…why I declined assent, by president
The Senate yesterday resolved to raise a technical panel over the 16 bills rejected by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The technical panel, the Senate said, would study all the observations made by the president in order for the Red Chamber to “learn from the issues raised.”
The panel is to be headed by the chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Baba Kaka Garbai (APC, Borno), but other members of the panel are yet to be announced.
The names of the panel members are expected to be announced on the floor of the Senate between this week and next.
The president had in separate
letters addressed to Senate President Bukola Saraki declined assent to 16 bills passed by the National Assembly.
Buhari gave various reasons for his action, some of which pertained to constitutional matters.
However, soon after Saraki read Buhari’s letter, Senate Leader Ahmad Lawan (APC, Yobe), raised a point of order, asking the Senate to raise the panel that would study the bills side-by-side the issues raised by the president.
Lawan who came under Order 43 of the Senate Rules, said: ”I listened to all the bills conveying Mr President’s observations for not signing so many bills. I am of the opinion that we should study all the returned bills for us to understand the real issues.
“We will have something to learn from it, so as to avoid a repeat. We put in a lot of time and resources. If in the end we are not able to get these things properly done, it amounts to waste of time and resources,” he said.
Lawan then suggested that the Senate should “set up a technical committee under the chairman of Rules and Business (committee).”
After Lawan’s submission, Saraki asked him to draw the membership of the committee and present same at plenary for Senate approval.
The Senate President said a time frame would be given to the committee so that it could submit its report for the Senate to take a decision.
The rejected bills
Among the rejected bills are five that sought to amend different sections of the constitution as well as two bills that intended to amend the Electoral Act.
Giving reasons for rejecting the Electoral Act amendment bill, the president said there were some drafting issues that may affect the interpretation and application of the Principal Act.
In addition, the president said, some of the proposed amendments may adversely affect the operation of elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
As for the second Electoral Act amendment bill, the president said it has the unintended consequence of leaving INEC with only nine days to collate and compile lists of candidates and political parties as well as manage the primaries of 91 political parties for the various elections.
One of the bills seeking to amend the constitution was for an annual State of the Nation Address by the president.
But Buhari said Section 7 of the bill might need to be redrafted to clearly indicate that it is Section 109 (1) (e) of the constitution that is being amended.
“Also, there are existing laws that cater for legislative Service Commissions. Finally, prescribing a specific date in the 1999 Constitution for an annual State of the Nation Address may create practical challenges in diarizing this event.”
Giving the reason for rejecting another constitutional amendment bill, Buhari said some of the functions proposed to be undertaken by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps are currently the responsibility of other agencies of government.
Yet another bill the president declined assent to is the Industrial Development (Income Tax Relief) Amendment bill.
He said the reason for his action was to enable ongoing consultations by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment with relevant agencies on tax holidays incentive regime for expansion projects, investments in rural areas as well as for agriculture/agro-processing to be included.
Some of the bills rejected by the president included the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB); Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA); National Research and Innovation Council Bill; National Institute of Hospitality and Tourism Bill.
Others are the Chartered Institute of Entrepreneurship (Establishment) Bill; Stamp Duties (Amendment) Bill; Advance Fee Fraud and other Related Offences (Amendment) Bill; National Agricultural Seeds Council Bill; Subsidiary Legislation (Legislative Scrutiny) Bill, among others.
Meanwhile, the president submitted the Piracy and other Maritime Offences Bill, 2018 for passage into law.
Buhari said the intention of the bill is to curtail illegal activities of pirates at sea as well as to reduce the incidence of oil theft in domestic and international waters as well as domesticate relevant provisions of international treaties, which Nigeria is a signatory to.
