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Tag: Reps

  • Reps approve 14 -year sentence for same- sex marriage

    Reps approve 14 -year sentence for same- sex marriage

    The House of Representatives on Thursday approved 14 years imprisonment for persons who contracted same sex marriage in the country.

    This was sequel to a clause-by-clause consideration of a Bill for an Act to prohibit marriage or union entered between persons of same sex, at the Committee of the Whole.

    “Marriage or civil union entered between persons of same gender shall not be solemnised in any place of worship, either church or mosque or any place in Nigeria,” it said.

    Introducing the bill, Albert Sam-Tsokwa (PDP-Taraba) said that it sought to achieve a far reaching objective by outlawing same sex marriage and provide punishment for offenders.

    It also set out a 10-year sentence for “any person who directly or indirectly makes public show of same-sex amorous relationships.”

    “Any persons or group of persons that administers, witnesses, screen and shields the solemnisation of same sex marriage in Nigeria on conviction, will be liable to 10 years imprisonment,’’ the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the lawmaker as saying at the sitting.

    It would be recalled also that the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, had warned that his country would consider withholding aid from countries that did not recognise gay rights.

    NAN recalls that in November 2011, the senate approved the bill that would make same-sex marriages punishable by up to 14 years for the couple and 10 for anyone abetting such unions.

    The bill is expected to be sent to the Senate for concurrence.

     

  • Reps pledge support to Poly

    Reps pledge support to Poly

    Members of the House of Representatives Committee on Education have promised to assist the Federal Polytechnic, Idah, Kogi State to get relevant authorities to release adequate funds to the institution.

    Their leader, Uzo Azubike, made the pledge when the committee met with the management of the polytechnic during a visit.

    Azubike said the committee was on the campus to see things with the view to improving on the teaching and learning conditions in the polytechnic which, they noted, needs attention.

    He commended the industrial harmony between the management and the trade unions of the institutions as well as the relative peace enjoyed on the campus. He called on the staff, students and other stakeholders of the polytechnic to be committed to its advancement to fulfil the dreams of the founding fathers.

    The Rector, Mr Matthew Itopa Akpata, presented a report of the challenges facing the institution, the major one being inadequate funds.

    Other members of the Committee include: Abdullahi Balarabe Salame, Abdulrahaman Badamasi, Ini Udoka, Odeneye Kehinde and Bashir Baballe.

     

  • Reps stop Jonathan

    Reps stop Jonathan

    •‘Don’t spend Borno, Yobe, Adamawa cash’

    The House of Representatives is insisting that President Goodluck Jonathan has no constitutional right to spend the funds of local governments under the state of emergency.

    The lawmakers are disappointed that their May 21 resolution on the utilisation of the funds of the affected states and local governments was overruled at the conference Committee of the two chambers.

    The lower chamber completely deleted Section 3 (e) of the transmitted Emergency Powers (General) Regulations.

    Consequently, the lawmakers, at a plenary attended by 197 members, which surpassed the 188-member majority, resolved to delete and revoke completely Section 3 (2) (e) of the harmonised, adopted and approved Emergency Powers (General) Regulations, 2013 by both Houses of the National Assembly.

    In addition, the lower chamber urged its Senate counterpart to concur and adopt its new resolution.

    The mover of the motion, Ibrahim El-Sudi (PDP, Taraba), pointed out that the matter was Constitutional and that by virtue of Section 305 of the constitution as amended, the President was empowered to declare a State of emergency in any part of the country.

    He, however, noted that in considering the details sent to the National Assembly, the House of Representatives resolved at the Committee of the whole and appointed a six-member conference committee to meet with the Senate’s five-member team to harmonise differences if there were any.

    According to him, when the Conference Committee of both chambers met on May 22, to consider areas of differences, the Committee adopted the Senate version on the Proclamation order.

