We’ll support FG’s drive to end economic recession — Gbajabiamila

The House of Representatives Majority Leader, Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila, at the weekend said that the House would continue to support Federal Government’s effort to end economic recession in the country.

He also promised speedy passage of 2017 budget, saying, “we shall also do our very best to ensure speedy passage of the 2017 budget just presented to us by the President.”

The House Leader, who spoke during the presentation of the 2016 report of the activities of the House, also said that “in the last 12 months, a total of 551 bills were introduced in the House for the first time with 64 cases of consolidation of several bills addressing similar issues.

Five of the bills, he said were negatived, while only 179 passed for second reading and 47 bills successfully passed by the House in the year 2016.

He added that, “Most of these bills address different areas of interest from constitutional matters, security, economy, education, health, environment, power and infrastructural development were dealt with by lawmakers.”

On the 2016 appropriation bill which was passed on the 6th of May, 2016, he explained that it would run for 12 months as enshrined in the constitution.

According to him, “Despite the laying of 2017 budget by Mr. President on the 14th day of December 2016, the life of the 2016 budget only terminates on May 5, 2017“.

He stressed that, “The essence of this clarification is that the Committees of the House upon resumption in January 2017 will embark on rigorous oversight functions to ensure that the Ministries and Government Agencies do not abandon the implementation of the 2016 budget”.

In addition, he said, the House would not allow Nigerians suffer from any haphazard implementation of the 2016 budget, adding that, “We will continue to support the Executive with necessary legislative instruments required to increase economic activities in the country and alleviate the suffering of the masses”.

On the state of the economy, he said: “As custodians of peoples’ mandate, we are concerned by the devastating effects of economic recession in the lives of our people. This development led the House into exhaustive debates on ways to get the country out of recession.

“The debate which started on the 22nd of September, 2016 was concluded on the 6th of October, 2016 with concurrence of the recommendations by the Senate. Our joint recommendations to the Executive on the State of the Economy arose from researches and field studies gathered through the on-the-spot assessment of our various committees.

On the constitution review, he said that, “The process of amending the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999(As amended) is ongoing and has reached an advanced stage so as to give Nigerians a constitution we can truly and proudly call our own.”

Speaking further, he said that, “the Constitution Review Committee under the Chairmanship of the Deputy Speaker, Yusuff Lasun just concluded a 3-day Retreat with all its Consultants putting finishing touches to the amendment.

“The Committee is conscious of the need to conclude work as soon as possible to forestall a situation whereby the draft amendment will get to Mr. President at a time it will be most difficult for him to appreciate the amended Constitution and assent to it.”