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Legislators take on Buhari over refusal to assent bills

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7 years ago

March 14, 2018

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Legislators in the House of Representatives said they have commenced the process of overriding President Muhammadu Buhari on 10 bills following his refusal to sign the bills into law.

One of the bills, Abdulazak Namdas, spokesman of the House, disclosed on Wednesday is the Peace Corps bill which Buhari refused to sign, citing duplication of functions and lack of funds as his reason.

“We are in the process of overriding the veto of the president on ten bills, excluding the electoral act, but which includes the Peace Corps bill,” Namdas said.

Other bills in contention include a bill for an act to establish the Chartered Institute of Treasury Management, a bill for an act to establish the Nigerian Council for Social Works, a bill for an act to amend the currency conversion, freezing orders act to give discretionary powers to the judge of high court to order for forfeiture of assets of affected persons, and a bill for an act to establish the police procurement fund.

Others are a bill for an act to amend the environmental health officers’ council registration act, a bill for an act to establish the Chartered Institute of loan and risk management of Nigeria, a bill for an act to establish the Chartered Institute of Public Management of Nigeria.

Also included are a bill for an act to establish the Chartered Institute of Exports and Community Brokers of Nigeria and a bill for an act to establish the Federal University, Wukari.

Regarding the bill on the amendment of the electoral act which Buhari also rejected, Namdas said the lawmakers will address areas of the bill the president disagreed with and re-introduce it for passage.

He said the house agreed with the president that section 138 of the amended electoral act unduly limits the right of the candidate to a free and fair election.

He also said the lawmakers agreed with the president on his position that the section 152 of the act regarding the competence of the national assembly to regulate local government elections.

“We will re-gazette the electoral act and expunge the areas which the president mentioned and which we are in agreement with the president and in line with the constitution,” he said.