The House of Representatives is not shrinking back in its efforts to unearth dealings on the Presidential Arms procurement involving former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki, and other former top military officers, despite ongoing trial before the court. Unconfirmed report noted that about 15 politicians were linked with the $2.1 billion arms deal. It is however, uncertain whether the investigation will be extended to the $9.3 million cash allegedly transported by two Nigerians and an
Israeli involved in the arms purchase in far-away South Africa.
But the report in the public domain confirmed that the South African authorities confiscated the sum of $5.7 million arms money from Nigeria barely three weeks after seizing $9.3 million. Despite raising my curiosity to cover the Committee’s activities, the power that be resolved to prevail on the Committee on National Security and Intelligence to resort to closed-door. Anyway it goes, Nigerians should pressure the leadership of the House to make public its findings. Several of these investigative public hearings should not be compromised nor personalised for crying out loud.
Engaging in secrecy will further punctured public trust in the Parliament no doubt. Imagine the criticism trailing the attitude of the House towards the continued delay in the passage of the Petroleum Industry (Governance) Bill, dated back to the regime of late President, Musa Umaru Yar’Adua. As robust as the three private member bills: ‘for an Act for legislative framework relating to petroleum producing host community (PHC) participation, cost and benefit sharing amongst government, petroleum exploration companies and petroleum host communities and mater’s connected thereto’; ‘Act for legal and regulatory framework, institutions and regulatory authorities as well as for the operations of the upstream and downstream sectors of the Nigerian petroleum industry,’ and ‘Act to establish a fiscal framework that encourages further investment in petroleum industry whilst increasing accruable revenues to the Federal Government of Nigeria,’
are, the delay has defeated the good intent of the Lower Chamber. It is of course, not far-fetched to conclude that the House is yet undecided on what to do with the PIB passed in the Seventh Assembly.
Whatever the case may be, the importance of this critical economic bill determines whether Nigerians will get the best out of the oil and gas resources.
The week also witnessed the adoption of the Conference report and final passage of two critical bills namely: “A bill for an Act to provide for secured transactions, registration and regulation of security interests in movable assets and for other related matters”; as well as the “bill for an Act to facilitate the use of information in electronic form for conducting transactions in Nigeria and for other connected purposes.” The bills are expected to be transmitted to the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo for assent. The House had on Wednesday constituted the Conference Committee chaired by Sylvester Ogbaga to interface with their Senate counterpart on the secured transactions in movable assets.
Likewise, the House passed through second reading the bill to provide for legal framework for the mainstreaming of climate change responses and actions into government policy formulation, implementation and the establishment of Erosion Control and Prevention Commission and the bill for the establishment national Climate Change Council as well as well as the bill for an Act to establish the Nigeria Police Trust Fund on Thursday. On Wednesday, the House passed the bill for an Act to provide for the framework for credit reporting, licensing and regulation of Credit Bureau and for other related matters, sponsored by Ossai Nicholas Ossai; the bill for an Act to regulate the execution of Federal Government projects by State Governments, provide for procedure to undertake such projects, financing, supervision/monitoring, refund/reimbursement of money spent thereto and for other related matters,” co-sponsored by Rimamnde Shawulu and Solomon Maren as well as the bill for an Act to provide for distribution and payment to state governments of some taxes and duties by Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) or other authorities of the Federal Government and the bill to establish the Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria, the bill for establishment of Nigerian Sports Anti-Doping Agency.
However, the bill for an Act to amend the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Act, Cap. N123, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to stipulate legislative approval for budgetary expenditure to enhance financial and fiscal discipline in the conduct of transactions by the NNPC and for other related matters, which was sponsored by Hon. Nnanna Igbokwe, was negative and thrown out by the House following resentment of the majority lawmakers.
KEHINDE AKINTOLA
