The House of Representatives resumed plenary session on Tuesday after the completion of administrative work on the 2021 budget before the National Assembly as the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila tasked members to redouble their efforts towards the early passage of the appropriation bill as well as the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) to beat the deadlines earlier set by the House.
This is coming just as the speaker honoured the memory of a newspaper vendor, late Ifeanyi Okereke, who was shot dead by the speaker’s security aide last Thursday during which the leadership of the Association of Newspaper Vendors of Nigeria, Abuja chapter was admitted into the plenary.
Addressing the lawmakers, Gbajabiamila assured that the house would pass the 2021 budget as promised whilst not losing sight of the need for quality and efficient job of legislation.
According to him, “it is in the best interests of our country that all parties concerned subject themselves to this process in good faith, knowing that this too is an obligation of service to our country. We will pass the budget, and we will do it early, and we will do it right. The Nigerian people expect as much from us. I thank all of you for the work you have put in thus far, and I encourage you to continue in this regard
“The Special Committee on the Review of the Constitution, ably led by the Deputy Speaker of the House, has been inaugurated, and they have resumed their essential work. The Committee has put out a request for memoranda and other submissions that will guide their work. It is through the aggregation of the many and varied opinions of all Nigerians that we will arrive at a constitution that meets all the best expectations we have for our country
“Our work on other Legislative Agenda priorities such as the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) and the institutionalisation of the National Social Investment Programmes will continue at pace.”
The speaker also hinted that the expected amendments to the all-important Electoral Act had also commenced, with the amendment bill listed for a second reading on Tuesday, adding that work on the review of the constitution is well underway.
“In the same vein, the House has commenced long-anticipated efforts to review and amend the Electoral Act well in advance of the next general elections. Perfecting the process through which we choose the people that will serve in government is an essential requirement for the continued development of our democracy.
“Therefore, I encourage all of you to reach out to your various constituencies and encourage your constituents to participate in both the Constitutional Review and Electoral Amendment processes by articulating and submitting the changes you wish to see. This too is part of the joint task of nation-building.
The speaker also noted the efforts being made by the house to collaborate with the executive to reform the nation’s police force, saying that doing so was paramount and remain an integral part of the house’s legislative agenda.
According to him, “last week, the Committee on Monitoring and Implementation of the Legislative Agenda convened a Public Policy Dialogue on Policing and Human Rights to engage stakeholders within and outside government on the critical issue of reforming policing in Nigeria to ensure greater accountability of officers to the citizens they serve. The dialogue was also a platform for a joint advance review of a draft Bill, the Police Service Commission (Reform) Bill which will be read today for the first time.
“For us in the House of Representatives, reforming the police is a commitment we made in our Legislative Agenda, and which we fully intend to keep. Last month, we committed that we will within the shortest possible time, present for consideration in the House, draft legislation that sets out a much-improved framework for holding police officers accountable for failures to act within the bounds of the law and the codes that govern them.
“With the Police Service Commission (Reform) Bill, we have delivered on that promise. I thank the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) and all those who partnered with us to make this possible. That bill will now begin its journey through the legislative process. During that time, we will continue to work to improve it and to build the consensus that will support passage in the National Assembly and assent into law by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Gbajabiamila recounted the unfortunate event which led to the shooting of a newspaper vendor last Thursday by one of his now-former security detail, saying that he mourns the late Ifeanyi and shares in the pains of his family, just as he revealed that he has made a personal commitment to the family with regards to support for his wife and kids.
According to him, “on Thursday, 19th of November, Mr Ifeanyi Okereke, a young Nigerian, died here in Abuja. His death was the result of a gunshot by a now-former member of my security detail. Ifeanyi Okereke was a son and brother, and he was also the father of two children, including a son who was born seven days before his untimely death. I mourn the death of this young man. The house mourns his death.
“I have shared in his family’s grief. There has been too much pain; there has been too much suffering. I have made personal pledges to the family regarding funeral costs, support for Ifeanyi’s widow and the education of his children. I have initiated the process to formalise these commitments in a trust that gives the family the certainty that allows them to continue with their lives despite the unfortunate loss.
“I am committed to making sure that deaths like this one do not occur in our country anymore. I ask this honourable house to join me in this commitment, and I ask you also to say a prayer for the peaceful repose of this young man’s soul.”
Tribune Online reports that a prayer was said for the repose of the soul of the deceased, as well as a minute silence observed by the House in his honour.
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