Reps reconsider eight bills passed by 9th National Assembly

The motion allows for bills that were passed by a previous assembly but, not assented to, to be presented again to the House for consideration.

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The House of Representatives has considered eight (8) Bills passed by the immediate past Assembly but without assent by the immediate past President, Muhammadu Buhari.

Moving the motion, the Majority Leader, Rep. Julius Ihonvbere (APC, Edo) noted that the pieces of legislation include a bill seeking to provide a legal framework for the control of Small Arms and Light Weapons.

“Pursuant to Order Twelve, Rule 16 of the Standing Orders of the House, Bills passed by the preceding Assembly and forwarded to the Senate for concurrence for which no concurrence was made or negatived or passed by the Senate and forwarded to the House for which no concurrence was made or negatived.

Or which were passed by the National Assembly and forwarded to the President for assent but for which assent or withholding thereof was not communicated before the end of the tenure of the Assembly, the House may resolve that such Bill, upon being re-gazetted or clean copies circulated, be re-considered in the Committee of the Whole without being commenced de-novo,” he explained while presenting the motion.

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The Edo lawmaker submitted that the Bills were re-gazetted as HBs. 207, 211, 212, 213, 214, 222, 230 and 234 and read the first time, respectively.

In his ruling, the Deputy Speaker of the House, Rep. Benjamin Kalu referred the Bills to the Committee of the Whole for consideration. The bills are as follows:

• Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons Bill, 2023 (HB. 207)
• Federal Fire and Rescue Service Bill, 2023 (HB. 211)
• Abuja Environmental Protection Board (Establishment) Bill, 2023 (HB. 212)
• Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission (Repeal and Enactment) Bill, 2023 (HB. 213)
• Administration of Criminal Justice Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill, 2023 (HB. 214
• Federal Medical Centre, Ovwian Delta State Act (Amendment) Bill, 2023 (HB. 222)
• Nigerian Minerals and Mining Bill, 2023 (HB. 230), and
• Federal College of Health Technology, Benisheikh, Borno State (Establishment) Bill, 2023 (HB. 234)

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