HIGHLIGHTS:

 Reps Urge Executive To Complete Abandoned Ogbomoso-Oyo Federal Road To Avert

Deaths.

 Bodo-Bonny Road Project: House Urge FG To Grant NLNG Tax Rebate To Enable It
Take Over The Project

 Parliament To Investigate Issues of Modern Slavery

 Reps Stress Need to Establish the Technical and Operational Status of Nigerian Regis-
tered Commercial/Private Aircrafts
Reps Urge Executive To Com-
plete Abandoned Ogbomoso-
Oyo Federal Road To Avert
Deaths.
The House of Representatives has urged the Federal
Ministry of Power, Works and Housing to ensure
speedy completion of the abandoned Ogbomoso-
Oyo Federal Road to address the persistent loss of
lives of users of the road.
It also mandated its Committee on Works to liaise
with the ministry to ensure that there is adequate
funding in the 2018, while observing a minute si-
lence in honour of the departed souls.
The House passed these resolutions as contained in
a motion sponsored by Hon Odebunmi Olusegun
Dokun, who noted that Ogbomosho – Oyo road is a
major section of the Ilorin – Ibadan Federal Road
connecting two States of Kwara and Oyo in the
North – Central and South – West geo-political
zones respectively.
He said, while leading debate on the motion, that
several appeals to the executive to complete the
abandoned section of the road have failed to yield
desired results, despite reoccurring accidents on the
road, the most recent involving trailers which
crushed commuter vehicles on two different occa-
sions within seven (7) days, leading to the death of
about ten (10) persons, including three (3) school
principals.
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Bodo-Bonny Road Project:
House Urge FG To Grant
NLNG Tax Rebate To Enable It
Take Over The Project
In order to facilitate a speedy completion of the
Bonny-Bodo Road Project by the Nigeria Lique-
fied Natural Gas (NLNG) , the House of Repre-
sentatives has asked the executive to grant tax
rebate to the company to enable it take over the
portion of the Bonny–Bodo road project to en-
sure an uninterrupted project delivery.
The House noted that despite the location of a
company of such importance to the Nigeria
economy on the Bonny Island and the obvious
devastating effects of oil and gas exploration on
the community, Bonny Island has no road linking
it to the outside world, leaving indigenes at the
mercy of sea pirates and the risk of kidnapping as
the only option available to them is boats and
flights for a select few elite or high ranking offic-
ers of the oil and gas industries on the island.
The lawmakers further noted in a motion moved
on the floor of the House, that the Federal Gov-
ernment recently flagged off the construction of
the Bonny-Bodo Road which will link Bonny to
the outside world by road and the NLNG has un-
dertaken to bankroll 50% of the project.
Hon Randolph Brown sponsored the motion.
Parliament To Investigate Issues
of Modern Slavery, Human Traf-
ficking, Domestic Servitude and
Forced Labour of Nigerians at
Home and Abroad
The House of Representatives has mandated its
committees on Human Rights and Foreign Affairs to
investigate issues of modern slavery, human traf-
ficking, domestic servitude and forced labour of
Nigerians at home and abroad.
House Queries Lack Of Prose-
This was sequel to the adoption of the resolution of
a motion jointly sponsored by Hon. Samuel Ikon,
cution Of Electricity Cables
Hon. Mojeed Alabi and Hon. Isyaka Ibrahim and Equipment Vandals
Ayokunle.
The House Committees on Power, Police Affairs,
The House expressed deep concern that despite
Interior, National Security and Intelligence and
huge budgetary provision yearly, relevant agencies
such as NAPTIP have not lived up to expectations,
Justice are to critically examine the lack of prose-
while modern slavery, human trafficking, organ traf- cution of vandals of electricity cables and equip-
ficking, domestic servitude, forced labour and sev- ment and make recommendations on ways to put
eral cases of sexual exploitation of Nigerians in and an end to the nefarious activities of the vandals.
outside the country, continue.
This is in view of little or no sanction for criminals
They cited statistics released by the UN migration who vandalise various electrical equipment, as re-
organisation in 2017 revealing that a great percent- ported by the electricity companies and the Nige-
age of Nigerian women and girls are trafficked in ria Police Force, leading to power failure all over
and out of the country for several reasons, in addi- the federation and about five hundred million nai-
tion to an estimated figure of 20 million persons as ra (N500, 000,000) loss annually.
victims of modern slavery in 2016.
The House stated that though Section 1 (9) and
The lawmakers added that several reports in the (10) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap. M17,
media about how Nigerians are faced with severe Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 prescribes
slavery challenges without the needed intervention punishment for vandalisation of power equip-
from the federal government to address the root ment, there is hardly any report of prosecution of
causes of the problem is embarrassing, especially any vandal in accordance with the provisions of
because Nigeria has paid little or no attention to the law.
border security, and has also failed to educate the
public and hold re-orientation and re-integration They said the situation where vandals had been
programmes for victims. left for too long to carry out their nefarious activi-
ties without any form of sanction being meted out
to them has goaded them into becoming more
daring in the sinister plots.

