Leadership: Nigeria’s fresh bill mandating President, governors to appoint cabinets in 60 days

*President Muhammadu Buhari signs 16 fresh constitutional amendment bills into law, including one mandating the President-elect and governors-elect to submit names of their cabinet members ratification within two months of taking oath of office

Alexander Davis | ConsumerConnect

President Muhammadu Buhari has signed 16 constitutional amendment bills into law.

Among the bills Buhari assented to Friday, March 17, 2023, is the one that mandates the President-elect and governors-elect to submit the names of ministers or commissioners to the Senate and State House of Assembly within 60 days of taking the oath of office.

The bills signed into law include financial independence for state houses of assemblies and state judiciary;  bills seeking to remove railway, prison, electricity from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent list, among others.

The assented bills will soon be published in the Official Gazette of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

ConsumerConnect reports the newly assented Constitutional Alteration Bills are:

• Bill to change the names of Afikpo North and Afikpo South Local Government Areas
• Bill to change the name of Kunchi Local Government Area
• Bill to change the names of Egbado North and Egbado South Local Government Areas
• Bill to correct the name of Atigbo Local Government Area
• Bill to correct the name of Obia/Akpor Local Government Area.
• Bill to provide for the financial independence of State Houses of Assembly and State Judiciary
• Bill to regulate the first session and inauguration of members-elect of the National and State Houses of Assembly.
• Bill to delete the reference to the provisions of the Criminal Code, Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Act, Criminal Procedure Code or Evidence Act
• Bill to exclude the period of intervening events in the computation of time for determining pre-election petitions, election petitions and appeals
• Bill to provide for the post-call qualification of the Secretary of the National Judicial Council.
• Bill to delete the item “prisons” in the Exclusive Legislative List and re-designate it as “Correctional Services” in the Concurrent Legislative List.
• Bill to move the item “railways” from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List
• Bill to allow States to generate, transmit and distribute electricity in areas covered by the national grid.
• Bill to require the President and Governors to submit the names of persons nominated as Ministers or Commissioners within sixty days of taking the oath of office for confirmation by the Senate or State House of Assembly.
• Bill to correct the error in the definition of the boundary of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
• Bill to require the Government to direct its policy towards ensuring the right to food and food security in Nigeria.

The President also assented to 3 other bills to wit: The Nigerian Institute of Leather and Science Technology Act, The Nigerian Institute of International Relations Act, and The Federal Medical Centers (Amendment) Acts.

There was nationwide outrage when, in 2015, Buhari assumed office and failed to appoint ministers in six months.

It is recalled the Nigerian President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Wednesday, March 17 had spoken about his cabinet.

Tinubu said he would appoint competent persons across the country, according to report.