Three Bills will pass second reading while five motions will be considered on Tuesday at the resumed plenary of the House of Representatives. BusinessDay can report.
These are: a Bill for an Act to Amend the Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contracts Act (2004), to review the Share of the Government of Federation in Additional Revenue under the Production sharing Contracts; and for Related Matters, sponsored by Mohammed Monguno (APC, Borno).
The second Bill is for An Act to provide for the Regulation and Effective Monitoring of Metallurgical activities in the Mines and Steel Sectors, Metallurgical Inspection and Raw Materials Development in Nigeria, and for Related Matters, sponsored by Ndudi Elumelu (PDP, Delta).
Also for second reading is a Bill for an Act to Establish the Nigerian Security Trust Fund Act, to provide for the Maintenance of the Trust Fund that will carter for the Procurement of Military and Security Infrastructure and Technology for Security Agencies in Nigeria, and Related Matters, sponsored by Rimande Kwewum (PDP, Taraba).
The motions to be considered by the House on Tuesday include: Call to Rehabilitation of Ikirun-Eko Ends Junction-Ore-Ile Ilosin/Osogbo Road and the Construction of Ilie Bridge Connecting Ile to adjoining Communities and Towns; Need to Rehabilitate the Aguleri-Otuocha-Ezuanaku-Omo-Omasi-Adani Federal Road; and Need to Enhance a Broad-Based Agricultural Policy in the Country with Emphasis on Youth Participation.
Other motions for consideration are Provision of Adequate Equipment for Kidney Dialysis Centres with subsidised rate in all Federal Government Facilities in Nigeria as well as Need to Check the Discriminatory Attitudes of the Petroleum Products Marketing Company Limited and Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency on the Independent Marketers on the Sales of Premium Motor Spirit.
The House had adjourned plenary from October 10 to October 28 to enable Members of various Standing Committees hold budget defence sessions with Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
However, BusinessDay checks revealed that about half of the 812 MDAs have not appeared for the defence during the suspension of plenary from October 10 to 29 for the exercise.
Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Benjamin Kalu had announced that from October 10 until Tuesday, October 29, the House would have budget hearing and engagement with MDAs by the appropriation sub-committees.
“From Wednesday, Oct. 30 to Tuesday, Nov. 5, submission and defence of report by the MDAs would be submitted to the Appropriation Committee.
“The termination date for the submission and defence of budget report is on Nov. 5. We will not accept any submission or defence from MDAs after then,” he said.
It was gathered that after the deadline, budget defence would continue as most of the MDAs were yet to appear for the exercise and Members would have to be alternating between the plenary and budget defence.
A Member of the Appropriation Committee who did not want to be mentioned said there was no issue with budget defence and plenary holding concurrently, hence that has always been the practice.
“What is big or strange about that? Since 1999 we have always been holding plenary and budget at the same time. It has to do with Committees so Members of a particular Committee can always meet with MDAs appearing before them even if plenary is holding.
“Have we not been attending public hearings, oversight visits and Committees meetings even when the plenary is ongoing? So we can handle both the budget defence and other legislative functions,” the Lawmaker submitted.
James Kwen, Abuja
