Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon.

Yakubu Dogara receiving a Plaque from Minister for State Solid Mineral Development, Alhaji Abu-
House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara (middle) exchanging pleasantries with French Ambassador to Nigeria, Amb. Dennys Gauer ( left ) while
bakar Bawa Bwari while the Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello looks on shortly after an inspection tour of Ajaokuta Steel Company
Chairman, Foreign Relations, Hon. Nnenna Ijeoma Ukeje ( right) looks on during a courtesy visit to the Speaker by a delegation from the French Ministry of
Limited
Foreign Affairs in Kogi
at the State
National Assembly

HIGHLIGHTS:
 National Assembly Will Resist Concessioning Of Ajaokuta Steel Company,
Dogara
 Why Nigeria Must Key Into Global Changes
 Dogara Woos Swedish Investors With Business Opportunities In Power,
ICT, Industries, Automobile.
 Bill Prohibiting Medical Treatment Abroad For Public Servants Scales
Second Reading
National Assembly Will Resist
Concessioning Of Ajaokuta
Steel Company, Says Speaker Dogara
Speaker of the House of Representatives has disclosed
that the parliament will resist any move to concession
Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited, saying doing so
would amount to outsourcing Nigeria's future.

He, however, stated that the House will support the

outsourcing of the management of the facility since it is
a known fact that the government is not a good man-
ager of business.

Adding that it is a collective shame to all leaders that

the project is yet to be completed after so many years,
he also announced that the House will consult with
stakeholders to work out ways to source for the $500
million needed to complete the last phase of the pro-
ject, while noting that except the political will is lacking,
getting the funds to complete the company shouldn't
be an issue.

Speaking when he led members of the House Commit-

tee on Steel to the company in Kogi State, Hon Dogara
also noted that no nation concessions its bedrock and
expects to make developmental progress, and that the
reason why the steel company had not been completed
was due to a leadership problem which the present ad-
ministration has curbed by first ending an arbitration
case in foreign jurisdiction.

He expressed optimism that the $500 million can be

sourced easily through available means including the
Sovereign Wealth Fund, Excess Crude Account and re-
covered financial crimes loot, while adding that the
House will hold another of its sectoral debates, where
the lawmakers will meet with relevant agencies, includ-
ing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) whose chairman, Ibrahim Magu, will be expected
to brief the House how much it has recovered from cor-
ruption proceeds.

He explained that his determination to ensure that the

steel company is revived is borne out of the promises
that the company holds for Nigeria's teeming popula-
tion in the form of power and gas development, eco-
nomic boost, thousands of jobs creation, development
of manufacturing sector, development of infrastructure,
investor appeal, among others.
Why Nigeria Must Key Into Global
Changes-Speaker Dogara
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yaku-
bu Dogara, has stressed the need for Nigeria to key
into democratic changes taking place across the
world in a way that better serves her citizens, se-
cures their liberties, provides the needed protection
and triggers prosperity.

Speaking when he received a delegation from Save

Democracy Africa Group, led by Sen. Jonathan
Zwingina, in his office, he said Nigeria must join in
the ongoing experiment aimed at bettering, deep-
ening and protecting democracy.

The Speaker also accepted the invitation by the Save

Democracy Africa to formally chair its 3rd political
summit which will take place in Abuja later in the
year.

Hon Dogara stressed that whoever initiates change,

dominates in any field; whether in science and tech-
nology, agriculture or any field of human endeavour
and the reason why Nigeria doesn’t dominate and
has always been dominated is because “we have not
been able to initiate change.”

Speaking earlier, Senator Zwingina commended the

Speaker for his consistent advocacy for enthrone-
ment of democracy, rule of law and human right in
Nigeria, adding that his exemplary and sterling lead-
ership qualities have helped in bringing about the
much needed stability in the House of Representa-
tives and based on these accomplishment, the
group decided to endorse him to chair its 3rd politi-
cal summit.

