Tinubu rejects two bills of the National Assembly

President Bola Tinubu refused consent to two bills recently approved by the National Assembly.

The two projects refused are the bill 2025 on the institution of the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology and the bill 2025 on the establishment of the trustee fund of the National Library.

Tinubu expressed his refusal of the bills in two hoping letters addressed to the president of the Senate Godswill Akpabio and read in plenary on Tuesday 7 October 2025.

Tinubu in the letter on the bill that tries to establish the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology has stated that it is spoiled by fundamental defects.

He said: “I transmit my decision to the Senate to refuse consent to the bill 2025 of the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology.

“The reason for my decision is that the bill is spoiled by fundamental defects.

“Section 18 of the bill expands the source of funding of national research logistics to include 1% of goods on any import and any export from Nigeria without their approval.

“In addition, the bill is spoiled by the Federal Executive Council, especially since the Institute must be financed by the Federal Government itself.

“Section 21, 2 authorizes the institute to borrow through loan or uncovered without the consent of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, except in the event that the amount to be borrowed is higher than n50 million.

“In the existing law, loans can be granted with the approval of the president, the removal of the president’s approval has not been explained or justified.

“One could abuse the provision as the accident could have been serious, or a financial violation of its responsibility, this would be equivalent to a serious financial abuse.”

In section 23, 4, on the power to invest excess funds, Tinubu has stated that since the institution must be financed by the federal government and the money allocated by the government for any agency normally foreseen and accounted for, it is unlikely to have surpluses.

Tinubu added: “The question of the investment of excess funds is usually applicable to agencies that have an excess fund that is not financed by the Federal Government of Nigeria but generates revenues to be spent.

“In addition, section 21 states that it is the excess fund of the institute that must be invested, while section 23 states that any fund of the institute could be invested.

“This can allow funds other than surpluses to be diverted for investment purposes, by the original purposes.

“Article 18 requires money in the form of being used for the promotion of the objectives and functions of the law, does not include or recognize the investment of the institute’s funds.

“This seems to contradict article 23, which proposes to allow the institution to put surplus funds”.

On the bill of amendment 2025 of the trustee fund of the National Library (institution), the President quoted the ambiguity of the bill with respect to existing laws and policies.

According to him, the bill contradicts the fundamental policies of the government on the financing of public bodies, on taxation, on the remuneration of the public service and on the age and mandate limits for public employees.

He said that the approval of the bill in its current form would create an unsustainable precedent against public interest.

Akpabio thanked Tinubu for having dedicated time to examine every bill approved by the National Assembly and sent to the executive for consent.

He said: “This is really impressive because it means that the executive took the time to examine the accounts.

“We will justice all the observations contained in the bill.”

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