House Plenary Proceedings for Tuesday, June 7, 2018

Plenary proceedings of the House of Representatives for Tuesday, June 7, 2018. The Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara presiding

After leading the opening prayer, the Speaker went on to examine and approve plenary votes and proceedings for Thursday, June 7, 2018

The House set aside it’s relevant Rules to enable it take more than 2 Motions of Public Importance

MOTIONS OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE

1. Hon. Gyang Istifanus Moved the Motion on account of the killing of over 215 persons in Plateau State. He lamented the docile attitude of the Federal Government towards the situation which has seemed to embolden the suspected herdsmen in the land-grabbing and horrendous murder of defenseless citizens of the Plateau. Hon. Solomon Mahren Seconded the Motion. Hon. Karimi Sunday stood to condemn in totality the lukewarm attitude of government on the killings of innocent citizens in pockets of violence nationwide. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila urged Members to eschew all sentiments of Political Party, religion and ethnicity in debating the sensitive Motion. He stressed the importance of Members to ensure the provision of practical solutions to the recurring problems. He advised for the change of the Nigerian security architecture and urged for the enactment of State Police. Hon. Edward Pwajok appreciated the Speaker for finding time to come to commiserate with the people of Jos over the killings. He wondered how eleven villages would be attacked for over seven hours without any response from the security Agencies. He warned against the manifestations of the symptoms of a failing State which Nigeria seems to be exhibiting. Hon. Nnenna Ukeje in contributing to the Motion stated that a program of action needs to be taken in the effect that there should be a distinction between the peace-loving Fulani and the violent and murderous ones. She urged the United Nations to do more as the umbrella of Nations to ensure illegal migrations of those perpetrating genocide are checked. She also urged the President of the Federal Republic to brace up to the occasion as the buck stops with him in providing solution. She also urged caution to Nigerians on social media, so that that hatred, suspicion and divisiveness do not continue burning. Hon. Nasir Ahmed condemned all killings nationwide, he also termed as unfortunate the tendency to always look at things form religious and ethno-religious lines, and treat Nigerians from each divide with contempt, yet we decry being hunted abroad. He also termed as unfortunate the role religious leaders seem to be playing in furthering hate. Hon. Baba Keita in tying his proposed Motion to the debate stressed the importance of cautioning the social media that unifying and responsible solutions should be proffered and not that of disunity. Hon. Baballe Bashir stated that Nigeria needs to learn from the Rwandan experience and see what system failure does to a nation. He decried the seemingly loss of humanity in Nigeria and called for the propagation of unifying factors. He expressed sadness to the fact that Nigeria has not overcome violence to human lives. The Motion was voted on and passed.

Hon. Jarigbe Agom Moved the Motion to bring to the fore the lingering crisis going on in his area of his State (Crossrivers) without the intervention of the Executive Arm of Government while lives are continually lost. The Motion was voted on and passed.

Hon. Johnson Oghuma Moved the Motion on the high number of accidents of petroleum trucks. He lamented the wanton destruction of lives and properties due to preventable human errors where standard safety measures are either compromised or totally disregarded. He also frowned at what he sees as undue long time it takes NEMA to respond to affected people in distress. The Motion was voted on and Passed.

Hon. Olowookere Ajisafe Moved the Motion on a fire incident of large magnitude that destroyed properties on a large scale from the computer village down to the Royal Palace area. He also lamented the failure of the fire service to respond in time to the situation. He called on NEMA to on behalf of the Federal Government provide relief for the affected people and ensure their source of livelihood are restored. He also urged the House to try and find proactive solutions to the shortcomings of the Federal and State fire Services to find lasting solutions to tackle these kind of disasters. The Motion was voted on and Passed.

PRESENTATION OF BILLS

Factoring (Assignment of Receivables) Bill, 2018 (HB. 1499) (Hon. Chukwudi Jones Onyereri) – First Reading.
2. National Centre for Women Development Act (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill, 2018 (HB. 1500) (Hon. Gideon Gwani) – First Reading.

Public Procurement Act (Amendment) Bill, 2018 (HB. 1501) (Hon. Karimi S. Sunday) – First Reading.

Age Discrimination Eradication Bill, 2018 (HB.1502) (Hon. Sergius Ogun) – First Reading.

National Tobacco Control Act (Amendment) Bill, 2018 (HB. 1503) (Hon. Mohammed Tahir Monguno) – First Reading.

Chartered Institute of Fraud Examiners Bill, 2018 (HB. 1504) (Hon. Samson Olusunbo Olugbemi) – First Reading.

Joint Service Board Bill, 2018 (HB. 1505) (Hon. Samson Olusunbo Olugbemi.) – First Reading.__

PRESENTATION OF REPORT

Committee on Basic Education and Services:
​Hon. Zakari Mohammed:

“That the House do receive the Report of the Committee on Basic Education and Services on a Bill for an Act to Amend the Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act, Cap. C52, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to Increase the Functions of the Commission; and for Related Matters (HB. 155, 419 and 420)” (Referred: 8/10/2015).

