A bill at the House of Representatives which is designed to provide interest free loans to students pursuing higher education has passed second reading.
Femi Gbajabiamila, Majority Leader who sponsored the bill explained that the legislative framework seeks to provide easy access to higher education for Nigerians through the provision of interest free loans from the Nigerian Education Bank.
He said the loans should be interest-free as Nigeria is blessed with abandoned natural resources to tap from and ensure steady education for future generations.
He said “education is the right and not a privilege for Nigerians,” stressing that “students loans speak volume” if a lasting legacy is to be bequeathed to future generations.
Contributing to the debate, Raphael Igbokwe (PDP-Imo) expressed optimism that the bill when passed into law contains “more opportunities that would be given to young Nigerians who are intelligent but are having financial constraints to continue with their education.”
When the question was put by the Speaker Yakubu Dogara, the lawmakers unanimously endorsed the second reading of the bill and subsequently referred to the Committee on Tertiary Education and Services for further legislative action.
Also at plenary, the House passed the bill for an Act to repeal the prison Act, Cap. P29, laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and re-enact the Nigerian prisons and correctional service to make comprehensive provision for the administration of prison in Nigeria; and a bill for an Act to make comprehensive provisions for the administration of prisons in Nigeria; and for other related matters,” sponsored by Danburan Nuhu and Johnbull Shekarau.
Some of the lawmakers who spoke in support of the bill are: Agbedi Federick, Beni Lar, Yakubu Barde, Agbedi Frederick, among others.
Leading debate on the prison’s Bill, Shekarau who bemoaned the state of the nation’s prisons, expressed displeasure over the status of inmates after the jail terms, stressing that they come out worse than when they entered.
While Yakubu Barde appealed to House to look into the bill and give it the attention it deserve, so that the prison system would be reformed. On her part, Beni Lar (PDP-Plateau) urged that the educational aspect of the inmate should be addressed.
The Bill, was however referred to Committee on Interior when it was put to voice vote by the Speaker Yakubu Dogara.
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