NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DEBATES
FOURTH ASSEMBLY
First Session
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
OFFICIAL REPORT
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA
Wednesday, 30th June, 1999
The House met at 10.45 a.m.
PRAYERS
(Mr. Speaker in the Chair)
VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS
Mr. Speaker: Hon. Members, I have examined and approved the Votes and Proceedings of Thursday, 24th June, 1999
OATHS
I will want to call on Hon. Members who have not taken and subscribe the Oaths to please come forward. (No response)
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Composition of the Appeal Panel of the House
The House Committee on Selection, as I announced on Thursday, has set up an Appeal Panel. So, Members whose names were wrongly spelt, or whose names unfortunately have been omitted or who are not Members of three Committees plus one Special Committee should please write to the Deputy Speaker, who is the Chairman of the Appeal Panel. We wants to give everybody a fair hearing; this is democracy. Latest by Friday, all these spelling mistakes and Members that are not in two or more Committees would have been sorted out and the final list would be released.
Inauguration of Three Committees;
Rules and Business Committee
I will be inaugurating three Committees today. The first will be the Rules and Business Committee. The Chairman of this Committee is the Member from Awe (Hon. Musa Elayo). Is he here to identify himself please? (Hon. Musa Elayo stood up)
Judiciary Committee
The Chairman of the Judiciary Committee is the Member for Yakurr Abi (Hon. Obeten Okon).
Anti-Corruption Committee
The Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Committee is Hon. Jagaba.
The Committees will be inaugurated today at 3.00 p.m. at either one of the Committee Rooms or Hearing Rooms. All Members of the Committees should be present at the Hearing Room outside by the right of that Hall.
Meeting of Members of the Ad-hoc Committee on Teachers Strike
There will be a meeting of the Ad-hoc Committee on Teachers Strike. Members are expected to attend at 2.00 p.m. at the usual Committee Room. This announcement is signed by hen. M. A. Yusuf, Chairman.
Special Committee on Anambra State House of Assembly Crisis
On the Special Committee on Anambra State House of Assembly Crisis, the Committee was supposed to have traveled on Monday, 28th June, but unfortunately due to logistic problems, the Committee could not travel as scheduled. But tentatively, the Committee is going to travel tomorrow, Thursday. We are going to leave here at 9.00 a.m. and will operate within the Terms of Reference as resolved by this House. So, the House Special Committee on Anambra Crisis will be visiting Anambra State tomorrow based on the resolution on the Terms of Reference of this honourable House.
Meeting of APP Members
There will be a meeting of all APP Members at 2.00p.m. today. The Agenda of the meeting will be Election of Deputy Leader and Deputy Whip. The announcement is signed by the APP Whip.
NOTICE OF MOTION
Pension Rights for the Legislators
Mr. Speaker: Hon. Members, there is only one Motion on Notice in today's Order Paper that is awaiting maturity. It is a motion on Pension Rights for the Legislators.
MOTIONS
Mr. Speaker: Before we go on to the Motion, I would like to comment a little on it. I would advise Members that as we have now set up the Committees, they should try as much as possible to pass these Motions through the appropriate Committee and to at least make some very good research so that the quality of our debates both for and against will be improved. We know that we are on a learning process but I think Members should be encouraged to do more research on the Motion they are presenting. The reason why we put these Motions on Notice is to enable those Members that will support to do a good research on them and for Members that will be against them also have their own facts ready.
There are seven Motions for consideration today. The first Motion stands in the name of Hon. Mohammed Yahaya Birnin-Kudu. He is invited to move his Motion.
Improving Standard of Education Nation-Wide
Hon. Mohammed Yahaya Birnin-Kudu (Birnin-Kudu): Mr. Speaker, Sir, hon. Colleagues, it is with humility that I am moving this Motion as follows:
In view of the fact that primary education is the bedrock of qualitative education, and taking into consideration the lukewarm attitude of the highly placed civil servants towards public primary schools, termed ghetto schools, meant only for the children of the poor; this House do urge the Federal Government to:
(i) revoke all licences for private primary schools;
(ii) stop all private primary schools from operating; and
(iii) release funds to the appropriate authority to renovate, up-date and equip all existing public primary schools with 'a view to improving the standard of education in the country.
Mr. Speaker, I beg to move. Thank you.
Hon. Tijani Sani Paki (Ikara/Kubau): Mr. Speaker, Sir, hon. Members, I hereby second the A Motion.
Mr. Speaker: I will call on Hon. Mohammed Yahaya Birnin-Kudu to please substantiate his Motion.
Hon. Mohammed Yahaya Birnin-Kudu: Mr. Speaker, Sir, hon. Colleagues, please permit me to start with some words of advice. Please, let us not be myopic in vision and let us not be egocentric. In a nutshell, ell, what I am trying to say is this, let us extend our thinking to the generality of the people of this country. If you and other people of our contemporary can. afford to sponsor the education of our children at all costs, the masses of this country cannot afford it. Vat all we are serious and we mean that we want to move this nation forward, let us try to move the whole nation in totality and of course no segment of the people should be left behind.
I overheard a Member last week when he saw this Motion on Notice saying that, is this man serious at all? How can he ask all private primary schools to be closed when I am planning to open one? Mr. Speaker, this is not a good reason. Please, let us come to the rescue of the masses of this country. If the President's children, the children of all Chiefs and Obas and the children of all well to do Nigerians are to attend the same private schools with the children of the poor, I do not think there will be anybody in this country no matter how highly placed that will allow any public primary school to be in the condition our
Public primary schools are today. (Applause)
My motion is straight forward; there is nothing hidden about it. Hon. Members, my Motion is to the advantage of the poor people of country. These people were the ones right from the beginning, when they heard the announcement, or when democracy returned to the country up-to-date, they are happy and chanting slogans that we are going to be here, on their behalf to salvage them. If at all we are serious. Let us forget about what we can do or what we can
afford. Let us try to see how we can move the country forward in totality. Hon. Member, I hope, for the benefit of the poor people of this country you will consider this motion.
Thank you, very much.
Hon. Abdulkadir Usman (Zaria): Mr. Speaker, Sir, my point of observation here is that we can do away with item (ii) because if you revoke the Licences for private schools, they will have no basis on which to operate. This is my observation. Thank you.
Hon. Tijani Sani Paki (Ikara/Kubau): Mr. Speaker, Sir, I am in support of the Motion that Licences for private primary schools should be revoked in order to enhance the betterment of primary school education. We are all from various constituencies and we know what exists in public primary schools. We can only pretend that it is not there because our children do not attend those schools. But if we are to be frank and sincere to ourselves, we have to admit that nothing works or that there is nothing to write home about the public primary schools. Therefore, private schools must be scrapped. The best Teachers are in the private schools, how then do you expect the government schools to function? We are here through the mandate of our people and we must do something worthwhile. That is, we must take firm decisions, irrespective of whether it hurts somebody or not. Honestly, if we want public primary schools to function well, this action must be taken.
Thank you. (Applause)
Mr. Speaker: Thank you very much. I will take two more speakers for and three against the Motion, please.
Hon. Ajayi Aderemi Joseph (Ekiti South II): Mr. Speaker. I want to refer hon. Members to Section 39(i) and (2) of the Constitution. Mr. Speaker, Sir, permit me to read as follows:
Every person shall be entitled to freedom of
expression, including freedom to hold opinion
and to receive and impart ideas and information
without interference.
Sub.-Section (2) says -
Without prejudice to the generality of Sub-Section (1)
of this Section, every person shall be entitled to hold,
establish and operate any medium for the dissemination
of information, ideas and opinion.
I think with this Section 39( l and 2), we are here to protect the provisions of the Constitution and if we allow this Motion to be passed, it means this
honourable House is going against the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Mr. Speaker: Thank you, very much. My. hon. Members, based on the Point of Constitution he has stated, and based on the values of democracy - Section 39 ( l and 2 ) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria - on the issue of freedom of expression, freedom of ownership to operate a medium for the dissemination of information, ideas and opinion which in my opinion is based on this Section, I hereby dismiss the Motion (Applause).
MOTION DISMISSED
Mr. Speaker: We now go on to Motion number two.
