Reps move to compel President to give account of stewardship before laying budget

A bill which seeks to provide that the President shall appear before each House of the National Assembly annually, to present an account of his stewardship as President for the preceding year, before presenting the budget estimates for the next financial year has scaled through the First Reading on the floor of the House of Representatives.

As stipulated in the proposed constitutional amendment legislation, members of the National Assembly who are unsatisfied with the President’s performance in the preceding year may pass a vote of no confidence in him and commence the process for his impeachment.

The private member bill sponsored by the Chairman of the House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, seeks to alter sections 67 and 81 of the 1999 Constitution, respectively.

As encapsulated in the proposed legislation, Section 67 of the 1999 Constitution is to be altered by amending the provisions of subsections 1, inserting new subsections 3, 4 and 5 before the extant subsection 3 and renumbering accordingly as follows:

“(1) The President shall attend any joint sitting of the two Houses of the National Assembly or any sitting of either House of the National Assembly, either to deliver an address on national affairs, including fiscal measures or to make such statement on the policy of government as he considers to be of national importance.

“(2) A Minister of the Government of the Federation shall attend either House of the National Assembly if invited to explain to the House the conduct of his Ministry and in particular when the affairs of that Ministry are under discussion.

“(3) The President shall present an account of his stewardship as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria before a joint sitting of the two Houses of the National Assembly annually. The account of his stewardship shall be a detailed report of his activities and performances in office as President in the preceding year.

“(b) The President shall present his account of stewardship report not later than 14 days to the date he intends to present the budget estimate for the following financial year before a joint, sitting of the National Assembly.

“(4)(a) After the presentation of his account of stewardship report, the National Assembly shall decide whether or not the President has justified his stay in office for the preceding year. If the National Assembly is satisfied that the President has justified his stay in office in the preceding year, it shall pass a vote of confidence on the President.

“(b) Where the National Assembly is not satisfied with the performance of the President in the preceding year, it shall pass a vote of no confidence on the President and shall thereupon commence the process for his impeachment from office as President.

“(5)(a) Nothing in this section shall preclude the two Houses of the National Assembly from summoning the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to attend a joint sitting of the National Assembly to answer questions on national security or on any issue whatsoever, over which the National Assembly has powers to make laws.

“(b) Nothing in this section shall preclude the two Houses of the National Assembly from summoning the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to attend a joint sitting of the National Assembly to present his Account of Stewardship Report at a time the National Assembly deems necessary.”

The bill also seeks to alter the provision of Section 81 of the 1999 Constitution “by inserting a subsection 2 before the extant subsection 2 and renumbering accordingly as follows:

“(2) Before presenting the estimates of the revenues and expenditure of the Federation for the next financial year in subsection 1 of this section, the President shall present to a joint sitting of the two Houses of the National Assembly, an account of his stewardship as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the preceding year.”

Citation

This Bill may be cited as the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Alteration) Bill, 2024.

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

This Bill seeks to alter the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended) to provide that the President shall appear before each House of the National Assembly annually, to give an account of his stewardship as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the preceding year, before presenting the budget estimates for the next financial year.

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