The House of Representatives has resolved to commit the Sickle Cell Disease (Prevention, Control and Management) Bill, 2026 (HB. 2774) to the Committee of the Whole, setting the stage for its accelerated passage into law without restarting the legislative process from scratch.
The resolution followed a motion presented by Hon. Francis Ejiroghene Waive, relying on Order Twelve, Rule 16(d) of the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives.
Under Order Twelve, Rule 16(d), the House is empowered to reconsider bills passed by a preceding Assembly that were transmitted to the President for assent but remained unacted upon—neither signed nor vetoed—before the expiration of that Assembly’s tenure. Upon being re-gazetted or re-circulated, such bills can be considered directly in the Committee of the Whole rather than starting de novo (afresh).
By invoking this procedural rule, the House avoids redundant committee hearings and debates, significantly reducing the timeline required to establish a comprehensive legal framework for managing and controlling Sickle Cell Disease across the nation.
Once considered by the Committee of the Whole, the bill will proceed to its Third Reading before being transmitted to the President for final assent.
