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Tag: House of Representatives

  • Tramadol, Codeine:  Reps propose N2m fine, two years jail-term for offenders

    An amendment bill that passed in the House of Representatives Tuesday has proposed a N2 million fine and a 2-year jail term for offenders of the ban on Tramadol and Codeine

    The bill which seeks to amend the Food, Drugs and Related Products (Registration, etc) Act Cap. F33 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to review the penalties and confer jurisdiction on High Court of the State to try offences under the Act, was sponsored by Hon. Betty Apiafi (PDP Rivers) and passed second reading Tuesday.

    The principal act regulates the manufacture, importation, exportation, advertisement, sale or distribution of processed food, drug and related products and their registration.

    In the lead debate on the bill, Apiafi said: “In Nigeria, between January and December 2015, Ibe thousand and forty-four (1044) patients were admitted for treatment in the 11 treatment centers currently part of e Nigeria Epidemiological Network  of Drug Use ( NENDU)  reporting system.

    Read Also:Codeine ban: NDLEA arrests 17 suspects

    “28.3 percent of the patients had an opiate addiction and the opiates were mainly prescription Medicines: Tramadol (71 percent as 1st most frequently used substance and specified), Codeine (15.1 percent) and Pentazocine (9.9 percent), Heroine and Morphine represented only 3.3 percent of t opiates declared,” she said.

    She added that since 2015, Codeine has nearly overtaken Tramadol as the most abused opiate in Nigeria. “Thousands of young people in Nigeria are addicted to Codeine cough syrup- a medicine that has become a street drug. Three million bottles are drunk everyday in Nigeria’s North alone, according to a recent Nigerian government report.”

    She also noted that the World Health Organisation, WHO estimated in 2011, that 64 percent of antimalarial drugs in the country were found to be counterfeit.

    “it is assessed that counterfeit drugs provided approximately $75 billion  in revenue annually to illegal operators and have caused more than 150,000 deaths worldwide,” Apiafi said, adding that ” we legislators must also do our part in this war against commercialisation of illegal unregistered food and drugs.”

    Sections 6, 7, 9 and 13 of the Principal Act were amended in the new bill which the lawmaker said was birthed 25 years ago and had never seen any amendment or reform till date.

    The new bill stipulates penalties for individuals up to the tune of N500, 000 or a prison term of 2 years or both; and in the case of a corporate body, all the directors, managers. Partners, trustees etc would be guilty of an offence and would be punished as it they had committed the offence themselves.

    The bill was referred to the House committee on Healthcare Services after it was passed by majority of members in the floor.

  • Reps condemn Lottery operators for loss of N1.5 trillion

    …threaten licence withdraw of culpable operators

     

    The House of Representatives has expressed disappointment with the inability of the Nigerian Lottery Regulatory Commission to regulate the sector effectively.

    There are 21 licensed operators currently running the sector in the country following the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The lawmakers blamed the loss of over N1.493 trillion by the country on the failure of the Commission to carry out its responsibilities diligently.

    The House has consequently threatened lottery operators found culpable of non remittance of their dues with the withdrawal of their licenses.

    The Commission has however cited lack of effective regulation in the industry as a major contributory factor for the abysmal revenue drive.

    The acting Executive Secretary of the National Lottery Trust Fund, Bello Maigari, while appearing before House Committee on Inter-Governmental Affairs regretted that the sector has over the years failed to meet its set revenue target.

    According to him, of the estimated revenue target of N1.5 trillion, the sector could only generate N7b in 13 years.

    Noting that lottery and gaming businesses have continued to flourish without proper regulation in the country, Maigari said the Nigerian lottery market according to industry experts is the most attractive market in Africa.

    He said: “The industry is worth over N1.5 trillion as we speak. Lottery has significantly contributed to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of many countries across the continent and about 7.5 million and 22 million Nigerians engage in lottery and sport betting daily.‎
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    “Records at our disposal indicates that cumulative returns of about 5 years stood at about 7.2 billion and this is unacceptable in a nation with so much potential like Nigeria”. ‎

    He however regretted that conflict of interest, sharp practices, sabotage among others as factors are militating against the revenue growth from the industry in Nigeria.

    “This has giving dubios businessmen and agents the latitude to undermine government interest,” he added.‎

    On his part, the Director General (DG) of NLRC, Lanre Gbajabiamila said outdated lottery laws has contributed to the stunted growth of the sector in the country.

