The National Assembly is set to exercise the powers of regulating the Code of Conduct Bureau and Code of Conduct Tribunal in a sweeping amendment that has now stripped the president of such powers that he currently enjoys.
The Senate presided by Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu concurred with the CCB/CCT amendment bill that emanated from the House of Representatives despite protests by some senators that the bill should be stepped down for more scrutiny.
The amendments as adopted by both chambers stripped the president of powers to control the CCB and CCT, a twin anti-corruption establishment that deals with asset declarations by public officials.
Furthermore, nominated members of the special anti-corruption court including its chairman are now to be subject to confirmation by the Senate while a minimum of 3 out of 5 members of the CCT must sit at all times to be deemed to have formed a quorum at the tribunal.
But the amendments did not come without a protest. Senate Leader, Ali Ndume and other ranking APC Senators, raised objections that the amendments be deferred.
But the minority PDP senators who had more senators at Thursday’s plenary had their way.
Senate President Bukola Saraki was not at the plenary as he is attending the Inter-Parliamentary Union conference in Geneva, Switzerland while some other senators who were absent had gone on oversight duties.