Proposal for Free Education up to at least Secondary School Level (School Level [SSSE III])
Hon. Jenrade Kareem Adekunle (Egbeda/Ona/ Ara): Mr. Speaker, Sir, hon. Members of this House, with utmost respect, I beg to move the Motion standing in my name and that of four other hon. Members
that: In view of the importance of education in the development of any nation, Nigeria not an exception; and education being the bedrock of both Scientific and Technological Advancement of a nation; and in line with
(i) educational objectives of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999; Chapter II, Section 18, Sub-Section (1), (2), (3) a, b, c and
d.
(ii) the fact that the Constitution of the Federal republic of Nigeria 1999 recognises minimum educational qualification required by any Nigerian to contest any elective position to be Secondary School Certificate (SSSE II) which also holds for the appointment into any Federal councils and Commissions in
Nigeria;
(iii) the need to prepare our youths on sound footing and for future leadership
roles;
This House do urge the Federal Government to give equal and adequate educational opportunities to all Nigerian children by introducing free education up to at least Secondary School Level (SSSE III).
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir (Applause)
Mr. Speaker: Any seconder?
Hon. Charles Adebayo Fajuru (Ekiti Central I): Mr. Speaker, Sir, hon. Members, I rise to support the Motion for the proposal of free education up to at least, secondary level (SSCE).
I beg to second.
Mr. Speaker: I call on Hon. Jenrade to substantiate his Motion.
Hon. Kareem Adekunle Jenrade: Mr. Speaker, Sir, hon. Members of this House, you will agree with me that education is the greatest legacy any child will ever be grateful for, whether to the parent or to the government, if given, and the 1999 Constitution - which is currently in operation really supports this. Sir, if I may read, Section 18, Sub-Section (1), under Educational Objectives:
(1) Government shall direct its policy towards ensuring that there are equal and adequate educational opportunities at all levels.
(2) Government shall strive to eradicate illiteracy; and to this end. Government shall as and when
practicable provide
(a) free, compulsory and universal primary education;
(b) free secondary education;
(c) free university education; and
(d) free adult literacy programme.
Mr. Speaker, Sir, it has always been in your speech that we want Nigeria to move forward and everybody agreed to this; that this is the time to move Nigeria forward. If we are to move forward, at what rate do we move forward? Is it at jet rate, thunder rate, or at snail speed? We became independent in the year 1960 - exactly 39 years ago.
About 22 years ago, we Launched the Free Universal Primary Education. I believe quite frankly Sir, that by now we should advance to another level of encouraging Nigerian youths to be educated. I believe the word, as at when practicable should be now. We should be ready to lead our youths, to tell them and to give them what the future holds for them.
If I may go further, Sir, to buttress the need for this programme, and for anybody to be here this morning, it is assumed that we all have at least, secondary school education. Also, for one to be appointed by the Federal Government to various Councils and Commissions, one must have secondary school. All this are constitutional provisions. If you go into statistics, you will realise that majority of the youths in schools are within the primary and secondary school levels. Less than 20 per cent of secondary school graduates have the opportunity of furthering their education to the University level. This, if considered, would give us insight that if Nigeria is to invest at all on education, because this is where majority of our youths do end their career. And it would not be out of place if we could educate people up to secondary school level before they go into either tertiary institutions or they want to learn trade or business or whatever. This, I believe, will help this nation and it will be a good thing for us.
In 1992, Mr. Speaker, Sir, the United Nations agreed that Youths or children should spend at least nine years in school. That means that by age of six,
a pupil is supposed to start school either primary one or whatever. At 13, that is another six years, the pupil is supposed to be in secondary school and that will take that person to age 18. At 18, the child attains adulthood. Here, he has become an adult. He could decide to work, or do anything. I want to recommend, Sir, that we train our youths to at least, age 18, and allow them to be in school up to that age to make them have equal opportunities in Nigeria. I believe all Nigerians should be given the opportunity: that we have here this morning. We should give them the opportunity of being a member of the House of Representatives in future.
I hope that when we move further, I will be able to give more information as time goes on.
Thank you, very much. (Applause)
Hon. Isa Sani Abubakar (Gwaram): Mr. Speaker, Sir, hon. Members, this Motion is very fundamental and it touches on all the constituencies. It is my number observation that this House should not make resolutions which eventually, the executive may not be able to honour. I humbly opine that this Motion be passed to the Education Committee to look into this issue as to how primary education could be given to our children free; how it could be financed and how it could get going. Otherwise, if this House should be making resolutions without concrete efforts as to digest every part of the issue, I do not think we will do justice to the Executive as well as to ourselves.
(Applause). So, it is my humble observation that we pass the Motion to the Education Committee to look into it.
Thank you.
Hon. Ita S. J. Enang (Itu. IbionoIbon): Mr. Speaker Sir, I want to draw the attention of this House to the Constitutional provision which says that the resolution of this House on my matter relating to Chapter 2 of the Constitution is not enforceable under the law and we can not make a resolution which cannot be enforced under the law. This is because we will be killing the legislative process at this legislative house.
I want to draw the attention of this House to Section 6 (6) of 1999 Constitution which says:
The Judicial powers vested in accordance with the foregoing provisions of this section.
(e) shall not, except as otherwise provided by this Constitution, extend to any issue or question as to whether any act or omission by any authority or person or as to whether any law or any judicial decision is in conformity with the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy set out in Chapter 11 of this Constitution.
Mr. Speaker, the second issue which he is talking about, that is the Section on Free Education, I agree that it has been provided for but it is not enforceable and it is only enforceable to the extent that it is practicable by any authority that wants to handle that matter.
Mr. Speaker, I am of the opinion that we should not consider passing a resolution on any matter which would constitute a fait accompli in this House, Sir.
Secondly, Sir, the issue of education stands regulated by the National Primary Education Commission (NPEC) Act, National Secondary Education Commission Act and all other laws relating to Educational Administration. Moreover, we cannot make a Motion without amending any such laws providing for what we want stated in that law. This is because a Motion cannot overide or act to the provision of an existing law and we cannot make a Motion on any matter which a law has already made for or has left a lacuna without amending that law.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I want us, in the argument of this matter if we want to go on, consider this issue whether we are not taking actions that will lead us nowhere.
Thank you.
Hon. Ethiogie West Idahosa (Ovia North East/Ovia South): Mr. Speaker Sir, I want to draw the attention of this honourable House to constitutional interpretation of this Constitution. I want to point that immediately a constitutional matter is raised, this House takes it very seriously and, therefore, it behoves on every Members to draw the attention of this House to the appropriate Sections of the Constitution when you are raising a constitutional matter.
The last speaker was talking about the powers of the House and in reference to the provisions of the Constitution, cited powers. which deal purely with judicial functions. He talked about Section 6 whereas, Section 6 is purely a judicial function which has nothing to do with us. They have no bearing with legislative functions. If he must guide this House; he must take us to the appropriate Sections of the Constitution. Section 6, sub-Section 6 is purely talking about judicial powers vested in accordance with the foregoing provisions. If you look at the foregoing provisions, it deals with the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, the Federal High Court which has nothing to do with us. So, he should draw us to the appropriate sections of the Constitution which preclude this House from passing
resolutions on matters affecting Chapter 2 of the Constitution. If he does that, we will be guided. That is exactly the point I want to observe.
(Applause)
Thank you.
Hon. Musa Elayo (Awe): Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Motion before this House is the issue of Constitution and I would like. to draw the attention of this honourable House to our functions. We have right to make laws in respect of matters in the explicit Legislative list of the Constitution as: well as those matters we have to make laws for in the concurrent legislative list. I will refer you to the appropriate sections.
Now, if you look at the Constitution, the second Schedule deals with Exclusive Legislative List. Education is not part of it. Now, when you go to Concurrent Legislative List. page 137, item 27 provides:
The National Assembly shall have powers to
make laws for the federation or any party thereof
with respect to University education, technological
education or such professional education as may
from time to time be designated by the National
Assembly.
If you go to page 38 item 30, it says:
Nothing in the foregoing paragraphs of this item
shall be construed so as to limit the powers of a
House of Assembly to make laws for the State
with respect to technical, vocational, post primary
or other forms of education, including the establishment
of institutions for the pursuit of such education.
