Reps Pass For Second Reading
Bill To Establish FCT Area Councils Service Commission
By Saheed Badmus
Nigerian House of Representatives has passed for second reading a bill seeking to provide legal backing for the Federal Capital Territory Area Councils Service Commission.
The proposed legislation, titled A Bill for an Act to Establish the Federal Capital Territory Area Councils Service Commission and for Related Matters, aims to institutionalize the commission as the central body for human resource management and capacity building across the six area councils and affiliated agencies within the FCT.
While leading the debate on the general principles of the bill, Hon. Moshood Olanrewaju Oshun explained that while the commission currently functions in a coordinating capacity for agencies such as the Abuja Broadcasting Corporation, the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, and the Abuja Infrastructure Investment Centre, it lacks the statutory foundation to fully execute its mandate.
“This institution lacks legal backing as there is no legislative framework establishing it,” Oshun told his colleagues during plenary.
He noted that formalizing the commission through an Act of Parliament would not only give it the necessary legal status but also strengthen governance structures in the nation’s capital.
“The bill seeks to give the commission the required legal backing to enable it enjoy its status as an establishment of the Federal Government,” he said.
The motion for the second reading of the bill was moved and seconded without opposition, indicating broad support among lawmakers.
The bill has now been referred to the relevant House committee for further legislative work, including a possible public hearing.
When passed into law, it is expected to enhance transparency, efficiency, and professionalism in the administration of the FCT’s area councils and related entities.
