House of Reps to imprison public officials who ignore summons for one year ~ Zeniths Blog

House of Reps to imprison public officials who ignore summons for one year

-A Bill for an Act to Amend the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, 2004 has passed second reading

– The bill is sponsored by Honourable Sunday Karimi

– Karimi represents Yagba East/Yagba West/Mopa-muro federal constituency in Kogi state

A Bill for an Act to Amend the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, 2004 has passed second reading.

Bill to punish public officers 'ignoring' House of Reps pass second reading

File photo of the House of Representatives in plenary

The bill is sponsored by Honourable Sunday Karimi representing Yagba East/Yagba West/Mopa-muro federal constituency in Kogi state.

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The bill seeks to make more stringent the Offence of Failure to Attend Investigative Hearings of Legislative Houses and for Other Related Matters.

Often, heads of agencies don’t appear when summoned and this frustrates lawmaker’s efforts to investigate matters brought before it.

According to Honourable Karimi, the bill seeks to impose a fine of N1,000,000 and/or 1 year imprisonment.

class="align-left">Honourables Mohammed Soba and Igariwey Iduma however raised points of order, opposing the bill, but were both ruled out of order and the debate continued in the green chambers.

The bill passed second reading, and has been referred to the House Committee on Justice.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, January 18, the House addressed the issue of abandoned relatives of slain policemen.

READ ALSO: House of Reps berate FG for with-holding NJC funds

The motion was sponsored by Honourable Oghene Emma Egoh, representing Amuwo Odofin Federal constituency in Lagos state.

Egoh, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member stressed on the need for dependent relatives of over 3000 police personnel who died in active service to be paid their entitlements.

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