The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon.Yakubu Dogara, thursday assured Nigerians that the ‘Not Too Young To Run Bill’ in the constitution amendment report laid before the House will be followed through.
His assurance came on the backdrop of growing public outcry that the bill may have been removed from the proposed amendment.
He made the remarks during plenary following a clarification on the matter by the Chairman of the House Ad hoc Committee on Review of the Constitution, Hon. Sulaimon Yussuf Lasun.
Dogara assured Nigerians that the bill was not removed from the report which would be considered next week, reaffirming his support for youth inclusion in politics.
He said the House would live up to the promise it made to do all within its powers to pass the bill.
He said: “The young people should be informed that we made a promise and we will keep to our promise, by God’s grace.”
The deputy speaker had explained that rumours spreading that the bill was removed at the retreat of the joint Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Review of the Constitution was false.
He, however, further explained that though the bill was retained, the title was changed, which could be the reason why it was thought to have been expunged.
Meanwhile, the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Climate Change, Hon. Samuel Onuigbo, yesterday urged the federal government to make adequate budgetary provision towards addressing the problems climate change in the country.
He regretted that the country is currently lagging behind in terms of taking a leading role towards address the concerns in the continent.
He said an average of 26.4 million people had been displaced from their homes by natural disasters on annual basis since 2008.
Speaking at a public hearing on “A bill for an Act to provide a legal framework for the mainstreaming of climate change responses and action into government policy formulation and implementation and the establishment of the national council on climate change and other related purposes,” he warned of further devastating impact unless urgent steps were taken.
He said it was unacceptable for Nigeria to be outpaced by her peers or even less endowed nation in many spheres of endeavours including climate change efforts, adding that Nigeria cannot afford to fall in this regards.
According to him, “An average of 26.4 million people have been displaced from their homes by natural disasters every year since 2008 equivalent to one person every second D’s and one third of the worlds arable land jeopardized by land deregulation triggering economic losses of $6.3 to $10.6 trillion per year.
“In 2012, the National Emergency Management Agency NEMA reported that the flood s that occurred in 30 states in Nigeria early July of that year killed 363 people and displaced over 2.1/million people as at November of that year. According to NEMA, the estimated damages and losses caused by floods worth 2.5 trillion.
“The drying up of Lake Chad from 25000 square miles in the 1960s to about 2500 square miles now has undoubtedly led to the loss of livelihood of many, migration, farmers/ herdsmen clashes, low food production and disturbing rise in insecurity in the North East Region.”
The Speaker Speaker of the House, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, said the passage of the bill would address many climate change issues in the country.
Represented by the Deputy Majority Whip, Hon. Pally Iriase, the speaker said there was need for existing laws to guide climate change in the country.
