The Senate has passed the Lobbying Disclosure Act Amendment Bill 2016 for second reading. The Bill, which was debated at its plenary session on Wednesday, 12th October, seeks to institutionalize the procedure for the registration and regulation of professional lobbyists in the Senate and the House of Representatives. According to the Bill sponsor, Sen. Dino Melaye (APC:Kogi),intending lobbyists would be required to register under the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2004 and the Ministry of Justice prior to carrying out the business of lobbying in the National Assembly.
Sen. Melaye also highlighted that its passage would have the following implications:
- Create stricter registration requirement for lobbyists;
- Require lobbyists to disclose how much they make and spend on lobbying;
- Ban lobbyists from paying for gifts and food as means of inducement;
- Imposing a time frame before a legislator can become a lobbyist;
- Create a framework for ethics oversight by establishing Ethics Commissions and Legislative Ethics Committee;
- Give oversight agencies more power to investigate the violation of ethical laws.
Furthermore, the bill would shape public policy by encouraging the proper investigation of facts and aid legislators take informed views in the law making process. Sen. Melaye also described the huge resource potential of the registered lobbyists as great sources of information and expressed confidence that their use would promote advocacy and engagement among the public and interest groups by providing an opportunity to participate in the legislative process. In addition, he mentioned that the Bill would close the present gap in the legislative process and create more time for stakeholders to influence legislation or criticize a legislative measure before Bill passage.
Speaking in support of the Bill, Sen. Buhari Abdulfatai (APC:Oyo) stated the Bill was timely and in conformity with legislative practices in other countries like Canada, Italy and Turkey who have legitimised the practice of lobbying. Sen. Ali Ndume (APC:Borno) was also of the opinion that the Bill would strengthen present democratic structures.
The Bill has been referred to the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters to report back its findings to plenary in four (4) weeks.
