We Had Vibrant National Assembly During My Presidency Ditto Obasanjo-Jonathan
Former president Goodluck Jonathan has submitted that the nation had a vibrant National Assembly during his presidency ditto Chief Olusegun Obasanjo noting that the lawmakers then had instances of overriding presidential vetoes on important bills.
Team@orientactualmags.com learned that Dr Goodluck Jonathan said this on Wednesday evening while giving his speech during the Champions of Nigerian Content Awards Dinner organised by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
Honoured with the Nigerian Content Lifetime Achievement Award, the former president talked about how he was eager to sign the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Bill into law during his presidency noting that the bill which was sponsored by Lee Maeba from Rivers State and others, was a product of a truly dynamic legislature.
‘When I was acting President in 2010, and the National Assembly presented the bill, I promptly signed it and we quickly established a monitoring body. Someone like Lee Maeba, the bill’s originator, and his group also deserve recognition. That was a period when the National Assembly truly lived up to its name’ Dr Goodluck Jonathan said
The former president also recalled how the parliament passed the Niger Delta Development Commission bill into law despite Chief Obasanjo’s reluctance to sign it.
‘In 2000, the NDDC bill was also vetoed by the National Assembly. They overrode former president Obasanjo following his refusal to take action. Typically, in other countries, it is the president who vetoes bills.
But in Nigeria, during the law-making process, it is the National Assembly that can exercise the veto. If the President does not assent to a bill within 30 days, the National Assembly can reconvene and, with a two-thirds majority calculated by headcount, not voice vote—enact the bill into law.
That was how the NDDC Act came into being, thanks to a truly vibrant National Assembly.
I would like to use this opportunity to commend Lee Maeba and his team’ he said-Team@orientactualmags.com Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com. Thank you
