At Wednesday’s plenary, the House resolved to probe street begging in Abuja and stepped down a consolidated bill on judicial immunity and foreign accounts.
Street begging in Abuja
The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate the Abuja Rehabilitation Centre and the Federal Capital Territory’s (FCT) social protection programmes following a rise in the prevalence of the ‘Almajiri’ in the nation’s capital.
The decision came after the adoption of a motion presented by Rep. Bashiru Dawodu (APC, Lagos) during Wednesday’s plenary session. In his motion, Dawodu highlighted that on October 22, 2024, the FCT Administration banned street begging in an effort to improve Abuja’s image and enhance security. He pointed out that the majority of beggars in the FCT are individuals with disabilities, with contributing factors including the almajiri system, poverty, unemployment, internal displacement, and cultural influences.
The lawmaker expressed concern over the persistence of street begging as a longstanding social problem in Nigeria. He noted that since 2003, successive FCT administrations have employed law enforcement to tackle the issue, apprehending, prosecuting, or repatriating beggars to their home states. However, Rep. Dawodu criticized this approach as a short-term solution, stating that many beggars eventually return to their activities, often relocating to different areas within the city.
House steps down consolidated bill
A consolidated bill faced challenges in the House of Representatives as lawmakers resolved to separate and reintroduce it as individual proposals. The bill, titled “A Bill for an Act to Amend the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, Cap. C 15 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2024, to Insulate Judicial Officers from Prosecution before Lawful Removal from Office and Enable Public Officers to Maintain Foreign Bank Accounts Outside Nigeria for Official Duties, Pressing Family Needs, and Related Matters (HB. 1178 and 1894),” was sponsored by Rep. Solomon T. Bob (PDP Rivers) and Rep. Bello Isa Ambarura (APC Sokoto).
During the debate, Rep. Ambarura advocated for easing the 2014 law prohibiting public officers from holding foreign accounts. He argued that the amendment would help address practical issues such as paying school fees or covering medical expenses while abroad on official duties. However, several lawmakers had begun to oppose the bill saying it will enhance corruption when it was pointed out that the consolidated versions addressed unrelated issues. This observation led Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, who presided over the session, to direct that the bills be stepped down and reintroduced separately on another legislative day.
BILLS CHART FOR THE DAY
Below is OrderPaper’s signature presentation of bills taken in the House plenary today. Readers are invited to contact us for further information via info@orderpaper.ng or WhatsApp via +234 704 700 3031
