The Senate, on Wednesday, approved an amendment to clauses 14 and 15 of the Acts establishing the North-West, South-West and South-East Development Commissions.
The apex legislative Assembly also amended clause 4 (1) of 2025 National Youth Service Corps Trust Fund Establishment Bill.
The lawmakers granted approval to the requested amendments following the presentation of a motion titled “re-commital of Bills to the Committee of the Whole ”.
The motion was sponsored by the Senate Majority Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, who represents Ekiti Central Senatorial District on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Party (APC).
Presenting the motion, Bamidela recalled that the North-West, South-West and South-East Development Commissions and the National Youth Service Corps Trust Fund establishment Bills, 2025, were earlier passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives.
He explained that the bills had been forwarded to Clerk to the National Assembly, for onward transmission to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
He, however, noted that the Senate observed that the funding clauses for the Commissions and the proposed fund to be established as provided in the bills appeared to contradict Section 162 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
According to him, Section 1, subsections (1) and 3 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended provides that the Constitution is supreme and any law that contradicts the Constitution shall be null and void to the extent of the contradiction.
Bamidela said, mindful that the Senate should not work in vain and should be seen to be observing the Constitution like any other authority and persons in Nigeria, relied on orders 1(b) and 52(6) of its Standing Order 2023 as amended to rescind its decisions on the affected clauses of the development Commissions bills, NYSC Trust Fund Bill.
The politician noted that this observation resulted in the re-commital of the bills to Committee of the Whole for reconsideration and passage.
He listed the affected clauses to include clause 14 of 2025 North-West, South-West- Development Commissions Establishment Bills, clause 15 of South -East Development Commission Establishment Bill and clause 4 (1)of the National Youth Service Corps Trust Fund Establishment Bill 2025.
After the bills were passed, the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, said that all the regional development Commissions bills were now in tandem with the Nigerian Constitution, especially Section 162 which states that all funds accruing to the Federation shall be paid into the consolidated revenue fund of the Federation.
He said that the bills would be transmitted to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
Akpabio expressed appreciation to his colleagues for working on the bills expeditiously, their contributions, patience, patriotic zeal and dedication to the service of the nation.
