 |
| Nigerian Senate |
Senators
have cast their votes to amend sections in the fourth amendment of the 1999
Constitution.
Here are the 32 new amendments made to the country’s
constitution by the lawmakers.
Read the full list of the sections amended.
1. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
(Fourth Alteration) Bill, No. 1, 2017 (Composition of Members of the Council of
State) – This bill seeks to amend the Third Schedule to include former
Presidents of the Senate and Speakers of the House of Representatives in the
composition of the Council of State.
2. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
(Fourth Alteration) Bill, No. 2, 2017 (Authorisation of Expenditure) – seeks to
alter sections 82 and 122 of the Constitution to reduce the period within which
the President or Governor of a state may authorise the withdrawal of monies
from the consolidated revenue fund in the absence of an appropriation act from
6 months to 3 months.
3. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
(Fourth Alteration) Bill, No. 3, 2017 (Devolution of Powers) – This seeks to
alter the Second Schedule, Part I & II to move certain items to the
Concurrent Legislative List to give more legislative powers to States. It also
delineates the extent to which the federal legislature and state assemblies can
legislate on the items that have been moved to the Concurrent Legislative List.
4. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
(Fourth Alteration) Bill, No. 4, 2017 (Financial Autonomy of State
Legislatures) – This alteration seeks to provide for the funding of the Houses
of Assembly of States directly from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the State.
5. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
(Fourth Alteration) Bill, No. 5, 2017 (Distributable Pool Account) – This Bill
seeks to alter section 162 of the Constitution to abrogate the State Joint
Local Government Accounts and empower each Local Government Council to maintain
its own special account into which all allocations due to the Local Government
Council shall be directly paid from the Federation Account and from the
Government of the State and also make provisions for savings in the Federation
Account before distribution to other levels of Government.
6. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
(Fourth Alteration) Bill, No. 6, 2017 (Local Government) – The alterations here
are aimed at strengthening local government administration in Nigeria by
guaranteeing the democratic existence, funding, and tenure of local government
councils.
7. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
(Fourth Alteration) Bill, No. 7, 2017 (State Creation and boundary Adjustment)
– This essentially seeks to alter section 8 of the Constitution to ensure that
only democratically elected local government councils participate in the
process of State creation and boundary adjustment. It also removed ambiguities
in the extant provisions to enhance clarity with respect to the procedure for
state creation.
8. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
(Fourth Alteration) Bill, No. 8, 2017 (The Legislature) – This alteration seeks
among other things to alter sections 4, 51, 67, 68, 93 and 109 of the
Constitution to provide immunity for members of the legislature in respect of
words spoken or written at plenary sessions or at Committee proceedings;
institutionalize legislative bureaucracy in the Constitution like the Civil
Service Commission in the executive and the Judicial Service Commission in the
judiciary; and, obligate the President to attend a joint meeting of the
National Assembly once a year to deliver a state of the nation address.
9. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
(Fourth Alteration) Bill, No. 9, 2017 (Political Parties and Electoral Matters)
– This seeks to alter section 134 & 179 to provide sufficient time for INEC
to conduct bye-elections; and section 225 to empower the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) to de-register political parties for
non-fulfillment of certain conditions such as breach of registration
requirements and failure to secure/win either a Presidential, Governorship,
Local Government chairmanship or a seat in the National or State Assembly or a
Councillorship.
10. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
(Fourth Alteration) Bill, No. 10, 2017 (Presidential Assent) – This seeks to
alter sections 58, 59 and 100 to resolve the impasse where the President or
Governor neglects to signify his/her assent to a bill from the National
Assembly or withhold such assent. This is to enable timely passage of laws for
good governance.
11.
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (Fourth Alteration) Bill, No.
11, 2017 (Timeframe for submitting the Names Ministerial or Commissioners
Nominees) – This Bill seeks to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic
of Nigeria, 1999 to set a timeframe within which the President or a Governor
shall forward to the Senate or State House of Assembly names of nominees for
confirmation as Ministers or Commissioners; provide for attachment of portfolio
and thirty-five percent affirmative action for women.
12. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
(Fourth Alteration) Bill, No. 12, 2017 (Appointment of Minister from the FCT) –
The Bill seeks to alter section 147 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic
of Nigeria, 1999 to provide for the appointment of a Minister from the FCT,
Abuja to ensure that the FCT is represented in the Executive Council of the Federation.
13. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
(Fourth Alteration) Bill, No. 13, 2017 (Change of Names of some Local
Government Councils) – This Bill seeks to alter the Constitution to provide for
a change in the names of some Local Government Councils and the definition of
the boundary of the FCT, Abuja.
14.
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (Fourth Alteration) Bill, No.
14, 2017 (Independent Candidature) – This seeks to alter sections 65, 106, 131,
and 177 of the Constitution. This is aimed at expanding the political space and
broadening the options for the electorate by allowing for independent candidacy
in all elections.
15. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
(Fourth Alteration) Bill, No. 15, 2017 (The Police) – This Bill seeks to alter
the Constitution in sections 34, 35, 39, 214, 215, 216 and the Third Schedule
to change the name of the Police from “Nigeria Police Force” to “Nigeria
Police” in order to reflect their core mandate.
16. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
(Fourth Alteration) Bill, No. 16, 2017 (Restriction of Tenure of the President
and Governor) – This Bill seeks to restrict a person who was sworn-in as
President or Governor to complete the term of the elected President from
contesting for the same office for more than one term.
17. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
(Fourth Alteration) Bill, No. 17, 2017 (Separation of the Office of
Accountant-General) – This Bill seeks to alter section 84 of the Constitution
to establish the office of the Accountant-General of the Federal Government
separate from the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
18.
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (Fourth Alteration) Bill, No.
18, 2017 (Office of the Auditor-General) – This Bill seeks to make the office
of the Auditor-General for the Federation and for the State financially
independent by placing them on first-line charges in the Consolidated Revenue
funds of the Federation and of the States.
19. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
(Fourth Alteration) Bill, No. 19, 2017 (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) – This Bill seeks to alter sections 150,
174, 195, 211, 318 and the Third Schedule to the Constitution to separate the
office of the Minister or Commissioner for Justice from that of the
Attorney-General of the Federation and of states so as to create an independent
office of the Attorney-General of the Federation insulated from partisanship.
It also seeks to redefine the role of the Attorney-General, provide a fixed
tenure, provide the age and qualification for appointment and also for a more
stringent process for the removal of the Attorney General.
20. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
(Fourth Alteration) Bill, No. 20, 2017 (Judiciary) – This bill contains a vast
array of alterations with regards to the Judiciary such as the composition of
the National Judicial Council, and empowering Justices of the Supreme Court and
Court of Appeal to hear certain applications in chambers thereby enhancing the
speedy dispensation of justice.
21. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
(Fourth Alteration) Bill, No. 21, 2017 (Determination of Pre-Election Matters)
– This Bill seeks to among other things make provisions for timelines for the
determination of pre-election disputes.
22. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
(Fourth Alteration) Bill, No. 22, 2017 (Civil Defence) – This Bill seeks to
reflect the establishment and core functions of the Nigeria Security and Civil
Defence Corps. It is a consequential amendment because of the inclusion of the
national security and civil defence as an item in the Exclusive Legislative
List under the Second Schedule to the Constitution.
23. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
(Fourth Alteration) Bill, No. 23, 2017 (Citizenship and Indigeneship) – This
Bills seeks to alter section 25 of the Constitution to guarantee a married
woman’s right to choosing either her indigeneship by birth or by marriage for
the purposes of appointment or election.
24. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
(Fourth Alteration) Bill, No. 24, 2017 (Procedure for overriding Presidential
veto in Constitutional Alteration) – This Bill seeks to among other things
provide the procedure for passing a Constitution Alteration Bill where the
President withholds assent.
25. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
(Fourth Alteration) Bill, No. 25, 2017 (Removal of certain Acts from the
Constitution) – This Bill seeks to alter section 315 of the Constitution of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to remove the law-making powers of the
Executive Arm of Government and delete the National Youth Service Corps Decree,
the Public Complaints Commission Act, the National Security Agencies Act and
the Land Use Act from the Constitution, so that they can be subject to regular
process of amendment.
26. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
(Fourth Alteration) Bill, No. 26, 2017 (Investments and Securities Tribunal) –
This bill seeks to establish the Investments and Securities Tribunal under the
Constitution.
27. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
(Fourth Alteration) Bill, No. 27, 2017 (Reduction of Age Qualification) – This
Bill seeks to alter the Sections 65, 106, 131, 177 of the Constitution to
reduce the age qualification for the offices of the President and Governor and
membership of the Senate, House of Representatives, and the State Houses of
Assembly.
28. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
(Fourth Alteration) Bill, No. 28, 2017 (Authorisation of Expenditure 1) – This
Bill seeks to provide for the time within which the President or Governor shall
lay the Appropriation Bill before the National Assembly or House of Assembly to
encourage the early presentation and passage of Appropriation Bills.
29. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
(Fourth Alteration) Bill, No. 29, 2017 (Deletion of the NYSC Decree from the
Constitution) – The Bill seeks to alter the Constitution of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to delete the National Youth Service Corps Decree
from the Constitution so that it can be subject to the regular process of
amendment.
30. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
(Fourth Alteration) Bill, No. 30, 2017 (Deletion of the Public Complaints
Commission Act from the Constitution) – The Bill seeks to alter the
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to delete the Public
Complaints Commission Act from the Constitution so that it can be subject to
the regular process of amendment.
31. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
(Fourth Alteration) Bill, No. 31, 2017 (Deletion of the National Securities Act
from the Constitution) – The Bill seeks to alter the Constitution of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to delete the National Securities Act from
the Constitution so that it can be subject to the regular process of amendment.
32. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
(Fourth Alteration) Bill, No. 32, 2017 (Deletion of the Land Use Act from the
Constitution) – The Bill seeks to alter the Constitution of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to delete the Land Use Act from the Constitution so
that it can be subject to the regular process of amendment.
0 comments: