President Muhammadu Buhari has withheld his assent on 19 Constitution amendment bill. One of which would empower the Senate to be able to summon the President and governors. Furthermore, the president’s refusal to assent to the constitutional alterations is a source of concern to Senate President, Ahmad Lawan.
Buhari had last Friday, assented to 16 of the 35 alteration bills transmitted to him by the National Assembly.
Drawing the attention of senators to the action, Lawan submitted that the most striking of the 16 bills signed was the fifth alteration bill number 6. It makes provisions for the financial independence of the State Houses of Assembly and judiciary.
Others, he added, were those that dwell on power devolution in the areas of moving railway services, correctional centres and power generation and distribution from the exclusive to the concurrent list.
He indicated that the rejected 19 bills would still be pursued vigorously by both chambers of the federal legislature.
The rejected ones include the fifth alteration bill number 24, which sought an Act to Alter the Second Schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Empower the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly to summon the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Governors of States to answer Questions on issues on which the National and State Houses of Assembly have the Powers to make.
Also, alteration bill number 7, which sought an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to compel persons to obey or comply with Legislative Summons, was refused assent by the President.
Others are fifth alteration bill number 29, which sought for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to provide for a State of the Nation and State of the State Address by the President and Governor.
Fifth alteration bill number 22, which sought for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Specify the period within which the President or the Governor of State shall present the Appropriation Bill before the National Assembly or House of Assembly
The Fifth alteration bill number 30 sought an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Include Former Heads of the National Assembly in the Council of State.
Fifth alteration bill number 14 sought an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to move Fingerprints, Identification and Criminal Records from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List.
Lastly, the Fifth alteration bill number 18 which sought an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Empower the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission to Enforce Compliance with the Remittance of Accruals into and Disbursement of Revenue from the Federation Account and Streamline the Procedure for Reviewing the Revenue Allocation Formula and Fifth alteration bill number 66 which sought for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Reflect the Establishment and Core Functions of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, etc.
cc: Guardian Ng
