Tag: 8TH Lagos Assembly

Oziegbe Okoeki writes on the high number of private members’ bills in the Eighth Lagos State House of Assembly in 10 months of its existence, a development that is unprecedented.

Bills are very important to the legislature. What eventually becomes law actually starts its journey as a bill in the parliament. Bills are usually introduced principally through two sources: the ‘Executive bills’ and bill from ‘Private Members bills’.

Lawmakers of the Eight Lagos State House of Assembly are setting a new record in the history of legislature through the high turn over of private members bills. The House will be one year on June 8, and in 10 months, there are nine private members bills at different stages of passage. None of the Lagos Assemblies’ have recorded as much as five private member bills in their entire four years lifespan. The bulk of the bills that they passed into laws were actually executive sponsored bills.

Observers are of the opinion that the House may record more than 20 private members bills in four years.

The private members bills are: Local Government Administration Law (Amendment) 2015; Lagos State Cancer Research Institute Bill, 2016; Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps Bill, 2016; Bill on Kidnapping and Abduction. These four bills are sponsored by the Speaker, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa who represents Agege constituency 1. Obasa is a fourth-timer in the House.

Others are: Local Government Economic Planning and Development Board Bill, 2016; Lagos State Public Finance Management (Amendment) Bill, 2016; Lagos State Local Government Service Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2016. These three bills were sponsored by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Eshilokun Sanni Wasiu. he represents Lagos Island 1 Constituency and is a second-timer in the House.

The Lagos State Properties Protection Bill, 2015 is sponsored by the Majority Leader, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade, who represents Ikorodu constituency 1 and a third-timer in the House. The remaining one: Shield for Rape Victims and Civil Liability Bill, 2016 is sponsored by Hon. Gbolahan Yishawu, who represents Eti-Osa 2. He also sponsored one private member bill in the Seventh Assembly as a first-timer, which was passed and signed into law by the former governor, Babatunde Fashola.

The goal of the Local Government Administration Law (Amendment) 2015  is to increase the tenure of chairmen and councillors at the councils to four years from the current three years and also give the House a say in the removal of erring chairmen and councillors. The sponsor, Obasa, said: “we want to create the same opportunity for local governments, to give them all opportunities and privileges to serve the same number of years like elected officials at the state and federal levels.

The Lagos State Cancer Research Institute Bill, is to create more awareness about the life terminator, cancer and to set up screening centres in all local governments. Obasa said: “we want to have a board or a research office that can look at issues of cancer critically and provide lasting solution. People can be rescued if they discover early that they have the problem. With screening centres in all local governments and opportunity for our people to access such centres we will be able to reduce the number of death caused by cancer annually”.

On the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps Bill, the speaker said: “Because crime is growing and the police are is totally inadequate, we want to provide something to complement the effort of the police. Policing is not totally about carrying arms. You can police with communication gadgets, by being vigilant and alert. We want to recruit people and position them somewhere to cover and monitor the area; people who can then signal or alert the police to come around and make arrests where necessary or stop the impending danger, so that we can have protection of life and property, which is the total responsibility of any government”.

The Bill on Kidnapping and Abduction, according to the sponsor, is to tackle the new dynamics in crime in the society. “Crime is taking a different dimension that the existing laws have not really captured. Kidnapping and abduction have become a new trend. so, we have to look at it and generate something that would provide for where we are lacking”.

The three bills sponsored by the Deputy speaker are meant to take care of the lacuna in economic planning, development and financial management at the local and state levels

The Lagos State Properties Protection Bill, otherwise called the Ajagungbale or land speculators bill is to check the criminal activities of land grabbers in the state who have constituted themselves into a menace and security threat.

The Shield for Rape Victims and Civil Liability Bill, 2016 is meant to protect victims of rape and shield them from undue exposure at trial in court.

The high turn-over of private members bills, no doubt, a healthy development, raises some questions: why the sudden upsurge in private members bills? Have the lawmakers suddenly woken up to their responsibilities? Is it a sign that the lawmakers are more hardworking and proactive? Or could it be because there are still so many areas of life in the state that has not be taken care of by laws? Or could it be as a result of better training and experience?      .

Obasa attributed the high turn over to the maturity of lawmakers. He said: “I will adduce this to the increase in opportunity to learn as a parliamentarian. You know the parliament has been in existence now for almost 16 years. It simply means we are growing, mature politicians.

“At the same time, those who are coming from outside, it is either they have served under the executive or they have been something before they joined the House. So looking at the experience they have gathered from where they are coming from and the one the existing members in the House also have acquired. So, I think these are the factors that are influencing the sudden increase in private members bills.

“I think the society as a whole, is like something where we all learn from; when you look around you, you look at the situation, you look at what is happening, you look at our statutes book, you discover that this thing is lacking, there is no provision for such in the existing statutes book; you have nothing else than to bring something new to add to the existing laws or to bring new law.

