President Muhammadu Buhari has assented to two bills including Medical Residency Training Act, 2018 and Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (Establishment, etc.) (Amendment) Bill, 2018.

Senator (Dr.) Ita Enang, Presidential Liaison to the National Assembly (Senate), disclosed this to State House correspondents moments after the president signed the bills on Thursday.

He said the first law enacts and regulates the Medical Residency Training Programme for the training of Medical Practitioners and Dental Surgeons to be regulated and managed by the National Medical Post-graduate College of Nigeria.

According to him, this programme is for persons who possess the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MB.BSc, MB. CH, B, BDS), or its equivalent, have gone through the NYSC programme with discharge or Exemption Certificate, and possess professional indemnity Certificate from a reputable Insurance company, among others.

He explained that the Act is directed at assuring the quality and competence of Medical practice and practitioners in Nigeria through Statutory Medical Training Programmes to encourage Medical Tourism from other Countries to Nigeria and build further confidence in Nigeria Medical System.

For the Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (Establishment, etc.) (Amendment) Bill, 2018, the presidential aide noted that the Act, No. 7 of 2010 provides in section 2(a): That thirty per cent 30% of the Revenue generated by any Company or authority from the operation of any hydroelectric dams in any member state of the Commission shall be paid and credited to the Commission. The amendment Act just assented to has reduced same from thirty per cent (30%) to ten per cent (10%).

He said the amendment further fortifies the power of the Minister to issue policy directives as well as re-enforce statutory powers of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to regulate the Electricity Industry under the principal Act.

It also eliminates ambiguity in the Law and role conflict of the responsible Institutions as well as adequately providing for the exercise of statutory powers of NERC which was established before now. (Tribune)

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