Below Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, the Home of Representatives recorded 4 key controversies in a single yr. The ninth session of the Inexperienced Chamber marked its first anniversary on Thursday.
The parliament had its justifiable share of successes and challenges in its journey and enterprise of lawmaking previously one yr.
N/Meeting advanced renovation furore
Nigerians obtained indignant when N37bn was stated to have been put aside within the 2020 finances for the renovation of the Nationwide Meeting Advanced.
Amid the condemnations, Socio-Financial Rights and Accountability Mission (SERAP) instituted a courtroom motion in opposition to the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan; the Speaker of the Home of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, in addition to the Federal Capital Improvement Authority (FCDA) over the problem.
Within the swimsuit: FHC/ABJ/CS/1633/2019, filed on the Federal Excessive Court docket, Abuja, SERAP requested the courtroom to restrain them from accessing the funds for the challenge.
SERAP argued that spending N37bn to renovate the Nationwide Meeting Advanced was misplaced because the nation’s income declined amid rising money owed thereby aggravating poor financial and social wellbeing of its residents.
Though the quantity was reportedly diminished to N9bn within the revised finances, the anger endured as many didn’t imagine there was any want for the renovation of the advanced.
Quarantine Act substitute brouhaha
The Home of Representatives courted one other criticism with its proposed “Quarantine Act Alternative Invoice” to get replaced with the proposed “Infectious Illnesses Management Invoice”.
This generated quite a lot of scathing assaults from inside and outdoors the Home, as NGOs and people attacked the invoice.
It was found as alleged, that the invoice smacked of a dictatorial and police state traits that will infringe on the human rights of Nigerians by means of the extreme powers given to the police and the Director Common of the Nigeria Centre for Illness Management (NCDC).
Sen. Dino Melaye took the Nationwide Meeting management to courtroom to place a cease to the invoice.
Spokesperson of the Coalition of United Political Occasion (CUPP), Ikenga Ugochinyere, at a press convention, alleged that, a $10m was given to the sponsors of the invoice; which was countered by the home. The home threatened to take authorized motion in opposition to Ugochinyere after the suggestions of an advert hoc committee it set as much as examine the allegation.
After a lot stress, the “Infectious Illnesses Management Invoice” was subjected to public listening to.
Stakeholders, together with the NCDC, Nigerian Medical Affiliation (NMA) and the Nigeria Governors Discussion board (NGF) submitted memoranda with observations exposing the inadequacies of the invoice.
The invoice additional acquired knocks throughout a two-day public listening to.
N5.04bn official automobiles buy saga
One other controversial situation which additionally turned an intense topic of dialogue amongst Nigerians was the choice of the Nationwide Meeting to buy automobiles for its members.
The automobiles for the 360 members of the Home and the 109 members of the Senate was put at an estimated N5.04bn for the unique Toyota Camry 2020.
On this matter additionally, SERAP and others filed a lawsuit on the Federal Excessive Court docket, Abuja, asking it to cease the Speaker of the Home of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, and all members from shopping for the stated automobiles.
It was, nevertheless, learnt that regardless of the decision to halt the acquisition, the Home reportedly took supply of a number of the automobiles, however the Home denied the reported supply of the automobiles.
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Immunity for lawmakers
A proposed invoice for an act to change Part 308 of the Structure of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999) to provide immunity to presiding officers of the legislature at each federal and state ranges additionally turned controversial.
The invoice, sponsored by Olusegun Odebunmi, which had handed second studying, was described by critics as self-serving.
The proposed invoice is to offer immunity for the 4 presiding officers of the Nationwide Meeting and the 2 presiding officers within the 36 Homes of Meeting.
The invoice divided the Home because the Speaker, Gbajabiamila, and a few others stated they might solely assist the invoice if it could take impact from 2023 after the tenure of the present management ended.
Supply: allafrica.com