In effect, the right to make laws in respect of Primary and Secondary education is vested in the State Houses of Assembly. I agree that we have a duty to every citizen of this country to be educated at least up to Secondary school level. But that may include us amending the Constitution removing the issue of education from Chapter 2 to Chapter 4 so as to make it a fundamental right of a child in this country to be educated by the State from Primary to Secondary school level. By so doing, we will have removed this from concurrent Legislative List to the Exclusive Legislative List. It is then that the Federal
Government can now be urged to come in and take over education.
With respect, Sir, I will urge this honourable House to do our homework on that so that we amend the Constitution accordingly by making it a fundamental right to a child to be educated. But, as it is today, it is my humble submission that this Motion cannot be effective just as my Hon. friend here stated. I agree with him, sir.
Thank you, very much.
Hon. Sule Yari (Wurno/Goda): Mr. Speaker, I want to draw the attention of this honourable House to order 53, paragraph 2 which reads:
During the debates on Motions and bills,
Mr. Speaker shall allow speeches from the
proposers first and then follows speeches
for or against the proposal.
If we should adhere strictly to the provisions of this orders, Mr. Speaker, the way and manners debates are being conducted on the floor of this House is uncalled for. We did not know when you stopped debate in support and we did not know when you called for contributions against the Motion. Things are just done upside down. Please for the sake of posterity and for this nation, we should restrict ourselves to the provisions of the Rules we have laid down for ourselves.
Thank you.
Mr. Speaker: Hon. Sule Yari, I want to give a point of information or Point of observation or Point of Constitution just as I yeilded the Floor to you when you raised a Point or Order. I think they are there in the Rules. If there is a Point of Constitution, this honourable House should be allowed to hear that Point. If it is a valid Point, and Point of the Constitutional implications of this Motion, I want to put it to the House that his Motion from the honourable Member from Jigawa State, should be referred to the Education Committee for proper and more intensive work it is now brought forward to the Floor of this House.
Question put and agreed to
Resolved: That the Motion on Proposal for. Free Education up to at least Secondary School Level (SSSE [III]), be referred to the Education Committee for proper and none intensive work before it is brought forward to the floor of this House.
Letter of Commendation to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Hon. Uchechukwu Maduako (Isikwuato/Umuahia North/Umuahia South): Mr. Speaker, Sir, hon. Members, I rise to move:
That in view of the fact that the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Olusegun Obasanjo, has shown strong will and courage by retiring over 90 (Ninety) military officers who have in one way or the other tasted political power and all other perquisites associated with political offices is encouraging, this House therefore, resolve to send a letter of commendation to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Mr. Speaker, Sir, with all humility, I hereby move this motion.
Mr. Speaker: Do I hear a seconder to that motion?
Hon. Abdulahi A. Gumel (Gumel/Maigatari Suletankark/Gagarawa): Yes, Sir. Mr. Speaker, Sir, hon. Member, I stand to second this motion. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker: I call on Hon. Maduako, please.
Hon. Uchechukwu Maduako: Mr. Speaker, Sir, this motion is not meant to praise-sing the President, rather it is to give honour to whom it is due. Mr. Speaker, what the President has done is a decisive measure that may permanently bring the military under the submission of civil authority. Mr. Speaker, Sir, by the action of the President, our barracks would no longer -be homes of very few political soldiers who may use their ill-gotten wealth to stage and manage a come-back. Mr. Speaker, Sir, in my humble opinion, the purge so far is not enough, it should be extended to all those who have, at one time or the other, held political office or offices. Mr. Speaker, if it is not done, I can assure you that we all may not be here to reach the year 2005.
Mr. Speaker, Sir, I have heard some people raising the issue that we have expended a lot of money in training these soldiers. That does not hold water because the same military, through series of coups have killed the finest officers ever produced in this country, and it is the same military who are arguing through the press that by so doing, we are trying to eliminate most of our good officers. Mr. Speaker, Sir, those that came through the military coup, those military officers in the past were the same people who later on became Governors, Ministers and Chairmen of Task Forces.
Mr. Speaker, Sir, except action is taken because at the time they took over, either through a coup or through being appointed, either serving as a Chairman of a Task Force, all these things were done because of selfish and personal, interest. They were done for the struggle for power; they were done because they wanted to control the wealth of Mr. Speaker; our wealth, the wealth of those we represent and my wealth. Therefore, the president should be encouraged through a letter that we are in support of him and that we will continue to support him at anytime he does something that is right. At the same time, when he goes wrong, we have to call him to order so that the masses shall be the ones of benefit because we represent them right here.
Mr. Speaker, Sir, hon. Colleagues, there is no alternative to this very motion. In order to move the nation forward, we must tell Mr. President that we are solidly behind him. I know that some of us are already agitated that Hon. Maduako should sit down so that we can go ahead and pass this motion overwhelmingly. To those, I bow and to all that may not support this motion, I urge you to go ahead and move along with Hon. Maduako and the cosponsors of this motion.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, I am done.
Mr. Speaker: Is there any argument for this motion?
Hon. Ibrahim Abdulahi (Sabon Gari): Mr. Speaker, Sir, I have a point of observation!
Mr. Speaker, Sir, Section 217 of the Constitution
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria specifies the role of the Armed Forces. Section 218 gives out the
responsibility of the President as far as the Armed Forces are concerned. Section 218, Sub-section 2 reads:
The powers conferred on the President by
sub-section (1) of this section shall include
power to appoint the Chief of Defence Staff,
the Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Naval
Staff, the Chief of Air Staff and heads of any
other branches of the Armed Forces of the
Federation as may be established by an Act
of the National Assembly.
It has not given the responsibility to the President to sack those 90 (Ninety) people that you want us to commend him for.
Mr. Speaker: Order! Please, go straight to you point.
Hon. Ibrahim Abdulahi: Section 219 reads: The National Assembly shall
(a) in giving effect to the functions specified in section
217 of this Constitution;
(b) with respect to the powers exercisable by the President,
under Section 218 of this Constitution by an Act, establish a
body which shall comprise such members as the National
Assembly may determine, and which shall have power to
ensure that the composition of the Armed Forces.
Mr. Speaker: You are out of order. Can you sit down, please I will take arguments for the motion.
Hon. Onomusi Onodeko (Ijebu North/Ijebu East/Ogun Waterside): Mr. Speaker, Sir, I rise this day to support this motion because at any given time when somebody does something very good, it is necessary for us to show support. As a matter of fact, I think this hon. House should deliberate more on what the security of the civilians in this dispensation should be.
Before I sit down, I am so delighted that the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces has taken the right step. I want to support the motion again because as matter of fact, the President has not completed the move. I am of the opinion that it should be extended as it has been suggested. We need to look critically into the Security of
Civilian dispensation, so that we can have an enduring democracy in this country. This is one of the steps Mr. President has taken and I want us to show our support to him so that he can do better than what he has done.
Thank you, very much.
Mr. Speaker: Thank you. I need one Member to speak for the motion, please.
Hon. S. Dika Ngada (Askira/Uba/Hawul): Mr. Speaker, Sir, Hon. gentlemen and Ladies of the House, this motion came about because of the experiences that some of us have undergone and have known how the system is operating. Now for anybody who will stand before us here and make reference to 1999 Constitution as to the Military involvement in the government of this Country, I think it is out of question.
In the first place, we have never had any Constitutional Provision that they are given offices in the Military barracks.
Now, this Motion looks irrevocably in the sense that this honourable House has experienced it. That is the beginning of democracy in Nigeria.
Now, Mr. Speaker, I support the Motion. Mr. President has Taken the bull by the horn and we need to Commend him. Now, Mr. Speaker, We have Members from APP and Members from AD, the Bull has four legs. Let APP take one of the legs in the front and AD the other leg and let the two others legs be taken by PDP because we are more in this House.
Where we run away from each other because of sentimental issues it will be the beginning of the cracking of Nigeria or the existence of this country.
We have to take this important matter very seriously and we need to seriousness do that. Thank you, very much.
Mr. Speaker: I will take the comments from an hon. Member who is against the Motion.
