The bill for an Act to provide for the inauguration of the President and the Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, also known as Presidential Inauguration Bill 2016, was read a second time by the Senate in plenary yesterday.
The bill, sponsored by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, seeks to align presidential inauguration in Nigeria with what is obtainable in the advanced democracies of the world.
The legislation therefore aims to reposition the country in this regard, to be in tune with international best practices, as obtained in the United States of America (USA) and many other democracies.
While leading debate on the general principles of the bill, Ekweremadu said the bill sought to move the inauguration of the President and the Vice-President from the Eagles Square to the National Assembly. The Deputy Senate President, however, pointed out that this new arrangement, if eventually put in place, would not preclude the Chief Justice of Nigeria from swearing in the President and Vice-President.
He said: “Mr. President, distinguished colleagues, you would recall that Nigeria transformed from operating a parliamentary – Westminster system – to the extant presidential system, modeled after the United States presidential system of government in 1979 and continued to the 4th Republic from 1999 to date.
“You will also recall that from the commencement of the 4th Republic to 2015 the inauguration or swearing-in of newly elected President and the Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria had been taking place at the Eagle Square.
“This practice of inauguration of the President and the Vice-President at the Eagle Square is at variance with what transpires in the United States and other democracies where their Presidents and Vice-Presidents are inaugurated within the precincts of their parliaments.
“Thus, as you can see, this is a misnomer. The popular or international best practice is for the leadership of the executive to be inaugurated within the premises of the legislature, who are perceived as the true representatives of the people. Suffice it to say that this practice does not preclude or extricate the Chief Justice of Nigeria from administering the Oath of Office on the two,” he said.
The Deputy Senate President noted that the bill further provided for the inauguration ceremony of the President-elect and the Vice-Presidentelect to take place at the Arcade of the National Assembly, where the people are represented.
He said the bill also provided for the setting up of a Presidential Inauguration Committee, which shall consist of a serving member of the National Assembly as chairman, six members drawn from the legislature, two from the executive, two from the judiciary, and two from the civil society.
Source: NAN
Our leaders and their misplaced priorities. There are issues and important bills to be passed that would impact the lives of the people positively, but no! it’s where the inauguration of a president should be held that is important. Must we model our system after that of the Americans? What if tomorrow America decides to change theirs, so what would then happen…arrrgh