Tag: Reps

The House of Representatives on Thursday passed for second reading a bill seeking to establish a Federal College of Agriculture in Ebelle, Edo state.

Leading the debate on the bill, its sponsor, Marcus Onobum (PDP, Edo) said Agriculture plays a pivotal role in the economic development of a country and serves as the backbone of a nation’s economy, adding that In addition to providing food and raw materials for industries, it also provides employment opportunities to a large percentage of a nation’s population.

According to him, the establishment of a College of Agriculture in Ebele, Edo state will provide opportunity for training and as a research institute, engage in the advancement and promotion of the education of scholars in different fields of agriculture needed in the development of the agricultural sector of our economy.

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He said: “It is, therefore, my candid opinion that the establishment of this College of Agriculture will help mitigate the challenges presently confronting our nation through the various programmes that will be offered at the college.

“This Bill has the potential of reducing youth restiveness as the college will provide opportunities for our youths to get involved in research and academic activities that will keep them busy, thereby preventing them from engaging in unproductive ventures that will impact negatively on the society.

“This Bill, when passed into Law, also has the potential of providing employment opportunities for Nigerians to either work as lecturers or as administrative staff in the college. Similarly, the host community will also benefit indirectly from the economic activities that will be generated when the college comes into full operation.

“The people of Ebele are excited about this Bill and in expression of their excitement, have magnanimously made available a large expanse of land for the construction of the College.

“There is no gainsaying that at this stage of our human capital development, we need an institution which will deliver the best training that will meet international best standard and further contribute to the field of research and knowledge in our dear nation.”

The House of Representatives on Thursday resolved to investigate the Family Homes Funds Limited over the 500,000 units Housing Scheme funded by the federal government and ascertain the status of the project.

This followed a motion by Esosa Iyawe (APC, Edo) adopted at plenary by the House.

In the early life of the current Assemblyset up a committee to investigate remittances to the National Housing Fund, but the report of the investigation is yet to be submitted to the House almost 18 months after the commencement of the Investigation.

Leading the debate on the motion, Iyawe said the Housing Sector has consistently played a pivotal role in the economic fortune of nations and contributes about 16 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in advanced countries.

According to him, in 2021, the World Bank estimated that Nigeria’s housing deficit stood at 15.56 million units, and in 2023, the Federal Government put the housing deficit statistics at 28 million units with an estimated funding need of 21 Trillion Naira.

He argued that some of the housing schemes initiated by the Federal Government have been mired in controversy, the consequence of which is the rapid growth of informal settlements, and slums on the edge of Nigeria’s major cities, with obvious drawbacks for economic development, health, safety and security.

He said further that in a bid to address the housing deficit in 2018, the Federal Government established the Family Homes Fund Limited with a mandate to utilize the sum of 1.5 Trillion Naira for the construction of at least 500,000 houses for low-income earners across the country.

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The Edo lawmaker expressed concern that to date, not only has Family Homes Fund Limited failed to live up to expectations, but the few houses built are in obscure locations and unaffordable to the target audience for the scheme.

He maintained that the undelivered project has tied up government funds, potentially leading to deterioration of the houses and further economic loss, if not addressed promptly.

The House of Representatives Committee on public petition has directed the Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to appear in person before it on Tuesday, March 11 to explain the circumstances surrounding abandonment of contract for the construction of Okpai shoreline protection and landing jetty in Delta state. 

The directive followed a petition by Lynpat Solicitors against Orbit Marine and Energy Services Ltd for abandoning the project.

The Committee has also summoned the Executive Secretary of Federal Capital Development Authority, Richard Dauda to appear before it explain why the development of a certain property, said to be objectionable is allowed to go on despite glaring signs of distorting the building codes of the Federal Capital Territory.

The Executive Secretary is to appear with the Director, Development Control, Galadima Muktar Tuesday.

Giving the directives on Wednesday, Chairman of the Committee, Mark Etaba (PDP, Akwa Ibom) said, “NDDC holds the key to this case and the MD must come in person to clear the air. If he fails as he had done before, we’ll take further actions against them”

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The Committee Chairman, directed that both the Executive Secretary of FCDA and Director of Development Control should urgently come and sort the matter out.