Hon. Abdullahi Matori (Bauchi): Mr. Speaker, Sir, I stand to oppose the motion. All along, I have been expecting that somebody in this very august House should come up with a motion to call Mr. President to Order for violating many Constitutional Powers of this House. Instead of coming up with this, I wondered how an hon. Member have the guts of telling this Honourable house what to do.
Mr. Speaker: Hon. Member, mind your language, please;
Hon. Abdulahi Matori: I am on course, Mr. Speaker, (Interruption) Okay, but I am.fully covered because I am in the House, according to the Constitution. I can express my feelings here. I am fully covered by the Constitution. Hon. Members, I will like us to honourably look into this Motion. There are so many moves, even the most resents ones, the scraping of Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), which was established by a Decree, which is Law, therefore, before Mr. President goes to the extent of scrapping the PTF. (Interruption)
Mr. Speaker: Hon. Matori, please try and stay within the Motion.
Hon. Matori: Mr. Speaker, Sir, I stand against the Motion and hope that the House will throw it away.
Thank you.
Hon. Mayegun Abayomi (Lagos Island 1): Mr. -Speaker, Sir, I rise to oppose the motion that we should write a commendation letter to the President. A number of us have said, while commenting on the, Speech of Mr. President, that he has taken some commendable actions and for this reason, we are happy and we pledged the Support of this honourable house. This, in my view, is sufficient. We do not need to write a letter of commendation to the President. Does it means that, any time he takes an action, we have to write a letter to commend him? Mr. President himself has said in his private capacity that, he is happy with this House and we are yet to receive any letter. In fact, we do not expect him to write to commend us because, it is our Constitutional duties and responsibilities and we will continue to carry it out. He has some constitutional duties and responsibilities to carry out as well.
Secondly, Mr. Speaker, hon. Members, Mr. President has violated certain Constitutional provisions which ordinarily, this house is not
supposed to be happy about; but we decided not to take him up on them because, for one reason or the other, we are happy and has been using Constitutional Powers for these actions.
May I respectfully refer this honourable House to Section 218(4a&b) of the Constitution and with the kind permission of Mr. Speaker, I read:
The National Assembly shall have power to make laws for the regulation of
(a) the powers exercisable by the President as Commander -in-Chief of the armed forces of the Federation.
(b) the appointment, promotion and disciplinary control of members of the armed forces of the federation.
Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is my humble view that, before Mr. President will carry out this exercise, which he has done and for which this motion is seeking that we commend him for he ought to have reffered it to the National Assembly and for the national Assembly to pass it. He has done this in obvious contravention of the provision of the Constitution and we have not challenged him because he has done it for good and because that is the popular wish that these Military men who have politicized the army and stopped the wheel of progress should go. And that is why we have not raised any objection. That is enough, in my own view, we should not write any letter of commendation to him.
Another Constitutional provision which has been flagrantly breached by Mr. President is in respect of Section 151 of the constitution and with the kind permission of Mr. Speaker I beg to read:
151- (1) The President may appoint any person as a Special Adviser to assist him in the performance of his functions.
(2) The number of such Advisers and their remuneration and allowances shall be as Prescribed by law or by resolution of the National Assembly.
Mr. Speaker, Sir, to the best of my knowledge, the President has not sought the approval or asked the House to pass any Resolution to this effect. To
this extent, it is my humble view that we do not need any letter of commendation to Mr. President. He has done well good, We are happy with him but we do not need to write him a letter formally commending him.
Thank you.
Mr. Speaker: Thank You very Much.
Question put and negatived.
Proposed Nationwide working Tour for the Honourable Members of the House
Mr. Speaker: I call on the Hon. Member for Isiala Ngwa South (hon. Chimaobi Nwakanma) to move the Motion in his name.
Hon. Chimaobi Nwakanma (Isiala Ngwa South): Mr. Speaker, Sir, Hon. Colleagues, I rise to move the motion for a Nation-Wide Working Tour For the Hon. Members of the House, and I move as follows: That in view of the great diversity of the Nigerian nation and in view of the need for legislators to be armed with adequate knowledge of the different peoples and places that make up the country as imperatives for understanding issues and problems peculiar to them when the need arises, to profer the right solutions to such problems for the development of Nigeria, this House do resolve that a nation- wide working tour be organized for Members, to be undertaken in groups not exceeding six, that is, six different groups and this should be done as soon as possible.
Mr. Speaker, Sir I so move.
Hon. Musa Nuhu Abdulahi (Kahita/ Jibia): Mr. Speaker, Sir, Hon. Members, I hereby rise to second the motion.
Hon. Chimaobi Nwakanma: Mr. Speaker, Sir, Hon. members, We are law makers We have been brought here together; elected by our respective Constituencies to make laws for the good governance of Nigeria. Nigeria is a vast Country, a subcontinent, if you like. We have well over 250 ethnic Communities, speaking well over 250 different languages. Many of us have not known enough of Nigeria to be able to make laws that will impact on
the lives of Nigerians. Some of us may have travelled extensively in Nigeria but a great majority of the people who are here have travelled more in Europe and America than they have done in Nigeria. I believed that we will begin to appreciate the beauty in the diversity of the Nigerian Nation only when we begin to travel extensively in Nigeria.
I also believe that the quality of the legislation which are to be produced here and the quality of the debate in this House would be enormously improved if the man from Ibadan gets to know the, man from Yola well enough and appreciate that they are exactly the same. Also the man in Calabar knows the brothers in Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara as well as the people from Zamfara know the people form Rivers and Imo States. I think, it is very
necessary that before we can settle down to do any serious business, Hon. Members should have the opportunity of knowing Nigeria, a beautiful country with different people that are similar in many ways. That way, if a motion or an issue affecting the people from Borno State is table here, people from Benin will begin to appreciate it because they know who the people are, the environment in which they are operating; the problems those people are facing and they will appreciate them.
So, I plead with the hon. House without wasting too much of our time on the matter to please, support this Motion. Thank you very much.
Mr. Speaker: I will take arguments for the Motion, first.
Hon. Zakaria A. Malherbe (Buruku): Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Sir distinguished Members of this House, I think one of the greatest problems that this Country has is the fact that as Nigerians, We know very little about Nigeria. There is no doubt about that and I do believe that for us to be able to appreciate this great Country of ours, We have to get to the grounds. There is this old saying that for one to be able to march his beat well, he has to know the beat, the extent of that beat and what is actually on the ground underneath it.
There cannot be a better Motion than this for us to be able to legislate properly, especially in relationship to the things that affect the ordinary man on the ground. We must be in a position to
know the extent those issues that bother him will better be appreciated by the time we moved around the whole of this country. It is in this vein, therefore, that I whole-heartedly support this Motion and to urge my other distinguished Colleagues as well to support this Motion.
Let me, however, finally say that in drawing a Programme for such a tour, it should be on a broad Spectrum where we will not be confined to the State Capitals. Let the Members really go to some of the remotest places as we visit each of the States. It is only there and then that we will be able to appreciates what is actually prevailing in this Country; the hardships and the problems in this Country. Thank you very much, Mr.Speaker, Sir and my hon. Colleagues.
(Applause)
Mr. Speaker: Can one more Member speak in favour of the motion?
Hon. Cajethan Dike (Orlu/Orsu/Oru East): Mr.Speaker, Sir, hon. Members, I rise to support this Motion that this House should take a Nation wide tour to acquaint ourselves with the problems of each Constituencies or geographical Zone. Some people from the South East do not know the exactly the problems of the North West or other parts of the country. Most of us have found it easy to travel to America,Europe and other Asian Countries. But the problem in Nigeria is different from the the problem of the international community. Like myself, in Japan, I had an experience whereby if a child is born in Tokyo, he is an automatic citizen of that State, unlike in Nigeria. For example, if you are born in Abuja, you are a citizen of Abuja but it is different in Nigeria.
So, I am of the opinion that this House should constitute Six groups to undertake a nation-wide tour io enable us acquaint ourselves with the problem of each other to enable us make effective legislation in this House.
Thank you.
Mr. Speaker: I will now take arguments against the Motion.
