A FOURTEEN-YEAR jail term now awaits those who support or are directly involved in same sex marriage. The Senate took this position yesterday just as the House of Representatives began an investigation into alleged illegal operations of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).The position of the upper chamber was sequel to the report of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters headed by Umaru Dahiru.Clause 5 (1) of the report which was adopted says: 'Persons who entered into a same sex marriagecontract or civil union commit an offence and are each liable on conviction to a term of 14 years imprisonment.'Clause 5 (2) adds: 'Any person who registers, operates or participates in gay clubs, societies and organisations, or directly or indirectly makes publicly show of same sexamorous relationship in Nigeria commits an offence and shall each be liable on conviction to a term of 10 years imprisonment.''The chamber also made provision for punishment for witnesses of same sex marriage. 'Any person or group of persons that witnesses, albeits and aids the solemnisation of a same sex marriage or civil union, or supports the registration, operation and sustenance of gay clubs, societies, organisations, processions or meetingsin Nigeria commits andshall be liable on conviction to a term of 10 years imprisonment'', clause 5(3) says.Clause 1 of the bill passed by the Senate says: 'Marriage contract or civil union entered into between persons of the same sex is hereby prohibited in Nigeria' while 1(2) states: 'A marriage contract or civil union entered into between personsof same sex is invalid and shall not be recognised as entitled to the benefits of a valid marriage.'The chamber went further to say that even if such marriage was contracted outside the country, it would not be recognised in Nigeria.The chamber also slated the debate on the demise of Ikemba Nnewi, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu for tomorrow. This followed a motion moved by Dr. Andy Uba representing Anambra South SenatorialDistrict.Senate equally began a move to regulate blasting of rocks in the country.The House of Representatives urged President Goodluck Jonathan to constitute the National Council on Public Procurement (NCPP) as provided for in the Public Procurement Act to facilitate the realisation of the objectives of the Act.The House also took a swipe at the comments credited to Group General Manager, Public Affairs of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Levi Ajuonuma, describing the comments of the spokesman as irresponsible.Specifically, the NNPC spokesman had in an interview with one of the national dailies (not The Guardian) at the weekend described as unnecessary, the recently concluded public hearing carried out by the House of Representatives Joint Committee on Finance, Petroleum Resources (Upstream and Downstream), and Gas resources on the alleged indebtedness of the corporation, to the tune of about N450 billion to the Federation Account.Ajuonuma was quoted in the interview as saying that 'public hearing is not the first thing you do when you are just less than six or nine months in the job. That's not what to do. So, you have to continue to educate and re-educate and educate. As I said, I'm not proud to say what the white man or Europeans said that if you want to hide anything from a black man, write it in a book.'Those people (members) do not read and you know that the least qualification to be a lawmaker in advanced democracy is that you must be a lawyer. But here, we are learning. It should be made clear to anybody who comes to Abuja as a lawmaker that the first thing you will assemble is a good library; the first people you must employ is good research assistants so that when issues that you are interested in are raised, they must get you up-to-date information...'But not comfortable with the NNPC spokesman's assertions, a member of the House, Nkoyo Toyo, coming under a point of order and citing infringement of her privilege during yesterday's plenary session, said the comments were derogatory to an institution like the House of Representatives, and urged the Chamber to do something about it.But the House yesterday declined to adopt a motion seeking to urgently address the snarling traffic congestion in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).Adopting a motion sponsored by Patrick Ikhariale (PDP, Edo State), the House mandated its Committees on Public Procurement and Legislative Compliance to immediately start an investigation into the alleged illegal operations of the BPP without the NCPP.Defending his motion, Ikhariale said the Public Procurement Act, dictated that the Director-General of the BPP should be appointedby the President on the recommendation of the council, adding that this provision had been violated.
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