By Jennifer Y Omiloli
The Senate has rethought and passed three bills that were at first rejected by the president, Muhammadu Buhari.
The bills are the Federal University of Wukari (Establishment, etc) Bill, Nigerian Film Commission Bill and Nigerian Aeronautical Search and Rescue Bill,
The Senate chief, Ahmed Lawan, featured the president’s method of reasoning for retention the consent verges on his perception on certain conditions in the bills.
Mr Buhari had expressed his explanations behind declining consent to the bills in isolated letters sent to the Senate.
For the Federal University Wukari (Establishment. etc) Bill, Mr Buhari said he dismissed the bill on account of the “extent of, and phrases used in the Bill.”
“The word “Statute” should replace regulation throughout the bill for consistency. “Paragraph 9 (1) of the 1st schedule should refer to ‘the president’ and not ‘the visitor’ and paragraph 5 of the 3rd Schedule should refer to sub-paragraph (2) and not sub-paragraph (3).”
“Please accept, senate president, assurances of my highest consideration,” he said.
For the Nigerian Film Commission bill, he said “Section 1 (k) of the bill states that 1% of the proceeds for the television license for the national broadcasting commission shall be paid into a fund to be controlled by the national film commission, it is conflict with section 16 (1) of the national broadcasting commission act which stipulates the purpose for which expenditure to be generated by NBC may be used.
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“Section 7 (2) (d) of the bill proposed 5% VAT on all film-related activities to the national film development fund violates section 40 of the Valued Added Tax and ensuring formula described therein because it averts funds normally distributed to states of the federation.”
His reason for rejecting the Nigerian Aeronautical Search and Rescue Bill, is due to “the numerous discrepancies of the bill which makes it not in tandem with international best practices guiding the aviation industry worldwide.
He also added that “certain sections are just a duplication of the functions of NEMA and other Agencies.”
Mr Lawan said a specialized advisory group of the Senate, had dealt with the president’s perceptions and have re-drafted the influenced provisos.
He, notwithstanding, did not peruse out the revisions made to these provisos.
The Senate at that point settled into the panel of the entire, rethought and passed the bills.
The Senate will hang tight for harmonization from the House of Representatives after which the bills will be transmitted to the president for consent.
