Report On Outstanding Bills Referred To The Committee

Report Of The House Ad-Hoc Committee On The Review Of The Constitution On Outstanding Bills Referred To The Committee Laid On Tuesday, January 28, 2014 By Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, Con, Deputy Speaker And Chairman Of The Committee

 Introduction:

The House had referred a number of Bills to the Committee for further legislative input.  The Committee treated most of them which formed part of the Report submitted to the House in July, based on which the House conducted the votes on amendment of the Constitution on 25th July, 2013.

A few of the Bills were omitted during that exercise; some were stood down as they did not undergo public hearing while a few others were referred to the Committee after the voting had taken place. 

As a result, the leadership of the House and the Committee thought it wise to conclude work on those bills before setting up a Conference Committee to liaise with the Senate for harmonization purposes.

Report on the Bills:

1.    Alteration of Section 4 of the Constitution to provide immunity for Members of the Legislature for words spoken or written at the plenary or at Committee proceedings, to guarantee freedom of speech and debate and that proceedings in legislative houses are not impeached or questioned in any court or place outside of Parliament.  The Bill was sponsored by Hon. Ali Ahmad.

It received endorsement at the Public Hearing and has been incorporated into the Bill to be presented to the House.

2.    Alteration of Section 6(6) of the Constitution to allow for the justiciability of some parts of Chapter II of the Constitution. The bill was sponsored by Hon. Emmanuel Jime.

The requirement of this bill was covered in the earlier Report of the Committee upon which voting was made on 25 July, 2013 which moved basic housing, primary healthcare, basic education, et cetera from Chapter II to Chapter IV, thereby making them justiciable.

3.    Alteration of Section 25 of the Constitution on the definition of citizenship to include all persons indigenous to communities now forming part of Nigeria.  The bill was sponsored by Hon. El-Sudi Ibrahim Tukur.  The Committee felt that the bill has been covered by the provisions of Clause 5 of the Bill that was voted on in July which dealt with citizenship/indigenship issue.

4.    A Bill for an Act to provide for National Social Integration of the country sponsored by Hon. Peter Biye Gumtha.  The bill seeks to make citizenship and residency the basis for political and electoral consideration in the country.  This has been covered by the provision of the earlier Report which conferred citizenship of a State in Nigeria on anybody who has resided in that State for a continuous period of ten years. This was incorporated in the voting to alter Chapter 3 of the Constitution on Citizenship done on July 25, 2013.

5.    Alteration of Section 56 of the Constitution to guarantee freedom of speech and legislative actions of Members of the National Assembly.  The Bill was sponsored by Hon. Raphael Nnanna Igbokwe.

It received endorsement of the Public Hearing.  The Committee felt that the first segment of the bill had been covered by an earlier bill sponsored by Hon. Ali Ahmad which had been incorporated into the Bill to be presented to the House.  The Committee reasoned that the second segment seeking to insulate the presiding officers from civil or criminal proceeding for carrying out the resolutions of a House will amount to a derogation of the powers of the Courts to undertake judicial review of legislative action guaranteed by Section 6 of the Constitution.

6.    Alteration of Section 67 to secure compulsory attendance of the President to deliver a State of the Nation Address to a joint sitting of the National Assembly.  This will operate under an Act of the National Assembly. It was sponsored by Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and Hon. Christopher S. Eta.  It received endorsement at the Public Hearing and has been incorporated into the Bill to be presented to the House.

7.    Alteration of Section 81(3) of the Constitution to include the National Security Agencies and the Nigerian Police in the first line charge of the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation.  It was sponsored by Hon. Samson Osagie and was endorsed at the Public Hearing. It has been incorporated in the Bill to be presented to the House.

8.    Alteration of Section 85 and 125 of the Constitution to ensure accountability and transparency in the management of the finances of all statutory corporations, commissions, authorities, agencies, including all persons and bodies established by Acts of the National Assembly or Laws of a State House of Assembly and to further enhance the efficiency of the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation or of a State.  It requires the Auditor-General to carry out an audit of the bodies and submit Reports to either the National Assembly or a State House of Assembly.  It was sponsored by Hon. Ifeoluwa A. Arowosoge.  The Committee felt that the main essence of the bill had been covered by the earlier voting which placed the Office of the Auditor-General on the first line charge of the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation which will guarantee both financial and administrative autonomy to the Office.

9.    Alteration of Section 89 to include directly in the Constitution the Sergeant-at-Arms of a Legislative House among persons to execute a warrant issued by a Legislative House or Committee thereof. The bill was sponsored by Hon. Raphael Nnanna Igbokwe.  It received endorsement at the Public Hearing and has been incorporated in the Bill to be presented to the House.

10.    Alteration of Section 143 of the Constitution to remove ambiguities in the process of impeachment and removal of a President and Vice-President from Office on allegations of gross misconduct and to provide for a more transparent and democratic procedure for impeachment and removal of the holder of the offices.

