Constitutional Amendment Dominates 29 New Bills Introduced By Reps On Resumption

– House Lists CAMA For Review

Bills seeking to further amend the 1999 Constitution dominated 29 new bills introduced by the House of Representatives on resumption from annual recess, findings by THE WHISTLER showed on Wednesday.

A bill that also did not escape attention was a proposal to amend the controversial Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020.

Out of the 29 bills introduced on first day of resumption alone, eight dealt with the amendment of the constitution, an indication of the desire of Nigerians to make more changes to the country’s grundnorm.

The bills and their sponsors are listed below:

Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) Bill, 2020 (HB. 1055) (Hon. Onofiok Luke & 5 others) – First Reading.

Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) Bill, 2020 (HB. 1056) (Hon. Onofiok Luke & 7 others) – First Reading.

Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) Bill, 2020 (HB. 1057) (Hon. Shehu Balarabe Kakale) – First Reading.

Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) Bill, 2020 (HB. 1058) (Hon. Shehu Balarabe Kakale) – First Reading.

Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) Bill, 2020 (HB. 1059) (Hon. Solomon T. Bob) – First Reading.

Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Alteration) Bill, 2020 (HB. 1045) (Hon. Bede Eke) – First Reading.

Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 Alteration Bill, 2020 (HB. 1063) (Hon. Abbas Tajudeen) – First Reading.

Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Alteration) (Indulgence of Judiciary in States Bill, 2020 (HB. 1068) (Hon. Abbas Tajudeen) – First Reading.

Three other bills introduced on the first day dealt with chartered institutes.

They were: Chartered Institute of Project Auditors of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill 2020 (HB. 1040) (Hon. Fred Agbedi) – First Reading.
Chartered Institute of Operations and Supply Chain Professionals (Establishment) Bill 2020 (HB. 1041) (Hon. Fred Agbedi) – First Reading.
Chartered Institute of Inventory Control Management Professionals (Establishment) Bill, 2020 (HB. 1042) (Hon. Fred Agbedi) – First Reading.

THE WHISTLER gathered that a bill likely to generate much attention during the debate on general principles would be the “Companies and Allied Matters Act (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (HB. 1060).”

It was sponsored by Hon. Ugonna Ozurigbo and passed First Reading.

Recall that the CAMA, earlier amended by the National Assembly, was signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari on August 7.

It immediately generated controversies, especially because of the provision on the regulation of religious houses and the management of their finances.

Among many other groups and individuals, the Christian Association of Nigeria had kicked against the law on the grounds that it was targeted at churches.

CAN had argued, “The law, to say the least, is unacceptable, ungodly, reprehensible and an ill-wind that blows no one any good. It is a time bomb waiting to explode.”

However, THE WHISTLER could not establish on Wednesday whether the new amendment sought by Hon. Ozurigbo would touch on the controversial provisions or would come up with entirely new ones.

Other bills introduced on the first day were: Federal University of Technology Okija, Anambra State (Establishment) Bill, 2020 (HB. 1043) (Hon. Ifeanyi Chudy Momah) – First Reading.

National Orientation Agency Act (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (HB. 1044) (Hon. Shinna Peller) – First Reading.

Nigerian Armed Forces Service Commission (Establishment) Bill, 2020 (HB. 1046) (Hon. Bede Eke) – First Reading.

Nigerian Fallen Heroes Welfare Agency Bill, 2020 (HB. 1047) (Hon. Bede Eke) – First Reading.

National Institute for Police Studies (NIPS) (Establishment) Bill, 2020 (HB. 1048) (Hon. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi) – First Reading.
National Directorate of Employment Act (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (HB. 1049) (Hon. Darlington Nwokocha) – First Reading.

Harmful Waste (Special Criminal Provisions, etc.) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (HB. 1050) (Hon. Darlington Nwokocha) – First Reading.

Oil and Gas Investment and Free Zones Bill, 2020 (HB. 1051) (Hon. Darlington Nwokocha) First Reading.

Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria Act (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (HB. 1052) (Hon. Darlington Nwokocha) – First Reading.

Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (Establishment) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (HB. 1053) (Hon. Onofiok Luke & 5 others) – First Reading.

Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (HB. 1054) (Hon. Onofiok Luke & 5 others) – First Reading.
Federal Medical Centre, Ankpa (Establishment) Bill, 2020 (HB. 1062) (Hon. Abdullahi Ibrahim Ali) – First Reading.

Federal University of Agriculture, Ugbakwa (Establishment) Bill, 2020 (HB. 1064) (Hon. Nnolim Nnaji) – First Reading.

Federal Medical Centre, Akpugo (Establishment) Bill, 2020 (HB. 1065) (Hon. Nnolim Nnaji) – First Reading

Federal Colleges of Education Act (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (HB. 1066) (Hon. Abbas Tajudeen) – First Reading.

The Nigerian Railway Corporation Act (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (HB. 1067) (Hon. Abbas Tajudeen) – First Reading.

Taxes and Levies (Approved List for Collection) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (HB. 1069) (Hon. Abbas Tajudeen) – First Reading.