Tag: House of Representatives

H/Reps. move to investigate EFCC attempt to re-arrest Emefiele from prison

Aminu Imam

The House of Representatives, yesterday, moved to investigate an alleged attempt against a court order by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in its bid to remove Godwin Emefiele, the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), from the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja. The House resolution followed the adoption of a petition on the matter from a Civil Society Organisations Society (CSO), Centre for Social Justice Equity and Transparency, (CESJET). In the petition, dated Nov. 27, 2023, and addressed to the House deputy spokesman, Philip Agbese,…

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Treasury Single Account: H/Reps raise alarm over trillions unaccounted for

Aminu Imam

The House of Representatives has raised an alarm over the Remita platform, through which the Treasury Single Account (TSA) of the Federal Government is operated. The alarm, which was raised through a Motion by Jeremiah Umaru, the lower chamber said trillions of naira had been passed through the Remita platform, and that the funds were unaccounted for due to the proliferation of sub-accounts by the Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN). The House expressed its worry that if this is not addressed, the country will continue to lose revenue. In a related development,…

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H’Reps query Industrial Training Fund over missing N3bn

Aminu Imam

The House of Representatives yesterday issued the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) a 48-hour ultimatum to give an explanation on missing funds of up to N3 billion. The Chairman of the Committee on Finance, James Faleke, gave the ruling during the continued hearing on the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) when the agency was unable to explain how the funds were utilised. Similarly, the committee directed the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, (NERC), to explain within 72 hours why a company was licensed to provide meters. The company is…

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H/Reps move to reduce powers of CBN Governor

Aminu Imam

…Pass Bill to separate positions of Board chairman from governor A Bill to create the position of Chairman of the Board of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), separate from the position of the governor, scaled second reading in the House of Representatives yesterday. Sponsor of the Bill,  Francis Waive, who spoke at plenary in Abuja, said there was need to amend Section 6 to separate both positions, so the governor could be checked and not have all the powers. The Bill also proposed that in the event of the…

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H’Reps. ask Wike to issue C-of-Os to property owners in FCT

Aminu Imam

The House of Representatives, yesterday, called on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to commence Issuance of Certificate of Occupancy (C-of-O) to house owners located within the Mass Housing Scheme Estate. The resolution of the House was sequel to the adoption of a Motion brought by Hon. Sada Soli. The lawmaker, in his Motion, noted that legislative powers with regards to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are invested in the National Assembly by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended). He noted again that the Federal Capital…

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Electricity Projects: H/Reps. summons CBN, DisCos, over $321m, N18.2bn loans

Aminu Imam

The House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has called upon the management of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and 11 Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCcs) to account for loans totalling $321 million and N18.2 billion, which were allocated for accelerating transmission, distribution interface, lines, and substation projects. This summons was issued on Thursday, during the appearance of the Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Sule Abdul-Aziz, before the committee. The Committee’s Chairman, Bamidele Salam, stated that these loans were obtained during the previous administration to improve…

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House of Reps probe N200bn spent on postponed Census

Aminu Imam

The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate the spending of funds allocated for the postponed 2023 Population and Housing Census. The Motion for this investigation was introduced by a lawmaker representing Aguta federal constituency, Anambra State, Dominic Okafor. Despite the postponement of the census, the National Population Commission (NPC) has already spent N200 billion out of the N800 billion budgeted. The House dropped the request to set a new census date and instead opted to focus on scrutinising the expenditure. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen,…

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House of Reps. defend 134 standing committees amidst public concerns

Aminu Imam

The House of Representatives has responded to public criticism regarding its ever-expanding number of standing committees, which has now reached 134, even in the face of economic challenges affecting the country. Appointed by the Speaker, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas, back in June, these 134 committees had been tasked with managing the affairs of the 10th House of Representatives. Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Rep. Akin Rotimi, has stepped forward to defend its actions, in a chat with the House of Reps. Press Corps, in Abuja. Rotimi…

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Bill to extend retirement age of NASS staff to 65 years resurfaces

Aminu Imam

The controversial Bill to extend the retirement age of National Assembly staff to 65 years has resurfaced in the House of Representatives. Recall that the Bill has faced previous Assemblies since the seventh 7th Assembly without success, while the 9th reintroduced the Bill on June 28, 2022. The Bill, titled: “A Bill for an Act to Make Provisions for the Retirement Age for Staff of National Assembly Service and for Related Matters”, is sponsored by the Deputy Minority Leader, Rep. Aliyu Madaki. It was considered and passed for the second…

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H/Reps suspends use of concrete in road construction nationwide

Aminu Imam

The House of Representatives has suspended the planned use of concrete in constructing roads across the nation; this is according to yesterday’s Order paper of the House of Representatives. Yobe State legislator, Khadija Bukar Ibrahim, proposed the suspension over growing concerns that the ‘use of rigid/cement concrete pavements’ has ‘significant technical limitations and constraints’. Ms. Ibrahim stressed that there was a “need to investigate the adoption of concrete technology for road construction in Nigeria, particularly its comparative advantages and disadvantages over asphalt, which may alter technical specifications and breach contracts,…

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