         The bill was sponsored by Hon. Yakubu Dogara and 3 others.

The Bill was taken at the Public Hearing held on Wednesday December 4, 2013 where it received endorsement and has been incorporated into the Bill to be presented to the House.

11.    Alteration of Sections 241 and 242 to provide for a right of appeal from the National Industrial Court to the Court of Appeal.  It was sponsored by Hon. Friday Itulah.  The bill did not receive endorsement at the Public Hearing as S.242 (3) of the Third Alteration Act of 2010 has taken care of this. The National Assembly can by law make provisions for Appeals as of Right.

12.    Alteration of Sections 277 and 282 to vest original jurisdiction on chieftaincy matters on Sharia Court of Appeal and Customary Court of Appeal of a State.  The bill was sponsored by Hon. Leo Ogor. The bill did not receive endorsement at the Public Hearing; as a result of which the Committee advised that the existing provision of the Constitution be maintained.

13.    Alteration of Section 285 of the Constitution to allow  that a period of an intervening event (natural or circumstantial) or force majeure shall not be counted in the computation of  180 days or 60 days during which a tribunal or Court of Appeal shall deliver judgment.  The bill was endorsed at the Public Hearing and has been incorporated into the Bill to be presented to the House.

14.    Alteration of Section 292 and the 3rd Schedule to the Constitution to clarify the powers of the National Judicial Council over the suspension, punishment, reinstatement and discipline of judicial officers.  It was sponsored by Hon. Sunday Karimi Steve.

The Bill received endorsement during the Public Hearing and has been incorporated into the Bill to be presented to the House.

15    Amendment of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps Act to provide for financial contribution from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to enable the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps carry out its functions.  It was sponsored by Hon. Robinson Uwak. 

The Bill was primarily referred to the Committees on Interior and Justice, and also the Constitution Review Committee, in the event that there is any aspect of the matter that requires an amendment of the Constitution. The Committee is of the view that no constitutional alteration question arose.

16.    Amendment of the National Youth Service Corps Act, Cap N84 LFN, 2004 to make it mandatory for the Service Corps to provide life insurance policy for Corp Members.  This became a Constitution amendment issue because of the provisions of S. 315(8) of the Constitution that entrenched the NYSC Act as part of the Constitution. It was sponsored by Hon. Faleke James Abiodun.  The Bill received endorsement at the Public Hearing and has been incorporated into the Bill to be presented to the House.

17.    Amendment of Sections 68(i)(e) and 109(i)(e) of the Constitution has been proposed to make it possible for legislators to belong to parliamentary or similar bodies without losing their seats.

18.    Honourable Colleagues, this is a synopsis of the proposed amendments which the Ad-Hoc Committee on Constitution Review recommends for your consideration.

 

Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, CON

Deputy Speaker/Chairman, 

Ad-Hoc Committee on the Review of the Constitution.

MATTEO RENZI SET TO BE NAMED ITALY'S YOUNGEST PRIME MINISTER

Matteo Renzi was born on 11 January 1975. He was elected Mayor of Florence at the age of 34 since 2009 and Secretary of the Democratic Party since 2013. He was previously President of the Province of Florence from 2004 to 2009.

He is a law graduate from the University of Florence and joined the Italian People's Party in 1996 to become its Provincial Secretary in 1999.

Matteo Renzi was strongly criticized by certain members of his own party after his suggestion that Italian politicians who were of the same generation as Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi should retire.

In September 2012, Matteo Renzi announced that he would seek to become the Secretary of the Democratic Party, with a view to leading the centre-left coalition in the 2013 general election. He lost the December election, finishing second with 39% of the vote, compared to 61% for the winner Pier Luigi Bersani.

Matteo Renzi, is set to become the country’s youngest prime minister at 39- years-old after President 

Giorgio Napolitano summoned Matteo Renzi to a meeting at the presidential palace at on the 17^th of February 2014 by 10.30am, at which he was expected to ask the centre-left leader to form a government.

To govern, Matteo Renzi needs the support of the small New Centre Right (NCD) party in coalition in order for the Democratic Party (PD) to have a majority in parliament.

Angelino Alfano, the NCD leader has laid down conditions for his party’s support which include a contract to be signed and the condition that the government must not be tilted too much to the left.

If confirmed in the post, Matteo Renzi will be the third premier in a row picked by the president and not chosen by popular vote – following Enrico Letta and before him Mario Monti.

Italy is thus set for its 65th government since World War Two.

Enrico Letta resigned as prime minister on Friday after his Democratic Party (PD) forced him to make way for Matteo Renzi.

Until two weeks ago, Matteo Renzi objected the idea of taking power without first winning elections. However, this position has since changed when Italy’s main business lobby and its biggest labour union publicly abandoned Letta and called for more pragmatic way towards reforms.

