The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Reps

  • Reps to probe hike in fertilizer price

    The House of Representatives on Tuesday said it would investigate reported increase in the price of fertilizer in the country.

    It mandated its Committee on Agricultural Production and Services to urgently undertake an oversight probe of the matter.

    This followed a motion by Olusegun Odebunmi (Oyo-PDP) brought under “matters of urgent public importance’’ which was unanimously adopted by lawmakers through a voice vote, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

    On the motion, Odebunmi said the previous administration made fertilizer accessible through the Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) which brought transparency in the process by eliminating middle men.

    “The success of the GES metamorphosed into greater output from the agricultural sector as fertilizers were available and affordably sold at between N3, 000 and N3, 500,” he said.

    He said agriculture was the driver of the government’s diversification programme and could avert the looming famine in the country.

    “If this situation is allowed to go unchecked, this can lead to problems in the agricultural sector, which will in turn cause a serious macro-economic problem for the economy,” the lawmaker said.

     

     

  • Reps stay action on NERC board report

    Reps stay action on NERC board report

    The House of Representatives yesterday stepped down the report of the investigative public hearing on the motion titled: “Planned Payment of N2.7 billion by the Board of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission to its Members.”

    This is the second time within one week that the report laid by the Daniel Asuquo-headed House Committee on Power was stepped down.

    The report was laid before the House by the committee on May 17  while the Order Papers of both and published in the  Order Papers of yesterday and the day before, yet it was stepped down.

    Though a lawmaker who spoke on condition of anonymity said the report is being frustrated by “ a  mafia” within the National Assembly, other factors may be responsible for the non consideration.

  • Reps back military action in Niger Delta

    Reps back military action in Niger Delta

    … UK calls for dialogue

    The  House of Representatives yesterday threw its weight behind the ongoing military action to secure the oil rich Niger Delta from the resurgence of militancy.

    The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Paul Arkwright, on his part advocated dialogue as part of a comprehensive approach that should be adopted by the government to address the situation, saying force alone may not bring about a lasting solution to the Niger Delta issue.

    Arkwright spoke in an interview in the Ogun state capital, shortly after his visit to the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo.

    The Niger Delta Avengers have been attacking oil platforms and installations in the last few weeks, thereby reducing the revenue capacity of the country.

    Troops have been deployed especially in Delta state where the attacks are more prevalent.

     Arkwright, who arrived the Alake’s palace at 11:00am, added that there is the need to protect the investments in the region from acts of criminality going on in the region.

    Spokesman of the House of Representatives Abdulrazak Namdas at his weekly briefing yesterday said the House is in support of the Presidency on the handling of the Niger Delta militancy.

    He said the House would soon come up with a position having visited the region to assess the situation.

    The Spokesman however said it had become necessary for the oil companies operating in the region to put in some measure of security for their equipment and installations.

    According to him, the Nigerian military cannot be expected to be t deployed in all parts of the country at the same time, “By their training, the military is to protect the territorial integrity of the country, but we have them in almost all parts of the country to maintain and restore the peace.

    “The Federal government is doing its best on how to solve all security challenges and we are comfortable with that” Namdas said.

    The British High Commission’s political Counsellor,Ben Llewellyn-Jones and former Commonwealth Secretary-General Dr Emeka Anyaoku, were on the High Commissioner’s entourage.

    The envoy said: “We are talking to Nigerian authorities about that, we need to have what we call a comprehensive approach to this, in other words we need to have dialogue and we need to engage the communities down there.

    “We need to understand the grievances of the people down there, we need to ensure the environmental damage is cleaned up.

    “We need to protect the investment there, not just British companies, international companies but Nigerian companies as well.

    “When there is criminal activity, (it) is right that the government should take proactive action against that criminal activity, we strongly support them but we don’t think military solution alone is the final solution to handle issues in Niger Delta.

    “And to handle Boko Haram in the North, so we need comprehensive approach and that is what we have been talking to the Nigerian government about.”

  • Refinery privatisation must stop, say Reps

    Refinery privatisation must stop, say Reps

    The House of Representatives has said it is not against the privatisation of the country’s oil refineries.

    The lawmakers, however, explained that their opposition to the call for bids for three of the nation’s four refineries was because due process was not followed.

