LIFE SERVICE: MTEF and Legislative Agenda take precedence in NASS this week

Kauthar KhaleelOctober 24, 20233 min

This week, OrderPaper’s Legislative Intelligence Forecast (LIFE) Service by Kauthar Anumba Khaleel, highlights issues to be attended by both chambers of the National Assembly.

The National Assembly is expected to take receipt of the 2024-2026 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) for consideration and passage.

The MTEF and FSP set out the Federal Government’s economic, fiscal, and monetary objectives ahead of the 2024 budget presentation, and as required under the Fiscal Responsibility Act.

When presented to it, the National Assembly is expected to expedite passage of the MTEF and FSP whose projections are required for eventual budget passage under the Fiscal and Responsibility Act, 2007.

Following the presentation of its legislative agenda by the Ad-hoc committee, the House of Representatives also is expected to consider, debate, and adopt the draft document.

READ ALSO: Just In: Reps receive report on legislative agenda

Recall that Speaker Tajudeen Abbas had expressed the “desire to have a legislative agenda that meets the yearnings and aspirations of citizens and with which they would use as a benchmark to evaluate and assess our performance after four years.”

Adopted, the agenda would be used by Nigerians as well as lawmakers themselves to assess the performance of the House based on the goals it sets for itself.

The House will initiate an investigation into financial intervention in the power sector amounting to trillions of Naira, as well as the N30 billion settlement loan granted to Ziglaks by the defunct Ministry of Power, Works, and Housing to supply meters in DISCOS.

Also, it will be debating the following bills: a bill to establish the Non-oil Solid Minerals Resources Producing Communities Development Commission; a bill to provide adequate funding for the study, Prevention, Water Remediation, and Compensation of victims of flooding, and bills to amend the Federal Medical Centers Act and Establish Federal Medical Centers in Ako-Nike, Enugu State and Osogbo, Osun State respectively.

Similarly, lawmakers will push for the establishment of health and safety units in public offices even as they take steps to address the issue of food poisoning as well as brain drain. Brain drain is a national concern that the 9th House attempted to address but, failed.

In the week, the House will also move to address the delay, cancellation, and ill-treatment of air passengers by Airlines in the country, seek to address exorbitant fares by foreign airlines as well as arbitrary collection of correction fees for the amendment of the National Identity Number by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

Importantly, will bring to the fore, the issue of incessant loss of firearms and ammunition in the Nigerian Police Armament.

Other issues to be addressed in the Green Chamber include Flooding, desertification, road construction, and rehabilitation as well as those that will come under motion of urgent public importance.

Kauthar Khaleel

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