YOUTHS IN A DEMOCRACY

Born on the 12th of February 1984 in Ermelo, South Africa. Mduduzi Manana is the South African Deputy Minister of Higher Education. He is a member of the African National Congress and also a Member of Parliament. Manana has a lengthy list of positions behind him in business and in the ANC Youth League and was elected Member of Parliament in 2009 at the age of 25. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and Sociology from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. 

AFRICA'S YOUNGEST PARLIAMENTARIAN

Proscovia Alengot Oromait is Africa's youngest Member of Parliament. She was elected at the age of 19 in 2012, after she won the Usuk county election with 11,059 votes defeating Charles Ojok Oleny with 5,329 votes, Charles Okure from FDC with 2,725 votes and Cecilia Anyakoit of UPC with 554 votes. The outspoken youngster replaces her late father.

She is a member of the National Resistance Movement, headed by President Yoweri Museveni.

While some people feel she will not survive her term in parliament because of her age and little experience; some believe this is the beginning of change in Africa and it’s time to get rid of the overly old leaders and allow young people to take the continent forward.
Hon. Alengot's area faces challenges of clean water, electricity and poor roads among others. For now the people of Usuk have their hopes pinned on the 19 year-old MP. Hopefully, she will be in position to represent them appropriately.

God bless our youths and Save Our Democracy!

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM SAVE OUR DEMOCRACY GROUP

It’s a New Year peeps; a match to the much awaited election year come 2015! 2013 did not go without a lot of political intrigues, the highlight was the attempt to form a formidable opposition to the ruling PDP in Nigeria. For me such political happenings are positives consequences of democracy. We are gradually going past those days when elections were almost concluded at PDP primaries; once you obtained the PDP ticket for most elections in many parts of the country, you could only but go home and rest for victory is certain! That situation encouraged allegiance to delegates and god fathers rather than Nigerians themselves. 

This time around it’s going to be a different ball game. Go win your primaries and come and convince Nigerians, telling them what you have to offer. Perhaps you might just be garnering votes in that way that would ensure your victory at the general elections. For this reason, we the electorates shall be prepared to reap enormous dividends from democracy. In economics, it is called a perfect competition situation. This also means that as MTN, GLO, ETISALAT and Airtel fight to grab more users through promos and innovations, only we the end users stand to gain at the end of the day.   

On our part as electorates, we ought to get ready with our writing materials - paper and pen, tablets, Ipads, phones and other recording devices. Information is necessary, so we have to record all their promises upon which we shall judge them as time goes on.

My friend who is also a classmate and is contesting the gubernatorial elections in Benue State had confided me in me that he ought to prove a point to the youths in Nigeria. He said to me, it is high time the youths realized that they too can sit on seats of administration and governance rather than being hired as thugs for election rigging and odd jobs. Our time is now and we have to begin to use it wisely. 

Who says these recycling contemporary political leaders are not recycling their old ideas and a new wave of younger reasoning ought to start taking over? With the saying, “the youths are the future of tomorrow in Nigeria”, it behoves on us to seize this opportunity by force (violent taketh heaven by force) else, our greedy parents will keep ruling a pretty younger generation until there shall be no future for us no more.  

At this point we urge all the youths in Nigeria to shun the fold arms and watch syndrome. We can do more in instilling a new order in democratic governance in Nigeria. We are the internet generation, full of ideas that must not be allowed to erode or become obsolete just because we didn’t act when we had to. We alone can work assiduously towards bridging the gaps that our society presents in religion, tribe, etc.

As we meditate on the way forward, let us realize that folding your arms and forming ignorance is also a policy statement, however, how far the results of such actions would portend, remains the conclusion as to what nature and history will judge you and tell about you when the time comes.

Happy New Year from Save Our Democracy Group!

37 PDP Lawmakers Defect To APC

 

37 members of the House of Representatives who were formerly under the umbrella of the Peoples’ Democratic Party have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC)

The lawmakers said that they are joining the APC due to “division and factionalisation” within the ruling party.
Decampees also said that their defection to the APC is in obedience to section 68, subsection 1G of the constitution.

Posted by: Channels Television

Canadian Emerges From Bunker 14 Years After Y2K Scare

After being away from society in a bunker for 14 years, Norman Feller is most impressed with KFC’s ‘Double Down’ sandwich.

Do you remember the Y2K scare? Anticipation of a new era along with a possibility of a global doomsday surely gave us a emotional roller coaster ride. Unfortunately it took one Canadian man 14 years to find out that it was one of the biggest false alarm ever created.

“January 1, 2000 was the day that our computers were meant to fail us and change our lives forever. It was also the day that 44 year old Norman Feller headed into his underground bunker over fears of the fallout from the Y2K virus. Remarkably Mr. Feller spent the next 14 years in isolation only to emerge this past September.”

CBC Radio’s Peter Oldring talks with Norman Feller to learn more about his unbelievable decision to live underground.

Click here to find out!

http://blog.rtba.co/canadian-emerges-from-bunker-14-years-after-y2k-scare/#.UrBoiyeniM8