Buhari withholds assent, returns four bills to National Assembly

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday communicated his decision to withhold assent to four bills to the National Assembly.


At the House of Representatives, the presidential decision was contained in a letter read to members by the Speaker, Mr Yakubu Dogara, at the start of the day’s proceedings.

The bills are the “Corporate Manslaughter Bill, 2018”; “Agricultural Credit Scheme Bill, 2018”; “National Child Protection Bill, 2018”; and “Court and Tribunal Standard Scale Fines Bill, 2018.”

Buhari gave reasons for rejecting the bills.

For instance, on the corporate manslaughter bill, Buhari said several of its provisions were inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution.

He also rejected the agricultural credit scheme bill on the grounds that the National Assembly jacked up the fund created in the scheme to N50bn.

The President explained that he was more convenient with the extant provision of N100m.

On the child protection bill, Buhari noted that the proposed agency would merely duplicate the functions of already established agencies and the Ministry of Women Affairs.

He turned back the court and tribunal bill for being “ambiguous” and conflicting with extant laws.