Senate Passes Maritime Security Trust Fund Bill
SENATE IN SESSION
The Upper Chamber of the National Assembly, the Senate, has passed the bill to establish the Nigerian Maritime Security Trust Fund (NMSTF).
The Chairman of the Conference Committee on the Bill, Senator Danjuma Goje, said that the bill as amended has taken away the power of the Minister in recommending the appointment the Executive Secretary.
This means that the President can appoint the Executive Secretary directly.
Goje who is the Chairman of Senate Committee on Marine Transport said, “In the course of the deliberations, it was observed by the conference committee that the only area of difference in the two versions of the bill, as passed by the respective chambers, exists in Clause 14 of the bill, which deals with the appointment of the Executive Secretary and other staff of the Trust Fund.
“Whilst the House of Representatives version of the bill provides Clause 14(1) that appointment of the Executive Secretary of the Trust Fund Shall be made by Mr President on the recommendation of the Minister, the Senate version provides that such appointment should be made without recourse to the recommendation of the Minister charged with the responsibility for Defence.
“After extensive deliberations on this area of difference, the conference committee adopted the Senate version. They are of the view that such sensitive appointment should be left at the discretion of Mr. President in line with similar appointment on the subject matter.”
It would be recalled that the Nigerian Maritime Security Trust Fund (Establishment) Bill 2021 had earlier been passed by the House of Representatives last year September.
The Senate had concurred to the passage when the House transmitted the bill to the upper chamber in December 2021.
The Chairman of the Conference Committee on the Bill, Senator Danjuma Goje, said that the bill as amended has taken away the power of the Minister in recommending the appointment the Executive Secretary.
This means that the President can appoint the Executive Secretary directly.
Goje who is the Chairman of Senate Committee on Marine Transport said, “In the course of the deliberations, it was observed by the conference committee that the only area of difference in the two versions of the bill, as passed by the respective chambers, exists in Clause 14 of the bill, which deals with the appointment of the Executive Secretary and other staff of the Trust Fund.
“Whilst the House of Representatives version of the bill provides Clause 14(1) that appointment of the Executive Secretary of the Trust Fund Shall be made by Mr President on the recommendation of the Minister, the Senate version provides that such appointment should be made without recourse to the recommendation of the Minister charged with the responsibility for Defence.
“After extensive deliberations on this area of difference, the conference committee adopted the Senate version. They are of the view that such sensitive appointment should be left at the discretion of Mr. President in line with similar appointment on the subject matter.”
It would be recalled that the Nigerian Maritime Security Trust Fund (Establishment) Bill 2021 had earlier been passed by the House of Representatives last year September.
The Senate had concurred to the passage when the House transmitted the bill to the upper chamber in December 2021.
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