President Muhammadu Buhari has assented to eight bills passed by the National Assembly.
Special adviser to the president on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang, disclosed this to State House correspondents.
According to him, the bills, which are on different sectors of the economy, have now become Acts.
The new Acts are: The Prevention of Crime Amendment Act 2016; The National Crop Varieties and Livestock Breeds (Registration) Amendment Act 2016; Telecommunications and Postal Offences Amendment Act 2016; The National Agricultural Land Development Authority Amendment Act
2016; The Produce Enforcement of Export Standards Amendment Act 2016; The Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute Amendment Act 2016; Bee Import Control and Management Amendment Act 2016, and Water Resources Amendment Act 2016.
Enang said the Bills were passed by the National Assembly and transmitted to Mr President for assent, which he did, automatically turning them into laws.
According to him, President Buhari expressed his appreciation to the leadership and membership of National Assembly for the great work they did on the bills.
“Mr President considers the Act as very vital to the present administration and in consonance with the All Progressive Congress’ (APC’s) agenda and thanks the National Assembly very much,” he said.
Enang further stated that President Buhari had directed officials of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) and all government officials, that whenever there is a bill pending before the National Assembly and there is a call for public hearing, they must attend and make inputs into those bills, so that those inputs will be taken into accounts by the legislature when considering the bill. So that when the bills are eventually passed it would be easier to implement.
He further stated that this is unprecedented because this is the very first time in this administration that eight bills are forwarded to the President at a go for assent.
“In all my years in the National Assembly except for the 46 bills which were passed a day to the end of that administration, no such number bills has been passed and forwarded at once to the President for assent and no such number of bills has been assented to at a record time.”
“I also consider it a record that bills have been passed on various sector and in giving assent to the bill it did not lead to rancour or disputation as to what should be in and what should not be in.
“This shows that the executive and the legislature are working together because the ministers attended every hearing called in respect of the bill. And all the ministers and director-generals involved all monitored the processes and procedures on the floor,” he said.
“There is no bill pending assent before Mr President; all bills sent to him have been assented to,” he concluded.
Source:Leadership
Tags
Politics