The 10th National Assembly has come under fire for the expeditious manner it passes Executive Bills and kills private member bills without adherence to legislative tradition and subjecting them to rigorous discussion. That is as critics said it is worse than a rubber stamp assembly.
Since its inauguration on June 13, 2023, the Senate in particular, has curiously rejected no less than four private member bills, sponsored by different Senators, but expeditious passed five executive bills, forwarded to it by President Bola Tinubu, without subjecting them to the usual rigorous legislative processes and thorough public hearing.
There is even no record of any executive bill, particularly emanating from President Tinubu that was rejected or stepped down for reconsideration at another time, Sunday Telegraph reports
Top among this was on the first anniversary of the Tinubu government in May 2024, when the National Assembly changed Nigeria’s National Anthem and secured presidential assent even before the record of Votes and Proceedings could be compiled or transmitted, an essential requirement for presidential assent to bills passed by the National Assembly
Similarly, Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, (APC, Ekiti Central), presented the Executive Bill titled, “Bill for an Act to Amend the Police Act and for Related Matters (SB. 551), to enable a person appointed to the office of Inspector-General of Police, to remain in office until the end of the term stipulated in the letter of appointment”, forwarded by President Tinubu to the Upper Chamber on July 23, 2024. It was approved it for first, second and the third reading, which is the final stage of the legislative process towards making a bill to become a law.
On the same day, the Senate also passed a bill that amended the National Minimum Wage Act, 2019, to increase the National Minimum Wage from N30,000 to the sum of N70,000.
Also, on Wednesday July 31, the Senate approved an amendment to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Act, raising the government’s borrowing limit from the apex bank from 5 per cent to 10 per cent. The bill went through first, second and third reading the same day.
Furthermore, the Senate also expeditiously passed the 2024 Appropriation Act amendment bill, and altered some sections of the money bill. The bill passed through first, second and third reading before it was passed by the Committee of the Whole House.
According to Legislative tradition, for a bill to receive such expeditious attention, the Leader of the Senate usually moves a motion, calling on the Chamber to suspend relevant sections of the Senate Standing Orders, to enable them attend to such urgent matters.
The first bill rejected by the 10th Senate was a bill seeking an amendment to the Electoral Act 2022, to allow political parties to replace a validly elected state or federal lawmaker if he/she dies or resigns without the conduct of a bye-election. It was sponsored by Senator Sunday Karimi (APC, Kogi West). It was rejected by Senators when it was scheduled for a second reading.
Also, on February 29, 2024, the Senate rejected and indeed killed another bill seeking to include Anambra State as a member of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), since crude oil was found in the area. It was sponsored by Tony Nwoye (LP, Anambra North).
The Red Chamber, on July 11, 2024, also killed a bill for an Act to establish a foreign exchange market in Nigeria, sponsored by Senator Sani Musa, representing Niger East Senatorial District. Musa said the bill would contribute to the sound development of the National economy by striving to facilitate foreign transactions and maintain equilibrium of balance of international payments.
The Senate, on Thursday July 18, 2024, killed a bill seeking to establish a National Road Transport Council sponsored by the Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Oyelola Ashiru (APC, Kwara South).
A Law teacher and former Chairman of National Human Rights Commission, Prof Chidi Odinkalu, found it disconcerting that such acts were occurring in baffling frequency under the joint floor leadership of supposed democrats, Professor Julius Ihonvbere and Sen Opeyemi Bamidele as Majority Leader and Senate Leader respectively.~
This, he said, has led to accusations of legislation by ambush. They have indeed been described as “worse than a rubber stamp…. A copy-and-paste arm of the executive.”
He said: “The only substantive provision in the new law proposes to insert into the Nigeria Police Act 2020, a provision to the effect that, “any person appointed to the office of Inspector-General of Police shall remain in office until the end of the term stipulated in the letter of appointment in line with section 7(6) of this Act.”
He said the amendment of Nigeria Police Act of 2020, and extension of the tenure of the present Inspector-General of Police (IGP) was the latest one, done “for a transparently political hit-job in 2027.
As with the National Anthem, this also blind-sided the country.”
Meanwhile, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Amobi Nzelu, has described Egbetokun’s extension of service, as the greatest disservice to a country, which operates a written and constitutional democracy.
In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph on the implications of the tenure elongation for the IGP, Nzelu (SAN) raised concerns as to the position of the law on matters of retirement for public officers.
He said: “The IGP is a public officer within the contemplation of the law. Therefore, his enlistment into the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), with his exit is statutorily flavoured.”
However, a top source has said that the extension of tenure of the 22nd Indigenous Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, was the prerogative of President Bola Tinubu.
A senior establishment source, who spoke in confidence with this newspaper, said notwithstanding the bill, the tenure of office of IGP, is the President’s decision to make.
The President is the chairman of the Police Council.
“We need to understand something, and that is that only the President has the power to decide how long an IGP stays in office. This is because, he is the appointing authority. Hence, has the prerogative to decide on the term of office, since it’s appointment. From what I have gathered, the bill, which is awaiting Mr. President’s assent, only deals with the office of the Inspector General of Police. I might be wrong.
“Therefore, the Police Service Commission (PSC) may still retain its power to appoint Deputy Inspectors General of Police”, the source claimed.
Amid the criticisms that surrounded the amended, the Force Headquarters (FHQ) had, on July, 1 stated, among others, that: ‘To understand the true motivations behind this initiative, one needs only look at the Inspector-Generals of Police steadfast commitment to reforming the Nigeria Police Force. His advocacy for this bill stems from a genuine belief in its potential to improve the conditions of service for police officers and thereby bolster security nationwide, rather than seeking personal gain. It comes from the place of duty rather than benefit.”
