The National Assembly has begun the recommittal process of Bills passed by the 9th Assembly but were not assented to or assent withheld by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This includes the Nigerian Peace Corps Establishment Bill that was transmitted to the former President, Muhammadu Buhari, earlier this year but not assented to. The Bills are expected to enjoy expeditious passage in both Chambers as they will not commence de-novo.
The Nigerian National Assembly has taken a significant step by initiating the recommittal process of Bills that were passed by the 9th Assembly but did not receive the assent of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu before the expiration of the preceding Assembly.
The Office of the Clerk to the National Assembly has recorded a total of 44 Bills that fall into this category. One of these bills is the Nigerian Peace Corps Establishment Bill, which was transmitted to former President Muhammadu Buhari in April this year but was not assented to before leaving office in May 2023.
This particular bill garnered substantial support from the federal lawmakers of the 9th National Assembly and was subsequently retransmitted to President Tinubu for his assent through a letter dated 8th June 2023 and signed by the Clerk to the National Assembly, Sani Magaji Tambawal.
However, due to the commencement of the 10th National Assembly on the 13th of June 2023, the bill became statute-barred for presidential assent since it was passed by the 9th Assembly. To rectify this situation, both Chambers of the National Assembly are making strong moves to reconsider, pass, and transmit the bill for assent by President Bola Tinubu.
Among the other bills in this category are the Armed Forces Act (Amendment) Bill 2023, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act (Amendment) Bill 2023, ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, their Ammunition and other Related Materials (Ratification and Enforcement) Bill 2023, Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences (Amendment) Bill 2023, Defense Industries Corporation of Nigeria (Repeal and Enactment) Bill, 2023, Federal Polytechnic, Nyak-Shendam (Establishment) Bill, Nigeria Police Force College Training School and Institution (Establishment) Bill, 2023, National Library of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, 2023, Federal Medical Centers Act (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and more.
These bills, including the Nigerian Peace Corps Establishment Bill, were read for the first time on Thursday and are expected to enjoy expeditious passage in both Chambers of the National Assembly. Importantly, the bills will not commence de-novo, saving time and resources in the legislative process.
The recommittal process gained momentum in the House of Representatives on Wednesday when the Leader of the House, Hon Julius Ihonvbere, moved a motion for that purpose. Ihonvbere cited Order 12, Rule 16 of the Standing Orders of the House, which allows bills that were passed by the preceding Assembly but did not receive concurrence or assent to be re-considered in the Committee of the Whole without starting afresh.
The Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon Benjamin Kalu, who presided over the session, commended Ihonvbere for his foresight in proposing the motion. He emphasized the importance of resolving instances where bills were passed by previous assemblies but were not assented to and are presented again for consideration.
Source of content: OOO News 2023-07-29 News
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