    El-Sudi said: “The Committee also adopted clauses 3 (c) and (4) of the Senate’s version of the Emergency Powers (General) Regulations 2013. The Committee further adopted the addition of the words ‘in Public Order, Peace and Security’ and included the House version of clauses 1, 2, 3 and 5 (c) of the Emergency Powers along with the Explanatory Note.

    “Aware of the fact that Section 3 (e) of the transmitted Emergency Powers (General) Regulations 2013 which provides, ‘Provides for the utilisation of any funds of any State or Local Government in the Emergency area’ was unanimously rejected and deleted by the House but retained by the Conference Committee of both chambers.

    “Further aware of the public outcry and outright opposition by majority of Nigerians, especially indigenes of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, on the content of the above quoted regulation.

    “Mindful of a near consensus of opinion of Senior Advocates of Nigeria and constitutional lawyers across the country regarding the constitutionality of the said action.

    “Further mindful of the provisions of Section 5 (2) of the Emergency Powers Act no. 1 of 1961 (as modified) which provides: ‘(2) Any such regulation, order or rule may, without prejudice to the validity of anything lawful done there under, at anytime be amended or revoked by resolutions passed by both Houses…”

    Minority Leader Femi Gbajabiamila (ACN, Lagos), who backed El-Sudi, said the constitution was very clear, even though the Supreme Court can reverse itself on earlier pronouncement in the light of new evidences and facts.

    He, however said: “But, in this case, it was clearly stated that under no circumstances can the Federal Government seize the funds of states or local governments.”

    Gbajabiamila also expressed the frustration of the lawmakers on how their resolution of the utilisation of funds was disregarded at the Conference Committee, saying, “I can’t understand why because the outcome totally negated all the efforts put into the document by the House.”

    He, however, attributed the use of language as part of the problem of the document. “On the use of Administration, if on one hand the administrator was given powers to carry out sweeping functions, what is there for the governors of the affected areas to administer?” Gbajabiamila said.

    The only voice against the motion, Kingsley Chanda (PDP, Rivers), who said the situation in the affected areas was not normal as the constitution was suspended was shouted down by his colleagues.

    In his ruling, Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal said the adoption of the harmonised version was greeted with cries of impropriety of the document.

    “We should not condone any culture of constitutional arrogance. Moreover, we won’t be losing anything if we take correction and do the right thing. We should not do anything against the constitution,” he said,

    When Tambuwal called for the voice vote, 194 lawmakers voted in favour of the motion. Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers), Henry Daniel-Ofongo (PDP, Bayelsa) and Warman Ogoriba (PDP, Bayelsa) voted against.

  • Reps investigate leakage of Rivers’ aircraft report

    The House of Representatives has launched an investigation into the widely reported outcome of its investigation on the circumstances surrounding the grounding of the Rivers State Government aircraft.

    In the report, the Ministry of Aviation was indicted; Caverton Helicopters was recommended for prosecution for providing false information to the joint committee.

    According to the lawmakers, the report of the committees on Justice and Aviation, which carried out the investigation, has neither been considered nor adopted by the House.

    As a result, the House mandated its Committee on Ethics and Privileges to investigate how the report got into public domain.

    The decision followed the adoption of a point of order raised by Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers) who felt embarrassed by a back page column of a national daily (not The Nation) that claimed that the House report could not be relied upon for the truth in the matter.

    Saying that the writer erred in his conclusion by casting aspersions on the lawmakers, Chinda noted the report was only laid and has not been considered.

    “So how can the reporter claim that the report was the decision of the whole House?

    “He should have waited for the House to consider the report before making his conclusions,” he added.

    Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, who did not allow a debate on the subject, mandated the Ethics and Privileges Committee to carry out the investigation but with a reminder that being a public document, the House would not stop the public from accessing it.

    “We are not a secret cult. Moreover, we are mindful of the Freedom of Information Act,” he advised the committee.

  • ‘How House of Reps awarded contracts to firms with unverifiable addresses’

    ‘How House of Reps awarded contracts to firms with unverifiable addresses’

    A  Federal High Court in Abuja heard yesterday that the House of Representatives under the leadership of former Speaker, Dimeji Bankole, allegedly awarded contracts to companies with unverifiable addresses.

