Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye and Fred Itua, Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari, has rejected 13 bills passed by the eight National Assembly. Although the president didn’t communicate to the Assembly since it had already been dissolved, his liaison office to the Senate, Ita Enang, said the action of the president was in order.
Enang told National Assembly Correspondents, yesterday, that more bills passed by the Eighth Assembly are still being expected by the president and promised to take action as soon as he was in possession of them.
The bills rejected are Adeyemi Federal University of Education (Establishment) Bill, Federal University of Education Kano Bill, Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education Bill and Federal University of Education Zaria Bill.
Others are National Security Agencies Protection of Officers Identity Bill, Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency Bill, Environmental Managers Registration Council of Nigeria Bill, Industrial Development Income Tax Act Amendment Bill and Defence Research and Development Bureau Bill. Animal Diseases Control Bill,
Good Samaritans Bill, Chattered Institute of Directors of Nigeria Bill, Naional Institute of Hospitality and Tourism Establishment Bill, Federal University of Wukari (Establishment) Bill, Warehouse Receipt and Other Related Matters Bill, Federal Capital Territory Health Insurance Agency Bill, Nigeria Automative Industry Development Plant Fiscal Inscentive and Guarantees Bill and Nigerian Film Commission Bill and Proceeds of Crime Bill, were also part of the bills rejected.
Enang said: “The Eighth National Assembly has ceased to exist and every bill passed by the assembly, unless assented, cannot be communicated to the Ninth Assembly.
“The essence of communicating to the legislature is to enable them take action on it, either by way of examination or override the assent.
“The Ninth Assembly cannot comment or override or take any action on those bills unless it originates from First Reading. The president will still give consideration to those bills yet to be sent to him; either in assent or declination. The president is within time within which to consider these bills for a ‘yay’ or a ‘nay.’ We will relate with the leadership of both chambers on the rational.”
Meanwhile, the president signed nine bills passed by the Eighth National Assembly.
The bills are the Nigeria Police Trust Fund (Establishment) Bill 2019, National Institute of Construction Technology and Management (Establishment) Bill 2019, National Agricultural Seeds Council Act 2019 and Suppression of Piracy and other Maritime Offences Act 2019.
Others are Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria Bill 2019, Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund (Amendment) Act, 2019, Federal Capital Territory Primary Healthcare Board (Establishment) Act 2019 and Federal Capital Territory Hospitals Management Board (Establishment) Act, 2019.