A bill seeking to separate the office of the attorney general of the federation from that of the office the minister of justice scaled through second reading in the House of Representatives yesterday.
Currently, the minister of justice is also the attorney general of the federation.
When the bill is passed, it would seek amendment to Section 150 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The section provides for the office of the attorney general of the federation, who shall be the chief law officer and a minister of the federation.
Sponsored by the majority chief whip, Mr. Mohammed Monguno, the bill was referred to the house committee on legislative matters for further legislative action after its passage.
Leading the debate at the plenary, Monguno had argued that with the current arrangement, enormous power is being vested in one person.
He said the powers vested in the attorney general by the constitution are judicial in nature, adding that when exercised to the fullest, they could affect the rights of the people and therefore should not be subjected to political interference.
He added that the attorney general has the power to discontinue a case already in court, stressing that recent developments are suggestive of the fact that it should be isolated from political interference.
The lawmaker noted that while the president would be free to use political consideration to appoint the minister of justice, the appointment of the attorney general should be based only on career progression.
In his contribution, Mr. Ossai Nicholas Ossai recalled that the bill was passed before the expiration of the 7th and 8th Assembly.
He also warned the national assembly against giving too much power to a particular office.
Similarly, a bill for an Act to alter the 1999 Constitution (as amended) by allowing members of the national judicial council appoint their own secretary rather than being recommended for appointment by a lower body of the federal judicial service commission scaled a second reading.
Equally, a bill to alter Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution passed the second reading.
Leading the debate on the general principles of A Bill for an Act to Alter Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, Mr. Dachung Bagos, said the bill sought to among other things alter Section 7 (1) of the Principal Act by substituting Section 7 (1) with new sections 7 (1) (a) (z) to provide for the office of the chairman and vice chairman of local government as stipulated in this bill.
Bagos said the bill sought to provide for election and tenure of office for local government chairmen/councilors and also prescribed mode of exercising legislative powers of the local government council.
He also said the proposed legislation further would provide for democratically elected local government councils and as true representatives of the people.
The house also referred the bill to the ad hoc committee on the review of the constitution for further legislative action.
