Buhari hosts NASS members, commits to separation of powers

As part of activities in commemoration of the 2016 Democracy Day, President Muahmmadu Buhari last night,hosted members of the National Assembly with a pledge to uphold the principle of separation of powers as enshrined in the nation’s constitution.

In a short address to the gathering which had in attendance some big wigs of the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC) including former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, the president urged other arms of government to toe the executive line by strictly adhering to separation of powers.

The president said the dinner was to mark the beginning of a cordial working relationship between the executive and legislature, in a bid to move the nation forward.

As the Eighth National Assembly completes its first year on June 9, the President appealed to the law makers to consider and pass five Executive Bills right before them.

They include the Statutory Budget of the Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC) Bill 2016; Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Bill 2016; Money Laundry (Prevention and Prohibition Bill) and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Bill and for the Act of Domestication of Agreement for Avoidance of double taxation between Nigerian and South Korea and Sweden respectively.

He said the passages of the NDDC and the FCT Bills would enable them to carry out their programmes ,“These bodies cannot execute their statutory mandates, nor incur expenditure for the year unless their budgets are approved by the National Assembly.”

He also said: “ I hereby restate the commitment of the present administration to observe the principles of separation of powers as prescribed by the constitution.

“In the same vein I urge other arms of government to please ensure that each action conceived and taken is in strict accord with their constitutionally limited powers.”