President Muhammadu Buhari has withheld assent to the Nigerian Correctional Service Bill, 2019. This came as his letter to the Senate that was read at plenary on Tuesday 16 April, faulted the Bill for its drafting language and a provision he believed would breach the independence of the judiciary. In the President’s view, section 44(d) of the vetoed Bill which sought to fund a special noncustodial fund with five percent of all fines paid to the federal purse would violate sections 81 and 84 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) which guarantee the independence of the Judiciary.
The Bill had intended to drive prison reform by moving towards rehabilitative justice and preparing offenders for re-introduction into the society by making vocational and educational courses available among others.
The vetoing of the Bill adds to the increasing number of Bills that have been declined by President Muhammadu Buhari since the onset of his administration. In addition to the Nigerian Correctional Services Bill, 7 other bills such as the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency Bill, 2018, Ajaokuta Steel Company Completion Fund Bill, 2018 , National Housing Fund Bill, 2018, Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria Bill, 2018, National Biotechnology Development Agency Bill, 2018, Chartered Institute of Trading and Development of Nigeria Bill, 2018 and the Credit Administration Bill, 2018 were declined by the President in April, alone.