. ..To institute June 12 address
James Adamu
Senate Leader, Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele, has spoken of a plan by the Red Chamber to have the President address the nation every June 12 as a mark of recognition for the importance of the day in the political history of the country.
June 12 is now officially marked as Democracy Day in Nigeria.
The Leader, in an interview with journalists on Tuesday, also disclosed a proposal to have the venue of the inauguration of a new president moved from the Eagle Square in Abuja to the National Assembly.
According to him, the two ideas will be set in motion through a bill soon to be introduced.
He stated, “We are hoping to bring a bill soon to institutionalise 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.”
Bamidele explained further, “We are hoping, in that bill, to ensure that the swearing-in ceremony of the next President and Commander-in-Chief of Nigeria, whom we believe is President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will be held within the arcade of the National Assembly.”
On the 2024 budget, which is being implemented along with that of 2025, the leader said an extension of the capital component was being looked into by the legislature.
He noted, “We have to sit and assess the full implementation of the 2024 budget. We will further extend the capital expenditure timeline while ensuring that the 2025 budget is fully implemented.
Bamidele gave some update on the constitutional alteration exercise currently undertaken by the two arms of the National Assembly, saying that a short while both chambers would go for public hearings in the six geopolitical zones of the country.
He explained, “We have done almost 70 per cent of the work before going public.
“Before the end of the third legislative year, we intend to complete the constitutional amendment process.”
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