The Senate on Wednesday passed 29 out of the 33 items slated for
amendment in the 1999 Constitution.
The lawmakers
unanimously voted to strip the President of powers to assent to amendments made
to the constitution, thereby giving the legislature sweeping powers to alter
the constitution.
They voted 92
against four to pass the amendment seeking to whittle down the power of the
President to veto the amendments to the constitution.
The lawmakers
also unanimously passed the amendment seeking to include past Presidents of the
Senate and former House of Representatives Speakers as members of Council of
State.
Also on the card
was immunity to lawmakers in the federal and state legislatures against
prosecution over words spoken or written in the parliament during debates or at
committee assignments.
They also passed
an amendment that would compel the President to attend a joint session of the
National Assembly once a year to deliver a State of the Nation address.
Similarly, the
length of time given to the President to spend funds from the consolidated
revenue in the absence of appropriation has been reduced from six to three
months.
Henceforth, the
President must lay the nation’s annual budgetary proposal before the National
Assembly within 90 days before the end of a fiscal year, while state governors
are also to lay theirs within the same time frame at the state assemblies.
Local
governments have also been freed from the grip of state governments, with the
scrapping of the existing Joint State/Local Government Accounts.
The local
governments are to get their allocations directly from the federation account
and other sources.
State assemblies
are also to get financial autonomy. They are also to enjoy a right to funding
from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the states. The amendment had been
rejected by state assemblies during previous constitution amendment.
Also, the
amendment prescribed that appointees of the President and State Governors for
cabinet offices are now to be submitted to the Federal and State parliaments
within 30 days of taking oath of office by the President or state governors.
Portfolios to be
assigned to each appointee will also be indicated in the nomination letters
forwarded to the Senate or the state assemblies as the case may be.
The Senate also
approved a provision for independent candidates at all levels of election, as a
way of expanding the political space beyond conventional parties.
The lawmakers
also voted in favour of separation of the office of the Accountant General of
the Federal Government from the office of the Accountant General of the
Federation.
Similarly, the
office of the Auditor-General for the Federation and state Auditors General are
to be on first line charges in the consolidated revenue funds of the federation
and the states respectively.
Also, the Senate
voted in favour of separating the office of the Minister of Justice and state
commissioners for Justice from that of the Attorney-General of the Federation
and that of the State.
The Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) has also been empowered to delist
non-performing registered political parties.
The amendment
affects any political party that failed to win any seat at the federal, state
or local government level.
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