Buhari writes Senate, withholds assent to three bills

Leke Baiyewu, Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari has withheld assent to three bills passed by the National Assembly over issues bothering on inconsistency and conflict with the Constitution.

Buhari expressed his reservations in a letter to the Senate which was read by the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the plenary on Tuesday.

The bills are the Police Procurement Fund (Establishment) Bill 2017, Chartered Institute of Management of Nigeria Bill 2017, and the Nigerian Council for Social Works (Establishment) Bill 2017.

The letter read in part, “I hereby convey to the Senate my decision on 25th January 2018 to decline presidential assent to three bills recently passed by the National Assembly, namely Police Procurement Fund (Establishment) Bill 2017, due to lack of clarity regarding the manner of disbursement of the fund as well as constitutional issues regarding the powers of the National Assembly to appropriate funds allocated to the 36 states and 744 local governments which conflicts with Sections 80 to 82 and 120 to 122 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

“The Chartered Institute of Management of Nigeria Bill 2017, due to lack of clarity over the scope of the profession of public management, that this bill prohibits persons who are not members of the institute from practising.

“Nigerian Council for Social Works (Establishment) Bill 2017, due to last of clarity over the scope of the profession of social works, that this bill prohibits all persons who are not members of the institute from practising.”