The House of Representatives on Thursday mandated its Joint Committee on Agriculture, Finance, Commerce and Customs to investigate the N50 billion (about $315 million) import waiver granted to the Vaswani brothers to import rice.
The Federal Government recently granted Stallion Group, owned by the Vaswani brothers, import waivers to the tune of N50 billion.
This was sequel to a motion moved by Ali Wudil (PDP-Kano) which was unanimously adopted by members without debate.
Leading the debate, Wudil noted that the Federal Government had granted frivolous import waivers to many foreign companies without recourse to due diligence.
According to Wudil, Nigeria has lost billions of naira to such waivers.
He said the granting of waivers on products as rice that could be produced in Nigeria, could discourage the local production.
“On many occasions, products on which waiver was granted were usually dumped in Nigeria.
“Aside from bringing and dumping the rice, it will serve as disincentive to the local farmers.’’
The joint committee is expected to submit its report to the House in two weeks.
In another motion on the mutilation and alteration of Acts of the National Assembly, the House urged the Federal Government to complete the Federal Government Printing Press in Abuja.
It suggested that the press should be the only accredited printer of all Acts of the National Assembly.
It further called on the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice to gazette all bills signed into law by the President and forward them to all relevant government agencies.
The House called on all relevant committees to ensure that laws were amended to give legal backing to the printing press as the accredited printer of laws.
This emanated from a motion by Rep. Betty Apiafi (PDP-Rivers) which was adopted.
Leading the debate, Apiafi noted that the rampant, deliberate mutilation of the Acts of the Assembly had made it almost impossible to know the actual laws passed by the assembly.
“The consequences and the attendant effect occasioned by the mutilation result in wrongful interpretation of the law.’’
Rep. Patrick Ikahriale (PDP-Edo) said members should stand against this development.
Rep. Ndudi Elumelu (PDP-Delta) said that copies of the amended Electoral Act were being hawked in the streets of Abuja even when the National Assembly had not concluded the exercise.
Rep. Peter Edeh (PDP-Ebonyi) suggested the “criminalisation” of the illegal printing of the National Assembly Acts by unauthorised persons.
Meanwhile, a Bill for an Act to further amend the Universities Act 1993 passed through second reading.
The bill seeks to increase the retirement age for academic staff in the professional cadre and non-academic staff.
Similarly, the Bill for an Act to harmonise the retirement age for academics in Polytechnics and Colleges of Education also passed through second reading.
The bills were referred to the Committee on Education for further legislative inputs.