Hon. (Dr.) Babatunde Lakoju (Akoko Edo): Mr. speaker, Sir,hon. Members, I rise really to oppose this Motion and I will throw more light on it. I think this honourable House constituted Committees and from the composition of these Committees, almost all the geographical Zones are represented. For a beneficial effect, and for such tours to be meaningful, I suggest we should arrange for the Committees to carry out a tour of the area that concerns what they ought to be addressing so that at the end of the day when they come, they will be able to make meaningful contributions to this House.
Mr. Speaker: Hon. Tunde, do not mix up the two issues. This is a geographical working Tour and what you are talking of is like a fact-finding mission of the Committees. I think they are two different issues.
Thank you, very much
I will take contributions against this motion, please.
Hon.(Dr.) Christopher Osuala (Nkwerre/Isu/ Njaba/ Nwangele): Mr.Speaker, Sir, hon. Members, this tour and some of the motions discussed here are important to some degree but I believe there are Federal Constituencies, each of them elected us here to solve real problems and we have an idea of what the real problems are.
There are many people in this Country today that go to sleep hungry with many Children across the Country irrespective of what area or what Constituency they come from and we know this is a problem. Our agricultural system is
Non-mechanished, our technology is in dismal (Interruption)
Mr. Speaker: We are talking of arguments against this Motion, Please.
Hon. Osuala: Mr. Speaker, Sir if this House stays here and tries to debate taking a bus trip running around this Nation, we are reducing the integrity of this House when we know meaningful problems and we know the people that come from those Constituencies that we can go and liaise with them, instead of the pressmen pursuing us around the Country, that we are taking unnecessary tours.
Thank you.
Mr. Speaker: Can we have one more contribution against this Motion?
Hon. (Dr.) Amaeyak Ukpong (Uyo): Mr. Speaker, Sir, hon. Members, I would like to speak in opposition to that Motion for the following reasons. First, I am very sure that since most of us came here, we have not had time to meet with our Constutituencies. The first thing should be for us first of all meet with our own Constituencies, we have not done that. (Interruptions)
Mr. Speaker: Order! Order! The hon. Member will try and keep his argument against, within the confine of the motion, please.
Hon. Ukpong: Thank you, Mr. speaker, I will try as much as possible to do that. Secondly, sir, I do not think that we really need to travel out nor do we really need to visit the State for us to know the problems of this Country. Mr. President, Like we are now asking for a letter of commendation has done a lot of things, so we do not have to travel to know that we have to set up an anti-corruption (interruption)
Mr.Speaker: Order! Order!
Hon. Ukpong: Mr. Speaker, again we are from this country. During our youth Service days, we must have visited some parts of this Country. We are probably not going to spend more than one,two or three days and I do not think that would be sufficient a time for us to appraise ourselves of the problems in any area that we are going to visit. So, if we are going to embark on the tours, I believe it is going to be too early. May be much Later, we could embark on the tour.
Question put and agreed to.
Resolved: That in view of the gear diversity of the Nigerian nation and in view of the need for legislators to be armed with adequate knowledge of the different peoples and places that make up the Country as imperatives for understanding issues and problems peculiar to them when the need arises, to profer the right solutions to such problems for the development of Nigeria, this House do resolve that a nation-wide working tour be organized for members, to be undertaken in groups not exceeding six as soon as possible.
Mr. Speaker: we will go on to motion No.5 and I will call on hon. Moses Akuha Tor Gbande to move his Motion.
PROVISION OF SUBSIDIZED AGRICULTURAL INPUTS TO FARMERS THROUGH THE COUNTRY
Hon. Moses Akuha Tor Gbande (Kwande/ Ushongo): Mr. Speaker, Sir, hon. Members, It is with respect that I rise to move a Motion on the provision of subsidized agriculture inputs to farmers through out the Country standing in my name on the Order Paper
That in view of the fact that we are now at the beginning of the cropping season for farmers in most parts of our Country, and considering also the fact that essential agricultural inputs are presently very expensive and beyond the reach of the ordinary farmers, however, in order to increase food security in this Country, as counselled by the president in his address to the Joint Session of the National Assembly, this Honourable House do urge the Executive Arm of Government to:
(1) provide subsidized agricultural inputs to farmers, particularly the following:
(i) Fertilizers;
(ii) Herbicides;
(iii) Agro Chemicals;
(iv) Improved seeds and seedlings;
(v) Livestock and poultry Feeds.
(2) make adequate distribution arrangements which will ensure that the subsidized inputs get to the ordinary farmers.
I so do move, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker: Is there any seconder?
Hon. Ibrahim Zailani (Toro): Mr. Speaker, Sir, I rise to second the Motion for the Provision of
subsidized agricultural inputs to Farmers throughout the country.
Thank you.
Speaker: I have a Point of Information, please. I was privileged to attend the meeting of the Council of States yesterday and President-Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has already done something about the issue of fertilizer. I cannot mention the quantity, but definitely the Executive is doing something about it and it was discussed at the Council of States meeting yesterday.
Hon Gbande: Thank you Mr. Speaker for that useful information. But the Motion extends beyond the issue of fertilizer as you would have noticed. Mr. Speaker, it is a known fact that we are in a nation of a population, presently by statistics, of over a hundred and ten million. Again, from
statistics, the population is growing in this country at the rate of about three per cent per annum. At this rate, we need to feed this teeming population of Nigerians. It is a known fact that today, quite a lot of families sleep with empty stomachs. Some cannot afford three square meals a day. Apart from feeding the teeming population that we have, we also need to produce agricultural products to feed our industries. As you are aware, -quite a lot of industries in this country depend on agricultural products as their inputs. We have to keep these industries running as a way of employing Nigerians, many of whom are currently unemployed.
Thirdly, we need to export a lot of these agricultural commodities as a way of earning foreign exchange. As you know, agricultural production was on the top list of Nigerian exports at the time of .our independence. There is no reason why we should not bring back that lost glory of these products. Why should we depend on mono-product oil for export earnings? We can increase our agricultural output in order to earn foreign exchange.
Mr. Speaker, the issue of increased food production is basic in this country. We are aware of the groundnut pyramids in Kano that we used to read in school. These pyramids presently do not exist. We have to endeavour to bring them back. We are also aware of palm produce that we used to have from the Eastern States. All these are presently not available. So, also are the renowned Cocoa farmers of the West. Mr. Speaker, we have to take a first step to endeavour to bring this lost glory of agriculture in our land. I am aware that some long term measures need to be taken in areas of land tenure system and mechanised agriculture, but this honourable House can at least take a first
step now, in view of the current cropping season, to impress on the Executive to provide subsidies on the inputs mentioned in the Motion. I believe that as we all have families and cater for them as they need food, I do not need to speak too much on this Motion that will be carried by this House.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker: I will take two more speakers on the Motion.
Hon. Shehu Haruna Lambu (Dawakin Tofa/Tofa/Rimingado): Mr. Speaker, Sir, I rise to support the Motion for the provision of subsidised agricultural inputs to farmers in this country. As far back as 1970s, about 36 per cent of the total export earnings of this country was not generated from oil but from agricultural produce. Now, we are talking of food security whereby most of our homes are living in hunger. Most families are now living on 0-0-1. By this I mean they eat only once a day. So, by subsidising these agricultural inputs such as fertilizer, herbicides, agro-chemicals, improved seeds and seedlings, definitely will boost our food production in the country.
Thank you, Sir.
Hon. Umaru Babangida (Kontagora/ Mariga/ Wushishi/Mashegu): Mr. Speaker, Sir, first of all, I would like to support this Motion by increasing the scope of what the mover of the Motion was able to say.
First, I will appreciate if the Motion is referred to the Committee on Agriculture for thorough review to include not only agricultural inputs, but also guarantee prices for famers. By this I mean whatever excess is produced, they are supposed to sell them but could not get adequate market because right now, the general purchasing power is low. If the excess are purchased, the farmers will be able to buy fertilizer. A lot of storage facilities have been provided around the country by both the State and Federal Governments but these storage facilities are grossly under-utilised in the sense that there is no Agricultural Policy on how to acquire excess production. You can only keep people in the farm if they are sure that whatever they produce, there is a ready market for it at the end of the day. Before the onset of the season, you work out whatever the
cost is likely to be with a margin on top and that will be a sort of encouragement for them to go right into farming. Right now, we are talking only of education.
