Majority leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila has said the 8th Assembly has passed 327 bills between June and December 2015.
Gbajabiamila, who represents Surulere Federal Constituency on the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC, made the disclosure in Lagos while addressing journalists on the scorecard pf the 8th House or Reps in Lagos on Wednesday.
According to the lawmaker, a total of 327 bills were sponsored within the period under review as against 132 similar bills that were presented within the first six months of the seventh assembly.
“From the 327 bills, 264 had passed through first reading and awaiting second reading while 40 other bills had been referred to committees”, Gbajabiamila said.
He said the bills and motions sponsored and passed so far are clear demonstrations of the House’s resolve to make laws and embark on legislative activities for the good governance of Nigeria.
“Bills have been presented and resolutions passed to address the issues of insecurity, unemployment, economic reform, reform in the oil and gas sector of the economy, among others”, he added.
Hon. Gbajabiamila also said the assembly, in its six months of existence, had investigated many issues that affect the development of the health, education, power and energy sectors.
He said the House is however, ready to pursue the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill in the coming year and present further amendment to the constitution.
The majority leader, who acknowledged that the House had what he called a “bumpy start” following the political crisis that greeted the election of presiding officers in June, pointed out that the green chamber “has been able to step up to the plate and has busied itself in working for the progress of Nigeria.”.
The House earlier in December received knocks after reports of its presentation of 130 bills in one day but Mr. Gbajabiamila explained the rationale behind the unprecedented feat.
“Let me quickly pre-empt those who have questioned the rationale behind the presentation of 130 bills for first reading in one day”, he said during Wednesday’s press conference.
“Our Legislature is presently confronted with so many defective and obsolete provisions in our laws. What the current House has done is to put its members and the National Institute for Legislative Studies to work and in the course of reviewing existing laws, discovered provisions in our laws that had become obsolete both in language, spirit and effect.
“The Institute therefore recommended these bills for amendments and repeals. It was an all-encompassing exercise targeted at flushing out irrelevant and obsolete provisions from our laws”.
