Governance
Gbajabiamila Tasks Colleagues On Timely Passage Of 2021 Budget, PIB, Others
FEATUREDLATEST NEWSBy Ahmed Musa On Nov 24, 20202:38 PM
ABUJA – The House of Representatives’ Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila on Tuesday called on members of the House to rededicate themselves to the tasks of passing the 2021 appropriation bill as well as the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) before the respective deadlines set by the House.
This was as the speaker also honoured the memories of a newspaper vendor, late Ifeanyi Okereke, who was shot and killed by the speaker’s former security aide on Thursday last week — by admitting the leadership of the Association of Newspaper Vendors of Nigeria, Abuja chapter into plenary.
Gbajabiamila, while addressing his colleagues on resumption of the House from one a month budget defence break noted that the House would pass the budget as promised and on time, to meet the deadline it has set for itself, whilst not losing sight of need for quality and efficient job of legislation.
“It is in the best interests of our country that all parties concerned subject themselves to this process in good faith, knowing that this too is an obligation of service to our country.
“We will pass the budget, and we will do it early, and we will do it right. The Nigerian people expect as much from us. I thank all of you for the work you have put in thus far, and I encourage you to continue in this regard.
“The Special Committee on the Review of the Constitution, ably led by the Deputy Speaker of the House, has been inaugurated, and they have resumed their essential work.
“The Committee has put out a request for memoranda and other submissions that will guide their work. It is through the aggregation of the many and varied opinions of all Nigerians that we will arrive at a constitution that meets all the best expectations we have for our country.
“Our work on other Legislative Agenda priorities such as the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) and the institutionalisation of the National Social Investment Programmes will continue at pace,” he said.
The Speaker also hinted that the expected amendments to the all-important Electoral Act has also commenced, with the amendment bill listed for a second reading on Tuesday, adding that work on the review of the constitution is well underway.
“In the same vein, the House has commenced long-anticipated efforts to review and amend the Electoral Act well in advance of the next general elections. Perfecting the process through which we choose the people that will serve in government is an essential requirement for the continued development of our democracy.
“Therefore, I encourage all of you to reach out to your various constituencies and encourage your constituents to participate in both the Constitutional Review and Electoral Amendment processes by articulating and submitting the changes they wish to see. This too is part of the joint task of nation-building,” he added.Gbajabiamila also noted the efforts being made by the House to collaborate with the executive to reform the nation’s police force, saying that doing so was paramount as one of the integral part of the House legislative agenda.
Established by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq CON, Kwara State Geographic Information Service (KW-GIS) provides modern and efficient land administration in the State.The agency has since improved land administration and other processes related to land with the use of technology and digital platforms.It has also led to the harmonisation of all departments dealing with land administration to minimise bottlenecks and enhance efficiency.The reforms at KW-GIS has also secured land documents and curtail activities of land grabbers, as efforts are ongoing to digitise and serialise R of O, C of O, and other title documents.KW-GIS collates, gathers, analyse and digitise all geospatial data in the state and store them in a central database that can deliver products such as maps, satellite imageries, survey plans, building permits, among others.#IjobaMekunu#IseNlo
Prince Adewole Adebayo, the Social Democratic Party’s (SDP) candidate for president, says his administration will focus on creating powerful institutions that will aid in limiting governmental excesses.
At a Town Hall Meeting titled “Building Nigeria’s Steel, Petrochemical, and Agroallied Industries,” which was hosted by media giant Arise Television, he made this bold declaration as a guest.
He said that this was nothing new because Alhaji Tafawa Balewa, the country’s then-prime minister, included it in the first development plan for the years 1960 to 1965.
As part of the “import substitution program,” which aimed to lessen the importation of those minerals, Prince Adebayo noted that these plans gave rise to the development of the Ajaokuta Steel Plant, Ajala Steel, and other companies.
He added that the First Republic’s accomplishments were a result of public servant discipline, clearly defined objectives, and a powerful Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The legal authority claimed that the CBN was so powerful that the bank’s former governor stopped General Yakubu Gowon, the country’s head of state at the time, from using money to buy ammunition for the Civil War.
The CBN is currently too weak to stand up to the current administration, and a large portion of the proceeds from the sale of crude oil are missing and unreported.
Addressing the solutions, he stated: “We already have the solution, but I need to establish a government that will make things function. To make it work, the CBN will have complete control over the amount of money in circulation, the price of money, and inflation.
In terms of money spent, my government would also be answerable to the people. In order to sort out deteriorating and unfinished projects, we will also establish project management.
We’ll achieve this by developing an economy that will draw capital to finish those projects and provide a stable exchange rate.
Additionally, he pledged to lower unemployment rates, keep inflation at single digits, and build a social system that will thrive on brains.
The Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has expressed concern over a bill at the House of Representatives, seeking abolition of local government councils in Nigeria.
Mr Hakeem Ambali, National President, NULGE, said this when he spoke with newsmen in Kano.
Ambali, represented by Mr Aliyu Haruna, NULGE National Treasurer, said abolishing local councils will worsen the security situation in the country.
“A lawmaker from Rivers has sponsored a bill at the House of Representatives seeking to abolish local government councils in Nigeria.
“In spite of the fact that governors have refused to implement the local government autonomy, what we are witnessing now is an attempt to abolish the local government councils in the country. This is a gang up against the masses.
“This is an attempt to bring the country backward. Therefore, we are calling on the National Assembly to look into the issue, which is an attempt to take away what remain for the people at the grassroots.
“I assured you that if the local government autonomy is implemented by the governors, the issue of insecurity would have been a thing of the past, because some security issues can be handled locally,” he said.
Ambali added that once the local government councils were granted full autonomy, socio-economic activities will spring up at the grassroots level.
He said that NULGE had made contact with the leadership of the National Assembly on the issue, adding that if such did not yield good result, it will embark on strike.
Ambali also expressed concern over sack of about 2,000 workers by the Kaduna State government as well as the slashing of workers’ salary by the Kano State government.
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