TheCable

Ahmad Lawan, president of the senate, says the national assembly will ensure that President Muhammadu Buhari signs the remaining constitutional amendment bills.

Lawan spoke on Tuesday at the resumption of plenary after the governorship and state houses of assembly elections.

In January, TheCable reported that 35 constitutional amendment bills were passed and transmitted to Buhari for assent. 

Last week, the president signed 16 of those bills into law.

Among the bills assented to was the financial independence for state houses of assemblies and state judiciary.

Others were bills that seek to remove railway, prison, and electricity from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent list.

Speaking on the 19 pending bills, Lawan said the national assembly would engage the executive to iron out the issues with the proposals.

The senate president said the incoming 10th assembly would take over and address issues that can be fixed by the current crop of lawmakers.

“I believe that there is a need for us to do further engagement between the NASS and the executive arm of government,” Lawan said.

“Our Constitution Review Committee will engage the executive arm of government so that we go through the items in those bills that have not been assented to.

“What are the issues; are those issues, issues we can deal with immediately because we have put in a lot of resources, and a lot of time to produce those bills?

“I believe that maybe there are a few explanations that we will make and they will be okay and we will do that almost immediately because time is of the essence.

“Where the issues are too much to handle, I think the 10th NASS should be able to attend to such issues.”