A Bill for an Act to amend the National Assembly Library Trust Fund to change the name to National Assembly Library and Resource Centre has passed second reading against the recent efforts by the Federal Government to reduce cost of governance by merging agencies.
The amendment seeks to “provide for additional sources of fund for the Centre, eliminate the ambiguity in the chairmanship position of the Governing Council, streamline the functions of the Governing Council and the office of the Director General, and to provide for the application of the funds of the Centre to set up the National Assembly Museum”.
The motion to that effect was moved by the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central).
However, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South) promptly opposed the amendment, saying government wants to implement Orosanye report to reduce cost of governance by merging or scraping some agencies, the National Assembly should not be seen to create additional agencies.
Abaribe wondered why the National Assembly should have National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) and at the same time have National Assembly Library and Resource Centre.
“Why can’t we merge the two agencies and see that we have one centre that will carter for the resource and other things that they do there.
“I agree that we need the library, the museum as the case may be and the resource centre; two agencies that we have within the National Assembly doing functions that are complimentary to each other. We need to also look for efficiency. That is my submission, Mr. President”.
However, Akpabio said Distinguished Senator Abaribe, this is very futuristic. What we have right now is trust fund. I also wonder why trust fund?
“This was an Act of parliament that was enacted just last year. Realising the difficulty of operating under trust fund, they have come before us to have a change of name to National Assembly Library and Trust Fund.
“Let us have the Library and Resource Centre and thereafter we look at their functionalities, then we see whether they need to come together as one.
After using his power well, Akpabio asked those in support of the bill to be read a second time and it was a loud “aye”.
He thereafter referred the to bill to the “Committee of the Whole” to be considered the next legislative day. This means the bill will not go through the necessary public hearing for input from other stakeholders.
It also means the bill can be passed into law the next legislative day, which is Wednesday March 6, 2024.
By Haruna Salami
