Joseph Bakare
President Muhammadu Buhari has validates nine Bills passed by the 8th National Assembly and transmitted to him for assent.
Presidential Liaison to the National Assembly (Senate), Ita Enang, who disclosed this to State House correspondents in Abuja on Wednesday, said the President refused to assent to 19 other bills.
The Bills assented to by the President are the Nigeria Police Trust Fund (Establishment) Bill, 2019; Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency (Establishment Bill), 2019; Suppression of Privacy and Other Maritime Defences Bill, 2019; Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria Bill, 2019; National Institute of Construction Technology and Management (Establishment) Bill, 2019; National Agricultural Seeds Council Bill, 2019; Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund (Amendment) Act, 2019; Federal Capital Territory Primary Healthcare Board (Establishment) Bill, 2019 and Federal Capital Territory Hospital Management Board (Establishment) Bill, 2019.
Suppression of Piracy and other Maritime Offences Act, 2019 is promulgated to give effect to the provision of the United Nations Convention on the law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982 Convention for the suppression of the unlawful acts against the safety of Maritime Navigation (SUA) 1988 and its protocols.
The National Institute of Construction Technology and Management (Establishment) Bill, 2019 provides full time and part-time courses of instruction and training in construction and engineering technology, applied and management sciences and other fields of study, and make provisions for the general administration of the Institute.
The Act empowers the Institute to among others provide full-time and part-time courses in construction and engineering technology, applied and management sciences and other fields of study leading to the award of Ordinary National Diploma, Higher National Diploma, Certificates in specialized programmes; provide facilities and encourage research in all areas of focus to aid the development of Nigeria in the areas of industry, commerce, technology and engineering.
The National Agricultural Seeds Council Act, 2019 repeals the National Agricultural Seeds Act, CAP. N5, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and establishes the National Agricultural Seeds Council to promote and stimulate the development of dependable seed industry, regulate and control the released varieties, protect the farmers from the sales of poor quality seeds, facilitate the production and marketing of high quality seeds in Nigeria, and provide legal backing for official testing certification, sales, importation, exportation and use of seed.
The Act also promotes greater private sector participation in the seed subsector in line with the current agricultural seed policy globalization and export trade promotion.
The Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund (Amendment) Act, 2019 amends the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Fund Act CAP. A11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to enhance the capital base, expand the coverage of the Scheme, increase the size of the loanable fund, increase membership and give more powers to the Board.
The Federal Capital Territory Primary Healthcare Board (Establishment) Act, 2019 provides for the development and operation of primary healthcare structure, equitable distribution of primary healthcare facilities and effective access to healthcare services within the Federal Capital Territory.
The Federal Capital Territory Hospitals Management Board (Establishment) Act, 2019 is aimed at providing for the development and operation of primary healthcare structure, equitable distribution of primary healthcare facilities and effective access to healthcare services within the Federal Capital Territory.
The bills the President refused to assent to include Adeyemi Federal University of Education (Establishment) Bill),
Federal University of Education Kano (Establishment) Bill), Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, Owerri
(Establishment) Bill, Federal University of Education Zaria (Establishment) Bill and National Security Agencies Protection of Officer’s Identity Bill, 2018.
Others are Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management (Establishment) Agency Bill, 2018, Environmental Managers Registration Council of Nigeria Bill, 2018, Industrial Development (Income Tax Act) (Amendment) Bill, 2019, Defence Research and Development Bureau Bill, 2018 and Animal Diseases (Control) Bills, 2018.
The rest are Good Samaritan’s Bill, 2019, Chartered Institute of Directors of Nigeria Bill, 2019, National Institute of Hospitality and Tourism (Establishment) Bill 2019), Federal University, Wukari (Establishment) Bill, 2019, Warehouse Receipts and other Related Matters Bill, 2019, Federal Capital Territory Health Insurance Agency Bill, 2019, Nigerian Automotive Industry Development Plan (Fiscal Incentives, Assurances and Guarantees Bills, 2017, Nigerian Film Commission Bill, 2019 and Proceeds of Crime Bill, 2019.