Tag: National Assembly

Constitution Amendment: NASS approves financial autonomy for State Legislatures, Judiciary, LGs

Aminu Imam

Rejects FG’s grip on VAT, pension for NASS presiding officers, and other matters The Senate and House of Representatives have approved financial autonomy for State legislatures, Judiciary and local governments in the country, in the ongoing voting on Nigeria’s Constitution amendments. The approval came yesterday, during voting on the report of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bills, 2022. The senators, during voting on the report, rejected pension for presiding officers of the legislature. Out of a total number of 88 Senators registered to…

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NASS passes Bill for nominee Ministers, Commissioners to emerge in 30 days

Aminu Imam

The Senate and House of Representatives have passed a bill for an Act mandating the President and Governors to submit nominees for Ministers and Commissioners within 30 days of swearing-in. Ninety-two Senators voted in favour of the Bill, while one abstained. Twenty hundred and eighty-nine members of the Green Chambers voted in favour of the Bill, which was passed.

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National Assembly transmits Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2021 to President Buhari for assent

Aminu Imam

The National Assembly has transmitted the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2021 to President Muhammadu Buhari for his assent. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Babajide Omoworare, who made this known in a one-paragraph statement issued yesterday, stated that the Bill had been transmitted to President Buhari. Recall that the National Assembly passed the Electoral Act Amendment bill on November 11. In the amendment, the lawmakers approved the electronic transmission of election results in Nigeria. They also adopted direct primaries for political parties in…

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Ndume faults NASS hasty approvals of loans

Aminu Imam

The Chairman, Senate Community on Army, Ali Ndume, has faulted what he described as the hasty manner with which the ninth National Assembly often approves external loan requests made by President Muhammadu Buhari. Ndume, who spoke with reporters in Abuja, also insisted the present external debt burden put at over N35trillion by the Debt Management Office (DMO) was worrisome. He lamented that the hurry to grant loan requests from the executive by the National Assembly has made Nigerians to become suspicious of their elected representatives and also nicknamed them ‘Rubber…

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Insecurity, Electoral Act top agenda, as Senate resumes after 62 days recess

Aminu Imam

Constitution amendment, 2022 Budget, others on front-burner After its 62- day annual recess, the 9th Senate will resume today to face a myriad of challenges facing the nation, especially insecurity, which has witnessed cases of armed banditry, kidnapping and massive killing of persons across the country. Other issues include the Constitution and Electoral Act amendment Bills, National Water Resources Bill and the 2022 budget. In line with the Senate Legislative Calendar, the Senator Ahmad Lawan led House adjourned on July 15, for its annual holiday. While the lawmakers were…

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How wrong use of the gavel ruins Nigerias democracy

Aminu Imam

…NASS presiding officers accused of rigging voice votes Nigerias long journey to a consolidated democracy where there will be credible and transparent elections appears to be under threat. It would appear that elected representatives of the people who have found themselves in leadership positions at the National Assembly are putting the gavel to use negatively, defeating the main essence of the instrument. The rush with which the presiding officers at the Senate and the House of Representatives chant the ayes have it or the nays have it appears to suggest…

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Information blackout: NASS suspends Media Censorship Bill

Aminu Imam

The Nigeria Press Council (NPC) and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) Amendment Bill, have been suspended by the House of representatives, Segun Odebunmi, a member has announced. Odebunmi, who is the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Information National Orientation Ethics and Values, told newsmen that the suspension is necessary for proper consultations over the Bill. We have been on this process for a while and right now, we have suspended it for more consultation to happen on it, he said. Media practitioners and operators have particularly criticised the bill,…

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NIA gets N4.87bn budget to track, intercept mobile calls, chat messages

Aminu Imam

The National Assembly has approved a N4.87bn budget for the National Intelligence Agency, (NIA), to track, intercept and monitor calls and messages on mobile devices, including Thuraya and WhatsApp. Picture caption: Amb-Ahmed-Rufai-of-NIA-and-Gen-Samul-Adebayo-of-DMI The amount is part of the N895.8bn supplementary budget submitted by President Muhammadu Buhari last month and approved by both chambers of the National Assembly last week, after increasing it by about N87bn. The Budget, according to the Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Barau Jibrin, is meant to procure equipment for the military and to fight further…

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Finally, National Assembly passes Petroleum Industry Bill

Aminu Imam

Allocates 3% operating expenditure of oil firms to host communities History was made yesterday, as the National Assembly yesterday passed the Petroleum Industry Bill, also known as PIB, after more than a decade. The passage of the Bill comes exactly 13 years after it was first presented to the National Assembly in 2008. The Bill was passed during the plenary, after careful consideration of each of the clauses by both the Senate and the House of Representatives. The House first passed the bill, before the Senate followed suit. The Senate,…

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Lawmakers not responsible for NASS Complex maintenance Senate spokesman

Aminu Imam

The Senate has disclosed that the Federal Capital Development Authority, (FCDA), is responsible for the maintenance of the National Assembly Complex. This clarification was made by the spokesman of the senate, Ajibola Basiru following a leaking roof in the complex after a heavy downpour on Tuesday. Several Nigerians have accused the lawmakers of failing to repair the edifice despite receiving an allocation for it following the report of the incident. In a statement issued yesterday, Basiru said the leadership of the National Assembly did not receive any money for the…

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