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Nigeria: Bankole Goes Tough On Lazy Reps
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Leadership (Abuja)
15 May 2008
Posted to the web 15 May 2008
Philip Nyam
Worried by the seeming lack of commitment by some members, speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Dimeji Bankole, yesterday warned that his leadership would no longer tolerate truancy among members even as he charged committee chairmen to sit up.
Attendance at plenary and committee meetings is said to be waning, and this has been attributed to the number of petitions against the members at different election tribunals.
Bankole, who handed down the warning at yesterday's plenary, declared that henceforth attendance, both at plenary and committee level, would be used as the yardstick to assess the performance of members in the House.
The speaker, who was angry about the lackadaisical attitude of members to work, said it was unfortunate that some committee chairmen have failed to submit report on Bills referred to their various committees which, he noted, had contributed immensely to the delay of working process towards passing of such Bills.
"It is unfortunate that committee chairmen could not present reports months after they were referred to them and this is unacceptable and we must not encourage it."
The speaker, whose position was supported by other members present at plenary, directed that all committee chairmen who have outstanding report on Bills referred to their committees should endeavour to conclude work on them and present to the House within 14 days.
Three reports slated on the Order Paper but were not presented because of the absence of the chairmen of the various committees from plenary are those of the Joint Report on Health and Justice, joint Report of the Committee on Petroleum Resources, (downstream) and Government Affairs and the report of the Joint Committee on Commerce, Housing and Habitat.
The first report standing in the name of Hon. Alaba Ojomo is for a Bill for an Act to Amend the Tobacco Smoking (Control) Act to provide for certain increases in the excise duty and other taxes on Tobacco Products, Prohibit the Giving of donations of Philanthropic gesture for any cause by Tobacco Producers, Designated Areas where Tobacco products may and may not be smoked in hotels, Transportation System etc and other matters Relating Thereto, 2008 (HB, 20) referred to the joint committee since February 19, 2008 could not be presented because Ojomo was not prepared.
The second report, standing in the name of Hon. Clever Ikisikpo on a Bill for an Act to Amend the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulation Agency (Establishment) Act, 2003 and for Matters connected therewith 2008 (HB 29), which was referred to the committee since February 7, 2008, was also not presented.
The third one, in the name of Hon. Gilbert Nnaji, on a Bill for an Act to Enforce the Provision of the National Building Code by providing for the Punishment for non-compliance with the Code and for Related Matters 2007 (HB 21), which also was referred to the Joint Committee on January 30 2008, is still pending.
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Stressing the need for members, especially those chairing committees to be up and doing, the speaker reminded them that the Selection Committee, which the speaker is chairing, was watching them with a view to making reference to their conduct when the issue of appointment in committees arises.
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