Tag: Reps

The House of Representatives has urged the Ministry of Health to issue directives enabling free medical care for pregnant women during and after delivery in public healthcare institutions.

The ministry is also to implement routine checks to ensure continuity, compliance by medical personnel, and sustainability of childbirth processes.

The House mandated the Committee on Healthcare Services and Healthcare Institutions to invite the Hon. Minister of Health to propose a solution to this innovative trend and report back within four weeks for further legislative action.

These resolutions followed the adoption of a motion titled, “Need to Allow Pregnant Women to Access Free Medical Treatment from Public Health Institutions During and after Delivery” sponsored by Hon. Mohammed Dan Abba Shehu on Wednesday.

The House said it was aware that the government allocates an annual budget to public healthcare institutions to fund healthcare service delivery to the citizens’ particularly pregnant women whose families cannot afford medical treatment during pregnancy and childbirth.

Read Also: Reps committee queries contractors for abandoning Niger Delta skills centre

It said it was also aware of the 2019 statistics report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) which revealed that the fertility rate in the 2019 population of 200, 963, 599 was 5.67%; in 2018, 195,874,683 represented 5.67%; in 2017, 190,873,244 represented 5.67%; and in 2016, the total population of 186,960,241 represented 5.67% of the fertility rate of childbirth in the country.

This, it said, indicated the need for free medical treatment for pregnant women to boost the country’s fertility rate.

The House was alarmed that Nigeria is grappling with high disease rates, resulting in an annual maternal mortality rate of expectant mothers and children due to pregnancy complications and the polio virus.

The House said it was further aware that government neglect requires public healthcare institutions to have medical professionals give adequate attention to patients, including pregnant women, during childbirth to address complications and find permanent solutions.

The House was disturbed that the 2019 UNICEF report shows that 7.2 million childbirths are recorded annually, with 262,000 babies dying at birth and 357 dying within the first month.

It said while the birth rate in 2019 was 37.684 per 1,000 people, which represents a decline of 1.09% from 2018,  the birth rate in 2018 was 38.098 births per 1,000 people, representing a 1.25% decline from 2017, compared to the global average of 18.5 births per 1,000 population in 2016.

The House was convinced of the need for the government to prioritize policy actions aimed at improving healthcare delivery systems, particularly for pregnant women, to alleviate their hardships and boost their confidence.

The House of Representatives Committee on Niger Delta Ministry has questioned the contractors responsible for the skill acquisition center at Iwuo Achang in the Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State for abandoning the project despite receiving 85 percent of the funds.

The Chairman of the Committee, Hon Eugene Dibiagwu, issued the query at the investigative hearing on the abandonment Skill Acquisition Center in Abuja.

He highlighted the lack of commitment by the contractors as a contributing factor to Nigeria’s problem of abandoned projects.

He expressed disbelief that the project remains incomplete despite the contractors having received 85 percent of the contract sum.

He said: “As a contractor that has been paid up to 85 percent, you were supposed to have completed that project. You know the reason why you have not. We will not allow the project to die that way.

“We understand the situation we found ourselves in in the country economically regarding the cost of materials.

“We will engage the Ministry of Niger Delta so that they will know whether to consider further valuation for your request for additional money.”

He charged the contractor to ensure the project is completed.

The committee said that if the skill acquisition center must work with all the necessary facilities to make it functional, it would require an additional N2 billion from the N4.2 billion earlier quoted for the project.

“We are looking at an additional 2 billion naira, which will bring the total project to 6.2 billion naira, having committed 4 2 billion naira initially.

“And even if we commit 6.2 billion naira, the center will not still work considering what is left to be done. That center cannot train one person even with 6.2 billion naira,” he said.

The committee added that this is because the center would accommodate training workshops, train personnel to man the center, and also equip the training center to work.

It would be recalled that the House, on November 23, 2023, deliberated on a motion titled “Need to Complete the Construction of the Skill Acquisition Center at Iwuo Achang, Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom state.”

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The House had urged the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs to ensure completion of the project within the 2024 fiscal year and mandated the Committee on Niger Delta Ministry to ensure compliance.

However, the Chairman stated that the contract for the center was awarded on March 15, 2010, by the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs to three companies.

