Constitution Review: Buhari Rejects Seeking Legislative Powers to Summon President, Governors

By Iyojo Ameh

President Muhammadu Buhari has refused assent to Constitution amendment bills on power to summon President and Governors.

Refusal of presidential assent on the Constitution alteration bill and 18 others by President Buhari was lamented on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday by the President of the Senate , Ahmad Lawan .

President Buhari had on Friday last week , assented to 16 out of 35 Constitution alterations bills transmitted to him for assent by the National Assembly .

Informing the Senate in Plenary on Tuesday on the presidential action , the President of the Senate Ahmad Lawan said out of the 35 constitution alteration bills forwarded to the President in January for assent , only 16 , were assented to .

The most striking of the assented 16 bills according to him, was the fifth alteration bill number 6 which makes provisions for financial independence of State Houses of Assembly and Judiciary .

Others he added , were those that dwell on power devolutions in the areas of moving Railway services , Correctional Centres and power generation and distribution , from the exclusive list to concurrent list .

He however said that the 19 bills that were not assented to , by the President , will still be pursued vigorously by both Chambers of the National Assembly for that purpose .

The first of such 19 bills not assented to , by President Muhammadu Buhari , was 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.

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 .