National conference heading for a brick wall. The implication is that the countries woes would go on... Jangaweed country... Senate Rebuffs Jonathan … Strips him of powers over CAC budget •Dumps President’s request to amend Section 9 of Constitution In a seeming tactical withdrawal, Senate yesterday dumped a vote on an amendment of section 9 of the 1999 Constitution which would empower the President to facilitate a new constitution. This is even as the lawmakers sripped the President of his powers over the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA). The decision to withdraw the proposal, which will be a further amendment of the section to introduce a new clause on the proposed Constitution was reached at a meeting on Tuesday night. During debate on the proposal last week, a cross-section of the chamber was against the move, which informed the Tuesday’s parley, some hours before the lawmakers were supposed to vote on it. Section 9 stipulates that “An Act of the National Assembly for the alteration of this constitution, not being an Act to which section 8 of this Constitution, applies, shall not be passed in either House of the National Assembly unless the proposal is supported by the votes of not less than two-thirds of all the members of that House and approved by resolution of the Houses of Assembly of noit less than two-thirds of all the states.” Last Thursday, Senate President David Mark had informed his colleagues that the chamber would vote on the new clause yesterday. Rather than proceed, shortly after the chamber had passed the new N4.96 trillion 2014 budget, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu suspended the controversial addition into Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution which gives President Goodluck Jonathan, the power to initiate the process of a new constitution. Mark provided more insight. “The wise men met and they advised themselves that they should withdraw it and it was done. Again, it means that the Senate is sensitive to the feelings of Nigerians. So, we defer voting and that amendment is withdrawn.” Some senators reportedly met at 10pm on Tuesday and “wisely decided that the proposal cannot sail through on the floor of the Senate and so, the decision was that the proposal should be withdrawn,” said a senator privy to the agreement, but who declined to be named. Mark said that the vote on the Constitution amendment bill was suspended because the number of the senators who attended the plenary was slightly above the required 73, which is the two – thirds of 109 senators. He urged all his colleagues to attend the next legislative sitting because all members should be present in order to participate in the “all important process of Constitution amendment.” Senators may, today, vote on the bill for Act to further alter the provisions of the 1999 Constitution and for other matters connected therewith, 2013. Ekweremadu, who is also the committee chairman, said the vote would principally enhance and strengthen the legal framework for the processing of a new Constitution, electoral process and other connected institutions. He noted that Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had submitted proposal to the commitee seeking for an extension of the seven days to 21 days after results of the election would have been announced. Another new ammendment, Ekweremadu said, was the empowerment of INEC to de-register political parties which fail to win presidential, governorship, chairmanship of a local government, or a seat in the National or state Assembly elections. The review, also aimed at conferring exclusive jurisdiction on the Federal High Court for the trial of offences arising from, pertaining to or connected to the violation of the provisions of the Electoral Act and any other election related Act of the National Assembly. Ekweremadu noted that “After our meeting with the INEC, they came up with the suggestion that instead of setting up another bureaucracy, it is better to confer on the Federal High Court with the powers to try election offences. In the constitution being ammended, he said former Chief Justices of the Federation (CJN) are members of the Council of States besides the serving CJN. Meanwhile, Senate yesterday amended the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) which strips the President of unilateral powers to approve the annual budget of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). The chamber passed for Third Reading, the Companies and Allied Matters Act Cap 20, LFN 2011, (Amendment) Bill, 2014 which now vests powers in the chamber to screen and confirm appointments into the CAC Board. Senators unanimously adopted the report of the Senator Odion Ugbesia-led Committee on Trade which recommended the introduction of sections 14 and 15 to make annual CAC’s reports of estimatesto be subjected to the scrutiny and approval of the National Assembly. Speaking with newsmen after the session, Ugbesia, who sponsored the review, said the CAC law was a left-over of the military era “which needed to conform to the new reality of democracy and separation of powers. “The new amendment now makes it mandatory for the president to forward names of nominees into the post of the chairman, secretary and board members of the CAC to the Senate for confirmation.” Ugbesia also disclosed that one of the amendment done was to ensure that appointments into the board of the CAC complied with Federal Character provisions in the 1999 constitution so that no single geo-political zone or ethnic group dominate the membership. Under the existing Act, the president does not need the confirmation of the Senate in the appointment of chairman, secretary and members of the Corporate Affairs Commission. The Sun.
Posted on: Thu, 10 Apr 2014 11:01:16 +0000
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