National Conference: What 20 Standing Committees will discuss

National Conference: What 20 Standing Committees will discuss

As the National Conference ends its plenary on Thursday, the 20 standing committees are expected to commence work on Tuesday next week, after the Easter break.

Below are the committees and what they are expected to discuss.

Committee on Devolution of Power: Will focus on fiscal federalism; revenue sharing; resource control; sharing formula and any other related matters.

Committee on Political Restructuring and Forms of Government: Federalism; Regionalism; State Creation; Geo-political zones; Forms and Content of Government; Presidential; Parliamentary; Legislature; Bicameral; Unicameral Legislature (Part-time/Full-time) and Local Government Administration.

Committee on National Security: Armed Forces;

Civilian oversight of the security sector; Review of the Armed Forces Act; the Police; Reform of the Customs Service; Road Safety Corps; Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism; Armed Robbery; Kidnapping; Small Arms Proliferation Communal Violence; Election Violence; Illegal oil theft and smuggling; Sea piracy; Organised/Trans-National Crime; Money Laundering; Human Trafficking; Drug Trafficking; Terrorism Financing; Cyber Crime; and any other related matters.

Committee on Environment Meteorology and Climate Change: Its functions cover Illegal Mining Activities; Pollution; Gas flaring; Protection of Biodiversity; Afforestation and Reforestation; Flooding/Gully Erosion; Environmental Degradation; Oil Spillage and Desertification; Drought; Waste management/Disposal; Hazardous/Toxic Waste; Bush burning; Natural Disaster.

Committee on Politics and Governance: Its scope of work covers Immunity clause; Good governance and democratization; Deepening democracy, democratic culture and orientation; Mechanisms for a more inclusive participatory democracy; National Ethics; Minority rights/ ethnic nationalities Corruption; Anti Corruption Agencies; Corruption and national development
Constitutional Amendment; Freedom of Information; Role of traditional rulers.

Committee on Law, Judiciary, Human Rights, Legal Reform, Law and Order: It will cover the Judiciary; Review of judicial institutions; Increase in the number of Supreme Court Justices; Increase in the number of divisions of the Court of Appeal; Technology in administration of Justice; Professional development of Judicial Officers; Sharia and customary legal systems; Delays in administration of justice; Independence of the judiciary; and Funding of the Judiciary; Appointment of Judicial Officers; Access to justice; Alternative Justice – ADR, Mediation, Conciliation; Specialized Courts/ tribunals; Condition of service of judicial officers; Prison reforms; Rehabilitation; Reformation; Reintegration Sentencing and death penalty; Justiciability of the fundamental objectives and directive principles of state policy; Chapter 2 of the Constitution Jurisdiction of Industrial Court

Committee on Social Sector: Will focus on Health; Universal Health Care Coverage; Primary Healthcare; Investment in health; Emphasis on Preventive Health; Education, Restructuring of the curriculum; Investment in education; and National education policy; Return of missionary and private schools to original owners; Nomadic education; Institutionalizing Almajiri education system; Housing; Affordable Housing; Social Security; Rights of senior citizens; Unemployed Nigerians; Pensions and Gratuity; Insurance; Poverty and wealth creation; Gender; Status of married women; State of origin; State of marriage; Affirmative Action; Political Participation; Discrimination; Child’s Rights Law; Child’s Right Law Implementation Bodies; Disability Rights/ Welfare.

Committee on Transportation: Will cover Roads; Railway; Aviation; Maritime; National Inland Water Ways; Shipping and shipment.

Committee on Science, Technology and Development: Will focus on Information, Communication and Technology; Media/Social network; Science and technology education; Investment in research and development; Promotion and improvement of indigenous technological innovations; Space and nuclear regime; Capacity building and training for scientists; Medical technology; Biodiversity; and Fabrication of buildings etc.

Committee on Agriculture: Will cover Food Security; Food storage, processing and packaging industries; Grazing Reverses/Ranching and Industrial Cattle feeds; Water Resources; National agricultural policy; Agricultural subsidy; Mechanized agriculture; Land acquisition, traditional institutions and agriculture; Irrigation; Bio-technology and Agricultural Production; Poultry and Fishery; and Animal Husbandry

Committee on Civil Society, Labour and Sports Committee: Will cover such areas as Empowerment and regulation of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs); Capacity building for CSOs; Youth empowerment; Unemployment; Minimum wage; Trade Unionism and Industrial Action; National Youth Service Corps Investments in sports; and Legal regime on sports

Committee on Public Service: Will focus on Federal Character; Civil Service Structure; Remuneration of public officers and civil servants; State of the civil service; and Salary Structure.

Committee on Political Parties and Electoral Matters: Will cover Political parties and Electoral process; Method of elections; Party supremacy and internal democracy; Independent candidature; Regulation of campaign; Campaign financing and expenditure ceiling; State monitoring bodies and Local Government Elections; Electoral offences; Independence and autonomy of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC); Delineation of constituencies; Conduct of free and fair elections; The role of security agencies in elections; Diaspora voting; Political Recruitment and internal democracy in political parties

Committee on Foreign Policy and Diaspora Matters: Will cover Prisoner Exchange; Extradition; Promotion of culture and tourism, investment in tourism; Cultural exchange; Nigeria and international peacekeeping operations; Review of Technical Aid Corps programme; Promotion of peace, human rights, justice and racial equality within the international system; and Nigeria-centric foreign policy; Security and well-being of Nigerians at Home and Abroad Afrocentricism; Promoting Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) regime; Non alignment; Economic diplomacy; Domestication of treaties; Mutual Legal Assistance; Universal Jurisdiction; Role/ Participation in International Organizations; Diaspora matters; Role of foreign missions in Nigerian domestic affairs; and Status of Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Committee on Land Tenure Matters and National Boundary: Will work on the Review of the Land Use Act; Traditional Land Holding Rights; Establishment and manning of boundaries; and Adjustment of boundaries

Committee on Economy, Trade and Investment: Will work on Industries and Industrialisation; Diversification of the economy; Patents, Copyright, Trademarks, Trade or Business name, Industrial Designs and Merchandize Marks; Bio-piracy and traditional knowledge; Foreign Direct Investments; Exclusive Economic Zone; Export Processing Zone; Oil and other mineral resources exploration and management; Trade agreement; Bilateral/Multilateral; Tourism and Economic Development plan

Committee on Energy: Will work on Strategic energy policy; Oil and Gas policy; Solar Energy; Nuclear Energy; Wind energy; Hydro energy; Thermal energy and Bio-energy

Committee on Religion: Will discuss State and religion; Sponsorship and public funding of pilgrimage; and Restoring national ethics, culture, morals and core values

Committee on Public Finance and Revenue Generation: Will focus on Domestic and external debt; Tax administration; Tax contribution; Internally generated revenue; Externally generated revenue; Regulation of external borrowing by States and Local Governments; and Productivity

Committee on Citizenship, Immigration and Related Matters: Will focus on Movement of goods, persons and services; Citizenship and nationality; Integrated national database; Immigration and internal security; Multiple citizenship of Nigerians; Residency; Indigeneity and residency (indigenes/settlers dichotomy); Refugee and asylum; Census; and Border patrol.