Factcheck: Eight Bills of The National Assembly Become Laws Upon President’s Assent

1. Legislative Houses (Powers & Privileges) Act, 2018.

The Legislative Houses Power and privileges Act grant the Legislative Houses: National Assembly and States Houses of Assembly Immunity from Litigation for actions taken in plenary or committee proceedings of the House or committee. It strengthens the power of the Legislators to carry out their legislative functions.

The powers include powers to summon any person to appear before her, give evidence, including power of an officer of the legislative House to arrest any person who commits an offence against the Act.

2. National Institute of Legislative Studies (Amendment) Act, 2018.

The National Institute for Legislative Studies (Amendment) Act, 2018 amends the 2011 Act establishing the Institute and widens her Powers to include powers to provide training Courses and Award Degrees on Democracy, Party Politics, Electoral Process, Legislative Practice and procedures, among others.

3. Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement Between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Kingdom of Spain (Domestication and Enforcement) Act, 2018.

Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Kingdom of Spain (Domestication and Enforcement) Act, 2018.  The Act is aims at eliminating double taxation following the provisions of the International Legislation of the contracting states and shall apply to persons who are resident of one or both contracting states.

4. National Senior Citizens’ Centre Act, 2018.

The President also assented to the National Senior Citizens’ Centre Bill 2017. This Act establishes the National Senior Citizens’ Centre in the country to cater for the needs of the senior citizens.  The functions of the National Centre shall among others include:

  1. Identify the needs, trainings and opportunities of Senior Citizens in the County and be responsible for the Provision of recreation, sports, education, health and social programmes and facilities designed for the full enjoyment and benefit of the senior citizens in the country as well as provide guidance and counseling for senior citizens.
  2. Initiate, develop and implement productive activities and work schemes for senior citizens to provide income or otherwise supplement their earnings.
  3. Promote and maintain linkages with states and local governments and other instrumentalities of government for the delivery of healthcare services facilities, professional advice services and training.

5. Railway Loan (International Bank) (Repeal) Act, 2018.

These Acts were also assented to by Mr. President and have been remitted to the appropriate authorities of state for further perfecting processes for Acts assented to.

6. Chartered Institute of Local Government and Public Administration Act, 2018.

The chartered Institute of Local Government and Public Administration Act, 2018. The act aims at ensuring professionalism in the system and has the following functions:

  1. Determining the standards of Knowledge and skills attained by persons seeking to become members of the Institute and improve those standards from time to time
  2. Secure a register of members of the Institute
  3. Promote research and development of curricula of training of local government employees and public administrators.
  4. Provide consultancy services in appropriate cases.

7. Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (Establishment) Act, 2018

The Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (Establishment) Act, 2018 established for the purposes of preventing the entry, establishment and spread of foreign pests and diseases of plant, animal and aquatic resources and products into the country and to promote sanitary and phytosanitary measures as it relates to import and export of agricultural products with a view to minimizing the risk to agriculture food safety and environment.

8. The Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2018.

This Act was also assented by the President.

Sincerely,

Senator (Dr.) Ita Enang
SSA to the President on National Assembly Matters – Senate
26 January 2018.

 

Press Release: President Buhari’s Letter To Senate President On Benue Killings

I thank you for your letter Reference NASS/8S/R/01 /33 dated 18th January, 2018 and I have carefully studied the resolutions and comments contained therein.

As I briefed you and the Rt. Hon. Speaker when we met on the 14th January, 2018, several courses of action had already been taken prior to the Senate Resolutions. You may recall that I told you of the following steps taken as soon as information came to me about the Benue killings.

On Thursday 4th January, I sent the Minister of Interior and the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Operations for an on the spot assessment of the situation.

On Friday, 5th January, the Inspector General of Police briefed me verbally on the latest situation. Calm had by then been restored.

On Monday 8th the Minister of Interior met with the following:

Governors of Adamawa, Kaduna, Niger, Taraba, Benue and Nasarawa States together with
Director General of the State Security Services (DG SSS)
Inspector General of Police
Commandant General, Civil Defence
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development
Commissioners of Police from the six aforementioned states
Comptrollers of Civil Defence from the six aforementioned states.

After the meeting I instructed the Minister of lnterior to brief you on the information gathered so far and steps taken. On Tuesday 9th January, I had a long session with Governor Ortom of Benue State during which I informed him of police arrest of some suspects with Kalashnikovs. In addition, I told him that I had instructed the IGP to speed up trial and prosecution of the suspects and give wide publicity to the police efforts.

At the request of the Governor a meeting was held in the Presidential Villa on 15th January, with a wide – cross – section of Benue personages where frank and open discussions were held and everybody in the meeting appreciated the complexity and difficulties of this farmer/herder strife. I assured all and sundry of my commitment to ensure that justice is expeditiously done.

To infer, therefore that nothing has been done is incorrect. The police are strenuously working to apprehend the rest of the culprits of these heartless killings. Furthermore, I have instructed the Inspector General of Police to relocate to Benue State, redeploy forces to the most sensitive areas. The Federal Government is initiating additional measures to address these and other security challenges, alleviate the consequences of these attacks and forestall reoccurrence. The Senate Resolutions itemised in your letter will be taken into consideration and I am instructing all relevant MDAs to factor them in their work.

Earlier, on December 19th 2017 to be precise, while receiving the Report of the Committee which I had set up to review the operational, technical and administrative structure of the National intelligence Agency (NIA), I underscored the need to review the entire national security architecture – as I promised in my inaugural Address on 29th May, 2015. Action is being initiated and I expect to receive maximum cooperation from the Senate, in line with paragraph (iii) of the Senate Resolutions.

Please accept, Mr. Senate President, the assurances of my highest regards.

Muhammadu Buhari

Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity)
February 1, 2018.