As National Assembly Management sets Committee to Investigate Alleged false Bill submitted to Tinubu

BY Lateef Taiwo

Over 40 coalition of Civil society has described recent media reports on the ongoing reforms by the management of the national Assembly management led by the Clerk of the National Assembly , Sani Magaji Tambuwal, as an unfortunate development .

The group expressed concern on the negative story sponsored by some individuals and group in National Assembly management without proper investigation by media houses before going to the press.

“ while the management of the National Assembly is not immune from investigations, the media practitioners should not allowed itself to be used as pawn in the political chess game by those who lost out in any contest in National Assembly management leadership “

National trail investigation at the Corporate Affairs Commission ( CAC), and the Code of Conduct Bureau revealed that there is no registered company or entity traced to the Clerk of the National Assembly

The Chairperson of the Conference of Civil Societies, and Coordinator of Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMICO), Comrade Adams Otakwu has disclosed plans of collaboration between the Civil Society, Armed Forces, Security and Intelligence Community to clamp down on Subversive Groups and Elements who operate under the guise of Civil Societies and other platforms.

Speaking to newsmen in Abuja on Saturday the 25th November 2023, Comrade Otakwu said “the activities of these individuals and groups who hide under the umbrella of Civil Societies to blackmail and extort public officials, perpetrate heinous crimes and indulge in reactionary and fraudulent activities, portray a bad image of the civil society, and undermine national security”

He expressed concern over incessant blackmails of the Armed Forces, Security Agencies, National Assembly and other critical institutions in the country, by subversive elements and so-called ‘coalition of civil societies’ or ‘concerned citizens groups’.

Otakwu who further described such needless and mindless machinations as “inimical to the country’s

progress” also cautioned against them, and disclosed plans by the Conference of Civil Societies to collaborate with the Armed Forces, Security and Intelligence Community to clamp down on these elements in the interest of National Security and development.

The group in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja, also warned against attempts by “some so-called civil society groups from distracting the CNA through blackmail and spurious allegations that are unfounded and misleading” in the performance of his duties.

National coordinator of the PYF, Otunba Bamidele Adigun, and National Organising Secretary, Musa Isah, stated that since Tambuwal’s assumption of office as the CNA, there have been a telling improvement in staff welfare and communication in the National Assembly bureaucracy.

“It is a fact that since Mr. Sani Magaji Tambuwal’s emergence as the CNA in November, 2022 and his eventual confirmation in March this year, there have been marked improvement in staff welfare and communication with top management within the National Assembly bureaucracy,” Adigun and Isah stated in the statement.

According to the group, “the payment of N3.7bn CON-PECULIAR and other outstanding entitlements within a few months in office and the upgrade of the NASS clinic with plans for the state-of-the-art equipment, easing the transportation needs of workers with eight new buses and effecting the payment of N35, 000 palliative grant, from September,2023 are few of the pragmatic leadership of Mr. Tambuwal this past one year in office.

“We wish to further state that, we have diligently followed his leadership and management style, it is gratifying to know and see that all outstanding workers welfare packages and entitlements are been cleared as well as increase in trainings and retraining for all cadres of staff in the NASS service.

“It is on this note and many more, we call on Mr. Tambuwal to remain focused, accountable and ignore mischief makers and those given to blackmail and trading in spurious allegations.”People should be guided by their conscience in all that they do so as not to impugn on the integrity and reputation of honest leaders, desirous for the right things to be done.”

Informed sources told National trail that recent attempt at drawing the clerk of the National Assembly Magaji, into what is strictly a responsibility of the Clerks of the upper and lower legislative Chambers fell on its face.

A media report ( not Aljazirah Nigeria had reported how the Clerk Sani Magaji Tamuwal , allegedly sent a false real estate regulatory council Bill of Nigeria ACT 2023 to President Tinubu , and was rejected.

investigation revealed that nothing has exposed the traducers of the Clerk of the National and put the media on the spot like the report of the rejected Bill.

National trail gathered that despite the manifest ignorance displayed on the process of lawmaking by the media House , the management has set up a high powerful Committee to unravel the allegations.

National trail checks revealed that Bills from the Senate or the House are sent to the office of the Clerk, from the office of the Clerk it is sent to the legal department , the department scrutinized it if there are glare areas they send it back to the Clerks of either the Senate or House, for harmonization.
After the harmonization it is sent back to the legal department in the National, then the Clerk of the Assembly before the Clerk sends it to the presidency for assent.

“ In the presidency the legal department also subject the Bills to scrutiny to ensure the Bill does not conflict with extant laws, the president either decided to send such Bill back to National Assembly for corrections or amendment where necessary”
The question is who sent the Bill to the president?
National trail investigation reveaed that the Clerk Sani Tambuwal is not in a position to influence the passage of any Bill as alleged by the media.

National trail gathered that President Buhari in the dying days of his administration signed 16 constitution amendment bills out of the 35 bills transmitted to him by the ninth National Assembly.

One of the constitution review bills that President Muhammadu Buhari refused to assent to is a bill to empower the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly to summon the President and governors.

The President Buhari refused to assent to which include “Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Fifth Alteration) Bill, No. 48, 2022 (Power to Summon the President and Governors – Sections 67 & 108).

“A Bill for an Act to Alter the Second Schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Empower the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly to summon the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Governors of States to answer Questions on issues on which the National and State Houses of Assembly have the Powers to make Law.”

Other bills the President failed to assent to include: “Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Fifth Alteration) Bill, No. 65, 2022 (Food Security – Section 16)

“A Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to require the Government to Direct its Policy towards ensuring Rights to Food and Food Security in Nigeria.”

The President also failed to assent to the “Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Fifth Alteration) Bill, No. 54, 2022 (State of the Nation and State of the State Address – Sections 67 & 108).

“A Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to provide for a State of the Nation and State of the State Address by the President and Governor.

“Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Fifth Alteration) Bill, No. 55, 2022 (Composition of Members of the Council of State – Part I, Third Schedule).

“A Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Include Former Heads of the National Assembly in the Council of State.”

See the full list of the 19 rejected bills below:

1. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Fifth Alteration) Bill, No. 10, 2022 (Enforcement of Legislative Summons – Sections 89 & 129)

A Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to compel persons to obey or comply with Legislative Summons

2. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Fifth Alteration) Bill, No. 24, 2022 (Expansion of the Interpretation of “Judicial Office” –Section 318)

A Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to expand the Interpretation of Judicial Office to include Courts or Tribunals created by an Act of the National Assembly or a State Law of the House of Assembly.

3. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Fifth Alteration) Bill, No. 29, 2022 (Devolution of Powers [Airports] – Part I & II, Second Schedule)

A Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Move Airports from Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List

4. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Fifth Alteration) Bill, No. 39, 2022 (Power to Enforce Compliance of Remittance of Accruals into the Federation Account and Review of Revenue Allocation Formula – Section 162 & Part I, Third Schedule)

A Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Empower the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission to Enforce Compliance with Remittance of Accruals into and Disbursement of Revenue from the Federation Account and Streamline the Procedure for Reviewing the Revenue Allocation Formula.

6. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Fifth Alteration) Bill, No. 41, 2022 (Removal of Transitional Law-making Powers of the Executive – Section 315)

A Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Remove Transitional Lawmaking Powers from the Executive Arms of Government

19. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Fifth Alteration) Bill, No. 66, 2022 (Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps – Section 213 & Part III)

A Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Reflect the Establishment and Core Functions of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps.