Senate receives harmonized report on constitution review

Senate receives harmonized report on constitution review -----Passes National Health Bill By OKechukwu Jombo The senate yesterday received the report of the conference committee on the review of the constitution of the federal Republic of Nigeria,1999 Bill 2014 and passed the National Health bill. The Deputy President of the Senate and Chairman Senate Committee on Constitution Review, Senator Ike Ekweremadu had on Wednesday, 5 June 2013 presented before the Senate, the Report of the Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended). The comprehensive and well detailed report which was signed by 49 other Senators contained results of retreats and outcomes of opinion polls conducted in the course of the review process. But because he was presiding over the session in the absence of the Senate president who is in Geneva for international parliamentary union meeting, the leader of the Senate Senator Victor Ndoma Egba laid the harmonised report on the table to be debated on a later date They also passed the bill on the Federal University of Petroleum Resources,Effurun Establishment etc bill 2014. The bill which was sponsored by late Senator Pius Ewherido gave legal status to the university which is already in existence Effurun. The senate also received the report of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative NEITI on the Fiscal Allocation and statutory disbursement FASD Audit 2007-2011 and Solid Minerals 2011 in accordance with section 4[3] of the NEITI Act 2007 Deputy Senate President ,Senator Ike Ekweremadu who presided over the sitting emphasized on the need for the senate to pass some very important bills still before it like The Petroleum Industry Bill PIB ,Review of the constitution before the end of the session He also said the senate is awaiting the 2015 appropriation act which according to him must be passed before the end of the year 2014. The senate read for the first time three bills namely the Equipment Leasing Bill,Nigerian Geological Survey Agency Act 2003 and N.D.E Act Cap N28 Amendment bill Some bills like the act to repeal the insurance Brokers act 2003 to re-enect a new one and the electoral act 2010 Amendment bill were stood down for next parliamentary days.