Udora Orizu in Abuja
The House of Representatives has resolved to constitute an ad-hoc Committee to investigate the collapse of automobile assembly plants in the country with the view to making insightful recommendations for the immediate resuscitation of the moribund plants.
The resolution of the lawmakers followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Abdullahi Ibrahim Ali Halims, at yesterday’s plenary.
Moving the motion, Halims recalled that in the 70’s up till the early 90s automobile companies like Volkswagen, Peugeot, Leyland had functional assembly plants located in different cities across the country and contributed positively to the economy.
He, however said due to the current economic challenges facing Nigeria as a whole, there was need to revive the moribund auto-mobile assembly plants by negotiating with investors interested in investing in Nigeria auto-mobile plants, as this will save billions of forex used in the importation of vehicles.
Adopting the motion, the House mandated its Committee on Legislative compliance to ensure compliance.
Also, the lawmakers adopting a motion sponsored by Hon. Preye Oseke mandated its Committees on Population and National Planning and Economic Development to invite the Chairman of National Population Commission to explain the experience of its personnel in the conduct of the Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) and discuss ways of mitigating the challenges.
The House also mandated its Committees on Commerce, Petroleum Resources (Upstream and Downstream), and Industries to liaise with the various State Chambers of Industry, Mines and Agriculture to ensure that foreign and local companies and enterprises operating in states key into the programmes and projects of the NPC.
Also, at the plenary the lawmakers passed for second reading a Bill for an Act to establish a National Council on Special Education Needs (NCSEN), to ensure full Integration of Persons with Special Needs into the society. The proposed legislation is sponsored by Hon. Ahmed Munir.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has mandated its Committee on Healthcare Services to investigate the activities of the COVID-19 Vaccination Units especially as it relates to their records of vaccinations to ensure that such records were duly kept in the approved database, the issuance of fake vaccination cards, the funds spent on maintaining a National Database and the inability of key government agencies to have real-time access to the COVID-19 vaccination database.
The lawmakers urged the federal government to overhaul the operations of the Port Health Services and equip to a world class standard.
The Red Chamber further urged the National Primary Health Care Development Agency to work towards creating the required synergy between its vaccine operations and the Port Health Services to ensure online real-time access to vaccination records of travelers from the database provided for such purpose.
The resolutions were sequel to the adoption of a motion on the need to, ‘Investigate the COVID-19 Vaccine Data Base of Travellers,’ sponsored by Hon. Obinna Chidoka (PDP, Anambra).
Moving the motion, Chidoka noted that it was a precondition for foreign travels to most countries that intending travelers must present their vaccination cards showing evidence of Covid-19 vaccination before such trips.
He also noted that records of COVID vaccination administered by the various units nationwide were expected to be uploaded in a database which could be accessed by the COVID-19 units at the various entry and exit points in Nigeria, particularly at the international airports.
