Buhari Signs Endangered Species Amendment Bill

BEVERLY HILLS, December 30, (THEWIL) – President Muhammadu Buhari has signed the Endangered Species (Control of International Trade and Traffic) Amendment Act 2016 which was passed and forwarded to the President by the National Assembly.

Speaking with State House correspondents at the end of the ceremony, the Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Ita Enang, revealed that 10 bills had been forwarded to the President.

“This is one of the 10 bills that were forwarded by the National Assembly to Mr President, and he has just assented to this, almost completing every action on all the bills that were forwarded to him by the National Assembly,” he said.

“The intent of this amendment is to bring the penalty provisions in line with economic realities and to act as a deterrent or deter people from trafficking and trading in endangered species because they are preserves of the country.

“It will discourage traffic and it will improve agriculture and the preservation of endangered species in Nigeria. This is an amendment bill.

“This law has been in existence, but what the National Assembly has done and the president has assented to today is to increase the penalty for violation of the provisions.”

Story by Oputah David