Jonathan lauds past N’Assembly for challenging presidents accountable

Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has reminisced about a period when the country’s National Assembly demonstrated remarkable independence, successfully overriding presidential vetoes on key legislation.

Speaking on Wednesday evening at the Champions of Nigerian Content Awards Dinner, hosted by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Jonathan reflected on the strength of the legislature during his tenure.

Receiving the Nigerian Content Lifetime Achievement Award, he recalled his enthusiasm in signing the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Bill into law. He acknowledged the efforts of Senator Lee Maeba of Rivers State and other lawmakers, emphasizing that the bill was a testament to a truly dynamic and proactive legislature.

“When I was acting President in 2010, and the National Assembly presented the bill, I promptly signed it and we quickly established a monitoring body. Someone like Lee Maeba, the bill’s originator, and his group also deserve recognition. That was a period when the National Assembly truly lived up to its name,” Jonathan said.

He further highlighted the Assembly’s assertiveness, recalling how it passed the Niger Delta Development Commission bill into law despite President Obasanjo’s reluctance to sign it.

“In 2000, the NDDC bill was also vetoed by the National Assembly. They overrode President Obasanjo’s refusal. Typically, in other countries, it is the President who vetoes bills.

“But in Nigeria, during the law-making process, it is the National Assembly that can exercise the veto. If the President does not assent to a bill within 30 days, the National Assembly can reconvene and, with a two-thirds majority calculated by headcount, not voice vote—enact the bill into law.

“That is how the NDDC Act came into being, thanks to a truly vibrant National Assembly.

“I would like to use this opportunity to commend Lee Maeba and his team,” Jonathan concluded.

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