President Tinubu
Tinubu highlights errors in Adamawa federal varsity bill, withholds assent
The Federal University of Education Numan, Adamawa State (Establishment) Bill, 2024 sent to President Bola Tinubu has been denied assent.
The President’s rejection of assent to the bill was communicated in a letter to the House of Representatives, read by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu during a session in the Lower Chamber.
The bill was sponsored by the lawmaker representing Adamawa South Senatorial District, Binos Yaroe, and passed by the National Assembly in 2024. It was eventually forwarded to the President for assent.
President Tinubu, in his letter, expressed highlighted Section 22 of the bill, which gives the Adamawa State Governor authority over the disposal of land belonging to the federal university.
According to the President, matters relating to Federal Government-owned property, particularly universities, fall under the President’s jurisdiction.
The letter further stated that, “Under section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, I hereby inform the House of Representatives of my decision, made on December 23, 2024, to withhold assent to the Federal University of Education, Numan Establishment Bill 2024, passed by the National Assembly.”
The President also emphasised that Section 22, which wrongly vested the authority to dispose of university land in the governor instead of the President, who has control over federal properties.
Consequently, President Tinubu stated that, “I am declining assent to the bill as Section 22 of the bill confers the authority to the disposal of the land of the university on the governor and not the President as it ought to be in the case of land belonging to the Federal Government.”
However, during a stakeholders’ forum last week in the Mayo-Belwa Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Senator Yaroe clarified that President Tinubu did not reject the bill, but highlighted the clerical errors in the proposed legislation.
“The President identified certain mistakes in the bill that needed to align with the constitution. For example, we mistakenly gave land authority to the governor instead of the President, who is the correct authority for the institution. We will amend the bill by replacing the governor with the president in the bill,” he said.
The House, however, adjourned its session to Wednesday, February 5, 2025, in tribute to the late Deputy Whip, Adewunmi Onanuga.
Onanuga, who passed away on January 15 at age 59, represented Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo North Federal Constituency, Ogun State, and chaired the House Committee on Women Affairs in the 9th Assembly.
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