House of Reps in session

The House of Representatives has discharged 19 of its Committees of bills referred to them in pursuant to Order 17, Rule 3 (g) of the Standing Orders of the house.

The rule states that any matter referred to any committee shall be treated within 30 days otherwise the committee shall stand discharged after 60 days and the matter committed to the Committee of the Whole for consideration.

The Chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business, Rep. Emmanuel Orker-Jev (Benue-APC) made the position known at plenary on Thursday.

Orker-Jev said the bills were read a second time separately between 2015 and 2016 and referred to standing committees of the house for legislative actions.

The bills are, Freedom of Information Act (Amendment) 18/11/2015 FOI (Reform Bill, 2015 (HB. 40) Government Institutions), Federal Land Registry (Miscellaneous Provisions) 24/11/2015 Housing Act (Amendment) Bill 2015 (HB. 52), and the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act (Amendment) 26/11/2015 Solid Minerals Bill 2015 (HB. 88) Development.

Others include Nigerian Police Academy Act (Amendment) Bill 2/12/2015 Tertiary 2015 (HB. 115) Education and Services, Federal Capital Territory Trust Fund (Establishment, 9/12/2015 Federal Capital etc) Bill 2015 (HB. 148) Territory, and Kidney Transplant Bill 2015 (HB. 153) 16/12/2015 Healthcare Services among others.

According to him, the committees are yet to present reports on the bills, contrary to the provisions of Order 17, Rule 3 (g) of the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives.

“Discharge the Committees mentioned above from the referrals of those Bills and commits same to the Committee of the Whole for consideration,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Speaker of the House, Mr Yakubu Dogara had on Oct. 12 issued one week ultimatum to committees with pending bills of about six months to treat and forward them to the house or risk being withdrawn to the Committee of the Whole for consideration.