Lagos — President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua is set to sign the 2009 Supplementary Appropriation Bill on his bed at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where he is recuperating.
Yar'Adua was flown out of the country on November 23 following a diagnosis of acute pericarditis, a heart condition.
The supplementary budget, which is aimed at fast-tracking development in the Niger Delta, has been awaiting presidential assent since it was passed by the National Assembly.
THISDAY learnt that the Principal Secretary to the President, Mr. David Edevbie, arrived Saudi Arabia this morning with the Supplementary Bill and other documents requiring president's signature.
This may have ended suggestions that the President will write to the National Assembly to allow the Vice-President to assume the position of Acting President.
Indeed, at the weekend, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Michael Aondoakaa said the outgoing Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Idris Kutigi, will this week swear in his successor, Justice Aloysius Iyorgyer Katsina-Alu. Kutigi is due for retirement on December 31.
The Senate had December 16 approved the nominations of Justice Katsina-Alu as CJN and Justice Isa Ayo Salami as President of the Court of Appeal.
Yar'Adua had before he travelled to Saudi Arabia submitted the names of the Justices for confirmation to the Upper House of the National Assembly.
Speaking with newsmen in Abuja, Aondoakaa said the President or the Chief Justice is empowered by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to administer the oath of office on the new CJN or any other senior judicial officer in the country.
He said: "The President or the Chief Justice of the Federation is empowered by the second schedule of the Oath Act Cap of the Laws of the Federal Republic to administer oath on the Chief Justice of the Federation."
According to him, "there is no ambiguity in law and no constitutional crisis. As a matter of fact, there is no vacuum as is being speculated by some mischief makers. For the avoidance of doubt, Mr. President can actually exercise his executive powers from anywhere in the world and there is no doubt about that."
He also said other principal officers empowered by the Oath Act Cap in the laws of the Federal Republic include the Senate President, as well as the Speaker of the House of Representatives for the swearing-in of Clerks of the National Assembly.
A presidency source told THISDAY last night that since Nigerians are already used to the president swearing-in the CJN, hence, they see that as a norm.
He, however, added that it is very clear that it is not only the president that could swear in the chief justice or even the President of the Court of Appeal.
The source confirmed the position of the AGF and said the new CJN, Justice Kastina-Alu, would be sworn in by the outgoing CJN, Kutigi, before the end of the week
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Nothing odd about Mr President signing official Documents - even on his date bed - What is odd is that much noise has been made about the Health of Mr President that it seems No sympathy is shown to Mr President's deteriorating health and he - Mr President doesn't seem to bother about his life which is more important to whatever post he may hold Since its been said that the CJN can perform Oath taking ceremony Lets move ahead and strive to redeem our national image which is at point of going down the drain
shame to nigeria govt and leaders for inability to lead nigeria to promised land, how can nigerian afairs run in saudi arabia, its abomination ,due to sick and ill man they called nigeria president.so nigeria cant ascend vice president to president in order to handle govt issues,the system of running govt of nigeria shows this great nation has been drown too deeply back by few gready and wicked set of people.and its heading to a failled state.
If the constitution is not followed by not allowing the vice president to act as president becaue the vice president is not a northerner, IT GIVES NIGERIANS AMPLE AND LEGITIMATE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK FOR A CONSTITUTION REVIEW NOW AND PRESS FOR A CHANGE TO ALLOW SEPARATE DEVELOPMENT OF EACH OF THE SIX GEO-POLITICAL DIVISIONS OF NIGERIA.