We are asking our rural people to send their children to school. So, these children leave their homes and go to school. Some of them stop at primary school level, some at junior secondary school level for the inability of their parents to finance the cost of their education. At the same time, they cannot go back to the farm. So we are daily reducing the level of rural populace who can produce what we require to eat and even export at the expense of the total populace. So, we are reducing the number of people who will produce the foodstuff.
In a nutshell, Mr. Speaker, Sir, I will appreciate it if this Motion is referred to the House Committee on Agriculture where we can all go and pass some of our inputs to them, and they can come up with a proposal for a total review of agricultural policy so as to make sure that we provide enough infrastructure to keep the teeming populace in the farms. There is the need to get people in urban areas who migrate from the rural areas in search of jobs which is not available, to go back to the rural areas with improved farming methods.
Therefore, there is need for a total review of agricultural policy in this country, with the use of the House Committee on Agriculture.
Secondly, I have been made to understand that the sum approved yesterday was twenty-five per cent. As things are as of now, we realise that twenty-five per cent is not enough. We need a minimum of fifty per cent or 70. per cent fertilizer subsidy.
Mr. Speaker: Thank you very much. He raised an issue there, maybe, we should take it later. May I have two people, to speak against the Motion?
Hon. Mike Ogar (Obudu/Bakwara/Obanliku): Mr. Speaker, Sir, hon. Members, I wish to say that I am of the view that this is one more Motion that should be taken with great detail. Agriculture, as we all know, is the mainstay of the economy of this country. It, therefore, requires detailed study and understanding. We all know that providing
subsidies, inputs and other things that are for agriculture have been going on in this country, butfailed because of inconsistency in government. Policy in today and policy out tomorrow has caused problems in this country. It is, therefore, of absolute importance that the issue of agriculture be one that should be passed on to the Committee on Agriculture which must look at it in detail.' Besides, it has been pointed out earlier on that Mr. President has commenced action on fertilizer. The totality of this Motion should be passed on to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Thank you, very much.
Mr. Speaker: Is there anybody against the Motion?
Hon. Nduese Essien (Eket/Onwa/Esit/Eket/Ibeno): Mr. Speaker, Sir, Hon. Members, I stand to oppose the Motion on the ground that it is hasty, frivolous and premature. Like you have said, the President has already proposed that he was going to tackle some aspects of agriculture. In his address to this House, he had mentioned on page 5 of his address that he was going to give farmers maximum support to cultivate and produce more per hectare per season.
So, I think that at this stage, we should allow Mr. President to execute the aspects he intends to use in improving agriculture. The House should, therefore, wait and see the areas he may leave out before we go on to make recommendations or Motions asking that those areas be taken into account. At this stage I think that this Motion should be suspended to allow for a thorough study to enable us pick up a matter that will require some financial resources. We are not aware what is available for the executive to use in giving such subsidy. So, allow him execute that aspect of fertilizer and thereafter we will look at the finances and then introduce other areas for subsidy.
Thank you Sir.
Question put and agreed to
Resolved. That the Motion in its totality to b passed over to the Committee on Agriculture fo further extensive work and deliberations thereof.
Relocation of Military formation around the Presidential Villa,
The Supreme Court and the National Assembly Complex (3 Arms Zone)
Hon. Tengu Tsegba (Gboko/Tarka): Mr. Speaker Sir, my Motion is on the relocation of Military Formation Around the Presidential Villa. The Supreme Court and the National Assembly Complex (3 Arms Zone):
In view of the fact that Nigeria is a corrupt prone country, (Nzeogwu January, 1966, Gowon July, 1966, Murtala July, 1975, Dimka February, 1976, Buhari December, 1983, Babangida August, 1985, Vasta 1986 - attempted, Orka April, 1990, Abacha November, 1997 setting up and several others covered but not announced) as a result of which it has experienced immense loss of lives and properties, total break down of law and order, unprecedented corruption, and a civil war 1967 -1970; and in the order to permanently subordinate the military to civil authority, this House do urge the Federal Government to;
i. as a matter of urgency ensure the quick relocation of all Military Barracks surrounding the 3-Arms -Zone namely, Fort IBB, Aguyi Ironsi Cantonment, Camp W. U. Bassey, Gado Nasko barracks and Sani Abacha Barracks;
ii. allocate these Houses in the case of Fort IBB and Camp W.U. Bassey to Senior Civil Servants, currently occupying the Legislators Quarters at Apo Village, and those living in choice Hotels at government expenses;
iii. allocate the other house to Junior Civil Servants who currently have no accommodation.
Mr. Speaker, I so move. Thank you. (Applause)
Hon. Bashiru Adamu (Kazaure/Roni/ Gwiwa/ Yankwashi): In view of the dicey nature of this Motion, I believe almost all Members of this House will agree entirely to the Motion.
I beg to second the Motion.
Thank you.
Mr. Speaker: Let me make a comment. This is the beauty of democracy. I am very proud of all of us today that we are discussing such issues honestly. (Applause)
Hon. Tengu Tsegba: Mr. Speaker Sir, honourable Members, you are all aware that whenever there is a coup, it is the legislative arm of the government that suffers most. We are just asked to go; the executives of both the Federal and State level remain intact and it is not ii: our own interest sitting here discussing the issues of national interest with soldiers surrounding us with guns.
You are all aware of countries in West African, such as Sierra Leone which with a little mutiny in the barracks, enabled some ambitious soldiers to overthrow the government of Ahmed Tejan Kabba which today has led to a Civil War.
This Fort IBB was not initially built for soldiers, it was only used to accommodate soldiers that were doing political jobs in Aso Rock. Now that the military has no role to play in this government, I do not think they should be surrounding us while we are performing our duties. The continuous stay of these selected officers in these choice places will bring about envy from their collegues who will also want to take over power and remain in these houses.
I implore this House to take time to go there and see that these barracks ware not built as barracks. Infact, they are not under any command. If you go to Sani Abacha Barracks, you have the Airforce, the Navy and the Army, all under no command. During the Civil Government of Alhaji Shehu Shagari, the Brigade of Guards was located in Keffi. Despite the fact that the distance is about 40 kilometers, they were able to mobilise and overthrow that government, how much more when they are just overlooking the seat of government.
I implore this House to pass this Motion so that Mr. President will as a matter of urgency relocate these army formations surrounding us. We are not in a war time. The soldiers should be deployed to North West and North East where the Chadian rebels are presently harassing us so that they can perform their own constitutional role there while we are in this House performing our own duties freely.
Thank you.
Hon. Prince Uche Nwole (Mbaitolu Ikeduru): Mr. Speaker, Sir, honourable Members, while supporting this Motion I wish to urge this hon. House to understand the points the earlier speaker had made. It is imperative that in a democratic setting, the military is confined to the barracks. It still surprises me that since our inauguration, and since democratic rule took over from the military rule on the 29th of May, 1999, that the entrance to this great House is still being manned by soldiers. it is a source of concern to me. No only the entrance of this place, if you are opportuned to even visit the Villa, in certain areas, you will still see some soldiers parading the place. I think this is very very risky for democracy. As you all know, our very able President has started purging the military. That alone will not go down well with all members of the Armed Forces.
On the area that was mentioned like Fort IBB where the military officers still occupy; it is very important that every member of the Armed Forces (this is my personal recommendation) irrespective of their rank should be moved out of the civilian populace to the barracks. I very much know that in this setting, we have Brigade of Guards that guard Mr. President; there is one very important information I wish to bring to this honourable House. Because of our past experiences, the military men are still military people. If they make up their minds to do anything, they will go ahead and do it. I wish to recommend to this great House that we should dissolve the Brigade of Guards and in its place, we should recommend that they bring the National Guard drawn from the Police and our young men who are job-less
(Interruptions).
Mr. Speaker: Honourable Member, please that can be another Motion if you want. But let us talk on this Motion first.
Hon. Prince Uche Nwole: If we are going straight to this Motion, on the last point that I made, if it is possible to amend and include that, I will request this honourable House to give it a consideration. 1 hereby support the Motion on ground.
Thank you.
