Three bills have scaled through the second reading in the House of Representatives chamber of the National Assembly in Abuja.
One of those which scaled through the second phase during Thursday’s plenary is the bill seeking to amend the Constitution to give legal backing to making free, compulsory, and basic education a fundamental human right for all citizens of Nigeria.
The second is a bill proposing punishment for the police or any other law enforcement agent who refuses to arrest any person as directed by a legislative house in the country.
Although is unclear if the Constitution allows lawmakers to give directives to law enforcement agencies, but the lawmakers are attempting to amend the Legislative Houses Powers and Privileges Act 2017 to that effect.
The bill also seeks to prescribe the punishment for contempt of legislative houses and provide an exception to the kind of person to be compelled by a legislative house.
Such entities include the president, governors, deputy governors, diplomats and their agents, as well as international organisations like the United Nations, African Union, European Union, Ecowas, and Common Wealth.
This bill is sponsored by the Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, and another lawmaker, Luke Onofiok.
The third bill, on its part, is seeking for an act to alter the Constitution to provide for a timetable for submitting the names of ministerial or commissioners-nominees with their respective portfolios attached.
The bill will also make it compulsory to the president and governors to attach evidence of declaration of assets and liabilities of such nominees.
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