“At this point, it is a complaint until we establish the facts therein. Every Nigerian’s voice must be heard while all public officers must be made accountable. We shall ensure fair hearing for all the parties,” he said. 

In a petition to the House calling for a swift action to halt the trend, Samuel Ajayi, a private citizen claims that allowing the building go on will rubbish all the planning that went into the making of the FCT.

The house is said to be located in the Gusape Cadastral zone.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammadu Dingyadi, has been summoned to appear before the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions over his failure to inaugurate the board of Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF). 

This was made known in a statement by the Senior Legislative Assistant to the speaker, Chooks Oko, on Tuesday.

Petitioning the Minister, Obasi-Pherson Help Foundation, a non governmental organization, complained that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had appointed the Managing Director of the Fund but was yet to name and inaugurate the board several months after. 

“This is a huge aberration as the absence of the board is giving way to a wide range of illegalities in the running of the affairs of agency”, the NGO wrote.

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Reacting to the petition, Committee Chairman, Mike Etaba enjoined the Minister to appear in person to answer to the petition.

“The government is being indicted, so it is only logical that the Minister clears the air on the matter” he said.

The committee also invited the Managing Director of the Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Faleye Mayomi to appear before it on the strength of a petition against the agency for suspected violation of its projects clearance regulations. 

The petitioners, Advancement of Social Justice and Economic Development Initiative (ASJEDI), want the agency to explain some of their actions which they claim are at variance with their mandate.

“Ours is to serve Nigerians efficiently and ensure the right thing is done, always. Inviting the CEO is for him to throw more light on the issues at hand” Etaba said. 

The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed for second reading a bill seeking to amend the Federal Polytechnics Act to increase the qualification for appointment of Rectors of Polytechnics and empower them to award Bachelor of Technology, instead of Higher National Diploma.

The bill is sponsored by the Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen and Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Polytechnics and Higher Technical Education, Fuad Laguda.

When passed and assented to, the law will eliminate the discrepancies in the Bsc/HND controversy, while also increasing the qualification for appointment as Rectors of Polytechnics

Leading the debate on the bill, Laguda described the Federal Polytechnics Act Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 as an Act of the National Assembly seeking to establish polytechnics in various parts of the country to provide full-time courses in technology, applied science management and other fields of studies and to make provisions for the general administration of such polytechnics.

He said as a way of driving efficiency and advancement of polytechnic education in Nigeria, the Act was amended in 2019 to increase the retirement age of staff of polytechnics and harmonise the tenure of office of the Rectors and other Principal Officers of Polytechnics in Nigeria.

He said the current Bill is to further amend the Act to meet up with the demand of the ever changing world while adhering to the International best practices.

According to him, “This Bill seeks to review and enlarge the membership of the Council with the inclusion representatives of technical institutional bodies like NBTE and Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), enlarge the scope of functions of Federal Polytechnics in Nigeria with clearer and result oriented administrative structure”.

He explained that clause 2 of the bill is seeking to amend section 3 of the Principal Act to include representatives of NBTE and MAN in the Council of every polytechnic in Nigeria.

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He said further that clause 3 of the amendment seeks to amend section 8 which to raise the bar in respect of the qualifications of those seeking to occupy the position of the Rector of federal polytechnics in Nigeria.

Also, clause 4 will amend section 15 of the Principal Act which seeks to enlarge the powers of the academic Board to among other award Bachelor of Technology (B. Tech) Hons.

Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen is the main sponsor of the bill said it was an initiative from the National Board for Technical Education as part of efforts to eliminate the dichotomy existing between holders of Bsc and HND.

He said the amendment will abolish HND while the polytechnics will be empowered to award Bachelors of Technology, adding that the law will also increase the qualification for Rectors of the institution to a minimum of PhD.

The Speaker explained that the amendment will not affect the award of OND by the polytechnics as it will continue to exist for low level manpower.

The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Ministry of Environment, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) to enhance the enforcement of environmental laws and regulations. 

