President Muhammdu Buhari has explained to the National Assembly, why he refused to sign the bill establishing the
University of Wukari, which was passed by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki-led National Assembly.
In separate letters, to Saraki, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, the President said his decision was hinged on the wrong use of some phrases in the bill.
“The rationale for withholding assent is regarding certain words and phrases utilised in the bill.
“For instance, statutes should replace regulation throughout the bill, for consistency. Paragraph 9 (1) of the first schedule should refer to the President and not the visitor, and paragraph 5 of the first schedule should refer to sub paragraph 2, and not sub paragraph 3.”
Similarly, the President withheld his assent to the Chartered Institute of Treasury Management Establishment Bill 2017, for the same reason.
In another letter read at the two Chambers of the National Assembly, on Tuesday, Buhari said: “The rationale for withholding assent are regarding the scope of phrases utilised in the bill.”
“For instance, the phrase ‘treasury management’ is not defined in the bill. Greater clarity may be required regarding the impact of the bill on the Central Bank’s regulation of treasury managers in banks and the relationship between the professional institutes and other existing professional institutes that regulate treasury managers in Nigeria.”