Item Stepped down by leave of the House.

ORDERS OF THE DAY

BILLS

A Bill For an Act to Provide for Establishment of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism for Training, Certification and Registration of Personnel in Nigeria; and for Related Matters, 2018 (HB. 1316) – Third reading.

Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila Moved for the Third Reading of the Bill, Hon. Mohammed Bago Seconded it. It was put to a vote and Passed.

A Bill for an Act to Provide for Establishment of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention to Promote, Coordinate and Facilitate the Prevention, Detection and Control of Communicable Diseases in Nigeria; and for Related Matters (HB. 1199) (House Leader) – Second Reading.

Debate

Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila Moved for the Second Reading of the Bill, Hon. Lovett Idisi Seconded it. Hon. Gbajabiamila stated that the Bill seeks to ensure the detection, containment and treatment of communicable diseases in Nigeria. He stressed that there is the continuous need to maintain a high level of alertness, it is a Prevention Bill aimed at ensuring Nigeria as a nation is always ready to monitor the prevention, or combat such diseases should they arise. The Bill was voted on, Passed for Second Reading and Referred to the House Committee of the Whole.

A Bill for an Act to Provide for Compulsory Compensation of Victims of Road Accident by Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers or Motor Vehicle Owners and Establish the Road Accident Victims Compensation Department under the Federal Road Safety Commission; and for Related Matters (HB. 1442) (Hon. Wale Raji) – Second Reading.

Debate

Hon. Wale Raji Moved for the Second Reading of the Bill and it was Seconded by Hon. Abubakar Chika.
In leading the debate Hon. Raji stated that as the most popular means of transportation route; the highways in the nation have the most frequent occurrences of accidents and casualties. Records he stated showed the frequency in accidents and the amount of waste in precious lives and properties have become alarming. The Bill he said seeks to ensure the drivers of especially commercial vehicles own up to their responsibilities to the lives of their passengers and financial indebtedness to such passengers if the driver is found to be in negligence. Hon. Abubakar Chika praised the Mover of the Bill, he pointed out that as someone whose village is on a major Travel route, he had witnessed firsthand the consequences such as injuries, deformation and in some cases, death has on accident victims for no fault of theirs. He termed it as a timely Bill stressing the example of the recent bridge carnage in Lagos. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila praised the Bill as plugging a hole that exists in the spiral effect of the consequences of accident victims and their dependents. He stressed that the Bill is not as similar as insurance as some are saying, it seeks to put the burden on the negligent and the owner of the vehicle if possible. Hon. Egoh Oghene stated that what the Bill seeks to address is already taken care by third-party insurance. He urged the House instead to ensure compliance with the Insurance Act which is a Law of the National Assembly and ensure its enforcement. Hon. Nkem Abonta stated that the Bill though of good intention, lacks practicability of implementation. The Speaker advised the Mover of the Bill to look at the practicability of Amending the Road Safety Act and propose the Department. He pointed out that the F.R.S.C being a an Agency enacted by an Act of Parliament, it would be easier to Amend their principal Act, the Consideration of the Bill was therefore stepped down for further consultations.

MOTIONS

A Call to Investigate the Criteria for the Varied Cut- Off-Marks for Admission into Unity Schools by the National Common Entrance Examination Board (NCEEB):
Hon. Randolph Iwo Oruene Brown:

The House:

Notes that recently, the National Common Entrance Examination Board (NCEEB) published the cut-off marks for admission into Unity Schools for the next academic session;

Further notes that the published cut-off marks drastically varies from state to state;

Cognizant that the quality of education in Nigeria has dropped to an alarming rate and this portends great danger for the future of the country;

Aware that a falling standard in education in any country is like an epidemic and all relevant authorities must consciously work towards redeeming such a situation;

Further aware that Section 15(1) (2) (a & b) of the Child’s Rights Act, 2003, places a duty on the government to provide free, compulsory and universal basic education for every Nigerian child, hence the importance of education cannot be undermined;

Concerned that the trend of varied cut-off marks for students who ought to study the same courses in the future and practice the same professions is dangerous for our already epileptic educational system and will no doubt affect the development of the country in the long run;

Also concerned that most of the compromised cut-off marks do not make up to 50% of the requisite 100%, while in some cases the marks do not make up to even 20% of the requisite percentage;

Further concerned that some students who have to meet a cut-off mark of 65% will be expected to end up in the same university, study the same courses as their contemporaries that had to meet up the cut-off mark of 14% for males and 12% for females respectively;
Worried that if this situation is not reversed, the Nigerian educational system would gradually collapse and the country will become largely underdeveloped;

Resolves to:​

Mandate the Committee on Basic Education and Services to investigate the basis for the cut-off marks set by the NCEEB for admission of pupils into Nigerian Unity Schools and report back within four (4) weeks for further legislative action.