The lawmakers also stressed the need to strengthen the effectiveness of NESREA, NOSDRA, and NUPRC.

The House urged state and local governments to collaborate with the Federal Government to ensure that oil companies, manufacturing industries, and small and medium-scale businesses adopt cleaner and safer waste disposal methods. 

This, they noted, would help curb outbreaks of infections and the spread of communicable diseases.

Adopting a motion sponsored by Julius Pondi (PDP, Delta), the House also directed its Committee on Environment to conduct a comprehensive survey on the extent of environmental pollution around major industries and assess their compliance with pollution control laws.

Moving the motion, Pondi informed the House of the difficulties faced by citizens in controlling and managing waste disposals and utilizing production effluents in the manufacturing industries, as well as the oil and gas sectors.

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According to him, the recurring negative impacts that ineffective waste disposal practices have had on the health of citizens in communities and locations where oil and gas activities are conducted.

He said that the major components of environmental pollution are hazardous waste discharges in manufacturing industries, unending gas flaring, crude and refined oil spills, as often happens in the Niger Delta region, in addition to domestic waste disposals.

He stressed that in spite of the numerous laws and regulations on waste management across the country, there are still numerous gaps and lapses in the control and management of industrial and domestic waste across the country.

He expressed concern about the consequences of continued neglect of our environment could result in, as it had often been the case, serious health challenges for our people, all in addition to a degeneration of the nation’s ecosystem, loss of agricultural productivity, and environmental degradation, especially in the coastal regions of the country.

The House of Representatives will commence an investigative hearing on Monday, March 3, 2025, to examine outstanding debts owed by several oil companies to the Federation Account, totaling approximately ₦9.4 trillion.

In a statement, House Spokesman Akintunde Rotimi said the probe aligns with the Committee’s constitutional mandate under Sections 85, 88, and 89 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Order XX – Rule 6 of the House Standing Orders (eleventh edition).

According to the statement, a review of the Auditor-General’s Annual Report on the Consolidated Financial Statement for the year ending December 31, 2021, alongside further investigations, revealed that as of the last quarter of 2024, several oil companies had yet to remit ₦9.4 trillion. 

The outstanding sum includes unpaid royalties, concession rentals, gas flare penalties, and obligations from production-sharing contracts, repayment agreements, and modified carry arrangements.

He said: “Despite the clear provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act – which require such debts to be settled within 30 days – many of these liabilities have remained unsettled since 2021.

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“In light of these findings, the Public Accounts Committee hereby invites the oil companies listed below to submit the previously requested documents and appear before the Committee in Meeting Room 446, Fourth Floor, House of Representatives, National Assembly Complex, Abuja at 10:00 am prompt. 

Companies to appear before the committee include Addax Petroleum Exploration Nigeria Ltd, AITEO Group Chevron Nig Ltd (OML 90, 95, 49), Chorus Energy, Conoil Plc, Continental Oil & Gas Company Ltd, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company, Esso E & P. Ltd (Usan, Erha), First E & P. Ltd, Frontier Oil Limited, General Hydrocarbons Limited, Nigeria Agip Expl. Ltd (NAE), Panocean Oil Nigeria Limited (OML 147), Neconde Energy Limited, Total E and P Nigeria (OML 100, 102, 52 & 99), Niger Delta Petroleum, Nigeria Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) (OML 60, 61 & 63)

The companies also include Oando Oil Ltd (OML 60, 61 & 62), Heirs Holdings, Platform Petroleum Limited, Shell Petroleum Development Company (OML 27), Universal Energy Limited/Sinpec, Shoreline Natural Resources, Star Deep Water Petroleum Limited, Sahara Field Production Limited and Mobil Producing Nig. Unlimited (OML 67 & 70) among others 

The statement said: “This notice supersedes all previous communications regarding the dates for appearance. Every company is required to be represented by its Chief Executive Officer, in person, and any other officer(s) well-versed in the issues under investigation. 

‘The Committee cautions that failure to appear on the designated date may result in further action being taken against the defaulting organization”.

