The Senate yesterday resolved to constitute a technical committee to consider why President Muhammadu Buhari declined assent to 13 bills transmitted to him to endorse.
The resolution followed the reading of President Buhari’s letters to the Senate declining assent to the bills.
Senate Leader Ahmed Lawan moved a motion for the setting up of the committee after Senate President, Bukola Saraki read the executive communications on the bills.
Lawan said the committee would enable the Senate to learn some valuable lessons from the refusal of the President to sign the bills.
He noted that the committee would also come up with why the bills were rejected to help the chamber tailor its bill in such a way that they would not be faulted.
Saraki asked Lawan to select members of the committee and forward to him for announcement of the names today.
Some of the bills affected include Electoral (amendment) bill, 2018; the subsidiary legislative (Legislative scrutiny) bill, 2018; National Agricultural seeds council bill, 2018; the National institute of hospitality and tourism (establishment) bill, 2018 and National research and innovation council (establishment) bill, 2017.
Others also affected include the Nigerian Maritime administration and safety agency (establishment) bill, 2017; the Advance fee fraud and other related offences (amendment) bill 2017; the stamp duties (amendment) bill 2018; Five Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,1999 (Fourth alteration) amendment bill and Industrial Development (income tax relief) amendment, bill 2018.
Some Senators lamented that “we waste time, energy and scarce resources only for Mr. President to decline assent to the bills we laboured to pass.”
