Reps set to amend ACJA, Armed Forces Act, others – www.cliptvonline.com

…as bills pass first reading

By Levinus Nwabughiogu-Abuja

House of Representatives is set to amend the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.

The bills sponsored by the spokesman of the House, Hon. Benjamin Kalu was read for the first time on Wednesday plenary.

The bills are tilted (Administration of Criminal Justice Act. (Amendment) Bill, 2021 (HB. 1186); Armed Forces Act (Amendment) Bill, 2021 (HB. 1187) and Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Bill, 2021 (HB. 1188).

The Speaker in his remarks to welcome back members from the 2020 Christmas and New Year holidays emphasized the need to tinker with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act to reflect modern realities.

He said: “Honourable colleagues, the true test of government is in our ability to protect the most vulnerable amongst us. We cannot separate the goal of economic prosperity from the ambition to ensure that all our people live in a just society free from abuse of power and protected by a justice system built on fairness and the rule of law. Therefore, we will shortly begin considering Bills to amend the Administration of Criminal Justice Act. We will follow up with a long-overdue review of the Trafficking In Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement And Administration Act and other legislation that seek to deliver a justice system that works for all”.

Other bills introduced by the House included Savings Bond and Certificates Act (Amendment) Bill, 2021 (HB. 1191); the University Teaching Hospitals (Reconstitution of Board, Etc.) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2021 (HB. 1192); Chartered Institute of Administration Act (Amendment) Bill, 2021 (HB. 1193), all sponsored by Hon. Abubakar Yunusa Ahmad.

Others were the Federal College of Education (Technical), Numa (Establishment) Bill, 2021 (HB. 1196) sponsored by Hon. Kwamoti B. Laori; Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill, 2021 (HB. 1197) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill, 2021 (HB. 1198) sponsored by Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha; Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Alteration) Bill, 2021 (HB. 1201) sponsored by Hon. Babajimi Benson; Rice Import (Prohibition) Bill, 2021 (HB. 1202) sponsored by Hon. Saidu Musa Abdullahi; Religious Discrimination (Prohibition) Bill, 2021 (HB. 1203) sponsored by Hon. Saidu Musa Abdullahi and Fire Arms Act (Amendment) Bill, 2021 (HB. 1204) sponsored by Hon. Adejoro Adeogun.