Hon. Gabriel T. Suswan (Katsina Ala/ Logo/ Ukum): Mr. Speaker, Sir, we would like this hon. House to take this motion very seriously. I had an
experience of one of these coups in Lagos. Hon. Members of this House would agree with me that it became very easy for coup plotters to take over the seat of government because of their location in Lagos. Dodan Barracks as it were, was surrounded by barracks. So, anytime any ambitious military officer seeks and feels that he should be in power, he can walls across and take over the seat of Government.
Hon. Members of this House, like the last two speakers have clearly said, this is a motion that we should not joke about. I hope that the Presidential Liasion Officer is here and if he is here, I think it is a motion that should be taken seriously to the President. We would not be deliberating here on serious national issues and be looking over our shoulders. This is a motion that you should use your good seat to urge the President, as a matter of urgency, to move the military boys away from our surroundings.
Like he said, most of these barracks were not actually built as barracks, it was just an interim arrangement. As far as I am concerned, there are not barracks here like what you have in Lagos, like the Dodan Barracks. The military boys should be moved to the border where we are having problems so that we can now sit here down comfortably and make our laws. We should make the logistic of coup planning very difficult for them and the only way to do it is to move them completely outside the seat of power so that anytime they have to mobilise and move into the town, information will get to the authorities concerned so that they do not have enough logistics to move in with the speed they, are used to.
thank you, very much.
Mr. Speaker: I will take one more argument in favour of the motion.
Hon. Abdulahi Gumel (Gumel/Maigatari Sule tankarkar/Gagarawa): Mr. Speaker, Sir, hon. Members, I want to support this motion for the reasons I am going to advance.
Firstly, Fort IBB is not a military barracks, it is Housing Estate built by the Government. Bu unfortunately, that time was a military Government the military took over that Housing Estate and made
it their own. it should have housed senior civil servants of the Government but as you know, the military then were in power, so they took over those houses and converted them to barracks.
Mr. Speaker, we are moving into Apo Village and part of that Apo Village is being occupied by these same soldiers in the name of barracks for War College. I think, Mr. Speaker, the military has no business in the cities, they should go for their principal assignment to protect this nation.
Mr. Speaker, Sir, two weeks ago, we passed a motion here that there are people from neighbouring countries coming into our country and killing our people, they should go and guard those areas, their barracks should be along those border areas, not in the cities.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (Applause)
Mr. Speaker: I will take few more speakers to speak against the motion but before then I will make a comment. Would it not be in the best interest of this hon. House if time factor is put into this motion? It is however, as the House wishes. Is it the wish of this House that a time frame should be set on this motion?
Several Members: Yes!
Hon. Nduka Irabor (Ika North/Ika South): Mr. Speaker, Sir, that may be absolutely unnecessary. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I believe you have given those supporting this motion a fair enough time, let those of us who are against it have our say, then we can begin to talk about putting a time frame, if it becomes necessary.
Mr. Speaker: Your point is noted, please.
Hon. Nduka Irabor: Can I speak against the motion, Sir?
Mr. Speaker: I will take those in favour of the motion.
Hon. Abraham Laoshe (Abeokuta South): Mr. Speaker, Sir, this is a very important Motion both in its symbolic effect and its practical effect. For instance, we have the National War College right in the city of Abuja and the Law School thirty
killometres away in Bwari. That is the relics of military. We should do something to get away from it. In the established democracies of the world, the most important one being the United States of America, there is a rule under their military law that no six soldiers in uniform, armed must move within a hundred metres to the White House. Again, all over the world, we see what is called Drive Through. Drive MacDonald Restaurants developed because the government of the United States of America does not want armed soldiers to come and buy hamburgers on the streets in uniform. I think we should extend this Motion to say that, armed soldiers in uniform should not be seen on the streets of Nigeria.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (Applause)
Mr. Speaker: I will take arguments against the motion, please.
Hon. Nduka Irabor: Mr. Speaker, Sir, hon. Members of the House of Representatives, I speak against this motion. I would appreciate if we took a very sober and sumber reflection as to what this motion asks us to do. Whichever way this argument goes, we may not have addressed what our innate fears are; how to contain the military, how to keep them away from the daily governance of this country. How to forestall their interference to democracy. Physical movement of these men have never stopped them from interference. We need to do much more than that.
Mr. Speaker, when the coup of 1983 occurred, soldiers were camped at Keffi, so many miles away from where President Shehu Shagari was staying. When the coup of 1990 happened, they did not come from Dodan Barracks, they came all the way from Ikeja Cantonment. It does not matter where you put them. We knew, it was established that their base of operation was a Fishing Company at Ketu which was like fifty kilometers from Dodan Barracks. The biggest antidote to coup is the reorientation, re-education of the military and the civilian populace of this country, the empowerment of the people. If we stand up here and say, we are not moving an inch even if we have all the amoured cars out there, there is no military coup that would succeed.
Those barracks were built, I happen to know because I was involved in the public service at that
time as model Barracks and what ought to be the ideal barracks for Nigerian soldiers.
The spirit was, if you gave them comfortable accommodation, perhaps, they would not be tempted to get involved
(Interruptions). I am not going to be intimidated by the interruptions. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I would like to ask the House, because this is a sensitive Security matter, to refer this motion to the Committee on National Intelligence and Security.
Several hon. Members: No.
Hon. Nduka Irabor: This matter should be referred to the Committee on Defence so that they will look at the issues involved in its general ramification. We do not just sit down here and say, throw them out and think that we have help the Government.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Hon Sule Yari ( Wurno (Raba): Mr. Speaker, point if Order . May I refer the House to Order 53(4) which reads:
No Members shall be entitled to address the House or a Committee of the whole House for more than thirty minutes on any subject.
The hon. Member for Ika North East/Ika South (Hon. Nduka Irabor) has spoken for more than thirty minutes.
Mr. Speaker: I want one hon. Member to speak against the Motion.
Hon. (Arch.) Sanusi M. Dagash (Mongonu/Ngasai/ Marte): Mr. Speaker, Sir, Hon. Members, this Motion that has been moved, is a very contentious one. I guess we need to seriously look at certain implications with respect to the overall planning of the city of Abuja
vis-à-vis security. I would like this honourable House to realise that Mr. President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces is incharge of the Armed Forces of this country. The Ministry of Defence is in this city. The headquarters of the Army, Air Force, and the Navy are in this City. This is a very serious arm with respect to territorial security of this country. These individuals are not going to work in isolation. There is order of heirarchy and everybody knows how large or how
strong the Armed Forces of this Country is as at now. All the planning done with respect to the Barracks and Cantonments were done based on the NATO model of the EEC, presented to the former President Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, who adopted it and went ahead based on what Hon. Nduka Irabor mentioned. Yes, it was a model for the Armed Forces. Within Fort IBB, for instance, there is the Chief of Defence Staff and the Service Chiefs. You have to consider these things before you sentimentally decide to support the Motion.
Based on this, the Brigade of guards is the security arm of the Presidency. Whether you like it or not, the President is in charge of the Brigade of Guards.
You are now asking him to remove his security men and now put Regular or Mobile Policemen or even the Boys' Scout. That is not possible. You will continue to find policemen or soldiers at the gates of Aso Rock, and the National Assembly and in some strategic areas within the city.
So, before you take your decision, I m only trying to bring this to your notice. There are only 80 units within the Fort IBB anyway, and you have Service Chiefs living on their own. If you expect them to protect us internally against their own folk, what we need to do here is to be very rationale and reasonable about this issue. There are other things that go beyond a pedestrian view towards national security and movement of soldiers so, before we take a decision here, please, let us open our minds to some of these implications.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Hon Musa Nuhu Abdullahi (Kaita/Jibia): Point of Order, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker: What Order?
Hon. Nuhu Abullahi: It is Order 53 of the House Rules.
Mr. Speaker: It is a very popular Order (Laughter)
Hon Nuhu Abdullahi: Order 53 - (1)
The Rules and Business Committee shall alloc time to all motions or bills coming before the House.
(3) The Speaker shall allocate one-half of such
time to be given to debate in favour of and one-half
to debate in opposition to such proposition.
