In one day, 130 bills pass first reading at house of reps

One hundred and thirty bills passed first reading at the federal house of representatives on Thursday.

Some of the bills, which were introduced to amend and repeal certain obsolete laws, include Medical and Dental Practitioners Act, National Eye Centre Act, Casino Taxation Act, Workers Compensation Act, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act, Hire Purchase Act and Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, Recovery of Public Property Act, Associated Gas Re-injection Act and National Manpower Board Act.

Others include Prevention of Crimes Act, Water Resources Act, Student Union Act, Price Control Act and Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission Act.

Some newly introduced bills were Corporate Manslaughter Bill, Animal Health and Husbandry Technologist Bill, Nigerian Aeronautical Search and Rescue Bill, Federal Capital Territory Water Board Bill and Special Needs Bill.

Other bills were Police Procurement Fund Bill, Federal Capital Territory Public Service Commission Bill, Federal Capital Territory College of Agriculture, FCT Resettlement Compensation and Rehabilitation Board Bill and Recovery of Premises Bill.

Before the clerk of the house read out the short titles of the bills, Yakubu Dogara, the speaker, declared: “This is the first time in the history of this house that these number of bills have been presented.”

He observed that the country had been thriving on old laws, which had not been very effective.

He called on members of the house to send in more bills for amendment.

Dogara further stated that all the bills, when reviewed, would be passed into law within the first quarter of 2016. He directed the house rules and business committee to list 20 bills for second reading at every sitting.