The Senate has passed a bill seeking to establish the Nigerian Maritime Security Trust Fund, following the consideration of a report by the Conference Committee.
The Committee Chairman, Danjuma Goje, in his presentation, recalled that the Nigerian Maritime Security Trust Fund (Establishment) Bill, 2021, was passed in the House of Representatives on September 28, 2021.
The lawmaker said the Senate concurred to the passage of the bill after it was transmitted to the upper chamber on December 1, 2021, with some slight modifications.
He added that the differences noticed in the two versions of the bill by both chambers necessitated the constitution of a Conference Committee by the Senate on January18, 2022, for the purpose of harmonisation.
“The mandate of the Conference Committee, therefore, was to harmonise the area of difference in the two versions of the bill, as passed and make appropriate recommendations for adoption,” Goje said.
He added that the Conference Committee met on February 1st to deliberate on the areas of divergence, which were discovered in clause 14 of the bill, relating to the appointment of the executive secretary and other staff of the Trust Fund.
Whilst the House version of the bill provides in Clause 14 (1) that the appointment of the executive secretary shall be made by Mr. President on the recommendation of the minister, the Senate version provides that such appointment should be made without recourse to the recommendation of the minister charged with the responsibility of defence.
He added that after an extensive deliberation on these differences, the Conference Committee adopted the Senate’s version.
The Committee’s report was, thereafter, adopted by the chamber during plenary, and the bill passed after consideration by the Committee of the whole.
The mandate of the Conference Committee, therefore, was to harmonise the area of difference in the two versions of the bill, as passed and make appropriate recommendations for adoption.