Here, many people have spoken in favour of this Motion. Those of us opposing the Motion should be given a fair hearing, please.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (Applause)
Mr. Speaker: I think the Rules says time and not the number of people (Applause). It is the wish of this honourable House that the time frame be included or not? (No response). We will forget It. I will now put the question.
Question put and agreed to.
Resolved: That in view, of the fact Nigeria is a coup prone country, (Nzeogwu, Jan. 1966; Gowon, July, 1966; Murtala, July 1975; Dimka, February, 1976; Buhari, December, 1983; Babangida, August 1985 Vatsa, 1986 - attempted; Orka, April 1990; Abacha, November 1993; Gwadabe/Bello Fadile, March 1995; Phantom coup, Diya, Dec, 1997, setting up and several others covered but not announced) as a result of which it has experienced immense loss of lives and properties; total break down of Law and order to permanently subordinate military to civil authority, this House do urge the Federal Government to:
(i) as a matter of urgency ensure the quick relocation of all Military Barracks sarrounding the 3-Arms-Zone namely: Fort IBB, Aguyi Ironsi Cantonment, Camp W. U. Bassey, Gado Nasko Barracks and Sanni Abacha Barracks;
(ii) allocate these houses in the case of Fort IBB and Camp W. U. Bassey to senior Civil Servants currently occuping the Legisators Quarters at Apo Village, and those living in choice hotels at Government expenses;
(iii) allocate the order houses to Junior Civil Servants who currently have no accommodation.
Mr. Speaker: We now go into the next item which is the Presentation of the Bill on Prohibition and Punishment of Bribery, Corruption and other related Offences Bill, 1999- First Reading.
Before I call on the Clerk of the House of Representatives to present the Bill, I want to make
one or two comments. There was a mistake or mix-up on the part of the Presidency when sending the Bill here. Actually, they would have sent a gazetted copy which unfortunately has not yet been gazetted, but the Clerk of the National Assembly has been instructed that they should go and gazette it so that we present Members with gazetted copies. However, before we do that, we will still give Members the plain copies. You know this is a new system and everybody is learning.
I will now call on the Clerk of the House of Representatives to present the Bill.
PRESENTATION OF BILL
PROHIBITION AND PUNISHMENT OF
BRIBERY, CORRUPTION AND OTHER
RELATED OFFENCES BILL, 1999.
A Bill for an Act to Prohibit and Punish
Bribery and Corruption of or by Public
Officers and Other Persons, presented
by the Clerk to the House of Representatives;
read the first time, to be read a second time
on Wednesday, 7th July, 1999.
( copies of the Bill distributed to hon. Members)
Mr. Speaker: As I earlier said, we have had the First Reading of the Bill now, we will take the Second Reading on Wednesday, 7th July, 1999, and before that day, we will ensure that they bring the gazetted copies .
Thank you.
Hon. Musa Elayo (Awe / Doma/ Kana): Mr. Speaker, Sir, Hon. Members, I read in the pages of Newspapers that the President's proposed Bill was also sent to the Senate. Though we do not work with what the Newspapers write, but it is important that we get things done constitutionally.
May, I humbly refer this honourable House to the provisions of Section 58(1) of the Constitution which provides as follows:
The power of the National Assembly to make laws
shall be exercised by the bills passed by both the
Senate and the House of Representatives and, except
as otherwise provided by subsection. (5) of this section,
assented to by the President.
Subsection (2) provides as follows:
A bill may originate in either the Senate or the House
of Representatives and shall not become Law unless it
has been passed and, except as otherwise provided by
this section and section 59 of this Constitution, assented
to in accordance with the provisions of this section.
Subsection (3) says:
Where a bill has been passed by the House in which it
orignated, it shall be sent to the other House, and it shall
be represented to the President for assent when it has
been passed by that other House and agreement has
been reached between the two Houses on any amendment
made on it.
Sir, the implication of these provisions is that a bill shall not lie in both the Senate and the House of Representatives at the same time.
Several Hon. Members: No! No!
Hon Musa Elayo: That is what I want to know, Sir, Whether or not we can do it concurrently with the Senate.
Mr. Speaker: I think, for the general information of everybody, the Deputy Clerk of the House of Representatives can please, tell this hon. House the producers of these things; just for our information only.
The Deputy Clerk of the House of Representatives: I think the House is quite in order to receive the Bill and commence deliberations on it. As it is provided in the Constitution, a bill can originate from any of the two Houses. There is nothing in the Constitution that says the two Houses cannot work on the same bill at the same time. The only thing is that at the end of the day, if there are differences in the versions of the bill as passed by the two Houses, the two Houses will meet in a Conference Committee to harmonise the differences. So, I think the House is in order.
Mr. Speaker: I will direct the Clerk of this House to please organise a very short seminar for us to educate us in regard to these procedures in details, maybe, sometime next week or any other convenient time.
Thank you, very much.
ORDER OF THE DAY
Debate on the Address of the President,
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria
(Fifth Allotted Day)
( Adjourned Debate 18 June, 1999).
Mr. Speaker: We will now go on to the Order of the Day which is Debate on the Address of the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This is the fifth alloted day. please, I will appeal to hon. Members to be very brief.
Hon. Olusegun Vincent Damiro (Mushin II): Mr. Speaker, Sir, hon. Members, first, the President dwelt on the issue of reconciliation in such a way that he passed the buck back to the House at the end of it all. I will refer to the issue of the true federalism as mentioned. Fellow hon. Members of this great House, you will recollect that up to 1966, we used to have a Federal system of governance in this country. From 1966 onward to 1998, we had what you might call Unitary system of governance in this country whereby all powers of the Regions then were all pulled together to the centre. Now that we are in a democracy, we believe such powers ought to revert to the States and we know that one of the issues that divide us is the issue of true federalism. We should at one point or the other discuss this particular issue in detail. I will move on to the issue of Agriculture next.
I want to believe, sincerely that Members will agree with me that the Federal Government has no business in Agriculture. Agriculture should be the concern of the States; those allocations being discussed earlier on, I sincerely believe, should be reverted to the States.
They own the land, and more money should be given to the States for Agricultural purposes. Fertilizers should be obtained in an open market, but of course, it should be subsidized as the case may be. I believe there are so many events that have overtaken the President's address, so I will stop at this point.
Thank you, very much.
Mr. Speaker: The time being 1.45 p.m., I will call on the Chief Whip of the House to move a motion to adjourn this House until 10.00 a.m. tomorrow please.
Hon. Abubakar Bawa Bwari (Gurara/Suleja): Mr. Speaker, Sir, hon. Members, I wish to move that this House be adjourned till tomorrow, Thursday, 1st July, 1999 at 10.00 a.m.
Hon. (Barr.) Ita Enang (Itu/Ibiono Ibon): Mr. Speaker, Sir, hon. Members, I second the motion for adjournment.
In seconding the motion, Sir, I want to observe that one of the Members of this honourable House, Member for Enugu North/Enugu South, (hon. Gideon Oniyia) I has been appointed as a Minister and he is about to be sworn in or must have been sworn in about now.
I suggest that this honourable House,should congratulate that hon. Member who is today being sworn in and thank the President for considering one of us fit enough for this appointment.
As a corrallary, I want to draw the attention of the President to the fact that when a reference is made to the National Assembly, it means the Senate and the House of Representatives. This is because we are aware that the President passed the list of Members to be appointed on a resolution of the
National Assembly. But whereas Section 215 states that the National Assembly shall pass this resolution, the list of those persons have not been passed to this honourable House. This honourable House should draw the President's attention that unless the List is sent to this House and we fix their remuneration, and know the number of persons who are to be appointed, those persons appointments will be deemed to be infraction of the Constitutional provisions.
Thank you, Sir. (Applause)
ANNOUNCEMENT
Inauguration of Drugs and Narcotics,
the Judiciary, and Rules and Business Committees
Mr. Speaker: This is to remind Members that the inauguration of the Drugs and Narcotics, the Judiciary and Rules and Business Committees will be at 3. 00 p. m. tomorrow.
Question put and agreed to
Resolved: That the House do stand adjourned till Thursday, lst July, 1999 at 10. 00 a. m.
The House Adjourned accordingly at 1. 20 p. m.