Constitution Amendment: Reps transmit 35 bills to Buhari

By Christiana Ekpa

The House of Representatives, Wednesday, directed the Clerk to the National Assembly to transmit the 35 Bills to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent.

The bills were said to have fulfilled the  provisions of Section 9(2) of the Constitution and have been considered by 27 State Houses of Assembly.

The House also received the approval 24 state assemblies.

The state houses of assemblies had rejected 9 bills including financial and administrative autonomy for local government councils.

The House also called on Gombe, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kwara, Oyo, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, and Zamfara State Houses of assembly yet to approve the bills to do the needful.

The resolutions of the House followed the consideration of a motion by Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase, Hon. Ndudi Godwin Elumelu, Hon. Hassan Fulata and 68 other lawmakers.

Presenting the motion, Fulata who is the House chairman, Rules and Business Community said that 68 Bills were seeking alterations before the House and the Senate as at February 23, 2022.

He added that only 44 bills eventually got approval by both chambers and we’re  transmitted to the State Houses of Assembly for their resolutions on the 27 March, 2022.

Informing that 27 Houses forwarded their resolutions on the Bills, Fulata however the listed 35 Constitution Alteration Bills that have satisfied the provisions of Section 9 (2) of the Constitution, for passage into law, having been approved by not less than 24 State Houses of Assembly.

He said: “Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 3–(Change of Names of Afikpo North and Afikpo South Local Government Areas (Ebonyi State);

(b) Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 4–Change of Name of Kunchi Local Government Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 5–Change of Names of Egbado North and Egbado South Local Government Areas (Ogun State);

Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 7–Correction of the name of Atigbo Local Government Area (Oyo State);

Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 8–Correction of Name of Obia/Akpor Local Government Area (Rivers State);

Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 9–Financial autonomy of State legislatures and State Judiciary; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 10–Enforcement of Legislative Summon; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 11–Inauguration of Members-Elect.

“Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 21–Deletion of reference in the Constitution to the provisions of the Criminal Code, Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Act, Criminal Procedure Code or Evidence Act; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 22–Provision for Intervening Events in the Computation of Time for the Determination of Pre-Election Petitions, Election Petitions and Appeals therefrom; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 24–Expansion of the Interpretation of Judicial Office; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 25–Appointment of Secretary of the National Judicial Council; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 29–Devolution of Powers (Airports); Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 30–Devolution of Powers (Fingerprints, identification and criminal records); Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 31–Devolution of Powers (Correctional Services); Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 32–Devolution of Powers (Railways);

Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 33–Devolution of Powers (National Grid System); Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 39–Power to enforce compliance of remittance of Accruals into the Federation Account and Review of Revenue Allocation Formula.

“Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No.40–Independence of Certain bodies;

Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No.41–Removal of Transitional Law-making Powers of the Executive; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 43–Domestication of Treaties; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 44–Timeline for the Presentation of Appropriation Bills; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 45–Timeframe for the Submission of the Names of Ministerial or Commissioner Nominees; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No.48–Power to summon the President and Governors; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 49 Authorization of Expenditure;

Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 50–Replacement of the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation with the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federal Government; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 51–Creation of the Office of Accountant-General of the Federal Government; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 53–Separation of the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and of the State from the office of the Minister or Commissioner for Justice; and others.”