Constitution Amendment: Senate Asks Jonathan To Return Original Copy

9 years ago

Constitution Amendment: Senate Asks Jonathan To Return Original Copy

As the Senate Ad hoc Committee on Constitution Amendment concludes its consideration of President Goodluck Jonathan’s letter of veto on the Constitution Amendment Bill, the Senate has asked the president to return the bill sent to him by the National Assembly, “especially the signature page”.

The president had on Wednesday, in a letter to the National Assembly, said he would not assent to the amendments because they do not satisfy the strict requirements of Section 9(3) of the 1999 Constitution.

The Senate subsequently mandated its Committee on Constitution Amendment, headed by deputy Senate president, Ike Ekweremadu, to consider the letter and report back to it.

But the deputy Senate president, rising on a point of order, explained to the Senate that the committee could not go ahead with its assignment because President Jonathan failed to attach the original bill to his letter conveying his veto, which is against the practice.

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Ekweremadu said the committee decided that the Senate president should ask Jonathan to return the original copy specifically containing the signature page to the chamber.

LEADERSHIP Friday, however, gathered that the committee had gotten information that the president had initially appended his signature to the bill before withdrawing his assent, and are now insisting that the page be returned so that they can confirm for themselves.

He said, “We slated to have a two-day retreat to consider the letter and advise the Senate appropriately. In the course of our sitting yesterday (Wednesday), we noticed the second to the last paragraph of that letter where the president said he was returning the bill.

“Unfortunately, the bill was not returned with the letter and we could not proceed because we would like to see the returned bill.

“The committee has asked me to raise this point, to request the president of the Senate, to ask the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to send back the original copy of the bill as sent to him, especially the signature page.

“This is to enable us to proceed with our work especially since he had indicated in his own letter that it was accompanied by the bill, so we would like to have the bill in its original form, especially the signature page.”

Responding, the Senate president, David Mark, said the order raised by Ekweremadu was in order, saying urgency must be deployed in sending the letter to the president so that the whole process can be finished early.

Mark assured his colleagues that he would write the letter within two to three days because of the urgency involved.

He said, “I think the important thing is that if the floor accepts that I send that letter, then I will write a letter to Mr President to return the original copy of the bill to us.”

The 7th Assembly had spent about N4 billion on the exercise.