The Attorney-General of the
Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has said President
Muhammmadu Buhari‘s declaration of June 12 as a public holiday from next year
currently has no effect
Malami on Wednesday explained
that June 12 could not be a public holiday until the Public Holiday Act is
amended by the National Assembly.
The minister, in a chat with
State House correspondents, spoke on whether the declaration did not contravene
the Public Holiday Act.
He said: “As it relates to public
holidays, there is truly a Public Holiday Act but it is about the process of
amendment. At any rate, the Act can be amended and the process of amendment has
been put in place.
“So, when the Act has been fully
amended, the declaration of the President will come into effect. It is a
declaration of intention, a declaration of desire and that will eventually be
given effect with the act of amendment of the existing law.”
On whether Buhari could give a
posthumous award to any Nigerian without the approval of the Council of State,
Malami said: “I think we need to make distinctions between the Nigeria National
Merit Award Act and the Nigerian National Honours Act.
“They are two distinct and
different applicable laws as far as National honours awards are concerned.
“You have the National Merit
Award on the strength of which we have the law of the governing board comes
into effect and then as it relates to the National Honours Act, the Board does
not have any relevance in terms of processing of the Honours.
“For then, above all, we equally have in
existence precedence as it relates to the award of posthumous Honours. I can
recall that a former head of state, General Murtala Mohammed was equally
honoured posthumously amongst others.”
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