President rejects 19 Constitution alterations

Constitution amendment bill on power to summon President and governors has suffered major setback, following President Muhammadu Buhari’s withholding of assent.

Refusal of presidential assent to the alteration and 18 others became a source of concern to President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, yesterday.

Buhari had, last Friday, assented to 16 of the 35 alteration bills transmitted to him by the National Assembly.

Drawing attention of senators to the action, Lawan submitted that most striking of the 16 bills signed was the fifth alteration bill number 6, which makes provisions for 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 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 fifth alteration bill number 24, which sought for 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 for 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

Fifth alteration bill number 30 which sought for 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 which sought for 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.

Fifth alteration bill number 18 which sought for 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 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 .