Tinubu declines assent to two bills passed by National Assembly

By Henry Umoru

ABUJA – PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has declined assent to 2 bills that were passed by the National Assembly.

In a missive addressed to the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, and work connected Tuesday during plenary, President Tinubu explained that helium could not motion them into instrumentality due to the fact that of cardinal defects and inconsistencies with existing fiscal and law provisions.

In the missive dated July 30, 2025, the President conveyed his determination to withhold assent to the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (Establishment) Bill, 2025, arsenic helium explained that respective clauses successful the measure conflicted with extant laws and posed risks of fiscal maltreatment if allowed to stand.

President Tinubu said, “Under Section 58(4) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), I hereby convey to the Senate my determination to diminution assent to the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology Establishment Bill, 2025.”

Explaining his reasons for not signing them into law, the President noted that Section 18(4a) of the projected instrumentality sought to grow the institute’s backing sources to see 1 percent of each import and export levy from Nigeria, a proviso helium said was inserted without the support of the Federal Executive Council.

According to him, specified a levy, particularly erstwhile the institute was already to beryllium funded by the Federal Government, would make what helium termed “a duplication of gross sources and unnecessary fiscal burden.”

Explaining further, President Tinubu faulted Section 21(2) of the bill, which empowers the institute to get funds oregon get overdrafts without the consent of the President, but wherever the magnitude exceeds ₦50 million.

He said, “In the extant Acts, borrowing tin lone beryllium done with the support of the President. The removal of statesmanlike consent has not been explained oregon justified. This could beryllium abused, arsenic the institute whitethorn petition to get ₦50 cardinal oregon little repeatedly to debar approval,” Tinubu warned, describing the clause arsenic 1 that could “lead to superior fiscal abuse.”

President Tinubu who noted that Sections 23 and 24(5) of the measure contained contradictions regarding however the institute’s funds could beryllium managed oregon invested, nevertheless observed that portion the institute is to beryllium funded chiefly done national appropriations, the measure permits it to put its surplus funds, a determination inconsistent with nationalist concern principles, since agencies funded by authorities appropriations typically bash not make surpluses.

Tinubu said that Section 18(2) of the projected instrumentality besides created disorder by allowing institute funds to beryllium utilized for concern purposes, contrary to the section’s stated nonsubjective of promoting the institute’s halfway functions, adding, “The proviso allowing the institute to put its funds successful securities approved by the curate contradicts the conception that requires funds to beryllium applied strictly toward the promotion of the institute’s objectives.”

President Tinubu, successful the letter, said that for these reasons, helium could not motion the measure into instrumentality and returned it to the National Assembly for reconsideration.

He wrote, “Please accept, Distinguished Senate President and Distinguished Senators, the assurances of my highest regards.”

In different missive work by Akpabio, President Tinubu besides declined assent to the National Assembly Library Fund due to the fact that its proviso for backing volition acceptable unsustainable precedents.

In his response, Akpabio, who hailed the President for the observations, said that the applicable committees volition reappraisal the bills to code areas of concern.

Meanwhile, President Tinubu has signed 2 bills, the Nigeria Police Force Training Institute constitution measure and the Nigeria Police Trust Fund constitution bill, into law.

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