He stated that the project had reached about 85 percent completion 12 years ago but was abandoned due to an unexpected increase in the price of goods.

This, he said, left the property vandalised and in deplorable condition.

The contractors who appeared before the committee include Stegis International Agency Nigeria Ltd., a civil construction building, and Enarosol Nigeria Ltd., a landscaping and perimeter fencing company.

Others are Y. S. Associates and Electrical and Mechanical Works.

The House of Representatives is to investigate the abandoned 20-year-old erosion control contract for the Opokuma clan in Bayelsa state which reportedly claimed several lives and property.

This followed a motion by Hon Abonsizibe Oforji Oboku (PDP, Bayelsa) who claimed that the NDDC awarded the shoreline protection contract in Opokuma Kingdom to Dredging Atlantic Ltd in 2004 due to erosion as part of its mandate.

Hon. Oboku said that the mandates of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) would offer lasting solutions to the socio-economic difficulties of the Niger Delta Region and facilitate the rapid and sustainable development of the region.

He alleged that the company has a reputation for abandoning projects having abandoned a project awarded by the NDDC in Aiyetoro Community in Ilaje Council Area of Ondo State, after collecting a mobilization fee of N2.5 Billion, Naira out of the N6.5 Billion contract sums.

He expressed concern that the Niger Delta Development Commission’s twenty-year contract for Opokuma Clan Erosion Protection in Bayelsa State has caused erosion in ten communities including the Ayakoroama and Olobiri, resulting in loss of lives and property.

Meanwhile, in another resolution, the House has asked the Minister of Federal Capital Territory Administration prioritize FCT’s original inhabitants’ relocation to suitable locations and compensate them considering economic, social, and cultural losses.

Adopting a motion by Hon. Joshua Chinedu Obika (LP, FCT), the House also asked the Minister to transform the Department of Resettlement, Integration, and Compensation into an agency with the responsibility of resettlement, integration, and farming.

Read Also: Mop up illegal arms, ammunition in circulation, Reps tell IG

Obika said the FCT, being the administrative and political hub of Nigeria, has experienced rapid urbanization and population growth, promoting economic development, but also posing challenges like inadequate infrastructure, housing shortages, and marginalization of indigenous communities.

He said that at the start of construction works by the Shagari administration on the FCT in the 1980s, it was stated that people who would be affected by development projects would be given options to either choose to be resettled outside Abuja or remain within the FCT.

He said the Obasanjo administration attempted to resettle, integrate, and compensate indigenous communities but was confronted with the huge costs of over N100 billion, while attempts by successive administrations to compensate and integrate the original inhabitants have not yielded the desired result due to lack of proper coordination.

The House of Representatives has asked the federal government to put to proper use immediately, all seized and abandoned property both locally and internationally to proper use.

The House said the government should renovate and convert permanently forfeited lands and buildings into offices for federal government agencies operating from rented offices to save the country’s cost.

This followed a motion on notice by Hon. Esosa Iyawe (LP, Edo) on the need to save the nation’s scarce resources by putting to use all property that has been forfeited to the government.

Hon Iyawe described asset recovery as a powerful, but underutilized tool against domestic and international corruption, adding that the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act provides a robust legal framework for managing and recovering such proceeds.

He disclosed that the federal government has the power to allocate permanently forfeited property to security and other government agencies.

Read Also: Bill to increase police length of service to 40 for second reading at House of Reps

He said further that in a bid to reduce high expenditure on rent and office buildings in 2017, the Federal Government converted landed properties seized by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for office use by some Agencies of Government, thus saving the country about N180 billion.

According to him, Government Agencies operating in States across the country are experiencing challenges in finding office accommodation due to difficulties in paying rent.

He said reports have revealed that over 50 assets confiscated from politically exposed persons, civil servants, and other individuals are currently unoccupied and rotting away.

Contribution to the motion, Oluwole Oke (PDP, Osun) informed the House that some government properties have been abandoned across the globe, with some of them at the risk of being confiscated by the host government.

He said there was a need for the government to ensure that these properties are put to proper use by the government, adding that doing so would save a lot of resources for the country.

The House of Representatives on Tuesday, May 21, passed for second reading a bill seeking to delete the provisions requiring public servants to declare the assets of their spouse while declaring their assets.

