President Muhammadu Buhari has assented to two bills passed by the 8th National Assembly.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Sen. Ita Enang disclosed this at a news conference in Abuja on Wednesday.
NAN reports that Itang said the bills include Federal University of Agriculture Zuru, Kebbi State Bill and the Architects Registration Council Amendment Bill.
He said by giving assent to the Federal College of Agriculture Bill, the institution had been upgraded from a Federal College of Agriculture to a full-fledged Federal University of Agriculture with all the powers of its status. He explained that the assented Architects Registration Council amendment bill had increased the penalty fee of N1,000 to N5,000.
This, he said would generally enhance the architect registration process. He also said the bill was also designed to enhance the council’s penalties and make the appeals from the Disciplinary Committee lie with the High Courts. On why some bills were not assented to, Enang explained that there was cogent reasons for any bill that did not receive assent of the president. On why screened and confirmed ministerial nominees were yet to be inaugurated. He said: “Mr President upon receipt of communication from the National Assembly will on a date he will fix, notify the screened and cleared nominees.” Enag,who also responded to a question, on why the President did not attach portfolios to the nominees said the constitution did not oblige the President to do so. He thanked the senate for its patriotic decision to extend the annual vacation and concentrate on the screening and confirmation of the nominees.
Meanwhile, Senator Tayo Alasoadura, a ministerial nominee from Ondo State, had last week called on the 9th Senate to revisit the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB) for the good of the country.
He said revisiting the bill and its eventual passage would result in the earning of more funds from the nation’s oil resources.
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