Senate Amends
Controversial Sections Of Constitution
Obiora Ani and Aliyu Othman, Abuja
The
upper legislative house in Nigeria, the Senate, has amended
sections 145 and 190 of the 1999
constitution. The amendment mandates the President and state
governors to transmit a written declaration to the Senate
President and Speaker of the House of Representatives or
Speaker, State Assembly, while embarking on a vacation or unable
to discharge the functions of the office.
The two sections of the Nigerian constitution have been at the
centre of a controversy that has raged since shortly after
President Umaru Yar’Adua went on a medical trip to Saudi Arabia,
which lasted over 90 days
The provision
It also states that if the President or Governor fails to
transmit such a declaration within fourteen days, the National
or State Assembly shall, by a resolution of a simple majority
vote, mandate the Vice President or Deputy Governor to perform
the official functions.
The amendment therefore, enables the legislature to empower the
Vice President or Deputy Governor to function as Acting
President or Governor in the absence of the occupier of the
office, for reason of vacation, ill health or any other
situation of temporary incapacitation.
VON Correspondent reports that the senate had to invoke relevant
sections of its rules to enable the law makers vote individually
for the amendments.
The Act now requires the concurrence of both the House of
Representatives and State Assemblies in the thirty six states of
the country to become a law.
Meanwhile, President Umaru Yar’Adua has asked Acting President
Goodluck Jonathan to continue to oversee the affairs of the
Nigerian state pending his complete recuperation.
The directive is contained in a statement by the Adviser on
Media and Publicity, Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi, issued after
President Yar’Adua returned from Saudi Arabia.
Gratitude
The statement expressed President Yar’Adua’s gratitude to all
Nigerians for their prayers and their exceptional generosity of
spirit. Acting President Jonathan was thanked for overseeing
state affairs while the president was away.
Gratitude was extended to members of the National Assembly, the
Governors’ Forum, the Judiciary, the Armed Forces, other
security agencies and eminent Nigerians for their roles in
maintaining order and stability.
President Yar’Adua, who has been receiving medical treatment in
a Saudi Hospital since the past three months, returned to
Nigeria in the early hours of Wednesday.
Qasim/Yinka
