The Bill to strip convicted persons of their national merit awards successfully passed through second reading in the House of Representatives yesterday.
The bill is seeking an amendment to the Nigerian National Merit Award Act, Cap 122, Laws of the Federation, FLN, 2004, to require that any recipient that is convicted of a criminal offence shall be stripped of the honour.
The bill was brought by Ayodele Oladimeji, who said the amendment he was proposing was in the bid to strengthen the anti-corruption war being fought by the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
“There is need for the law to be amended, this will strengthen the anti-corruption war of the government of the day.
“The awardees must be found guilty of any crime by a competent court of jurisdiction before the executive consider the stripping of such awards,” he said.
Contributing to the debate, Adamu Kamale, while giving support to the amendment, said it would be make the recipients of such awards live up to expectation.
The bill passed the second reading, following an overwhelming support given to it by the House presided over by Speaker Yakubu Dogara.