“If you look at the dynamics of crime in our society today, it is taking a different dimension that the existing laws have not really captured; something like kidnapping and abduction have become a new trend. so, we have to look at it and generate something that would provide for where we are lacking that would protect that area where the existing law have not really covered. These are major factors that are responsible for sudden upsurge in private members bill

The Majority Leader said “One of those things I see, we have been saying it, and it is manifesting. We have been saying it that a legislature would grow when the individuals in the legislature are experienced people. Now, we have three fourth-timers, six third-timers, we have like 11 second-timers. So, we have people in the legislature who are experienced in the art of lawmaking.

“With the training that the House has received, individual members now know how to go about sponsoring a bill and looking critically into the society to see which area do we feel needs legislative advocacy, to take care of some of the things. So, I see that as one reason why we have more of the bills.

He added: “The more experienced hands you have in the House, the more the House will be alive to its legislative responsibility. We are also looking critically at laws that have been passed before now and bringing them into conformity with present realities through amendments.

“Constitutionally, members of the House are elected to make laws, review laws and repeal laws. The reason for the high-turn-over is because over time, the House has been trained. We still have very credible and experienced hands in place. You would have imagined what would have happened if there are no old hands to show the new comers the way and the art of lawmaking and legislative advocacy.

 

Unlike its predecessor, the 8th Lagos State House of Assembly has eight opposition members belonging to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). As the House celebrates its first anniversary next month, Correspondent OZIEGBE OKOEKI x-rays its activities in the past one year.

AFTER its inauguration by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode in June last year, the Eight Lagos State House of Assembly settled down to business, by promptly electing its principal officers. The Clerk of the House, Ganiyu Abiru, subsequently swore-in the officers of the 40-member parliament.

One year down the line, how has the House fared? Although standing committees are the engine room of legislative business, they were not constituted until about five months later in October. This, no doubt, slowed down activities of the House in the first few months of its existence. However, in the interim, ad-hoc committees were set up as issues cropped up and as situation demanded to fill the vacuum.

 

Plenary

But, the absence of standing committees did not affect plenary sessions, as the House continued after its inauguration to deliberate on issues affecting the state. Indeed, it passed far-reaching resolutions on issues affecting the state, in line with motions moved by members. Lawmaking, which is another important function of the legislature, has also been in the front burner of the House activities within the period with bills at different stages of passage.

One of the first major assignments accomplished the House was the re-ordering of the 2015 budget, as requested by Governor Ambode to meet up challenges thrown up by the dwindling economy and security. The exercise paved the way for the more than four billion naira equipment donated to security agencies by the governor to combat a new wave of criminal activities that almost overwhelmed the state in the early months of the life of the current administration. The re-ordering exercise also paved the way for the rehabilitation of some bad roads and construction of pedestrian/overhead bridges, which is currently in progress in different parts of the state.

 

Bills

The process of turning bills into laws entails seven stages. These are: First Reading; Second Reading; Committee Stage; Public Hearing; Laying of Report; Presentation of Report and Third Reading. It is after it scales through the Third Reading that it is passed into law.

Since the House was inaugurated in June 2015, it has passed four bills into law. These are: Appropriation (Amendment) Law, 2015 (Re-Ordering of Priorities in Y2015 Budget); Lagos State University (Amendment) Bill, 2015; Lagos State Employment Trust Fund Bill, 2015; and Appropriation Bill, 2016.

Apart from the appropriation (budget) law, the employment trust fund law is very significant, as it is designed to make funds available for entrepreneurs, especially youths with skills and business ideas, but who cannot access capital to start their business either because of lack of collateral or any other reason. Of course, the importance of the appropriation laws cannot be over emphasized, because without its passage there will be no fund to run government. While the Lagos State University (Amendment) law is designed introduce changes, so as to put an end to incessant crises in the institution and bring peace to the crisis-ridden institution.

While there are no bills at the Third Reading stage for now, there are however 15 bills at the Second Reading stage. These are:  the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Bill, 2015; the Lagos State Public Works Corporation Bill, 2015; the Seal of Lagos State Government (Amendment) Bill, 2015; the Lagos State Tourism Promotion Agency Bill, 2015; the Lagos State Examinations Board Bill, 2015; the Lagos State Revenue Administration Bill, 2015; the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, 2015; and the Ibile Holdings Corporation Bill, 2015.

Others are: the Local Government Economic Planning and Development Board Bill, 2016; the Lagos State Public Finance Management (Amendment) Bill, 2016; the Lagos State Local Government Service Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2016; the Lagos State Cancer Research Institute Bill, 2016; the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps Bill, 2016; the Lagos State Health Scheme (Amendment) Bill, 2016; and the Shield for Rape Victims and Civil Liability Bill, 2016.

At the Committee Stage, there are four bills pending; these are: the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2015; the Local Government Election Tribunal (Amendment) Bill, 2015; the Lagos State Properties Protection Bill, 2015 and the Lagos State Customary Court (Amendment) Bill, 2016.