Dogara Woos Swedish Investors
With Business Opportunities In
Power, ICT, Industries, Automobile.
…Reiterates call for Convocation of International Do-
nor Conference for Rebuilding North East
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yaku-
bu Dogara, has urged Swedish investors to explore
business opportunities in Nigeria’s Power, ICT, Indus-
tries, automobile and other sectors to boost the na-
tion’s economy, while expressing appreciation to
their government and people for their humanitarian
aid to victims of Boko Haram terrorism in the North
East.
Hon Dogara, who said these when he received the
Swedish ambassador to Nigeria, Inger Ulvedt, and
her delegation in his office, also reiterated his call for
the convening of an international donor conference
to source funds to rehabilitate and reconstruct the
region.
The Speaker noted that the country is the second
largest trade partner with Sweden in Sub-Sahara
Africa and has an existing cordial relationship that
it values and hopes to deepen more for the overall
citizens in both countries.
He, therefore, called for more flow of foreign di-
rect investment in Nigeria in the area of agricul-
ture to provide employment for both nations’
people, in the area of infrastructure, power, renew-
able energy, ICT, industries, automobiles, among
others.
Earlier, the Swedish ambassador told the Speaker
that Sweden is interested in collaborating with the
Nigerian government in various sectors, and
would like to broaden the existing bilateral agree-
ments between them.
She also disclosed that her country has been help-
ing Nigerian students at the University of Nigeria,
Nsukka, Enugu State and Usman Dan Fodio Uni-
versity, Sokoto State, in areas of innovation, add-
ing that her country has also been the biggest do-
nor to the Nigerian humanitarian trust fund for the
victims of violence in the North East where they
have also built small houses, schools, hospitals,
etc, to cater to the needs of the displaced persons.
 Speaker Dogara Holds Annual
Free Medical Treatments For
50,000 Patients In Bauchi State
... As doctors separate conjoined twins

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ya-

kubu Degaru, has held his annual medical out-
reach, where he offered free medical services to
over 50,000 patients in Bauchi State.

A team of medical doctors, nurses, laboratory

“Death Of 21 Bauchi Students
A Monumental Loss, National
Tragedy”
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yaku-
bu Dogara, has described as a monumental loss and
national tragedy, the death of 21 students of Govern-
ment Secondary School, Misau, Bauchi State, in a
ghastly motor accident.
The students, who were accompanied by three teach-
ers and their driver, were on their way to Kano State
for an educational excursion when the unfortunate
incident occurred.
Hon Dogara said he was deeply saddened by the un-
timely and sudden death of the children who passed
on in the process of pursuing education to become
future leaders of the country.
technicians and surgeons attended to hundreds of
patients who turned up for different medical
needs, including the successful separation of con-
joined twins. The programme held at the Trauma
Centre of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University
Teaching Hospital, Bauchi.
Other services being provided include outpatient
consultations, medical checkup with free drugs,
ultrasound scanning, free reading glasses and cat-
aract operations, laboratory tests for diabetes,
hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, and gynecological surgeries
and public health education on hygiene, malaria,
TB, HIV/AIDS, Lassa fever, among others.
This is third time in two years that the Speaker is
conducting free medical outreaches in Bauchi
state. The event attracts people from neighbouring
Kano, Kaduna, Plateau, Yobe, Gombe and Adama-
wa states.

Acknowledging that no amount of words would be

enough to console their parents and family members,
he prayed that God will give them the fortitude to
bear the irreparable loss and also extended his heart-
felt condolences to their parents, students and teach-
ers of Government Secondary School Misau, Misau
Emirate Council and the entire Bauchi State.