    The court was also told that some of the companies supplied addresses that turned out to be false.

    It was at the resumed hearing in Bankole’s trial before Justice Elvis Chukwu.

    Bankole is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged offences bordering on abuse of process in contract award and abuse of office.

    Yesterday, the third prosecution witness, Ibrahim Ahmed, told the court that he was part of the team that investigated a petition written against Bankole in 2010 by an ex-member of the House of Representatives, Dino Melaye.

    Led in evidence by the lead prosecution lawyer, Festus Keyamo, Ahmed told the court that upon his team’s receipt of the petition, it swung into action by obtaining documents relating to the 2008 capital budget.

    He said his team also wrote to the Accountant-General of the Federation seeking details of the releases to the National Assembly.

    “From the documents given to us, we identified the names and addresses of the contractors.

    “We did a physical verification of the addresses and discovered that some of them never existed or the contractors’ offices were never located there.

    “With this discovery, we wrote to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and requested the corporate status of the companies. Details of the companies were given to us.

    “We wrote invitation letters, based on the details we got from the CAC, inviting the managing directors of these companies.

    “After sometime, those letters were returned to us undelivered and we were informed that some of the addresses do not exist. We were further informed that the letters were despatched by the Universal Parcel Services (UPS) and the reason they gave was that these letters were never received because the addresses never existed,” Ahmed said.

    When shown copies of the undelivered letters by Keyamo, the witness identified them, following which the prosecution tendered about nine letters in exhibit.

    The trial resumes on June 12.

     

    The letters written in 2010 were addressed to the managing directors of seven companies. The companies include: Wadatan Global Company Limited, Multigate Resources Services Ltd, Perfect Concept Ltd, First Impression Ltd, Exim Venturecs (WA) Ltd, Nanfang Motors Nigeria Ltd and Chiwanna Nigeria Ltd.

     

     

  • Reps, lawyers, Tsav condemn PDP over Amaechi’s suspension

    Reps, lawyers, Tsav condemn PDP over Amaechi’s suspension

    •’It’s a bad omen for democracy’

    Members of the House of Representatives yesterday criticised the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the suspension Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi.

    Minority Leader of the House Femi Gbajabiamila described the move as an act of desperation.

    He said: “This tells you how low a government will go when desperate. This is an accidental government. There is supposed to be an art and a science to governance but this one possesses neither. First it was the State Assembly members that were purportedly suspended and now it is the governor.”

    Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) Dakuku Peterside said it was a bad omen and a major setback to Nigeria’s quest for true democracy.

    Peterside, in a statement, said: “This is an inauspicious moment to suspend a popular governor who is not only marking his 48th birthday but was also a few days ago, re-elected by his colleagues in the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) as Chairman.

    “This news is baffling and a major blow to lovers of democracy because it violates the right of an individual to associate freely, to vote and be voted for in any democratic process. The NGF is not an extension of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), thus not governed by the constitution of the PDP. This is also a major impediment to PDP’s future as a party as Governor Amaechi is seen in Nigeria today as one of the most outstanding governors.

    “What would it benefit a political party to suspend its most performing governor? Therefore, to my mind, this decision is not only ill-timed but ominous and capable of threatening the foundation of democracy, especially the process of free, fair and transparent elections in Nigeria.

    “This ignoble action of the PDP Working Committee signposts what to expect in the build up to 2015: divergent views will not be tolerated and this is dangerous”.

    Deputy Minority Whip Datti Ahmed (CPC Kaduna) said the PDP members were bad losers.

    He said: “This has shown what PDP is all about; it is about illegality and rigging. They are just giving us bad example because they are bad losers. This decision cannot stand because he has to freedom of association to vote and be voted for.

    “He has not committed any offence. Even the PDP knows it cannot stand. You cannot suspend somebody for exercising his fundamental human rights. We in the opposition are very happy about what is happening in the PDP. It is nemesis and it shows that PDP is on its way to the grave.

