The
harsh economic situation being experienced by Nigerians is beginning to take its toll on the nation’s legislative arm of government as paucity of funds has stalled the public hearing of the Port and Harbours bill.
Sources disclosed that the National Assembly had to post- pone indefinitely the public hearing on the Port and Harbours bill scheduled for the 19th of July 2016 due to the non-availability of funds to execute the exercise.
Although, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Marine Transport, Sen. Ahmed Yerima could not be reached for comments but the National Assembly sources told MMS PLUS that the 8th National Assembly had seen about 685 bill through first reading, adding that about 416 of these bills had been referred to different Committees for further legislative action .
The source explained that no two public hearings can cost the same, adding that sometimes, the Committee makes use of external consultants to get information.
It will be recalled that the Port and Harbours bill was first brought to the House in 2006 the same time with the Act establishing the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency( NIMASA).
Efforts to have comment from the Clerk of the Committee Mr. Funmilayo Olajide, who prepares budgets for public hearings was futile as calls to his phone were not answered.
The Port and Harbours bill has been be-deviled by lots of interests from both within and outside the maritime industry..
Speaking on the development, former special adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Mr.. Leke Oyewole said that there was a need to allow the public hearing hold due to the rippling effects it would have on both the maritime industry and the economy.
Similarly, logistics expert, Mr. Lucky Amiwero said that If the Port and Harbours bill was passed without passing the National Transport Commission(NTC) bill then there will be a problem because the whole essence of trying to revolutionize the industry through the legislature would have been lost.
“There is a need to hasten the passage of the bill because it has been on for too long,” he said.