The bill also seeks to delete section 23(7) of the Code of Conduct Act saying the provision contravenes the provisions of the Constitution which gives the President power of Prerogative of Mercy.

Also, the House passed for second reading a bill seeking to amend the provisions of the Police Act 2020 to review years of service of police officers to ensure the retention of experienced officers in the force.

While the bill to amend the Code of Conduct Act was sponsored by Olawale Raji (APC, Lagos), the bill to amend the police act was sponsored by the Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen, and Chairman House Committee on Police Affairs, Abubakar Makki Yalleman.

Leading the debate on his bill, Raji said the Code of Conduct Act requires every public officer to declare the assets of the spouse, pointing out that this is not in line with the principles of fairness.

He argued that anybody who declares the assets of the spouse can be liable to prosecution if the information so declared is found to be false.

He also argued that the 1999 constitution gives the President the power to grant amnesty to anybody under the prerogative of mercy policy, adding that section 23(7) conflicts with the provisions of the Constitution.

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According to him, the Constitution States that any law that conflicts with the Constitution is null null void.

Minority Leader of the House said the provision requiring the declaration of assets of the spouse was made in good faith and aimed at addressing the situation where public officers hide stolen assets in the name of their spouse.

He said what should be of concern to the members should be the age limit which should be reduced from 21 to 18.

Also, leading the debate on the bill to amend the police act, Abubakar Yalleman said the amendment is necessary given the need to apply the experience of officers who have been trained and have served for a considerable of years.

He said such experience is needed especially in this time of insecurity when experienced police officers are needed to help tackle insecurity in the country.

At the time of this report, The Nation could not lay a hand on the amendment being sought to determine the age limit the amendment is seeking.

The House of Representatives has asked the Ministry of Aviation to exempt members of the Armed Forces from tollgate fees and parking payments in Airports across Nigeria.

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) had, at its meeting eliminated the exemption of VIPs, including the president and vice president from payment or toll fees at the airport, leading to huge revenue loss to the government.

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, said by the director of the President and the Federal Executive Council, all Nigerians are expected to pay access or toll fees before accessing the airport.

However, in a resolution following a motion by Abdulsamad Dasuki (PDP, Sokoto), the House also said that members of the armed forces and senior citizens should be given preferential treatment in all public transport stations across the country.

Moving the motion, Dasuki recalled the announcement made by the Minister of Aviation that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the cancellation of all exemptions on airport access payments for VIPs in Nigeria due to the huge revenue losses they cause to the Federal Government.

He also recalled that the minister of aviation has been given the mandate to implement the decision of FEC by sending out circulars to relevant authorities in a matter of days.

According to him, “Men and women of the Armed Forces honour our nation with the highest form of service and without reservation; keeping us safe from harm, protecting our wealth and territorial integrity, ensuring safe navigation on our territorial waters, protecting our borders including the Gulf of Guinea, Creeks, Sahara Desert and forests, and fighting armed bandits who invade our communities.”

He stressed that it is important to show gratitude by honouring our brothers and sisters who are voluntarily serving under our flag, putting in their active years to keep our nation safe with some losing their lives, and some becoming disabled from the battlefield amidst other effects.

He said: “Honouring these men and women in uniform and also encouraging fellow citizens to acknowledge their service to the nation is the right step to take as a way to appreciate the immeasurable sacrifices they make.

Read Also: Reps committee threatens to block accounts of agencies for not honouring invitations

“Honoring those who fight for our survival, will also inspire our youths to enroll in the military not as a means of escaping the web of unemployment, but as a valuable call to higher service to the nation.

“Members of the Armed Forces are subjected to paying for access to our airports where they are also expected to protect citizens and foreigners alike whether or not they are on duty and even while they are passengers themselves.”

He stressed that the services rendered by members of the armed forces though remunerated, cannot be quantified especially when the risks to them and their dependents are considered.

He said: “Unless we are intentional in showing our appreciation to them by extending privileges like the proposed exemption, our nation would appear to underrate their services and lack knowledge of the value that they bring.”

A Joint Committee of the House of Representatives investigating an arbitrary increase in the prices of cement by cement manufacturers has accused the manufacturers of trying to use frivolous court injunctions boy frustrate its assignment.

