House of Representatives has resolved to transmit a bill that seek a uniform retirement age for judicial officers to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent.
To this end, the House has directed
the National Assembly Clerk, Magaji Tambuwal to handle the assignment.
Essentially, the bill seeks to extend the retirement age of high court judges from 65 to 70 years.
It will recalled that the bill was part of 46 constitution alteration bills transmitted to States Houses of Assembly for concurrence in March last year for their respective inputs.
The passage of the bill however followed the adoption of a motion entitled ‘Passage of Constitution (Fifth) Alteration Bill No. 20 (Uniform Retirement Age for Judicial Officers and Pension Rights) 2023,' sponsored by Hon. Idris Wase and 69 other lawmakers.
The House urged Gombe, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kwara, Plateau and Taraba State Houses of Assembly yet to forward their resolution on the Bills comply.
Presenting the motion at plenary, the minority leader, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu who was a co-sponsor recalls that "On 5 April, 2023 the Clerk to the National Assembly was directed to transmit Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 47 that met the requirement of Section 9(2) of the Constitution to the President for his assent.
"The Houses of Assembly of Gombe, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kwara, Plateau, Sokoto and Taraba States that were yet to forward their resolutions were urged to do so in compliance with Constitutional obligation.
"Sokoto State House of Assembly has accordingly forwarded its resolution. Convinced that with the approval of Sokoto State House of Assembly, the Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No 20 (Uniform Retirement Age for Judicial Officers and Pension Rights) has met the provisions of Section 9(2) of the Constitution, for passage."
In a related development, the House also passed through second reading a bill authorizing issuance from Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration's Statutory Revenue Fund of the Administration Account, the total sum of N502.95 billion.
The N502. 95 billion FCT statutory budget was for the 2023 financial year running between January 1 and December 31.
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari had in December transmitted the 2023 statutory budget of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to the House.
In a letter addressed to the Speaker of the House Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Buhari had said "Pursuant to Section 121 of Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria1999 (as amended), I forward herewith the Federal Capital Territory's 2023 Statutory Budget Proposal, for the kind consideration of the House of Representatives. In the preparation of the Federal Capital Territory's 2023 Statutory Budget Proposal, the Federal Capital Territory Administration aligns with the Federal Government's laudable fiscal development policies. Accordingly, the FCT 2023 Budget proposal prioritizes improvement in Health Care Services, Job Creations, Youth Empowerment, Social Welfare Services, Education, and Increased productivity in Agriculture, in order to lift significant numbers of our citizens out of poverty."
Presented for second reading, the bill showed that out of N502. 95 billion, N78.13 billion is for personnel costs; and N116.97 billion is for overhead costs; while the balance of N307.84 billion is for capital project.
It reads: "a bill to authorize the issue from the Federal Capital Territory Administration's Statutory Revenue Fund of the Federal Capital Territory Administration Account, the total sum of N502,958,983,377.00, of which N116,976,164,567.00 is for Overhead Costs; while the balance of N307,847,115,280.00 only, is for Capital Project; for the service of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, for the financial year commencing from 1 January and ending on 31 December, 2023.
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