Debate

Hon. Brown stated that the discriminatory cut off marks makes the concept of Unity schools geared towards eradicating discrepancies in ethnic and religious differences from the Unity Schools in effect. He asked for the possible passage of the Motion so that the Unity in these schools be maintained. The Motion was voted on and Passed.

Need to Prevent Counterfeiting of Drugs in Nigeria through NAFDAC Mobile Authentication Service (MAS):
Hon. Babajimi Benson:

The House:

Notes that fake drugs undermine every aspect of medical treatment and health care delivery and are a major cause of suffering and death;

Concerned that Drug adulteration and counterfeiting has contributed negatively to the wellbeing of Nigerians and its illicit trade has escalated within the Nigerian health care system in recent times;

Aware that in 2010, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), in its effort to combat counterfeit drugs, initiated the Mobile Authentication Service (MAS), which allows consumers to send by text message, an authentication code to a designated number approved by NAFDAC to confirm the genuineness of purchased drugs;

Also aware that the MAS allowed consumers seeking to buy genuine drugs to scratch a coating on the packaging of the drug to reveal a unique 12 or 13 digit PIN that could be sent by SMS text to a short code of 38353 and get a response within seconds indicating if the drug is genuine, or potentially fake or stolen;

Observes that in recent times, there has been a reduced campaign on the authentication process and most of the drugs over the counter and infant syrups do not have the unique 12 or 13 digit PIN;

Worried that the negligence on the part of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has led to the influx of fake and counterfeit drugs into Nigeria’s drug markets in particular and the health sector in general;

Resolves to:

(i) Urge the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) and the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) to ensure that the Mobile Authentication Service (MAS) is re-activated and applied to all drugs purchased in Nigeria;

(ii) Also urge NAFDAC to, as a matter of urgency, begin a national wide publicity on MAS for the education and enlightenment of the public;

(iii) Mandate the Committee on Health Care Services to ensure Compliance.

Debate

Hon. Babajimi Benson Moved the Motion and it was Seconded by Hon. Abubakar Lawal. In leading the Debate, Hon. Benson stated that the Motion seeks to mandate NAFDAC to ensure all drugs and not just selected tablets and capsules, but should ensure that even syrups have authentication and verification codes, and there should be mass enlightenment of the citizens to this effect. The Motion was voted on and Passed.

Remaining items stepped down by leave of the House

CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS:
​
Committee on Public Petitions
​Petition by Ken Ayapaye:
Hon. Uzoma Nkem-Abonta.

“That the House do consider the Report of the Committee on Public Petitions on the Petition by Ken Ayapaye against the Nigeria Police Force on malicious victimization and dismissal from service and approve the recommendation therein” (Laid: 21/11/2017); urge the Nigeria Police Force to reinstate Ken Ayapaye in to the Nigeria Police forthwith and pay all his salaries and entitlements.

​Committee on Public Petitions
Petition by Patrick Ogbonna:
Hon. Uzoma Nkem-Abonta.

“That the House do consider the Report of the Committee on Public Petitions on the Petition by Patrick Ogbonna against Abuja Municipal Area Council on the issue of unlawful demolition of Sixteen Self Contained Rooms at Gwagwa Village in FCT Abuja in 2006 and approve the recommendation therein” (Laid: 15/5/2018);

Urge the Abuja Municipal Area Council to relocate Patrick Ogbonna as his sixteen self-contained rooms which were illegally demolished without any notice and having paid all the necessary fees.

​Committee on Public Petitions
Petition by Canice Nweke Chidinma:
Hon. Uzoma Nkem-Abonta.

“That the House do consider the Report of the Committee on Public Petitions on the Petition by Canice Nweke Chidinma against the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on the unlawful termination of his appointment by the Management of the Agency and approve the recommendation therein” (Laid: 15/5/2018).

Urge the Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA to reinstate Mr. Canice Nweke Chidinma back to the service of NDLEA as due process was not followed in the termination and he should be promoted to be at par with his colleagues in office as well as pay the arears of his salaries, benefits and entitlements.

Committee on Public Petitions
Petition by Bamiloye Temitope Abiodun:
Hon. Uzoma Nkem-Abonta.

“That the House do consider the Report of the Committee on Public Petition on the Petitions by Bamiloye Temitope Abiodun against the Nigerian Customs Service on the wrongful dismissal from service as Marine Inspector of Customs and approve the recommendation therein (Laid: 7/6/2018).

Urge the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service to reinstate Bamiloye Temitope Abiodun back to service without payment of arrears.

Committee on Public Petitions
Petition by Asoloko Jonathan:
Hon. Uzoma Nkem-Abonta.

“That the House do consider the Report of the Committee on Public Petition by Asoloko Jonathan against the Management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on the non-implementation of the House of Representatives Committee Report that bothers on the issue of Committee of Appointment and approve the recommendation therein (Laid: 7/6/2018).

Adopt the report of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Committee which recommends the reinstatement of Mr. Asoloko Jonathan and 8 others, back to the service of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.

Adjournment
The House adjourned Plenary till Wednesday, July 4, by 11:00 Am