BUHARI SIGNS BILL TO PROTECT LEGISLATORS

Assents to 7 others

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday signed the Legislative Houses (Power and Privileges) Bill 2018. The Act grants legislators in the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly immunity from litigation for actions taken in plenary or committee proceedings.

It strengthens the power of the legislators to summon any person to appear before them and give evidence.

It equally empowers an officer of the legislative house to arrest any person who commits an offense against the Act.

Buhari, according to his Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters Senator, Ita Enang, also assented to seven other bills passed by the National Assembly into law.

One of the signed bills is the National Senior Citizens Center Act, 2018.

The Act seeks to establish a National Senior Citizens Center in the country to cater for the needs of the elderly.

Also signed were the National Institute of Legislative Studies (Amendment) Bill 2018 and the Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Kingdom of Spain (Domestication and Enforcement) Bill 2018.

Others were the Rail Loan (International Bank) (Repeal) Bill 2018, the Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill 2018, the Chartered Institute of Local Government and Public Administration Bill 2018 and the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (Establishment) Bill 2018.