By Tordue Salem

ABUJA — The House of Representatives has declared that amendments to the 1999 Constitution will not be forwarded to President Goodluck Jonathan for assent.

Deputy Senate President and other members of the National Assembly had said so earlier, though section 58 of the 1999 Constitution, which spells out the legislative duties of the National Assembly suggests that the President can give his assent to every bill passed by the National Assembly.

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Usman Bayero Nafada, while declaring open a public hearing on a Bill to further alter the constitution, and list the National Industrial Court, NIC, in section of the Constitution as a superior court of records at the National Assembly, noted that the call for presidential assent to the amended constitution is uncalled for.

“We don’t need presidential assent to the Constitution,” Nafada said.
Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke, had recently declared that the amendment effected on the 1999 constitution by the National Assembly would be inchoate without the President’s signature.

But  Nafada maintained the National Assembly position that: “The Constitution is now amended and it will soon be gazetted and sent to the Attorney-General of the Federation. On the question as to whether the constitution amendment requires the signature of the President or not, that is their [executive arm of government] concern because the amended constitution does not require the signature of the President. Soon, clean copies will be sent to the Presidency, Ministry of Justice and whoever is concerned.”

Nafada also advised at the public hearing that the establishment of the National Industrial Court should be listed in section 6 of the Constitution among other courts.