    According to the House Committee on Privatisation, the exercise being carried out by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation ( NNPC ) on Kaduna, Warri and Port Harcourt refineries was in breach of the law.

    The House insisted that the exercise must be stopped.

    Chairman of Committee on Privatisation Ahmed Yerima, at an investigative public hearing yesterday, said: “We are pro the exercise because we are tired of public funds being tied to this sector, without results despite spending so much.

    “We want it to succeed but there is a process which must be followed. This process must stop. We would not like to see you saying it must continue.”

    The Committee also expressed disappointment with the Bureau of Public Enterprises ( BPE ) for playing second fiddle to NNPC on the issue.

    The Acting Director General of BPE, Vincent Akpotaire,  said: “We do that to gather information, else we would not get what we need. It is on the basis of this interaction that we build a profile on which the entire process would be designed”.

    The Committee however said such interface was wrong because the Act was clear on the roles and powers of BPE on such issues.

    The Committee accused the Minister of Petroleum Resources (State), Ibe Kachikwu,  of stalling the investigation with his  absence at the hearings.

    Yerima said the minister’s absence made it difficult for the investigation to progress as his representatives at the two hearings  could not satisfactory address questions on issues  generated at the hearings.

  • Reps uncover ‘monumental fraud’ in Maritime Academy

    The House of Representatives Committee on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration, on Thursday alleged that there was monumental fraud in Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron.

    The Chairman of the committee, Mohammed Bago and other members spoke during the review of the five per cent NIMASA fund and other internally generated revenue in the 2016 budget, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Reports.

    They threatened to issue a bench warrant against Mr. Kayode Adetunji, Head of Bursary “for misleading the lawmakers.’’

    Bago, who frowned at the N3 billion outstanding revenue from NIMASA, blamed the management of the academy over several inflated project costs.

    A member of the committee, Dan Asuquo queried the acting rector over non-payment of contractors for work completed since 2011.

    “We went through the procurement for some of these projects.

    “For example, the contract for the construction of a three-bedroom bungalow was awarded at N34 million. A kobo has not been paid but N20 million was recorded to have been paid.

    “If you have anything to show, this committee would like to see it.

    “Your accountant or director of finance knows what we are talking about and as a committee we would go to any length to recover this,” he said.

    The committee also queried the N73 million for the cleaning of the academy and N100 million for purchase of two units of generators and inverter.

  • Reps defend passage of CCB, CCT amendment bill

    Following criticisms that trailed the passage of a bill seeking to amend the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) Act by House of Representatives, the lower chamber on Thursday said the exercise was done without any intention to favour any individual.

    There were comments that the bill that was dropped by the Senate was designed to aid Senate President Bukola Saraki in his ongoing trial at the CCT.

    The House Spokesman, Abdulrazak Namdas, while speaking during weekly press briefing on Thursday said the House was aware that if passed into to law, the bill cannot operate retrospectively.

    Besides, the passed bill was consolidated in January from two bills that were presented on the floor of the House in November and December 2015, he noted.

    He said: “We have a duty to do justice to all bills and that is what we did with this bill too. People should not allude any negative meaning to it.

    “The bill must still get the concurrence of the Senate before it is sent for Presidential assent.  Moreover, it is a fact that it cannot operate in retrospect if passed into law.

    “The passage of this bill should be seen in the light of doing our job.”

     

  • Reps amend CCB, CCT Act

    Reps amend CCB, CCT Act

    The House of Representatives on Tuesday made several amendments to the Act setting up the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

    The Senate had previously stepped down the consideration of the bill due to public outcry that followed the move.

    The amendments were contained in the report of a bill for an Act to amend the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, 2004 that was considered and adopted on Tuesday by the Committee of the Whole House.

    Paragraph (e) was added to Sections 3 of the Act to read: “Upon complaint(s) of any breach or where it appears to the Bureau that there is a breach of the provision or this Act, the person concerned shall be given particulars of such non compliance or breaches to explain before any reference to the tribunal.”

    Accordingly, the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) would no longer have powers to immediately refer a matter to the CCT, unlike what currently subsist.

    Section 1 (4) was deleted and replaced with “The Chairman and members shall serve for a term of five years subject to renewal for one further term only.”