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Air Safety: Reps Stress Need to
Establish the Technical and Op-
erational Status of Nigerian
Registered Commercial/Private
Aircrafts
In order to improve operational standards and
boost passenger confidence in the aviation sector,
the Committees on Aviation and Commerce of the
House of Representatives will carry out a critical
audit of all registered aircrafts with a view to ascer-
taining their airworthiness, compliance with appli-
cable operational methods, set safety standards
and procedures as well as evaluate the operational
environment of the aviation subsector.
In a motion moved by Hon. Abubakar Amuda-
Kannike, the House noted that compliance with
safety standards in the aviation subsector is sacro-
sanct, given its sensitivity as well as extremely low
tolerance for margins of error.
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The motion also stressed that aviation safety
measures are proactive measures to mitigate
against air mishaps as well as to enhance smooth
operations and comfort of passengers and recent
incidents in the aviation subsector indicate that a
holistic review and assessment of the level of com-
pliance and adherence to safety standards are perti-
nent.
It also disclosed that there exists a high degree of
complicity between airline operators in Nigeria and
the regulatory bodies charged with the safety of
Nigerian airspace and passengers; particularly, the
Directorate of Quality Assurance of the Nigerian
Civil Aviation Authority as well as the Accident In-
vestigation Bureau; which has compromised the
safety standards of our aviation sector, thereby ex-
posing consumers and equipment to high level
risks, potential dangers and discomfort, which can
easily be averted by carrying out appropriate due
diligence periodically.
Courtesy visit to Nass by Minister of Budget & National Planning

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2018 Budget Defence by House Public Hearing of the House Committee
Committee on Emergency and Disaster on Banking and Currency
Management

5

Low interest rates key to
growth of Nigeria’s economy-
Speaker Dogara
…Seeks provision of soft loan for young entrepre-
neurs
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Ya-
kubu Dogara, has said that unless interest rates on
loans in Nigeria are reduced to make funds acces-
sible to more Nigerians with investible ideas, the
nation’s economy will continue to rely on investors
from other countries to make it grow.
Speaking at a briefing on Economic Recovery and
Growth Plan (EGRP) by the Federal government’s
economic team led by the Minister of National
Planning at the National Assembly, Speaker Doga-
ra said the government must ensure that more Ni-
gerians dominate the economic sector to propel
growth, lamenting that the present situation where
Nigeria has to source funds from foreigners to
push national projects and create job opportunities
is undesirable and must be addressed by encour-
aging more economic activities through availability
of funds.
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He went further to commend the executive for
carrying the legislature along in its initiatives
aimed at revamping the economy, while reiterat-
ing that the National Assembly will continue to
partner the executive to seek ways and means to
improve the economy, including how to put capi-
tal in the hands of Nigerians to create wealth and
attain their dreams and aspiration.
Hon Dogara also noted that for the first time, “we
have a body consisting of the executive and the
legislature working together on the ease of doing
business and in this parliament, there were times
we passed laws within the space of a month and I
said we have turned to a particular parliament, I
don’t want to mention the name, that can pass a
law within hours but it is just because we are inter-
ested in working together to deliver the promise
of democracy to our people, which is life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness.”
The speaker expressed optimism that the plan of
the executive will be fully implemented, saying
that Nigeria has never been short of ideas and vi-
sions to move forward but has been held back by
lack of implementation of the many ideas that
were conceptualised.
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, L – R, Deputy Governor of Adamawa State, Hon. Martins Babale, Speaker, House of Repre-
sentatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, Hon. Abdulrazak Namdas, HRH, Gangwari Ganye, Alhaji
Umaru Adamu Sanda and Governor of Adamawa State, Sen. Mohammed Jibrilla Bindow at
the Turbaning / Commissioning of Gangwi centre constructed by Hon. Abdulrazak Namdas
as part of his Constituency project in Ganye ,Adamawa State
Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara receiving a souvenir from HRH,
Gangwari Ganye, Alhaji Umaru Adamu Sanda during the Speaker’s visit to the Monarch in
Ganye of Adamawa State
Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara commissioning Gangwi centre con-
structed by Hon. Abdulrazak Namdas as part of his Constituency project, with him are : Governor
of Adamawa State, Sen. Mohammed Jibrilla Bindow, Hon. Abdulrazak Namdas and Hon. Abubakar
Yunusa in Ganye , Adamawa State
L-R, Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, Hon. Abdulrazak Namdas, HRH,
Gangwari Ganye, Alhaji Umaru Adamu