Plans are in top gear to institutionalize June 12 Presidential speech in honor of the historical significance of the day, the Senate has declared.
Revealing this yesterday in Abuja to journalists, the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, APC, stated that the Senate was in process drafting a law to formallyize the President's address to the country on that day.
"We are hoping to bring a bill soon to institutionalize the President's address on June 12 because of its historical importance; there can't be a better time to address the nation through the parliament than on June 12, especially since it is a joint sitting of the National Assembly;," said Bamidele.
"We are hoping, in that bill, to ensure that the swearing-in ceremony of the future President and Commander-in- Chief of Nigeria, whom we believe is President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will hold within the arcade of the National Assembly," the Senate Leader said, further disclosing that the proposed legislation also seeks to designate the National Assembly complex as the venue for future presidential swearing-in ceremonies.
Recall that June 12 was formally marked as Nigeria's Democracy Day in 2018 to commemorate the annulled 1993 presidential contest, generally regarded as the freest and fairest in the country's history and won by Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale, MKO Abiola.
President Bola Tinubu will speak to a combined Senate and House of Representatives gathering at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja, on the celebration day.
"The Special joint sitting is scheduled to be held at the House of Representatives Chamber, National Assembly Complex, commencing at 11:00 am, with preliminary proceedings ahead of the arrival of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, at noon," the House of Representatives Clerk, Dr Yahaya Danzaria, said in a statement.
"President Tinubu is expected to be a special guest of honor and will present a presidential address to the joint sitting,"
It stated that the occasion will include goodwill speeches from past presiding officers of the National Assembly and the President’s conferment of national honors on chosen parliamentarians
Speaking further, Senator Bamidele also said the Senate was debating extending the implementation time for the 2024 budget, especially with regard to its component on capital spending.
He remarked, ‘We have to sit and examine the whole execution of the 2024 budget. We will stretch the capital expenditure schedule such that the 2025 budget is completely realized.
Speaking on constitutional reform, Senator Bamidele who also serves as the Vice Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee, nevertheless recognized that progress has been sluggish, but maintained that the process is progressing.
He emphasized that the committee was near to the final phases of its work and planned to have public hearings at zonal levels in the coming weeks, culminating to a combined public hearing organized by both houses of the National Assembly.
He stated, “We’ve done almost 70 percent of the work before going public. Before the conclusion of the third parliamentary year, we hope to conclude the constitutional amendment process.”