    Section 4 (2) was also amended to substitute the word “President” with “the National Assembly” as the one to appoint members of staff of the Bureau and exercise disciplinary control over them.

    However, the House would still require the concurrence of the Senate that had previously stepped similar bill down before it could be forwarded to the President for assent.

     

  • Reps to reopen debate on PIB

    Reps to reopen debate on PIB

    The House of Representatives is planning to reopen debate on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) which was left unpassed by the 7th National Assembly.

    To this end, the House of Representatives is working with the Nigerian Law Reform Commission (NLRC) to commence debate on the need for the reform of the legal framework of the nation’s petroleum industry.

    The debate scheduled for between June 12 and 15 in Abuja, is intended to draw lessons from the failure of the attempts by both the last President Goodluck Jonathan and the 7th National Assembly to ensure the successful passage of Petroleum Industry Bill.

    This was made public yesterday in Abuja by the  Technical Assistant on Petroleum Industry Reform to the House of Representatives, Oracle Nwala.

    Nwala, a lawyer, said the lower legislative chamber was organising a national summit on petroleum industry reform to ensure “the passage of appropriate legal framework for the management and development of the petroleum industry of Nigeria”.

    He said the event which is to hold at the International Conference Centre between June 12 and 15 is part of the moves by the House of Representatives to revisit the process of petroleum industry reform rather than lament over the failure of the PIB.

    He said work had already commenced on the new PIB.

    He said, “The House of Representatives, rather than whinge, whine and whimper has decided to be proactive, to revisit the process of petroleum industry reform, and to work towards the successful enactment of laws that will regulate the Nigerian petroleum industry, in accordance with the rule of law, good governance, and due process; for the sustainable development of Nigerians and the total advancement of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    “It is the conviction of the House of Representatives and its leadership that the reform of the petroleum industry is a vital necessity, if Nigeria is to realise its God-given potential. For a country that depends on revenues from petroleum industry, there is no alternative to reform.

    “In keeping with the commitment of the House of Representatives to pass a robust legislation that will cater to the topical issues in the Nigerian Petroleum industry with a view to promoting global best practice, the House of Representatives has initiated work on a new Petroleum Industry Bill.”

     

  • Reps clear coast for talks on MTN’s $3.5b fine

    Reps clear coast for talks on MTN’s $3.5b fine

    • Operator: we ‘ll prevent repeat

    The House of Representatives yesterday said the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) can resume talks with MTN Group over the $3.9 billion fine imposed on it while the lawmakers continue an investigation into the penalty.

    In October last year, NCC fined the telco. The chairman, House Communications Committee, Saheed Fijabi said the NCC should lead the negotiations. The lawmakers will complete their probe and release something “very soon,” he said.

    “At the discretion of the President, if they (NCC) feel they want to negotiate, they should continue negotiating; we will continue with our own investigation. We don’t want to rush into any conclusion for now because of the sensitivity of the case,” Fijabi said by phone.

    The NCC is reluctant to revive talks without knowing the outcome of the probe. The regulator is waiting for “official communication” from the House of Representatives regarding the outcome of the investigation before it can reopen talks, NCC spokesman Tony Ojobo said by phone. “We wouldn’t want to go ahead and conclude and then their report is saying something totally different.”

    Meanwhile, MTN Group Chairman, Phuthuma Nhleko, has assured shareholders that steps were being taken to avoid a repeat of the mistakes that led to it being fined $3.9 billion by the NCC.

    “We are going to beef up regulatory compliance; we could have done things differently,” Nhleko said.

  • Reps ‘still awaiting’ PIB from Executive

    The House of Representatives on Thursday lamented the attitude of the Executive towards the transmission of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) to the National Assembly.

    The Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Abdulrasak Namdas, while speaking at the weekly briefing of journalists, said since the government version of the PIB is not forthcoming from the executive, the House would look into the bill from a fresh perspective.

    He, however, praised the Federal Government’s decision to increase fuel pump price, saying it would stop diversion of petroleum products to neighbouring countries.

    Namdas urged a section of the organised labour and civil society organizations threatening strike to “pursue other welfare programmes and let the subsidy be taken away.”

    He said the palliative measures in the 2016 Budget would help to cushion the effects of the fuel price hike.