    He however explained that his commission is poised to raise the sector to international standard, “A lot has been said about the sector which I concur with, and we still have lots of work to do, as our laws are outdated and need to be rejigged.‎
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    “We need this House, especialy the committee to help us in updating the lottery and gaming laws, they are outdated and a lot of things are going on out there that need to be tapped into using enabling legialtions.‎

    “However, as regulators, we are putting some checks and balances in place as the way the industry was run before wasn’t proper,” he noted.‎

    ‎While declaring open the hearing, Speaker Yakubu Dogara, in terms of income generation rated the country’s lottery sector higher than other sectors after oil and gas, Customs and Excise and the Federal Inland Revenue Service.

    The Committee assured that all necessary legislative action would be taken to bring to book all operators found culpable to have shortchanged the country.

    Committee Chairman, Oseni Kangiwa said the responsibility to ensure the robustness of the sector lies on NLRC for effective regulatory framework and standards for the operators.

  • House of Reps have more or less endorsed Oshiomole – Gbajabiamila

    Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila disclosed today that the House of Representatives have endorsed the former Governor of Edo state, Comrade Adams Oshiomole as the next National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress ( APC ).

    Adams Oshiomole

    Gbajabiamila who took to his twitter handle in the early hours of today said:

    “We sat down for over two hours with Comrade Oshiomole and had a heart-to-heart discussion and we are all on the same page.

    “As a result of that solicitation, we as the @OfficialAPCNg caucus in the House of Representatives believe in him. We have more or less endorsed him”.

    Oshiomole who will most likely be taking over from Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, will be saddled with the singular and arduous task of bringing cohesion and repositioning to the APC nationwide.

  • New PIB will accord efficiency in oil sector – Dogara

    The House of Representatives says new Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) being processed by the National Assembly will enable Nigeria operate at efficiency standards expected of 21st century oil and gas industry.

    Speaker of the House, Mr Yakubu Dogara, stated this at the opening of a public hearing on Petroleum Industry Reform Bills at the National Assembly on Tuesday in Abuja.

    Dogara observed that as it currently stood, the government recognised that the industry could no longer meet its aspirations and those of key stakeholders.

    The Bills being considered are Petroleum Industry Administration Bill, Petroleum Industry Fiscal Bill and Petroleum Host and Impacted Communities Bill.

    “You are all aware that the oil and gas industry reform has been a critical issue before the House of Representatives since 2009 when the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) was first transmitted as an Executive Bill.

    “The major reason for the reform, which remains even more valid today, is that the petroleum industry in Nigeria is not operating at standards and levels of efficiency expected of a 21st century oil and gas industry.

    “Government recognizes that the industry can no longer meet its aspirations and those of key stakeholders,” he said.

    The speaker expressed regret at the 6th and 7th National Assemblies for their failure to conclude legislative consideration of the PIB.

    “This, in my opinion, was as a result of insufficient consultations and weak ownership of the Bill.

    Read Also: PIB: Saraki warns oil firms against inducing lawmakers

    “It also include absence of requisite political will as well as the extremely divergent and competing views of the government and other major stakeholders on the provisions of the Bill.

    “However, at the National Assembly, the most important set back was that the PIB was difficult to handle by the relevant committees because it was a massive and complex document.

    “It was to repeal and re-enact almost all our petroleum laws into a holistic legislation and because of its sheer size and complexity, the Bill was difficult to consider by the legislative committees in both chambers.

    “The implications of the delay in concluding the oil and gas industry reform which commenced since the year 2000 have been very colossal for our country running into several billions of dollars.

    “The money would have accrued to Nigeria and our economy coupled with the loss of our erstwhile continental competitiveness,” he said.

    Dogara, however, assured that in spite of the setbacks experienced in the past, the 8th National Assembly, especially the House of Representatives, would ensure passage of the bill for completion of oil and gas industry reform.

    According to him, passage of the bill was one of the House’s cardinal legislative objectives.

    “Today’s event is in keeping with our covenant with Nigerians to lay to rest this difficult but surmountable challenge that has been the bane of our oil and gas industry.

    “To ensure a thorough and expedited conclusion of the reform, this House decided to split the reform Bills into logical smaller bills. This way, the individual Bills can be expeditiously considered and passed one after the other.

    “The reform Bills were split into the following Bills – Petroleum Industry Governance Bill 2017, Petroleum Industry Fiscal Bill 2018, Petroleum Producing Host and Impacted Communities Bill, 2018 and Petroleum Industry Administration Bill, 2018.

