Nigerian Senate to pass Electoral Amendment Bill
President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, says the National Assembly is working towards passing the Electoral Act Amendment Bill in the next two weeks.
Lawan said this at the inauguration of Mr Abimbola Yusuf, as Chief Commissioner of the Public Complaints Commission (PCC) and 37 other Commissioners from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
He urged Nigerians who were not comfortable with certain clauses in the ongoing amendment, to take their complaints to their representatives, for consideration before the passage of bill.
“The national assembly is embarking on the amendment of the Electoral Act probably by next week or within the next two weeks. It is very important that those who feel very strongly about any amendment that they think should be effected in the Electoral Act should contact or talk to their members of House of Representatives as well as distinguished Senator’’s.
The Senate president state that the presiding officers do not determine what is coming or what is not “so it is very important that in the same fashion, in the same way, the Public Complaints Commission is utilised properly by the general public,” he said.
He aslo assured the PCC of the national assembly’s support towards tackling its challenges.
Lawan, while noting that millions of Nigerians were ignorant of the workings and powers of the commission, urged the commissioners to embark on media campaigns to enlighten the public on its activities.
Speaker House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila said that the commission was a product of necessity due to human rights abuses, societal victimisation, high headedness and practices of maladministration.
“The main purpose of bringing the PCC on board was to curtail all forms of injustices in public administration in Nigeria,” Gbajabiamila said.
He urged the commissioners to bring to play, all the necessary ingredients needed in public administration for workers’ protection, for the benefits of Nigerians and residents of Nigeria irrespective of ethnicity or religious inclinations.
NAN
