By SINL Reporter
The House of Representatives Committee on Agricultural Production Services on Monday held its Public Hearing to gather inputs into three Agricultural related bills before the House.
The three bills are “a Bill for an Act to Establish Nigerian Institute of Plant Protection and for Related Matters ( HB. 109) (05/02/2020) and two other bills.
“A Bill for an Act to Repeal the Commodity Boards Act, Cap C4 LFN 2004 and to Re-Enact the Commodity and Grain Board as a Body Corporate to Promote, Regulate and Standardize the Production, Exportation of such Commodities and Grains; and for Related Matters (HB. 2016) (11/02/2020).
The the third bill is “A Bill for an Act to Amend the Sea Fisheries Act, CAP, 54, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to among Other Things, Bring the Penalties therein in Conformity with Modern Day Realities; and for Related Matters (HB. 416) (25/11/2019).
Chairman of the committee, Hon. Muktar Dandutse said the public hearing followed the resolve of the committee to accord significance to the Agricultural sector of the economy.
Dandutse, represents Funtua/Dandutse Federal Constituency of Katsina State at the House of Representatives.
Speaking with newsmen shortly after the public hearing, Director General, Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service, Dr. Vincent Isegbe said “we are here in respect of the public hearing on three bills that was presented today, that of the National Institute of Plant Protection (NIPP), the Sea Foods and the other one for the Commodity Board.
“On the NIPP bill, we have made our submission to the Honourable House and the proponents of the bill, they have said they have adjusted which we are going to look at, you can see us discussing, because we think we should put our heads together for national interest.
“If their course is genuine and not against any act of parliament, we will support them as much as can so that we can work together. But those areas which they said they have adjusted and which we will look at when we get to office, am sure we will come to an agreement”.
Isegbe noted that if the bill is generally in the National interest, Nigerians will agree to that and support it.
He explained that the mandate of the Quarantine Service is to secure the Nigerian Agricultural economy, “if you like, you can call us those who are the first line of defence against incursion of pest and diseases of plants and animals and aquatic resources”.
“We do our best based on prevailing circumstances to ensure that any product leaving this country to the outside world passes through the normal SPS protocol and any Agricultural commodity that is coming to Nigeria, we have to observe the necessary SPS protocol too.
“We safeguard the economy of other international countries and we safeguard our own too. So that’s the duty of the National Quarantine Service of any country. So in the course of doing our job, you expect that we will do the necessary things, we relate to other agencies of government to ensure that the right thing is done.
“Anything that has to with Agric, is within the domain of the Quarantine Service, to ensure and safeguard that we have good food in the country and it is from that good food that we export to other nations as well” Isegbe added.
