A Bill seeking to institute a legal framework for smooth transfer of power from one government to another and a Bill for an Act to amend the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (Establishment) Act 2004, have all passed the Second Reading stage in the House of Representatives.
The first of the Bills to scale the hurdles at plenary yesterday was a consolidated Bill for an “Act to provide for Smooth and Orderly Transfer of Power from one Government to Another; and a Framework for the Documentation and Transmission of Handover Note from one Administration to Another and to Ensure the Publication of Same in the Official Gazette and for Other Matters Related Thereto” jointly sponsored by the House majority leader, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and Hon. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama.
Gbajabiamila (APC, Lagos) while leading the debate on the Bill, said that if the Bill becomes an Act, it would facilitate hitch-free transmission of power from one government to another.
Gbajabiamila blamed series of accusations and counter-accusations recorded during the transfer of power from the immediate past administration to the incumbent on on the lack of legal framework to guide the process.
As stated by him, the Bill makes provision for both a serving President and the President-elect to have their teams on both sides who will ensure a smooth transition process.
“This is necessary for them to review the handover notes and acquire knowledge of the activities of ministries, departments and agencies,” he stated.
For his part, the Minority leader of the House, Hon. Leo Ogor (PDP, Delta) praised the Bill, adding that it would address a lot of administrative issues related to power handover.
Meanwhile, Speaker Yakubu Dogara referred the Bill to amend the PPPRA Act 2004 sponsored by Hon. Mark Gbillah (APC, Benue) to the House Committee on Commerce for further legislative input preparatory to its eventual passage into law at the Third Reading stage.