House passes Anti-Terrorism Bill

THE House of  Representatives, yesterday, passed the Anti-Terrorism Bill 2011. The bill seeks to provide  measures for the prevention, prohibition and combating of acts of  terrorism as well as punishment  for violating any of  its provisions.

President Goodluck Jonathan had on three occasions appealed to the House to give the bill expeditious consideration. The bill was  considered clause-by-clause and passed after the deletion of  clauses 32 and 33 which provided for the establishment of a commission and a board respectively.

The House commenced  consideration of the bill on February 17 .
Rep. Ita Enang, PDP-Akwa Ibom, argued that the establishment of a commission for anti-terrorism would amount to creating too many agencies, but. Rep. Shehu Matazu, PDP-Katsina, who agreed with Enang, said that the setting up  of another commission  would be a duplication of  other security outfits.

Reps. Abdul Ningi, PDP-Bauchi, Chinyere Igwe, PDP-Rivers, Leo Ogor, PDP-Delta, and others in opposition were not enough to rally the House to delete clause 23 which provides  for search without warrant.  The House commenced  consideration of the bill on February 17.

Meanwhile, the House has rejected a motion by  Ningi on the approval given Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau  to set up “Operation Rainbow.’’

The Chief of  Defence  Staff, Air Chief  Marshal Oluseyi Peterin, had given approval to Jang to set up the security outfit to assist in maintaining peace in the state.  But leading the debate, Ningi said that the National Assembly ought to have been carried along when the decision was taken.

-Vanguard

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Posted by admin on Feb 22 2011. Filed under House, Latest Politics, Legislature. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry