Constitution Amendment: Like Senate, House Transmits 35 Bills to Buhari

Udora Orizu in Abuja

The House of Representatives has directed the Clerk to the National Assembly to transmit the 35 bills that have so far met the requirement of the provisions of Section 9(2) of the Constitution to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent.

The 35 proposed legislations were considered by 27 State Houses of Assembly and approved by at least 24 state assemblies as required by law.

The state houses lawmakers however rejected nine bills including the proposed legislation for financial and administrative autonomy for local government councils.

The House urged the following State Houses of Assembly – Gombe, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kwara, Oyo, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, and Zamfara – yet to forward their resolution on the bills to do so in fulfillment of their constitutionally imposed legislative obligation to the constitution amendment process.

The resolution to transmit the 35 bills followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase,

Hon. Ndudi Godwin Elumelu, Hon. Hassan Fulata and 68 other lawmakers at plenary yesterday.

Moving the motion, Fulata recalled that 68 bills seeking to alter provisions of the constitution were presented at the floor of the House of Representatives and the Senate on Wednesday, 23 February, 2022 for passage.

He also recalled that the House of Representatives and the Senate had approved 44 of the bills without differences and were transmitted to the State Houses of Assembly for their resolutions on the 27 March, 2022.

While acknowledging that 27 Houses of Assembly forwarded their resolutions on the proposed legislations, he said the under listed 35 Constitution Alteration Bills had 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.

Fulata 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.”