    “Everyday is for the thief one day is for the owner. It is the injustice that they have done that is haunting. They are expelling the democrats among. Let them suspend more we are waiting for them. This is the right time for them to join the opposition.”

    Chairman, House Committee on Anti- Corruption

    Abiodun Faleke condemned the decision. “Suspension? For exercising his right to vote and be voted for. It shows the type of party PDP is.”

    Another member, Sokonte Davis (PDP Rivers), said the action was laughable.

    He said: “It is unfortunate that this is the only time I have heard that somebody is punished for winning. If canvassing for the support of his colleagues is a crime, why is the defeated anointed candidate not equally suspended since he has opposition members like Peter Obi who supported him?

    “On the other hand, why participate in a process you expect only your party members to be lobbied? They shouldn’t have gone into the elections at all since they already have their own governors.

    “I think that this action has made the party to become opprobrious to the generality of the country. In fact , I am yet to believe that the story is true. If it is true, then all the denials that the main purpose of the Rivers State crisis is not to chase Amaechi and his supporters from the party have turned out to be lies. Those who play or want to play God should not forget that power belongs to God and he gives it to whomever and however it pleases.”

    A former Lagos State Commissioner for Police, Abubakar Tsav, said the suspension was unfair.

    He said: “Every person, who is elected and took oath of office and allegiance as a state governor, is expected to be above reproach, temperate, self controlled, respectable, reliable, impartial, dependable, honest, forthright and God fearing. The governors agreed to form an association and named it Nigerian Governors’ Forum. They unanimously agreed to hold election for the chairmanship position. Election was held and Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State was declared winner. A few hours later Governor Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State who is neither the returning nor electoral officer, declared Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State as winner. Couldn’t the governors resolve this quietly or they simply want to satisfy the President? Now Amaechi is suspended from the PDP. Is this Democracy? What are the factional governors teaching the youths? A shame of a nation !”

    Senior lawyers, such as Emeka Ngige (SAN), Yusuf Ali (SAN) and Dr. Fred Agbaje condemned the NWC’s decision.

    Ngige said: “It is unfair. The National Working Committee shouldn’t have relied on the report of the faction that is at the logger head with the governor. Moreso, the NWC didn’t summon Amaechi to appear and defend his action. Anyway, there is no cause for alarm. I am sure the governor is equal to the task. What is playing out is part of the script written by the powerful forces in the PDP to deal with Amaechi. He should challenge the suspension in court.”

    Ali said the PDP was vindictive. He said: “Political party is like any other association. You are free to join and abide by the rules. But in the case of Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, there are elements of vindictiveness the way PDP is handling the matter. Nigerians are embarrassed by politics of hatred, intolerance and that everybody in the party should go to the same direction as exemplified by PDP in the Rivers State crisis. I want to believe that his suspension is out of his victory at Nigeria Governors’ Forum chairmanship election.

    “The country is faced with serious challenges like epileptic power supply, insecurity of life and property which would be tackled by government rather than dissipating energy on petty and primitive politics.”

    Dr. Agbaje said the PDP has succeeded in cutting “noses to spite its ugly faces”.

    He said: “The suspension can never demean the political ruggedness, popularity, astuteness and irokoness in Amaechi. PDP leadership is jittery and acting politically demagoguery and a clear case of infantile puerility. What is wrong in Amaechi exercising his freedom to freely associate? This is the question every right thinking member of the Nigeria society should ask PDP leadership. What PDP did to Amaechi better put thus: ile oba to jo, ewa lo bu si. (A burnt king’s house will turn out more beautiful) Tukur deserved to be commended for leading PDP astray.

    However, the National Vice Chairman of PDP, Ishola Filani, said the decision was in order.

    Filani said: “The National Working Committee (NWC) must have articulately verified their facts before they decided to suspend him from the party. Suspension is usually done with a view to investigate an offence levelled against somebody and that is what the NWC has done. This is in principle with democracy but however, I am not in any position to pass judgement on what has happened. He is only on suspension and has not been expelled from the party.”

