[November 19, 2009] Senate Bill Seeks Financial Autonomy For Rights Commission Tweet Abuja, Nov 19, 2009 (This Day/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) -- A Bill for an Act to Amend the National Human Rights Commission Act, 1995 and Other Matters connected therewith is in the works in the Senate. It is aimed at seeking financial autonomy for the Commisssion. The Upper House yesterday began consideration of amendments to the Act, consequent upon the presentation of a report by the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters under the chairmanship of Senator Umaru Dahiru. Although the report was returned to the Senate Committee to enable it correct minor errors in the numbering of the sections, the Bill, when returned and passed aims to strengthen the Commission to perform its statutory functions of ensuring the protection of the Human rights. The proposed amendment to clause 10 reads "Section 12 of the Principal Act is hereby amended by inserting a new sub-section (2) and re-number existing sub-section (3) accordingly. Section 12 (2) of the Bill provides that the funds of the Commission shall be a charge on the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation. It also provides in subsection (3) that there shall be paid and credited to the fund established pursuant to subsection (1) of this section- "(a) such sums as may be provided by the Government of the Federation for the Commission." Others as provided in subsections (b) and (c) are any fees charged for services rendered by the commission; and all other sums accruing to the Commission by way of gifts, testamentary dispositions, endowments and contributions from philanthropic persons and organisation or otherwise however." In addition, Section 11 of the Bill seeks to empower the Commission to invest any surplus funds in securities prescribed by the trustee. Chairman of the Senate Committee on Information and Media, Senator Ayogu Eze, said when passed, the Bill would help to "deepen the entrenchment of a culture respect for human rights," adding, "the Senate is desirous of bringing the nation's laws in conformity with the World's best practices." [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]