President Muhammadu Buhari has again declined assent to two more bills transmitted to him from the National Assembly, bringing the number of rejected bills to 41 since June 9, 2015.
Buhari conveyed his decision to withdraw assent to the Nigeria Tourism Development Authority Bill and Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority Bill in two separate letters to Senate President, Bukola Saraki and read at plenary yesterday.
Giving reasons for declining assent, President Buhari said section 14(d), section 30(2d) of the Nigeria Tourism Development Authority (Repeal and re-enactment) bill contradicts section 4 (1-3) and paragraph 60 (d) of the second schedule of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
He argued that Section 30 of the bill proposed tourism fee on all inbound international travellers, tourism levy on all outbound travellers and one per cent tourism departure contribution fee per hotel room rate. It also fixed flat fee by the authority and a one per cent corporate tourism development levy to be charged on revenues of banks’, telecommunications firms and other corporate entities.
“This will be inimical to the growth of the tourism and hospitality industry in the country and constitute additional burden on the tourism business,” the letter reads.

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Photo credit: Twitter/ Muhammadu Buhari