President Muhammadu Buhari has
again declined assent to two more bills transmitted to him by the National
Assembly.
This latest rejection brings to
40 the total number of bills Buhari had declined assent since the inauguration
of the 8th National Assembly on June 9, 2015.
Buhari in two separate letters
sent to Senate President Bukola Saraki and, read at plenary today explained
reasons for his withdrawal of assent to the Nigeria Tourism Development
Authority Bill and Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority Bill.
Explaining his reasons, Buhari
said section 14 (d), section 30(2d) of the Nigeria Tourism Development
Authority (Repeal and re-enactment) bill contradicts section 4 (1-3) and
paragraph 60 (d) of the second schedule of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria as amended.
He stated, “Section 30 of the
bill proposing to levy a tourism fee on all in-bound international travellers,
a tourism levy on all out-bound travellers and a tourism departure contribution
fee of one percent per hotel room rate.
“Such flat fee has been fixed by
the authority and a corporate tourism development levy of one percent to be
charged on the revenue of banks, telecommunications and other corporate
entities.
“This will be inimical to the
growth of the tourism and hospitality industry in Nigeria and constitute
additional burden on the tourism business,” the letter reads.
The President also said he was
rejecting the Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority Bill based on the issue of
funding and overlap of functions.
He stated: “The comprehensive
definition of the Nigeria Inland Waterways covers virtually all rivers, lakes
and lagoons irrespective of the location of the body.
“The bill contradicts provisions
of the constitution which limits the power of the National Assembly to make
laws in relation to water from sources affecting more than one state of inland
waterways which has been declared to be an international waterway or
inter-state waterway.
“The bill as currently drafted
subjected the Ministry of Water Resources, the Ministry of Environment and
Nigeria Ports Authority to the supervision of the Nigeria Inland Waterways
Authority.
“The funding provision of the
bill seeks to appropriate 25 per cent of the ports development levy annually
and 15 percent of the ecological fund annually.
“Also, one percent of the funds
will be accruable to the federal government for oil and gas within the cleared
waterways and the right of way.
“And 2.5 percent fees annually
paid by companies operating power plants within waterways are grossly excessive
and will negatively affect the revenues of the federal government”.
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