Reps pass Tinubu’s bills through second reading

…seek urgent intervention in Odi erosion crisis

The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed through second reading three executive bills transmitted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, seeking reforms in drug law enforcement, transport safety investigations and leadership development in the public service, while calling for urgent Federal Government intervention to address the worsening erosion crisis threatening Odi Kingdom in Bayelsa State.

The three bills are the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (Amendment) Bill, 2026; National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (Amendment) Bill, 2026; and National School of Government Bill, 2026.

The lawmakers gave the proposed legislation overwhelming support following a debate on their general principles led by the Majority Leader, Hon. Julius Ihonvbere who solicited the support of lawmakers across party lines, emphasising the importance of the proposed reforms to strengthening public institutions, improving governance and addressing critical national challenges.

Following the debate, Speaker Abbas Tajudeen referred the bills to the relevant standing committees for further legislative consideration.

Under the proposed NDLEA legislation, Tinubu is seeking to repeal the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap N30, and the Indian Hemp Act, Cap 16, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, to establish a consolidated legal framework for drug control and enforcement in the country.

The proposed law seeks to strengthen the enforcement of legislation against the cultivation, processing, sale, trafficking and use of illicit drugs, while empowering the agency to investigate persons suspected of involvement in drug-related offences. Its consideration by the National Assembly is expected to provide an opportunity to review existing provisions governing the operations of the NDLEA and the regulation of drug-related activities.

The second executive bill, the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (Amendment) Bill, 2026, seeks to amend the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (Establishment) Act, No. 35 of 2022. According to the President, the amendment is designed to reposition the Bureau as an independent, multimodal safety investigation authority, extending its responsibilities beyond aviation to cover rail, maritime and other transport-related incidents.

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The proposed amendment also seeks to transfer supervisory oversight of the Bureau to the Presidency and strengthen its institutional, operational and administrative mandates. If enacted, the legislation would broaden the Bureau’s investigative responsibilities, enabling it to examine safety occurrences across different transport modes rather than concentrating primarily on aviation incidents.

The third bill, the National School of Government Bill, 2026, seeks to repeal the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria Act, Cap A4, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and replace it with a new legal framework establishing the National School of Government, Nigeria. The proposed institution is intended to serve as a national centre for leadership development, policy delivery and executive capacity building, with the aim of improving the ability of government officials to implement public policies and programmes effectively.

Also at plenary, the House called on the Federal Government to make adequate budgetary provisions for comprehensive erosion control, shoreline stabilisation and environmental restoration in Odi Kingdom, Bayelsa State, warning that the community faced an existential threat from persistent environmental degradation.

Leading the debate on a motion of urgent public importance, Hon. Oboku Oforji, who described Odi Kingdom as one of the largest and oldest Ijaw settlements in Bayelsa State and Nigeria, strategically located along the River Nun, noted that the community held significant historical, cultural and economic importance and had contributed substantially to the development of Bayelsa State and the wider Niger Delta region.

Hon. Oforji recalled that Odi Kingdom suffered extensive destruction during the military invasion of 1999, after which residents painstakingly rebuilt their homes and livelihoods.

He said the community was struck by a devastating earth tremor in 2025, accompanied by intensified shoreline erosion that accelerated the collapse of residential buildings, public infrastructure and farmlands, leaving many residents homeless and exposed to further environmental hazards.

The lawmaker expressed concern that the erosion continued to consume portions of the community, threatening lives, livelihoods and critical infrastructure, despite the absence of a comprehensive intervention by relevant Federal Government agencies.

He warned that failure to take urgent action could result in further displacement, environmental degradation and the possible extinction of the community, with serious humanitarian and socio-economic consequences for Bayelsa State and the Niger Delta. 

Citing Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, he stressed the government’s responsibility to protect the lives and property of Nigerians.

To address the crisis, the House urged Federal Ministries of Environment, Works, and Water Resources and Sanitation, the Niger Delta Development Commission, the Ecological Project Office and other relevant agencies, to conduct an emergency assessment and immediately design and execute permanent shoreline protection, erosion control and land reclamation projects in Odi Kingdom.

The lawmakers subsequently mandated the joint Committees on Environment, Emergency and Disaster Preparedness, Ecological Funds, and Niger Delta Development Commission to conduct an on-the-spot assessment of the affected community and report back within four weeks with recommendations for immediate legislative action.