While praying that such a tragedy is never witnessed

again, he said the sad occurrence is a national trage-
dy of monumental proportion and a huge loss to the
country because the children embodied hopes and
aspirations for a better society and their sudden
death is a big loss to Nigeria.
Appropriation For Lake Chad
Basin Commission Suspended
For Flagrant Disregard For
House Resolution.
The House of Representatives has disclosed that no
funds will be appropriated for the Lake Chad Basin
Commission until its executive secretary honours an
investigative summon issued to him by its Commit-
tee on Lake Chad which was investigating the man-
agement of the commission.
Hon. Abubakar Chika Adamu had raised a motion
on the urgent need to address the flagrant abuse of
the authority and resolution of the House by the
executive secretary who he said refused to honour
the invitation of the Committee on Lake Chad by
suspending him pending the conclusion of the in-
vestigation.
The lawmakers also urged the Ministry of Water
Resources to ask him to vacate the position he
presently holds because his tenure has ended with
his exceeding of the retirement age as stipulated by
civil service rule and called for an audit of all finan-
cial transactions.
They also argued that he sent his legal officers and
other officials to stand in for him in a bid to conceal
the mismanagement of the Commission.
A further directive for the suspension of the appro-
priation of the commission was added by the
Speaker, Rt. Hon Yakubu Dogara, who was presid-
ing in plenary.
NEMA Boss To Face Reps Probe
Over Alleged Mismanagement
Of N17 Billion, Contract Scam.
The director general of National Emergency Man-
agement Agency, NEMA, will be investigated by the
House over allegations of mismanagement of N17
billion over the last year through contracts.
The decision to probe him was taken after the
House adopted a motion raised by Hon. Benjamin
Wayo on the need for an investigation of the viola-
tion of public trust at the National Emergency Man-
agement Agency (NEMA).
He said that N17 billion funds meant for making re-
lief materials available to victims of disaster were
illegally siphoned through dubious award of con-
tracts without delivering relief materials to victims,
leading to several cases of severe lack as witnessed
in the hunger issue in IDP camps, farmers/herdsmen
conflicts, fire disaster victims and others.
He further alleged that the DG of NEMA awards
contracts to interests in which he has personal inter-
ests and has violated his approval limits and award-
ed contracts without following due process. He cited
an example with Olam Nigeria Ltd, which he said
got a contract of N2.4 billion, an amount which ex-
ceeds the agency’s approval limit as stated in sec-
tion 16 (1) of the NEMA Act (which pegs the approv-
al limit at N30 million).
The lawmaker further stated that the agency’s air
ambulance was being used for commercial purposes
without remitting proceeds to government coffers
and that NEMA could not account for assets.
Bill Prohibiting Medical Treat-
ment Abroad For Public
Servants Scales Second Reading
In its effort to strengthen health institutions in Nige-
ria, the House of Representatives has passed a bill to
amend the National Health Act to regulate or pro-
hibit international medical trip by public servants
through second reading.
Sponsor of the bill, Hon. Sergius Ogun (PDP, Edo),
said while leading debate on the general principles
of the bill, that the legislation will support govern-
ment’s initiatives to strengthen statutory institutions
for optimal performance as well as generate more
revenue to address developmental deficits and other
challenges.
He argued that Nigeria loses about $500 million an-
nually, with over 5000 citizens embarking on medical
tourism to India alone on a yearly basis.
The lawmaker added that the bill, when passed into
law, will regulate international medical trip especially
by public servants who are the custodians of public
institutions, engender development of the public
health sector and save much needed funds for the
government through stoppage of sponsorship of
overseas medical treatment for public officials.
Power: House To Investigate
FG’s Power Recovery Pro-
gramme
The House Committee on Power has been man-
dated to investigate the Power Sector Recovery
Programme of the federal government with a
view to resolving the incongruities in the draft
Power Sector Recovery Programme.
In a motion moved by Hon. Abubakar Yunusa Ah-
med, the House noted that despite huge costs
committed to implementing power sector pro-
jects throughout the federation, as well as the pri-
vatisation of power sector in September 2013, dis-
tress, inefficiency and erratic power supply has
bedeviled the power sector in Nigeria.
It noted that while the Federal Ministry of Power,
Works and Housing in conjunction with the World
Bank and other institutions had created a Power
Sector Recovery Programme [PSRP] with a view to
attaining financial viability for the sector and to
rehabilitate the Nigeria electricity supply industry,
it does not propose a solution for fixing the criti-
cal business, infrastructural and technical flaws
resulting in the power sector performance failure
and market shortfall being experienced and does
not hold private companies accountable for their
proportionate share of accountability.
The lawmakers also expressed worry that the im-
plementation of the PSRP targeted at merely pay-
ing liabilities will create a platform for squander-
ing scarce financial resources without effectively
eliminating the root causes of power sector prob-
lems in Nigeria.
Reps Seek Medical and Life In-
surance Policy For Officers Of
Civilian JTF in the North East.
The House of Representatives has urged the federal
government to direct the chief of Defense Staff to
take statistics of the Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) in
the North East with a view to providing them with
medical and life insurance policy.

It has also asked for compensation to the families

of men of civilian Joint Task Force who died in the
battle against the insurgents and formally recogni-
tion of them as true heroes of Nigeria.

This was sequel to a motion moved by Hon. Yusuf

Buba Yakub in which the House noted that the Ci-
vilian Joint Task Force (JTF), a group of people who
volunteered to fight Boko Haram without pay, con-
tributed immensely in the war against insurgency
by assisting the Nigerian Armed Forces without
professional training.

It expressed concern that some of the JTF, who

equally put their lives at risk alongside men of the
Nigerian Armed Forces to ensure that Boko Haram
insurgents are ousted from the country, lost their
lives in the fight to end insurgency but have not
been recognized nor their families compensated by
the federal government.