The Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa on Thursday expressed grave concern over the high rate of absenteeism of members of the 9th Assembly who are scheduled to lead the debate on motions and bills gazette for Second Reading.
Hon. Doguwa who frowned at the unethical practices, accused his contemporaries of staying away from plenary only for such bills to be stepped down while others have been denied the opportunity to have their bills listed.
Doguwa who expressed dismay over the turnover rate of bills and motions being stepped down, said: “I rise with due respect and all sense of responsibility and obligation as Leader of this very important House, that rampant cases of bills being taken for Second Reading and eventually, the member is not on the floor to take it up.
“I think it is of serious concern. Mr Speaker and honourable members, as I said, I rise as leader of this House, very respectfully, urge my colleagues that you must always liaise with the Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business.
“Also, the Chairman on Rules and Business while scheduling businesses of the day must also get in touch with relevant members so that bills are not put on schedules only for us to step them down because the member that is supposed to take them is not on the floor, especially a bill that is meant for second reading.
“The Second Reading of every bill is one fundamental stage of that bill. It is at that point that a member is expected to come and debate the general principle of that bill. It is the key step as far as the legislative process is concerned.
“So, I rise with all sense of humility to urge our members to please take seriously and be more dutiful when the time comes for any bill to be taken for second reading,” he noted.
On his part, the Minority Leader, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu said the members should form the habit of going through their emails on daily basis to know when their bills are listed for consideration.
Hon. Elumelu said in the past, the Rules and Business Committee had been accused of being selective in pointing the bills to be listed for debate, pointing out that what they are not doing is to make sure that every member is treated fairly.
He said further that on a weekly basis, the Committee always sends to members a schedule of bills and motions to be taken during, pointing out that members cannot claim not to be aware of such listing.
In his intervention, Chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business, Hon. Abubakar Fulata said mails are sent to members on a daily basis, listing bills and motions scheduled for the day, while phone calls are also made to members with bills and motions.
While acknowledging the observation by the House Leader, Deputy Speaker who presided over the plenary said the Rules and Business should also take steps to liaise with members before listing their bills, especially those scheduled for Second Reading.
He said: “Maybe not to indict our colleagues, for the last bill that we stepped down, it is as a result of the leadership meeting that we had this morning before coming into the chamber. We saw that it is a bill within an institution that is likely going for privatisation and you cannot go now to single out that particular structure and hand it over to the Federal Government, meanwhile, it is within a commercial set-up as of today.
“So, we advised him to step it down. But I concur with you in terms of how we schedule our businesses only for those who are here to be denied the opportunity to present their own. I believe that there is a legislative plan for every week and each member is supposed to be aware – as they go through the plan – to know that a bill is going to be scheduled for a particular day and they are going to be available to present them to the House.
“I want to, and in line with what he has said, urge our colleagues that we should please save our legislative businesses and time. It is important so that we will be able to make progress. I have stepped down a number of bills and particularly reports of committees.
“I want to beg that chairmen of committees, in the event they are not around, their deputies should always be handy so that we will be able to do justice and deliver what we are expected to Nigerians.”
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