HIGHLIGHTS:

Speaker Dogara Expresses Confidence That Nigeria's Future Is Secure

Dogara hails President Buhari for assenting to North East Development Commission Bill
North East Will Not Mismanage NEDC
House Constitutes Adhoc Committee To Probe Reabsorption Of Maina Into Civil Service.
Speaker Dogara Expresses Confidence
That Nigeria's Future Is Secure

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu

Dogara, has expressed hope that Nigerias future is
secured owing to the commitment of the people to
God.

Delivering a sermon titled The place of God in nation

building, at the pre-event prayer session for the Na-
tional Prayer Breakfast organised by Christian Legisla-
tors Fellowship at the National Assembly, Dogara not-
ed that all hope is not lost for the country.

Reading from the book of Isaiah 60:12, he urged all

Nigerians, leaders and followers alike to return to God
because as it is written in the Holy Bible For the na-
tion and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish;
yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.
The Speaker argued that no nation can be built with- Dogara hails President Buhari for assent-
out God who is the source, foundation, , supporter,
and sustainer of His people.
ing to North East Development Commis-
The National Prayer Breakfast is organised annually on sion Bill
the last Thursday of the month of October. Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ya-
kubu Dogara, has commended President Muham-
madu Buhari for signing the North East Develop-
ment Commission Bill into law.

In a terse statement personally signed by the

Speaker, he commended the President's sensitivity
to the plight of the highly traumatised people of the
North East.

" I expect that the expeditious coming into force of

the commission will remedy the long years of un-
derdevelopment suffered by the region. The recov-
ery and redevelopment of the zone devastated by
terrorism is expected to last decades."

