Economic bills to create 7 million jobs – Saraki

Senate President Bukola Saraki has said the economic reform bills would create over 7 million jobs in Nigeria if passed into law by the National Assembly.

He stated this on Wednesday in a chat with Senate correspondents to mark this year’s World Press Freedom Day.

Saraki who also doubles as chairman of the National Assembly, reinstated the commitment of the Legislature in passing all the economic reform bills currently before it.

“Not many people know that the National Assembly’s Economic Priority Bills are gradually but surely making their way through the Senate. Last month, the report of the long-elusive PIB was submitted on the floor of the Senate — the farthest stage it has been in 17 years.

“While taken all together, all 13 of our economic reform bills are poised to reduce poverty in the country by double digits and create upwards of 7 million jobs. These are major milestones that would make the public proud of their representatives. Nigerians want to hear what this institution is doing for them in these times of economic uncertainty”.

Four of the economic bills were presented at Wednesday plenary. They include National Road Funds Bill, Federal Roads Authority Bill, Credit Bureau Services Bill as well as Secured Transactions in Movable Assets Bill.

The lawmaker also revealed that 185 out of 196 nominees have been cleared by the Senate, with 11 of them rejected.

The breakdown of the rejected nominees include: four from Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), three non-career ambassadorial nominees, one from Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), one nominee from the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and two from Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).