Rotimi quite the Chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, Bamidele Salam as saying, “Oil companies must fulfill their statutory obligations to maintain the integrity and accountability of our nation’s resources. We welcome a collaborative approach with all stakeholders as we work together to address these discrepancies in an effective and efficient manner.”

He said the affected organisations have been duly notified, and this public notice is for the public records, and in line with our commitment to an open parliament that is transparent and accountable.

The House of Representatives is set to consider at the committee of the whole a bill seeking comprehensive reform of the nation’s insurance sector.

The bill which was transmitted to the House from the Senate seeking concurrence has gone through a second reading in the House and is referred to the committee of the whole for consideration.

The bill which was passed by the Senate on December 17, 2024, is titled: “A Bill for an Act to Repeal the Insurance Act, Cap. I 17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004; the Marine Insurance Act, Cap. M3 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004; the Motor Vehicle (Third Party) Insurance Act, Cap. M22, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004; the National Insurance Corporation of Nigeria, Act, Cap. N54, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004; the Nigerian Reinsurance Corporation Act, Cap. N131, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and Enact the Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act, 2004 to Provide for a Comprehensive Legal and Regulatory Framework for Insurance Business in Nigeria and for Related Matters.”

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The bill which was passed by the Senate after considering the report of the Committee on Banking, Insurance, and Other Financial Institutions upgrades the minimum capital for re-insurance firms to a minimum of N35 billion.

Apart from re-insurance, the proposal known as the 2024 Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Bill, puts non-life insurance capital base at N15 billion and life assurance at N10 billion.

The current minimum capital limits of the three classes are N10 billion for re-insurance firms, N2 billion for life and N3 billion for non-life insurance organizations.

The legislations being put together in the reform Act include the Insurance Act 2003, the Marine Insurance Act, the Motor Vehicles Third Party Insurance Act, the National Insurance Corporation Act, and the Nigerian Reinsurance Corporation Act.

One of the major objectives of the bill is to enable Nigerians to have a better future and give the nation a robust legal and regulatory framework that would see the insurance sector contributing positively to the economy.

The bill was presented for second reading in the House by Deputy House Leader, Abdullahi Ali Halims (APC, Kogi). 

The House of Representatives Committee on Public Assets has said that most of the lease and concession agreements of many MDAs have expired and need renewal.

The committee however summoned the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Abubakar Dantsoho over alleged defective Public Private Partnership (PPP), concessions, and lease agreements.

The Chairman of the Committee, Ademorin Kuye (APC) said the arrangements of most of the lease agreements, concessions, and PPP arrangements by the NPA have either expired, operating without validity or the agreements are due for review sometime this year.

He recalled that the House of Representatives in February 2024 resolved that the House Committee on Public Assets should review all Concession, lease, PPP, and Joint Venture agreements that various MDAs have entered into on behalf of the federation and determine the profitability and continual usefulness to the country.

He said the committee wrote to all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of the Federal Government especially those with land, buildings, and major facilities under one of these arrangements with private entities in one form or the other.

Kuye said while the investigation is ongoing, there are discoveries that some of the concessions, leases and PPP arrangements are defective and were undertaken without due process.

“To further complicate the matters, some of the MDAs do not have records of arrangements to present. One of such case is the Nigerian Ports Authority claimed that all their leases & concession agreements, and details of their PPPs were lost during the #EndSars conflagration that took place in 2020.

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“Coincidentally, most of the lessees, concessionaires and PPP partners of NPA have their arrangements either expired and are operating without valid or the agreements are up for review sometime this year – a situation that is making these partners/lessees/concessionaires dodge the committee and avoid implicating NPA,” he said

He said this action which is not peculiar only to NPA and its tenants/partners but has been noticed in some of other government institutions, is an attempt to impede the National Assembly’s constitutional mandate to summon and investigate breaches in dealings with the Federal Government.

He said: “The House is ready to bring the full weight of the National Assembly to bear in punishing this blatant and criminal disregard to its summons and the constitutional breaches of these MDAs as well as recommend any public officer for prosecution during these investigations.”