It will be recalled that the North East Development

Commission establishment Bill was sponsored by
the Speaker in 2015.
He had also moved a motion for which the House
passed a resolution calling for the recovery, resettle-
ment, and rebuilding of the violence ravaged region
and the convocation of an international donor con-
ference for total reconstruction and rebuilding of
the region.
North East Will Not Mismanage NEDC
- Dogara
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon
Yakubu Dogara, has cautioned stakeholders from
the North East geo-political zone not to misman-
age the newly created North East Development
Commission (NEDC).
Hon Dogara said people of the region must justi-
fy the trust reposed in them by the President and
members of the National Assembly from the rest
of the country who unanimously supported the
passage of the NEDC bill in the two chambers.
Speaking when he received a delegation
from Bama Emirate Council, Borno State, led by
his royal highness, the Shehu of Bama, Alhaji
Shehu Kyari Umar Ibn Ibrahim El-Kanemi, which
paid him a visit in his office, he said that the
North East has suffered devastation that will take
decades to rebuild, hence the need for a precise
and confirmed law that can provide the legal
backing for its recovery.
He also commended President Muhammadu
Buhari and the wife of the President, Hajiya Aisha
Buhari, for supporting the coming to being of the
NEDC.
Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt.Hon. Yakubu Dogara(right),with the
Shehu of Bama,Alhaji Kyari Ibn El-Kenami during a Thank you visit to the
Speaker on creation of North East Development Commission at the National
Assembly Abuja
House Constitutes Adhoc Committee To
Probe Reabsorption Of Maina Into Civil
Service.
Irked by the return of Abdulrasheed Maina into the
civil service after years of hiding from attempt to
arrest him for corruption charges, the House has
constituted an adhoc committee to investigate the
re-surfacing, re-absorbing and elevation of Mr. Ab-
dulrasheed Maina from the rank of Assistant Direc-
tor to the post of an Acting Director.
The committee is to recommend strong sanctions
against any person(s) who are implicated in the
scandal.
The lawmakers, via the resolutions of a motion
sponsored by Hon Adams Jagaba on the issue, also
called on the Economic And Financial Crimes Com-
mission (EFCC) to immediately arrest Mr. Ab-
dulrasheed Maina for subsequent prosecution in
order to serve as a deterrent to others who might
have corrupt tendencies.
The legislators also commended President Buhari for
being proactive in directing the immediate sack of
Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina from the Federal Civil Ser-
vice.
MPs Begin Probe Of Safety, Standard
Of Bottled Drinks
The ad hoc committee investigating the pro-
duction and distribution of
Drinks manufactured by the Nigerian Bottling
Company (NBC) PLC and
other drinks marketed in Nigeria has begun its
investigative public hearing.
Recall that in reaction to concerns raised over
compliance to approved safety standards of
packaged drinks, which were thrown up by a
case instituted against the Nigerian Bottling
Company, NBC, the House of Representatives
decided to start an inquiry into the matter.
Chairman of the adhoc committee, House lead-
er, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, said the House will
conduct a thorough investigation that will get
Nigerians answers they want.
He also said that irrespective to public of pri-
vate company status, will be summoned to ap-
pear before the committee if the opportunity
comes up.
Reps To Ascertain If Nigerians Are Bene-
fitting From 3rd Party Insurance
Sequel to a motion co-sponsored by Hon. Francis
Charles Uduyok and Hon. Joseph Edionwele, the
House of Representatives has mandated its Commit-
tee on Insurance and Actuarial Matters to investigate
the operations of the third party motor vehicle insur-
ance scheme in order to determine whether the in-
sured Nigerians are deriving benefits from it.
The House also urged the Federal Ministry of Infor-
mation and Culture to initiate enlightenment cam-
paigns on the rights of the insured under the third
party motor vehicle insurance scheme, as many peo-
ple who pay for it are not aware of the benefits they
stand to enjoy in the event of an accident involving a
third party.
The sponsor of the motion on the need to enlighten
motorists on taking advantage of third party motor
vehicle insurance scheme said it was disheartening
that most owners of accidented vehicles which were
covered by insurance and ought, ordinarily, to have
been compensated, did not receive any compensa-
tion and rather ended up bearing the costs of the
repairs of their vehicles owing to the fact that major-
ity of vehicle owners still do not know the real rea-
son for the 5000 insurance policy they paid.
Lawmakers Call For Harmonisation Of House Passes N222.3 Billion FCT 2017
Biometric Data Of Nigerian Citizens Budget
Members of the House of Representatives have
urged the federal government to initiate
The House of Representatives has consid-
measures for the harmonsation of the biometric ered and adopted the report of the Commit-
data of Nigerians that have been captured by dif- tees on Federal Capital Territory and Federal
ferent agencies of government. Capital Territory Area Councils and Ancillary
Matters on the FCT
Adopting the resolutions of a motion moved by
Hon. Ochiglegor Idagbo, the House noted that Budget (laid by Hon. Sergius Oseasochie
the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Federal Road Ogun).
Safety Commission, the Federal Inland Revenue
Service, the National Pension Commission, the
The FCT budget Bill provides for an authori-
Independent National Electoral Commission, the
National Health Insurance Scheme, the National sation for issue from the Federal Capital Ter-
Population Commission, Telecom Service Provid- ritory Administration Statutory
ers and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Revenue Fund of the Federal Capital Territo-
Rural Development have all separately initiated ry Administration Account,
their own biometric data gathering which has led
to duplicity of efforts due to lack of coordination,
the total Sum of 222,360,551,512 (Two
thus leading to the storage of the same biometric Hundred and Twenty- Two
data by multiple agencies. Billion, Three Hundred and Sixty Million, Five
Hundred and Fifty-One
The House argued that harmonisation of bio-
Thousand, Five Hundred and Twelve Naira)
metric databases of the agencies of government
and private entities will help in saving about 40 only.
billion in operational costs and citizens will not
be required to have their biometrics taken over The proposed budget bill is for the Financial
and over again by different agencies working for
Year commencing from 1, January and end-
the same government
ing on 31 December, 2017.
The lawmakers also expressed displeasure that
despite President Muhammadu Buhari's earlier
directive that all biometric information from
Agencies of Government be harmonised, there
has not been compliance, thereby making identi-
fication, documentation and fighting of crime
more difficult.
N/Assembly Will Not Condone
Activities Inimical To Sports Devel-
opment In Nigeria - Dogara

Speaker of the House of Representatives,

Hon Yakubu Dogara has said the National
Assembly will not tolerate any activity that
will have adverse effect on the development
of sports in Nigeria.

He also called for more focus on harnessing

the business potentials of sports in Nigeria to
boost the economy and develop the sector to
global standards.

Dogara was speaking at a public hearing on 3

Sports related bills which be declared open at
the National Assembly.

The Speaker also expressed hope that the 3

bills will improve administration and manage-
ment of the industry, establish institutions
and agencies that will enable it realise its full
potentials and capacity.
 President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki,
gave out his daughter in marriage,
Speaker Yakubu Dogara led delegation of House members
to witness the wedding engagement and rejoice with the family in Lagos
Saturday October 28, 2017