    A member, Kingsley Chinda (PDP Rivers) said the action was appropriate.

    “ I have said the party is superior to its members. Without discipline we cannot progress, however, fairness, equity and due process must be complied with in the process,” he said.

  • Reps to probe activities of laboratory centres

    Reps to probe activities of laboratory centres

    The House of Representatives on Thursday mandated the Committee on Health to investigate the nefarious activities of dubious medical laboratory centres across the country.

    It also urged the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, to ensure that all quack medical laboratory centres in the country were closed down.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the resolution emanated from a motion on matter of national importance moved by Patrick Ikhariale (PDP-Edo), which was unanimously adopted.

    Leading the debate, Ikhariale said the medical laboratory constituted a vital segment of the country’s medical care.

    According to him, a great number of results generated by Nigerian medical laboratories are unreliable as reported in a national daily.

    He said that the activities of quacks over the years had resulted in the untimely death of unsuspecting and vulnerable Nigerians.

    The legislator said that it was the statutory responsibility of the Medical laboratory Science Council of Nigeria to regulate the practise of medical laboratory in Nigeria.

    In his contribution, Daniel Reyenju (PDP-Delta) said the Committee on Health should focus on the matter during its oversight function.

    He said the thriving activity of quack medical laboratories in the country was as a result of the failure of the regulatory body to carry out its duty.

    Friday Itulah, (PDP-Edo) said the body saddled with the responsibility to regulate the practice of medical laboratory should live up to its responsibility.

    Joseph Kigbu, (CPC-Nasarawa) blamed Nigerians for patronising medical laboratory without the medical doctor’s recommendation.

    He said the council in charge of regulation of the sector should have comprehensive list of all legal medical laboratories in the country.

  • Tax remittance: Nine bank Chiefs beg Reps

    Tax remittance: Nine bank Chiefs beg Reps

    Against the threat of being arrested, nine bank chiefs that failed to honour the invitation of the House of Representatives Committee on Finance on Monday, turned up yesterday and apologised.

    The Committee however, lashed out at one of the bridged banks for sending an officer below the rank of an Executive Director. The bank’s representative, Peter Oyedele, Head, Collection was walked out of the meeting.

    The Bank’s Chief Executive Officer was given 24 hours to present himself before the Committee.

    The Committee was investigating 21 banks over collected tax remittances and compliance with tax payment lashed out at the Bank chiefs for treating invitation by the House of Representatives with levity.

    Chairman of the Committee, Abdulmumin Jibrin said: “We take exception to parliamentary invitation being treated with levity. We don’t think there is anything more important to the CEOs than what the Committee is doing on the economy on behalf of Nigerian people”.

    Jibrin also allayed the fears of the bank Chiefs over the exercise, noting that the investigation would turn out to be beneficial to the banking sector through proactive legislations. .

    “It may even turn out that the banks may be refunded over their remittances by the time we conclude analysing the data at out disposal.

    “In the final analysis, the sector would be better for it as our intention is to strengthen the sector,” he added.

    Deputy Chairman of the Committee, Ayobami Ogunnisi, who said the exercise was about shoring up the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the government against perpetual budget deficit, noted that Chief Executives should not wait for threat of arrest before honouring lawmakers’ invitations.

    “All we are doing is to improve our revenue base and make sure we go over this yearly budget deficit rituals. The banks are rated so high and we believe that they can help us because of their contribution to the economy”.

    Godwin Emefiele, the Managing Director, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) apologised for non-appearance of the bank chiefs, saying it was not deliberate, citing communication gap as being responsible.

    While he promised that such would not occur again, Emefiele assured that his bank as well as his colleagues would fully cooperate with the Committee in the assignment.

    “We will cooperate fully and give our counsel where necessary to achieve the purpose of this exercise, moving our economy forward,” he said.

