Senate amends Acts establishing regional development commissions to ensure funding

The Senate, on Wednesday, amended the laws establishing regional development commissions and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Trust Fund to ensure that their funding sources comply with constitutional requirements.

The amendments were effected to address funding inconsistencies and align the commissions with the provisions of the Consolidated Revenue Fund, as mandated by the constitution.

It was considered at the Committee of the Whole after the majority of the senators supported it.

The establishments are the North-west Development Commission (establishment) Act (Amendment) Bill, South-west Development Commission (establishment) Act (Amendment) Bill, South-east Development Commission (establishment) Act (amendment) Bill and National Youth Service Corps Trust Fund (establishment) Bill.

The bills had been passed separately by both chambers of the National Assembly in June 2024 and assented to by President Bola Tinubu in July.

The president also appointed and inaugurated boards of directors for the commissions while the National Assembly screened and confirmed the nominees.

Constitutional inconsistencies

The amendments were initiated after a legislative review uncovered inconsistencies between specific clauses of the bills and constitutional provisions regarding public funds.

Leading the debate on the amendments, the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, said there was a need for the Senate to revisit the affected clauses to avoid legal conflicts.

They are Clause 14 of the North-west and South-west Development Commissions Establishment Bills, Clause 15 of the South-east Development Commission Establishment Bill and Clause 4(1) of the NYSC Trust Fund Establishment Bill

Citing Section 1 (1) and (3) of the constitution, Mr Bamidele emphasised that the document remains supreme and any law that contradicts its provisions would be rendered null and void.

To rectify the inconsistencies, the Senate relied on its Standing Orders, particularly Orders 1(b) and 52(6), to rescind its earlier decisions on the affected clauses and reconsider them for passage.

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, thereafter, put the amendments to a vote and they were supported by the majority of senators.

Mr Akpabio said the adjustments had addressed concerns regarding Section 162 of the constitution, which stipulates that all funds accruing to the federation must be properly accounted for within the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

With the revisions, all regional development commissions have now fully complied with constitutional provisions.

The revised bills will be sent to the House of Representatives for concurrence. If they are passed by the House without further amendments, they will be re-transmitted for assent.