The National Assembly will tomorrow, Tuesday, resume plenary and top on agenda for deliberation is the revised legislative agenda, power recovery plan, infectious disease control, economic stimulus bills, among other issues.
Both the Senate and House of Representatives had embarked on two-week recess to begin the second year of the ninth National Assembly.
The National Assembly had recorded remarkable achievements before it proceeded on the break.
Some of the achievements include passage of the revised N10.8trn 2020 budget, approval of domestic and foreign loans to tune of N28bn, as well of passage of other very critical bills.
Senate President Ahmad Lawan had reiterated the commitment of NASS to ensure national stability and foster unity.
According to Lawan, the 9th National Assembly is not leaving any stone unturned, and that it is committed to ensuring that it is on same page with the executive to enhance economic and political stability.
In the Senate, the Red Chamber is expected to discuss a lot of issues, as lawmakers resume, and as well, consider several reports that were referred to varied committees.
Some of the Senate committees expected to turn in reports include the Niger Delta, power, education, petroleum resources, aviation, among others.
The Senate is probing the NDDC interim management committee, as well as power instability in the country, and other general issues regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.
Also, in the House of Representatives, the Infectious Disease Control Bill, second Economic Stimulus Bills and revised legislative agenda are going to be on the front banner of issues.
Before the House embarked on the two weeks recess, it has before it the Infectious Disease Control Bill which had passed second reading and undergone public hearing.
Sponsored by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamilla,
Pascal Obi, Chairman, House Committee on Health Institutions and Tanko Sununu, Chairman of the Committee on Health Services, the Bill seeks to repeal the Quarantine Act and enact the Control of Infectious Diseases Bill, make provisions relating to quarantine and make regulations for preventing the introduction into and spread in Nigeria of dangerous infectious diseases, and for other related matters.
The Bill had been heavily criticised, particularly for giving too much powers to the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in the management of infectious diseases and pandemic in the country in ways that could infringe on the fundamental human rights of Nigerians.
It was in the face of these heavy criticisms that Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila said the House will subject the Bill to a public hearing where Nigerians from all walks of life would be given the opportunity to contribute to the draft law.
The House would also introduce the second Economic Stimulus Bill which had been in the pipeline since the passage of the first Economic Stimulus Bill which sought to Provide Relief on Corporate Tax Liability, Suspension of Import Duty on Selected Goods and Deferral of Residential Mortgage Obligations to the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria for a fixed term to protect jobs and alleviate the financial burden on citizens in response to the
economic downturn occasioned by the outbreak of COVID-19.
It would also focus on the revised legislative agenda. To meet up with the contemporary challenges, occasioned by the dreaded Covid-19 pandemic, the House at it’s one year anniversary, launched a revised legislative agenda identifying 10 key policy areas: Healthcare Delivery; Education; Economy; Security; Agriculture & Food Security; Sustainable Power; Environment and Climate Change; Human Capital Development and Social Investment; Governance; and The Parliament.
The Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila had noted that: “When we resume for the new session, legislative proposals brought for consideration by the House will receive priority in line with the objectives as set out in the Legislative Agenda.
“Please use the opportunity of this recess to present the Agenda to constituents and stakeholder groups in your communities. Engage with them, so they understand what we have undertaken to do, and the role they have to play in this joint task of nation building.
