AFTER a 56-day break, members of the House of Representatives will tomorrow reconvene to debate the $1 billion request from President Goodluck Jonathan to combat Boko Haram and security problems in Nigeria.

House Committee Chairman on rules and business, Rep Albert Sam-Tsokwa,PDP, Taraba, who revealed this yesterday stated that apart from the president’s loan request, the House would devote the whole of Tuesday to attend to matters of urgent national importance.

Sam-Tsokwa stressed that while the lawmakers were on break, a lot of issues emerged that required their attention, hence the House would have to look into them immediately.
The lawmaker said due to the renewed attacks by Boko Haram, the House would have to expedite action on the request made by President Jonathan.

“So many things happened during the break and these are matters of urgent national importance, which have to be critically and urgently attended to. So when we resume on Tuesday, we will devote the entire sitting debating on such issues”.

On the request for a $1 billion to checkmate insurgency by President Jonathan, Tsokwa explained that “with the happenings around us, the House will accelerate consideration of the matter. The matter was referred to relevant committees and we will be expecting their report immediately plenary commences on Tuesday. “

Other national issues that may be on the front burner at the resumed plenary of the House include the September 22 resumption date of schools, the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, leadership configuration of the minority parties, divestment of oil wells and the state of investigation of the utilisation of the service wide votes, among others.

Preparatory to the Tuesday resumption, the House committee on education will today meet with members of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, parents association and other stakeholders in the health and education sector to review the September 22, 2014 resumption date for private and public primary and secondary schools in the country.

Following the change of resumption date from October 13 to September 22 by the federal ministry of education, the House leadership had last week mandated its committee on education to review the matter, considering the fact that the outbreak Ebola virus has not completely abated in the country.

Chairman of the House Committee on Education,  Aminu Suleiman said last week that the committee had set aside today to interface with relevant stakeholders in education and health sectors so as to present an informed recommendation to the floor when the House reconvenes tomorrow.

Vanguard recalls that the House had supported those calling for the postponement of schools’ resumption date.
Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Rep Victor Ogene,APGA, Anambra who disclosed the position of the House in Abuja, said apprehension was still palpable among parents and guardians over Federal Government’s decision to change the earlier resumption date of October 13 to September 22.

Ogene, had noted that the leadership of the House was concerned over the fresh protests by the public, especially parents and guardians, said the House tasked the committee to look into the matter urgently “in the overall interest of the pupils and students, parents and guardian and the general well-being of the entire country.”

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