Why I Withhold Assent On 2 Bills Passed By NASS – Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari has told the upper chamber of the National Assembly why he is withholding his assent to two bills passed by the National Assembly.
The bills are the Chartered Institute of Treasury Management (Establishment) Bill 2017 and the Federal University of Wukari (Establishment) Bill 2017.
In the two letters expressing his reservations on the bills, dated November 8, 2017 and addressed to Senate President Bukola Saraki, Buhari based his reservations on technicalities involved in the drafting of the bills.
On the proposed institute, the President said, “Pursuant to Section 58(4) of Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), I hereby convey to the Senate, my decision, on 25 October 2017, to withhold assent to the Chartered Institute of Treasury Management (Establishment, Etc.) Bill, 2017.
“The rationale for withholding assent is regarding the scope of, and phrases utilised in the bill. For instance, the phrase ‘treasury management’ is not defined in the bill; and greater clarity may be required regarding the impact of the bill on the Central Bank of Nigeria’s regulation of treasury managers in banks, and the relationship between the proposed institute and other existing professional institutes that regulate treasury managers in Nigeria.”
On the university bill, Buhari said, “Pursuant to Section 58(4) of Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), I hereby convey to the Senate, my decision, on 25 October 2017, to withhold assent to the Federal University of Wukari (Establishment, Etc.) Bill, 2017.
“The rationale for withholding assent is regarding certain words and phrases utilised in the bill. For instance, the word ‘Statute’ should replace ‘Regulation’ throughout the bill for consistency;
“Paragraph 9(1) of the First Schedule should refer to ‘the President’ and not ‘the Visitor,’ and Paragraph 5 of the third Schedule should refer to sub-paragraph 2 and not sub-paragraph 3.”
Meanwhile, the president presented three executive bills in separate letters to the Senate dated October 31, 2017. Two of the bills sought to establish two organisations, while the third is seeking to amend an existing act of the parliament.
The three bills are: ‘A Bill for An Act to Provide for the Establishment of Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency, 2017;’ ‘A Bill for an Act to Provide for the Establishment of Federal Institute for Industrial Research, 2017;’ and the ‘Raw Materials Research and Development Council (Repeal and Re-Enact) Bill, 2017.’