    Other bank chiefs, in their responses towed the same line with the Zenith Bank boss with promises of cooperating with the Committee.

    The bank chiefs were given additional information to the template earlier given to them, which they would defend between June 3rd and 7th, 2013.

    CEOs of Zenith Bank, Heritage Bank and Keystone Bank and Executive Directors of five others were present at the session.

     

  • Senate should move closer to Reps on Emergency Powers Act

    Senate should move closer to Reps on Emergency Powers Act

    The National Assembly is set to begin work on a harmonised version of their assent to President Goodluck Jonathan’s State of Emergency Proclamation (2013). The Senate, reports indicate, has unanimously endorsed the president’s proposals, of course, after noting very grandly the need to nurture democracy and retain democratic structures. It is obvious that the upper chamber, which has made some variations in the proposal, took cognisance of massive, but probably uncritical, public endorsement of the president’s proclamation of state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States. The House of Representatives also, in response to public sentiment, endorsed the president’s proposal, but with significant modifications. As both chambers prepare to inaugurate a conference committee to harmonise the two versions, it is important they balance the public mood, which is decidedly, if not fanatically, in favour of unreserved assent, with their onerous and constitutional responsibility to make laws that will stand the test of time.

    That the National Assembly is generally in favour of emergency is not in doubt. That majority of Nigerians endorse emergency is also not in doubt. But it is at times like this, when the country seems to single-mindedly embrace a point of view, that there is need for a pause to reconsider the fateful steps we are about to take, even if those steps turn out to be right. It is precisely when the public mood is impatient and fiercely intolerant of dissent, when there is a general absence of rigorous debate, and when the national mind seems completely made up, that a devil’s advocate is needed. The House of Representatives’ consideration of the president’s request for emergency powers comes closest to the ideal legislative undertaking. Yes, the situation the country faces is dire; but if democracy is to be saved, the country has a historic duty to anticipate and check any tendency for executive excesses, for the threats we face do not emanate from militants only but also from those who purport to fight militancy. The end, history teaches, is as important as the means.

    The modifications the Reps have proposed are in fact not revolutionary or subversive of peace, but are significant and indicative of an admirable measure of caution necessary to improve and sustain qualitative legislative work. In the Reps version, Section 2 of the Emergency Powers Act has been modified to make it very clear that the executive branch in state and local governments could not be subordinated to the president or his designee in the emergency states. This modification may be minor, but it is nonetheless significant, for if it had remained, the promise the president made not to tamper with the tenure or powers of the governors and local government chairmen in the affected states would have been of no effect. Section 2 (3) of the Act makes a provocative provision to directly bind the governor and LG chairman to obey the president’s order. Though the Reps modified it to limit its applicability to peace, order and security, it really should have been expunged, for clauses 1 and 2 could be vitiated by clause 3.

    Hardball had last week feared that given the huge cost of executing emergency, the federal government might be tempted to utilise a part of the allocations of the other two tiers of government in the three states. The Act in fact makes such a provision under Section 3(2e) empowering the president to utilise state and LG funds. Mercifully, however, the Reps have reportedly tinkered with that provision and barred the federal government from touching those funds. If the lower chamber had not had the foresight to do that, that provision could have opened a dangerous window into arbitrariness, if not extension of the period of emergency. There are a few more changes the Reps made to the Act.

    While the details of the modifications made by the Senate have not been published, it is important that during harmonisation, the Senate should move closer to the Reps position. It must be reiterated that while the country is passing through a very troubling time, the legislature must keep a presence of mind that enables it to check executive contrivances. That presence of mind must never be subordinated to the often explosive and unregulated public mood.

     

  • Reps okay emergency rule in Yobe, Borno and Adamawa

    Reps okay emergency rule in Yobe, Borno and Adamawa

    No fewer than 253 members of the House of Representatives were yesterday locked in a closed session for over three hours as they debated the state of emergency rule imposed on Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states by President Goodluck Jonathan.

