The Senate is currently considering a bill seeking to allow public office holders own foreign bank accounts.

The constitution prohibits public officers from owning a foreign bank account.

The bill titled “An Act to Alter The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 To Permit Public Officers to Maintain or Operate a Bank Account In Any Country Outside Nigeria; And For Related  Matters,” was sponsored by Senator Solomon Olamilekan.

Olamilekan said, “This bill seeks to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, in order to delete the provision in the Code of Conduct for public officers which forbids them from operating a bank account in a bank outside Nigeria.

“This is owing to the fact that the prohibition does no accord with the current realities where the world has become a global village, where illicit funds could easily be tracked.”

Another bill sponsored by Olamilekan seeks to give lawmakers power to remove non-performing ministers in the President’s cabinet.

The Bill is entitled: “An Act to Amend The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 To Provide For The Consent Of the Senate/State House of Assembly  For the Removal Of A Minister Of the Government of the Federation/ Commissioner Of the Government Of  A State.”

If passed into law, section 4 of the constitution will read, “Any person appointed to the office of Minister of the Government of the Federation may be removed from such office (by) the President for inability to discharge the functions of the office in question (whether arising from infirmity of mind or body) or for misconduct or for contravention of any Act of the Federation: Provided that the Senate concurs with such removal by a unanimous vote.”

Azeez