    “The Petroleum Industry Governance Bill, 2017 has been passed by both the House and Senate and is now before the President for assent,” he said.

    NAN

     

  • Reps to investigate Rivers’ Court invasion 

    The House of Representatives is to investigate the assault on the judiciary in Rivers state.

    While condemning the assault with the invasion of High court complex in Port Harcourt by hoodlums allegedly aided by a Federal security agency, the House has mandated an ad hoc committee to examine the immediate and remote causes of the incidence without let or favour.

    This followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance by Betty Apiafi (PDP, Rivers), who alleged that the assault carried out by hoodlums was aided by men of the Federal Special Anti-robbery squad (FSARS).

    According to her, on May 11, 2018 organized hoodlums aided by over 40 operatives of FSARS under the command of Akin Fakorede, the Commander, FSARS, Rivers state blocked all the entrances of the Rivers state High court complex for hours preventing judicial workers, judges, litigants and lawyers from gaining access into their office and court rooms to carry out their judicial duties and businesses.

    She said: “While the siege lasted, the organised hoodlums aided by the FARS freely harassed innocent persons including lawyers, judges and other judiciary staff while public properties were also vandalised.

    Read Also:Bomb scare at Rivers court

    “This incident was purportedly a fall out of the APC Local Government Congress where an aggrieved faction had gone to court to seek redress, while other faction with backing of the security men were out to prevent the court from sitting.

    “Such brazen and sponsored invasion of an arm of government amounts to an assault and contempt of the judiciary and a show of violence as well as an infringement of the constitution of the Federal republic of Nigeria”.

    Saying that security agencies especially the Nigeria Police Force are failing in their responsibility to protect democratic institutions, the lawmaker added, “The invasion of institutions of government is now becoming a norm and no doubt ridicules our democracy before the international community”.

    Bright Tamuno (PDP, Rivers), in his contribution said the House must make a strong statement condemning the invasion of the court because “Today it’s Rivers state, who knows who is next”.

    Nnenna Elendu-Ukeje (PDP, Abia), regretted that nothing seems to have changed, with politicians appearing not to have learnt any lesson.

    “In 1999, we said it was nascent democracy and then it graduated into a fledgling democracy we can’t continue like this all of us here are leaders and we need to ask ourselves whether we want to test down this country,” she said.

    The motion was unanimously adopted after it was put to a voice vote by the presiding officer, Deputy Speaker Yussuff Lasun.

  • Reps break 2018 Budget laying promise

    The expectation that the 2018 budget would be lad this week dissipated Tuesday as there was no indication that such would happen.

    Last week, the House of Representatives promised that the budget would be laid this week Tuesday and passed before the end of the week, but the Order paper of the House Carried no such item. Journalists who were on the watch out for the laying of the budget were disappointed.

    The National Assembly had assured that 2018 Budget will be passed this week,

    While briefing reporters at the National Assembly on Thursday last week, the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Publicity, Abdulrasak Namdas had said that the 2018 Appropriation bill will be passed into law this week.

    He said: “By the Grace of God, we will lay the budget on Tuesday and then try to pass it that same week.

    “But where laying it on Tuesday and I can assure you that within that same week, we’re going to pass it.

    “We tried to do that, but you know, the budget is a voluminous document.. Actually, we’ve been working hard so that we can beat the deadline, and hopefully this time around, I can assure you that by next week, everything about the budget will be concluded and passed..”

    Similarly, the Senate gave the same assurance on the passage of the budget this week.

    But the leadership of the National Assembly on Monday at the Villa during a visit to President Muhammadu Buhari gave the promise a little twist while speaking with journalists.

    While speaking with reporters, the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki said the budget may be laid this week, but would be passed next week.

    This further compounds be conflicting dates given by the Legislature on when the Appropriation Bill would be passed.

    Before the Tuesday date given for the laying of the budget, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara had promised late April for the passage of the bill while the Chairman House Committee on Appropriation, Mustapha Dawaki had promised this current month of May.

    Though the the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Publicity, Abdulrasak Namdas was said to be in South Africa as at yesterday, repeated calls to his phone number were not answered.

    Repeated efforts to speak with him did not yield any fruit as at the time of filing this report.

  • Reps seek to widen net on terrorism act

    ..as bill scales second reading 

     

    The House of Representatives is seeking to expand the scope of acts that constitute terrorism as a bill  for an Act to repeal the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2011 and  enact the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Bill to provide measures for the prohibition, prevention and combating of terrorist activities in Nigeria  passed second reading on the floor on Tuesday.