    At the end of the session, the House passed the proposed Emergency Powers Bill sent to the National Assembly by the President but with extensive modification mainly to focus the mind of the President on security and not administrative issues.

    The lawmakers also barred the President from utilising the funds of the states as he had proposed in the Emergency Powers bill sent to the National, Assembly and cautioned the military personnel deployed in the three states to protect innocent citizens.

    The House also sought to get the President to transmit within seven days of the proclamation of such an order to the two chambers of the National Assembly.

    According to the House, the refusal of the National Assembly shall nullify such an order.

    Noting that the Senate may have passed the bill with variations, the Speaker of the House, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal set up a six-man conference committee.

    They are: Albert Sam-Tsokwa, Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Ali Ahmed, Chairman House Committee on justice, Aminu Shagari, Chairman, House Committee on Judiciary, Nkoyo Toyo, Ben Nwankwo and Nathaniel Agunbiade.

    The House had to suspend its standing rules to adopt its proceedings of yesterday.

    The House made modification to the proposed bill. It amended three out of the seven clauses in the regulation.

    While considering sections that touched on the administration of the states under emergency rule (Clause 2), the lawmakers amended the clause to state that anyone authorized by the President may act on his behalf to administer the areas under emergency rule “ as long as it is in line with peace, order and security”.

    They, however, curbed the powers of the President in Clause 2(1), which states that: “ A state governor in an emergency area shall continue with the general function of administering the emergency area”, but deleted “under the control of the President or any person designated or authorized to act on his behalf”.

    Members amended Clause 3 and stated that though the President may give directive to a Governor or a local Government Chairman directly or through his designate or a duly authorized person, it must, however, be with respect to “ peace, order and security”.

    In the power of the President to make orders, the house deleted “good governance” from Clause 3(1), which now reads “the President may make such an order as appears to him to be necessary or expedient for the purpose of maintaining and securing peace, public order and public safety in the emergency areas”.

    The lawmakers also altered Clause 3(2a), which states that the power of the President allows him to “ make provision for the detention of any person either within the emergency area”, as well as “ removal and exclusion of any person from the emergency area.” they deleted “or elsewhere”, arguing that the powers should be limited to only the affected areas.

    The House deleted 3(2e) which says the President can “ provide for the utilisation of the funds of any State or Local Government in the emergency area.

    They also altered Clause 5 to read “within 7 days” instead of “ a reasonable time”, for the President to transmit an order to the National Assembly after it had been made under the regulation.

    When Speaker Aminu Tambuwal called for a vote on the amended regulation, it was overwhelmingly supported by all members.

    Tambuwal, rounding off the session, said the House took its decisions in the interest of democracy.

    He said the military should respect the rights of law abiding citizens in the affected states.

    “They should try as much as possible to look after the rights of those who are not involved in the wanton destruction of lives and property. The should do what the constitution of the country urges them to do, which is the protection of lives and property.”

    He urged the terrorists to take advantage of the government’s amnesty proposal.

    “I am sure government is willing and ready to accept whoever is willing to come out and drop his arms. Please, we are all Nigerians and we should continue to respect each other’s lives. I commend the House because what we have done was in the interest of our democracy.”

    Pally Iriase (ACN, Edo) told The Nation why the lower chamber took so long to consider the bill.

    He said: “We had to go through both the Proclamation and Emergency power regulations meticulously in order to bring them in consonance with good democratic practices and to assuage the fear of the possibility of introducing hawkish partisan political under the guise of emergency declaration.

    “We are in support of the the need to give powers that are needed by the Armed Forces to curb the menace of terrorism and insurgency. We are ready for this menace to be dealt with, but not to be used for any other thing”.

    Sources said that one of the most contentious issues was the length of the emergency rule. Members were wary that the President may extend the emergency rule beyond three months, thereby imposing an unnecessarily long period of hardship on the citizens of the three states.

    Some members were said to have expressed the fear that emergency rule might become in itself a means to an end and that it may be a tool of oppression in the hands of a government desperate to capture states by all means.