The chairman of three joint committees, Jonathan Gaza, who spoke at the resumed wearing of the committee, however, said it was issuing a last summon to them after the manufacturers ignored its invitation on two occasions.

Gaza frowned at the continuous use of the judiciary to frustrate the work of the committee and the parliament, saying the Association of Cement Manufacturers Association should desist from using frivolous court injunction to interfere or halt the ongoing investigation by the House.

He said the persistent absence of the cement manufacturers is an affront to the powers of the National Assembly as enshrined in section 88 of the 1999 Constitution and sections 4 and 7 of the Legislative Houses Powers and Privileges Act.

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He said the House Committee received a letter from the representatives of the Nigeria Employees Consultative Association (NECA), Tunji Abayomi and co; who claimed representation for all witnesses summoned.

He said the letter refers to the judgment of the Federal High Court marked FHC/ABJ/CS/458/2012 which is currently being reviewed by the Supreme Court under SC/458/2017.

He said: “I want to first underline that these rulings are about a separate hearing conducted in the 9th Assembly by the House Committee on Labour and Productivity and House Committee on Interior.

“It is equally to address the flagrant misuse of the judiciary to delay, interrupt, or interfere with the Legislative process.

“NECA attempts to use its association and membership to cast an umbrella of impunity, which is a direct affront to the Nigerian people and its government.”

During the hearing, the committee chairman expressed disappointment that the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Council was not doing enough to protect consumers of cement in line with the agency’s establishment Act.

The House of Representatives Committee on Finance has threatened to order the Accountant General of the Federation to block the accounts of government agencies that have refused to render an account of their revenue profile or render accurate remittance to the government.

This is just as the Director of Finance and Accounts with the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, Musa K. Jemaku lashed out at the office of the Accountant General for claiming that they have not paid their operating surplus for three years (2019, 2020 and 2021).

A representative of the Office of the Accountant General whose name could not be ascertained had said that the FRC has not remitted its operating surplus for 2019 (N126 million), 2020 (N143 million) and 2021 (N26) million to the government coffers adding that the operating surplus for 2021 has not been fully calculated because the agency has not submitted its audited accounts for 2021.

Speaking at the resumed revenue monitoring exercise of the committee on Tuesday, the vice chairman of the committee, Saidu Abdullahi (APC, Niger) frowned at the refusal of some of the agencies to appear before the committee despite invitations extended to them.

Abdullahi said out of eight agencies that were invited to appear before the Committee on Monday, only two (the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria and the National Health Insurance Authority) honoured the committee invitation.

The lawmaker said while two others applied to be given another date, the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex, National Broadcasting Commission, National Examination Council, and National Inland Waterways Authority failed to either honour the invitation or communicate them.

He said “We expected eight agencies to appear before the committee today, but only two agencies came, while two others wrote to request another date and they were granted.

“However, four others decided to abscond. That was the same word I used last year that did not go down well with some of the agencies. They have decided to play truancy on an assignment that is very important. If members can turn out in large numbers for this assignment, I don’t see any reason why any agency will decide not to appear before the committee.

“Let me put on record that we hope to have these agencies appear before the committee. Lagos International Trade Fair Complex, National Broadcasting Commission, National Examination Council and National Inland Waterways Authority.

“We expect them to cause appearance by tomorrow, Tuesday. If they fail to appear before this committee, we may be forced to take appropriate actions. We may write to the Office of the Accountant General to block their account.

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“We will not take it lightly with any agency because this is an assignment that is very important to this country. We talk about revenue and if we cannot collect the revenue accruing to his country, I think there is a big problem”.

Jemaku who said that the agency has paid about N800 million to the government this year also faulted the AGF’s claim that they have only paid about N602 million to government coffers.

He explained that there is a circular from the office of the Minister of Finance for the implementation of the Finance Act 2020, adding that the circular automated the process of paying the 50 percent deduction, adding that “the AGF should be in a better position to answer the question on why the system could not deduct the correct 50 percent for the period.

“On a lighter note, let me say that this is not the avenue for the AGF to draw our attention to the non-payment or operating surplus when there is no official communication from them to the agency.”