Jan 27, 2018: President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday, January 26, assented to eight bills earlier passed by the National Assembly into law.
One of the signed bills is the National Senior Citizens Center Act, 2018 in a brief ceremony that was held inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The Act seeks to establish a National Senior Citizens Center in the country to cater for the needs of the elderly.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly matters, Senate, Ita Enang, briefed State House Correspondents after the president signed the bills into law today.
Mr. Enang said other bills signed include the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges), 2018, the National Institute of Legislative Studies (Amendment) Act, 2018, and Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Kingdom of Spain (Domestication and Enforcement ) Act, 2018.
Others are Rail Loan (International Bank) (Repeal) Act, 2018, Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2018, Chartered Institute of Local Government and Public Administration Act, 2018 and Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (Establishment), Act, 2018.
The presidential aide said the Legislative House Powers and Privileges Act grant the Legislative Houses in the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly immunity from litigation for actions taken in plenary or committee proceedings of the House or committee.
He said the Act strengthens the power of the legislators to carry out their legislative functions.
The powers include powers to summon any person to appear before the Assemblies and give evidence, including power of an officer of the legislative house to arrest any person who commits an offense against the Act.
“The National Institute for Legislative Studies (Amendment) Act establishing the Institute widens her Powers to include powers to provide training courses and Award Degrees on Democracy, Party Politics, Electoral Process, Legislative Practice and Procedures among others,” he said.