient arrangement that places an undue burden on end-users of electricity, which must stop. “All electricity consumers in Nigeria must be provided with prepaid meters within a fixed period. We would seek to enforce a comprehensive ban on the practice of estimated billing and make it impossible for distribution companies (DISCOs) to continue to take undue advantage of consumers”. They also want to pass legislation that will provide the right environment for the development of local engineering capacity and encourage technological advancement of Nigerian universities in the area of engineering technology. The envisaged legislation would also enable the Federal Government to actively exercise control over privatised yet inefficient power companies and encourage and assist capable market players and investors to take over ineffective ones. In doing this, they intend to support full commercialisation of the industry to attract new capital and advanced technology and encourage investors in power generation to distribute directly to consumers or where the law insists that they must continue to supply to the national grid alone, then there must be guaranteed payment for power supplies from the federal government.
ON the economy, the House agenda stressed the fact that sustained economic growth is the key to effectively addressing other national problems of rising inequality, insecurity and conflict.
The need to comprehensively address the security challenges in the country is also of prime importance to the House. The legislative agenda lamented that the nation has contended with the insurgency in the NorthEast that continues to transform, adapting itself to changing circumstances, yet remains a significant threat to lives and property, and a drain on limited resources. “In the Northwest and North Central regions, banditry, cattle rustling and community clashes between farmers and herders have exacerbated the already existing communal tensions resulting in a steady occurrence of cataclysmic outbreaks that cost lives and property. Further south, miscreants and criminal elements have taken advantage of our overstretched national security capacity to commit crimes of rape, cultism, kidnapping, and armed robbery against citizens. Taken together, all these developments have created an untenable national security environment that is inhospitable to local and foreign investment, that discourages our people from productive pursuits and creates uncertainty and instability that mitigate against economic growth and national advancement. The challenges we face call for a new approach; increased funding for training and equipment, better engagement with local communities for intelligence gathering and community support and accountability in the allocation and disbursement of national security resources”.
THE health sector and its decay are expected to get prime attention under the legislative period as the House stressed that access to quality healthcare is one of the critical developmental challenges still facing the country. It observed that in too many parts of the country, access to basic healthcare facilities is limited at best and non-existent at worst. Primary healthcare centres, where they exist, are not able to meet the demands of the communities due to a host of problems ranging from lack of equipment to the absence of qualified personnel. Tertiary healthcare institutions are not sufficiently equipped to test for and treat many of the illnesses currently ravaging large segments of the country. In many parts of the country, health care institutions are dilapidated and almost abandoned. In the urban areas, healthcare access is limited not by the unavailability of institutions or personnel, but by the often, exorbitant costs. Every year, thousands of nurses, doctors, lab technicians and other medical professionals leave our shores in search of better opportunities elsewhere. AS a consequence of all these, tens of millions of Nigerians continue to die of preventable diseases and we lose millions of dollars each year to medical tourism. Achieving a healthcare system that works for all is both a humanitarian issue and an economic issue. The House, therefore, resolved to work with all stakeholders to expand access to the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) for all Nigerians, while seeking to identify and address policy issues that have affected a rollout of the scheme across Nigeria, especially in rural communities that need it the most. “Through the relevant house committees, we will review the NHIS Act to bring it up to date with contemporary best practices. This is in addition to an all-inclusive review of the laws relating to the healthcare sector in the country”. They observe that too many citizens, including healthcare providers in the country, are still unwilling to participate in the NHIS for a variety of reasons, including a misconception about how the scheme operates and the cost of participation. The House intends to work with the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and other healthcare advocacy groups on awareness campaigns to address these concerns and achieve broader acceptance of the scheme.
On cases of killer diseases, the Reps pledge to fund efforts to establish Special Hospitals and research centres, and rapid response units for the treatment, study, management and control of serious diseases such as cancer, diabetes, renal disease, HIV/AIDS, ebola, Lassa fever and cardiovascular diseases. Besides, the House said it would ensure adequate funding for the health sector through the improved budgetary provision and effective oversight in general, and particularly with regards to efforts at disease prevention across the country, while all existing healthcare laws will be reviewed for necessary reforms and amendments.
The agenda expressed concern over the rising cases of fake and substandard drugs being imported or manufactured in the country. “These drugs are sources of serious health hazards and have led to the loss of many lives and the devastation of many families. We will continue to support the activities of the National Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the Nigerian Customs Services, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Council (FCCPC) and other regulators and stakeholders to stop the purveyors of these drugs from continuing in their deadly trade. We will also support the activities of advocacy groups and non-governmental organisations in building national awareness about the adverse consequences of using these fake drugs”.
Also on the card is the plan to reform the nation’s budget and budgeting system. According to the agenda, the power of the purse, the right and responsibility to manage government expenditure through the appropriations process is the central power of the legislature. It is this power that makes all else possible. “Our intention to deliver on the promise of infrastructure development, meet the challenges of insecurity, provide our citizens with quality education and reposition our economy for growth, will not be met until we succeed in developing and implementing a budget framework that adheres to the best practices of effective budget policy. As such, reforming the appropriations process to ensure greater accountability, improve budget implementation and achieve an appreciable level of certainty in the process is an important component of the Agenda of the 9th House of Representatives”.
AMBITIOUS as the legislative agenda is, it is left to be seen whether members will have the political will to confront some of the issues they have resolved to handle in the next four years. A closer study of the document revealed the determination of the House to help move the country forward. But whether the resolve will translate into action is left to be seen. Nigerians and the entire world will be watching to see how the lawmakers translate the ideas contained in the document, which is already in the public domain, into reality. Analysts believe that once the House can push legislative actions in the areas identified, other problems militating against the development of the country would have been addressed, thus leading the nation on the path of development.
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