    The proposed law expanded definition of what constitutes acts of terrorism and the crime of hostage taking, kidnapping and hijacking.

    If passed into law, illegal manufacture, possession, acquisition, transportation of weapon, explosives, biological, chemical, radiological, nuclear (BCRN) or other lethal device that is deliberately used with malice will be regarded as a terrorist act.

    Research into and development of the BCRN weapons without lawful authority, and the receipt, possession, use, transfer, alteration, disposal or dispersal of nuclear or other radioactive materials or devices will equally be regarded as acts of terrorism.

    Equally, acts deliberately done with malice directed against a nuclear facility or interfere with the operation with the operation of the facility that leads to death or injury to persons or damage to the property or environment by exposure to radiation will amount to terrorism.

    This followed the adoption of a motion Kayode Oladele (PDP, Ogun), who said the aim of the  Bill is to harmonize the Terrorism Act 2011aims to further control the movement of explosives, arms and ammunition in and around the country in order to curb incidence of terrorism.

    He said the proposed law would provide for measures for the detection, prevention, enforcement, combating and prohibition of acts of terrorism for the effective implementation of international instruments on the prevention and combating of terrorism and suppression of the financing of terrorism.

    “The bill incorporates any act which is deliberately done with malice aforethought and which involves or causes the manufacture, possession, acquisition, transportation, transfer, supply or use of weapons including explosives or biological chemical or nuclear weapons among others without lawful authority,” he said.

    Simon Arabor (APC, Kaduna), in his contribution said the bill is over due and should be supported as it seeks to incorporate the relevant section of terrorism in one bill.

    On his part, Rotimi Agunsoye(APC, Lagos) said there is a need for a closer look at the porousness of the Nigerian border and the data base of Nigerians to enable it check and contain terrorism.

    Edward Pwajok (APC,  Plateau) pointed out that fair hearing is important, before and during a court process in the period of litigation.

    “Remanding someone for more than 24 hours without proper bail was in contravention of the Law, except in the case where the freedom of the suspect can be viewed to be a threat to society or to him or herself,” he added.

    Mohammed Monguno (APC, Borno) said that if passed and implemented, the application of the provisions of the Bill would be vital in the fight against such societal vices as kidnapping, hijacking and terrorism.

    The bill was referred  to the Committee on Security and Intelligence for further legislative input after it was unanimously passed in a voice vote.

  • Reps summon Buhari over security situation 

    …pass vote of no confidence on Services Chiefs

     

    President Muhammadu Buhari is to appear at plenary before members of the House of Representatives to answer questions over security situation in the country.

    Though the date is yet to be fixed, President Buhari is expected to be confronted with the question of sacking his military and security chiefs having being accused of failure over the country’s security of lives and property.

    The lawmakers passed a vote of no confidence on the Service Chiefs.

    The House will also suspend legislative sittings for three days in solidarity with victims of the killings around the country.

    Furthermore, the House has asked that killer herdsmen are declares as terrorists, while all cattle rearers must undergo security profiling.

    The decision of the lawmakers followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance by Mark Gbilah (APC, Benue), who said the Federal government failed in its primary responsibility of welfare and security of lives and property to the people of his State.

    Citing the killing of two clergymen and others on Tuesday, Gbilah said killing of people in their homes at night has not stopped despite numerous appeals to the Federal government for intervention.

    According to him, army personnel deployed from the 72 Army battalion in Makurdi to quell the incessant murder in Gwer East, Gwer West and several other Local Govermemt Areas (LGAs) by armed herdsmen took the law into their hands in a blatant display of brigandage and criminality and attacked Naka town in retaliation for the alleged murder of one of their colleagues.

    He said Benue state government has repeatedly raised alarm to security agencies about the alleged location of the attackers near Adaka in Makurdi LGA and Gbaji Gwer West LGA from where recent attacks were launched against neighboring communities.

    He regretted that security agencies curiously do not employ a proactive strategy to preemptively attack the locations or carry out continuous surveillance of identified flash points.

    Another lawmaker from Benue, Dickson Tarkighin (APC) said the people of Benue have lost faith in Nigeria while adding that the killers were from Nasarawa and other neighbouring states.

    Edward Pwajok (APC, Plateau) said the security chiefs should be summoned to face the lawmakers and be interrogated in the full glare of the world.

    Nicholas Ossai (PDP, Delta) said the President has breached the constitution by failing in his primary responsibility to the nation and that the House should not be afraid to activate the relevant provision for such breaches.

