• Swear in Dorothy Mato

From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja

House of Representatives yesterday passed into law 22 bills seeking to alter different sections of the 1999 constitution (as amended).

The bills had earlier scaled through at the Committee of the Whole during voting on constitutional alteration exercise in the House last July.

Following the passage of the bills, the House would hold a conference with the Senate to enable both chambers harmonise their positions on the bills,  before they are sent to 36 state Houses of Assembly.

Among the 22 bills that passed third reading at yesterday’s plenary are a bill to include former heads of the National Assembly in the Council of State and a bill to disqualify any person who was sworn in as president or governor to complete the term of the elected president or governor from being elected to the same office for more than a single term.

The bill to provide immunity for members of the legislature with regard to words spoken during plenary or committee proceedings and institutionalise legislative bureaucracy in the constitution, as well as the Not too young to run bill, which seeks to reduce the age for qualification for the offices of the president and governor and membership of legislative houses at the federal and state levels, also passed third reading.

Others are a bill seeking to grant financial autonomy to state houses of assembly, a bill to specify the period within which the president or a state governor shall present the Appropriation Bill before the National Assembly or state House of Assembly and a bill to provide for independent candidacy in elections.

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Similarly, a bill seeking to strengthen local government administration in the country and a bill seeking to grant financial autonomy to local government areas by abrogating the State-Local Government Joint Account also passed third reading.

Also, the bill to reduce the period within which the president or the governor of a State may authorise the withdrawal of monies from the Consolidated Revenue Fund in the absence of an Appropriation Act from six months to three months, and a bill to compel the president and state governors to submit the list of ministerial or commissioner nominees  to the Senate or State House of Assembly for confirmation within 30 days of taking the oath of office also passed third reading.

The bills to establish the office of the Accountant General of the Federal Government, separate from the office of Accountant General of the federation, and make the offices of the Auditor-General and Attorney-General of the Federation and for the State financially independent also passed third reading.

In the same vein, a bill to strengthen the Judiciary for speedy dispensation of Justice and a bill to provide time for the determination of pre-election matters equally passed third reading.

Meanwhile, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, yesterday swore in the member-elect for Vandeikya/Konshisha federal constituency of Benue State, Dorothy Mato.

Mato, who was ushered into the chamber by the Sergent-at-arms at about 11:42am, was sworn-in at about 11:55am.

Her swearing-in came three months after the Supreme Court declared her the validly elected member for the Vandeikya/ Koshesia federal constituency.

The apex court, on June 23, nullified the election of former chairman of the House Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Herman Hembe, as lawmaker representing the constituency.