By Joy Odor
The House of Representative on Saturday informed that 962 bills and 500 motions have so far been considered by the 10th House of Representatives over the past six months and 153 petitions.
Of these numbers, 120 bills have passed the second reading stage and are currently undergoing further review and refinement to address some of the concerns raised during the debates while onother 120 bills have been referred to committees for in-depth analysis.
Speaker Tajudeen Abbas who disclosed this while giving the stewardship account of his administration during the special plenary session organised to pass the 2024 appropriation bill, described the 10th Assembly’s legislative outputs in the last six months as remarkable.
According to him, the Reps have successfully passed many other bills, which have been transmitted to the Senate for concurrence which are the Electricity Act (Amendment) Bill, 2023, the Federal Audit Service Act (Amendment) Bill, 2023, 2022 Supplementary Appropriation Act (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and the Oath Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill, 2023. Other critical bills passed by the House include the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons Bill, 2023, Federal Fire and Rescue Service Bill, 2023, Administration of Criminal Justice Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill, 2023, Niger Delta Development Commission Act (Amendment) Bill, 2023, Nigerian Medical Research Council (Establishment) Bill, 2023, Nigerian Peace Corps (Establishment) Bill, 2023 and more recently, the South East Development Commission (Establishment) Bill, 2023.
“The Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill 2023 that we passed was assented to by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on 23rd November, 2023. It repealed the 1964 legislation and replaced it with a more contemporary legislation that empowers the Defence Corporation to manufacture, store and dispose of ordinance.
“All these bills are intended to provide immediate relief and long-term solutions to the challenges that have plagued our society. Through these bills, we aim to empower our citizens, enhance social justice, promote economic growth, and promote peace and security.
“Over the same period, the House received and resolved over 500 Motions, many of which brought to the attention of the House and the nation pressing matters affecting the people. I have always considered Motions to be one of the most potent tools of legislative representation.
“They show that the legislature, better than any other institution, is best placed to articulate the needs of the people and how to address them. Notable Motions the House considered include oil theft, student loans, job racketeering, JAMB, firearms, COVID-19 fund mismanagement, a 3% contribution to host communities and the petroleum subsidy regime.
“In response to the issues raised, the House constituted ad-hoc committees to conduct investigative hearings and make recommendations for necessary legislative actions. I am glad to announce that out of the 30 ad-hoc committees, 25 have laid their reports before the House for consideration, while four have been considered. In addition to bills and motions, the House also received 153 petitions, which are receiving necessary legislative actions” he said.