The Lagos State Properties Protection Bill, 2015, otherwise known as the Ajagungbale or the Land Speculators Bill, is to check the criminal activities of land grabbers in the state who have constituted themselves into a menace and security threat.

It is at the Committee Stage that the public hearing will take place after which the report of the committee will be laid and its presentation taken before the Third Reading and passage into law.

 

Resolutions

A total number of 44 resolutions have been passed by the 8th Assembly, from different motions moved by members on the floor of the House. The resolutions, which are to ensure peace, order, security, tranquility, development and social harmony in the state, include: the need for palliative work on Lagos-Badagry Expressway (Iyana Isashi – Ijanikin – Agbara end); improving security measures on Lagos waterways; need for regulation of noise pollution in Lagos State; need to check illegal dredging, mining and reclamation activities in Lagos State; call for construction of bridge (flyover) around Agege Pen Cinema; call for automation of the entire traffic monitoring system in Lagos State; call on the appropriate authorities for urgent investigation into the activities and funding of the Federal Road Maintenance Agency(FERMA) in respect of federal roads in Lagos State in the last eight years.

Others are: the urgent repair of the deplorable state of Lekki-Epe expressway; menace of traffic gridlock in the state; need to ensure quality control of manufactured and imported products in Nigeria; the need to protect the sanctity of gender morality in Lagos State; call to restore sanity to Lagos Island Central Business Districts’ roads; occupation and vandalisation of public school buildings and facilities by hoodlums and miscreants; call on Federal Government to refund the money expended on federal roads in Lagos State; assaults on officials of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) by military personnel; need to check the incursion of commercial motorcycle riders into BRT Corridor on Ikorodu-Mile 12 axis; call to check the harmful activities of faceless recruitment organisations etc.

The House has also passed three regulations awaiting executive approval for the period under review. These are: the Lagos State Safety Commission (Swimming Pool) Regulations, 2015; the Lagos State Water Infrastructure Development (Beaches) Regulations, 2015; and the Lagos State Waterways Authority (Boating Safety) Regulations, 2015.

 

Town hall meetings

The Assembly recorded a major feat in October 2015, when it successfully organised town hall meetings simultaneously in the 40 constituencies of the state. Though the 6th and 7th Assemblies organised town hall meetings, the uniqueness of the ones by the 8th Assembly is that they were held at the same day and time in all the state 40 constituencies, with each lawmaker presiding over the meeting in his or her constituency.

The essence of the town hall meetings were to involve constituents in governance; to acquaint them with the workings of government, particularly the legislature, its duties functions and responsibilities; and to get feedback from constituents as to how much impact of government they feel and what they expect from the government.

The series of requests, demands and observations of constituents have since been collated and passed over to the executive to guide it in preparing the budget.

The Assembly has also screened members of the state executive council who have since assumed office as commissioners and special advisers. It also screened and approved members of boards of various commissions such as: the Civil Service Commission; the Judicial Service Commission; the Lagos State Security Trust Fund and others, the Employment Trust Fund and others.

 

Petitions/protests

Aside from treating the petitions forwarded to it on various issues by Lagosians, the House received several groups that protested over one injustice or denial of rights or the other. It has stepped into some of these cases and resolved them amicably, while it is still looking into others. The protest range from demolition of structures, either houses or markets by government agencies, inhuman working conditions at work places, kidnap and rape cases, agitation for gender equality, imposition of arbitrary fees/levies and others.

 

Oversight functions

Some committees in the House have carried out oversight duties since standing committees were constituted. The committee members led by their chairmen have undertaken visitation to various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). The lawmakers have issued queries and given commendations where necessary and invited officials of some of the MDAs to the House clarify issues in some cases.

The absence of elected councillors and chairmen at the local governments and local council development authorities has added another workload on the House, as the duty of preparing and approving the 2016 budget rests squarely on it.

As for performances of the individual lawmakers in debate at plenary, they have not fared badly, especially new members who constitute half of the Assembly; they seem to have caught on fast and are also eager to make an impression and make their presence felt.

 

Opposition lawmakers

The eight opposition lawmakers do not seem to know their role as the opposition; they are actually APC in spirit and only PDP in name. They have not raised any dissenting voice or opposition to any issue on the floor of the House; it doesn’t matter if the issue is on the lack of initiative of the past PDP-led Federal Government. Even the on-going suffering occasioned by fuel scarcity and the worsening power situation in the country has not elicited any motion from the opposition; a situation that would have been feasted on by the APC lawmakers were it the PDP that is at the Federal level. They really need to wake up because for now it is like an all APC House.

 

Training

There is a little lull in the training programmes for staff and members, both locally and internationally within the last one year, compared to the 7th Assembly. Though a few training/workshops/seminars have taken place, this is not to be compared to what prevailed in the 6th and 7th Assemblies; as the tempo and regularity has reduced considerably.