    Kehinde Agboola (PDP, Ekiti) said: “It is like the leadership of this country is confused, if the President cannot resign, he should sack the Service Chiefs”.

    On his part, Deputy Minority Leader, Chukwuka Onyeama urged his colleagues to be decisive in their decision and call the President to order.

    Sunday karimi (PDP, Kogi) said Nigerians are disappointed in the President, “Buhari is not the Buhari of 1985. Nigerians gave him a strong mandate.

    “He has changed, he has failed to move the nation forward, Section 143 should be invoked,” he said.

    Aliyu Magaji (APC, Jigawa) said though he belonged to the ruling party but President Buhari has not shown enough capacity to convince Nigerians that he is capable of tackling the many challenges facing the country.

    “Enough  is enough, this beyond sentiment, the Service chief must go, if there is no Nigeria, we cannot be here,” he said.

    The motion was unanimously adopted after it was put to a voice vote by Speaker Yakubu Dogara.

    Read Also: Reps mull impeachment proceeding against Buhari over $496m military equipment spending

     

  • National Assembly fails to pass 2018 budget

    The National Assembly on Tuesday failed to pass the 2018 budget as promised.

    The leadership of the Senate and House of Representatives had promised that the 2018 budget would be passed by the two chambers on April 24.

    The promise was not to be following what a source called the refusal of heads of ministries, departments and agencies to appear for their budget defence.

    The source also said that the late appearance of some heads of MDAs to defend their budget proposals made subcommittees of both chambers to also submit their budget reports late to the Appropriation Committees.

    Findings showed that reports of subcommittees were still being collated by the Appropriation Committees for onward submission to the Senate and House in plenary for passage into law.

    The source who said that a lot of work still needed to be done on the submissions by subcommittees noted that “I am sure that the Appropriation Committees of the two chambers are working round the clock to effect their submissions.”

    With the failure to pass the budget on Tuesday, it is not clear the new date that would be chosen to clear the fiscal document.

    If the information that the two chambers of the National Assembly were not taking kindly to alleged onslaught on the parliament and its members by the Presidency is any thing to go by the passage of 2018 budget may further be delayed.

  • Presidential panel sues Reps over planned probe

    The Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property has sued the House of Representatives over the green chamber’s plan to investigate the legality of the panel’s operations.

    A copy of the summons served on the house was made available to our reporter on Monday in Abuja.

    The other plaintiff in the matter is Mr Okoi Obono-Obla, the Chairman of the panel while the other defendant is the House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee on Activities of the Panel.

    The suit, which was instituted by Mr Festus Keyamo (SAN), raised five questions for the court to determine.

    They are “Whether the resolution passed by the house on March 22 to set up the ad hoc committee to investigate the modus operandi of the panel is not tantamount to exercise of executive/supervisory power over the plaintiffs.

    “Whether the resolution passed by the house to investigate the legality of the panel is not tantamount to the exercise of judicial powers over the panel and its chairman.

    “If the answer to the first question is in the positive, whether by the provisions of Section 88 of the 1999 Constitution, the house and the committee are legally empowered to exercise executive/supervisory powers over the panel.

    “If the answer to question two is in the positive, whether by provisions of Section 88 of the 1999 Constitution, the house and the committee are legally empowered to exercise judicial powers over the panel and its chairman.

    “And, if the answer to questions three and four is in the negative, whether the letter written to the chairman of the panel on March 28, compelling him to forward certain documents to the committee is not illegal, null and void.”

    The panel, therefore, urged the court to declare that the House’s March 22 resolution to set up the ad hoc committee to investigate its “modus operandi” was tantamount to exercise of executive/supervisory power over it.

    The panel also asked the court for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the House from further taking any step against the plaintiff in respect of the resolution to investigate it.

    The panel also wants the court to declare that by provisions of Section 88 of the 1999 Constitution, the house and the committee are not legally empowered to exercise judicial powers over it and its chairman.

    In an affidavit deposed to by Mr Yohanna Shankuk, a litigation clerk in Keyamo’s chambers, stated that the panel was constituted by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    He stated that the constitution of the panel was pursuant to the powers vested on the President by Section 1 of the Recovery of Public Property (Special Provisions) Act.

    Shankuk further deposed that the law, upon which the panel was set up and headed by the chairman, had not been repealed.

    The deponent maintained that the panel believed that if the court did not intervene in the matter, the house would wrongly proceed to exercise its powers under Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution.

    NAN