A member representing Ikot Ekpene/Essien Udim/Obot Akara Federal Constituency, Hon. Patrick Umoh, has sponsored the highest quality of bills on Constitutional amendment in the first legislative year of the 10th assembly of the House of Representatives, according to FACTSHEET.
In its May 2024 publication, the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, PLAC, a Non-Governmental Organisation working on legislative strengthening, elections and Civil Society Organisations engagement, in collaboration with the House of Representatives, and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, FCDO, (formerly Department for International Development, DFID), listed Hon. Umoh as ranking highest in Bills on Constitutional amendment.
Some of the popular Bills sponsored by the lawmaker include, Constitution of the Federal Republic Of Nigeria (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2024 seeking to raise the educational qualification for the Offices of President, Vice President, Governor, and Deputy Governor to at least a University Degree, Higher National Diploma or its equivalent, Bill to make the Court of Appeal, Court of first instance in governorship election cases, Bill to increase the number of Justices of the Supreme Court.
One of his constitutional amendment bills which aims to strengthen the procedure for the removal of judicial officers to guarantee independence of the judiciary, seeks to alter section 292 of the constitution, outline a procedure to be adopted for removal or suspension a judicial officer, and give the National Judicial Council (NJC) a role in the removal of Heads of Courts instead of resting the powers in the President, Governor and members of the federal and state legislatures.
Other bills sponsored by the lawmaker are, the Central Bank of Nigeria Act (Amendment) Bill, 2023, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act (Amendment) Bill, 2023, Sheriff and Civil Process Amendment Bill, 2024, Acts Authentication Act Amendment Bill, 2024, and the Institute of Chartered Trustees of Nigeria Establishment Bill 2024.
Hon. Umoh has intervened in unlawful and wrongful termination of appointments, and discontinuation of pension of indigenes of Akwa Ibom State.
Through his petitions, the House of Representatives intervened in the unlawful termination of appointment of Ukeme Udom Etuk of Ikot Idem Udo, Obot Akara Local government by the Nigerian Television Authority, wrongful treatment and suspension of Sgt Ime Afangide by the Nigeria Police Force, suspension of Thomas Thomas Sunday by the FIRS, unjust retirement of Margaret Effiong Umoekam, indigene of Abiakpo Ikot Essien, Ikot Ekpene by the Nigeria Police Force and wrongful discontinuation of pension payment to retired ASP Etim Udoh Nsot, by the Police.
The Ikot Ekpene/Essien Udim/Obot Akara federal representative moved many people-centric motions in his first legislative year.
Some of them include motions for completion of the Uwa Junction/Urua Edet Obo/Nto Edino Road in Essien Udim and Obot Akara Local Government Areas, stopping law enforcement agencies from harassment of lawyers discharging their statutory responsibilities, urgent need for the Federal Government to revise, consolidate, compile, and publish the laws of the Federation and operate a website for the publication of all laws passed by the National Assembly.
The rest: urgent need for Federal Government to address growing housing deficit in the country and to regulate rent payable in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), appointment of new Justices to the Supreme Court of Nigeria, investigating the expenditure on the postponed 2023 population and housing census by the National Population Commission.
Others are motion intensifying effort by the Inspector General of Police for the immediate and safe release of the seven corps members abducted in Zamfara State, addressing illegal incarceration of Okumah Chika and discriminatory arrests of Nigerians in the Republic of Benin, and mandating the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria to reopen its portal and begin the verification of nurses’ and midwives’ certificates using their old guidelines pending the outcome of the investigation by the House.
Meanwhile, the Speaker of the House of Representative, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, recently commended Hon. Umoh during the 2024 Open Week on Wednesday 3rd July.
Rt. Hon. Abass singled out Umoh and the Chairman, House Committee on Monitoring and Evaluation for commendation.
“We extend our appreciation to committees of the House and their Chairmen, particularly the committee on legislative agenda chaired by Hon. Patrick Umoh, Ph.D and committee on monitoring and evaluation, chaired by Hon. Odia Okocha, for their constructive feedback and their unwavering support,” the Speaker said.
Umoh, who is the Chairman of the Committee on Monitoring, Evaluation and Implementation of Legislative Agenda in the House of Representatives, was elected to the National Assembly for the first time in 2023.
Until his election, he was a lecturer at the Faculty of Law, University of Uyo where he taught Petroleum and Gas Law, Law of Torts, among other law courses.
