The Peoples Democratic Party faction of the Ekiti State House of Assembly led by Speaker Dele Olugbemi on Tuesday voted against absolute autonomy for the Local Governments.
The Assembly also voted “No” against scrapping of State Independent Electoral Commission, independent candidacy, and separation of office of Attorney-General from the Minister of Justice among others.
The Leader of the Government Business, Mr. Samuel Ajibola, Ekiti East 11, who briefed reporters after the plenary said the lawmakers voted “No” to absolute autonomy for LGs in order not to give room for abuse of power.
According to him, Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution as amended gives recognition to the third tier of government and also gives power to the State Assembly to check-mate it.
“It is not too advisable for Local Governments to have absolute autonomy in all ramifications without being checked by relevant authorities in their respective states.
“If LGs are not being checked, especially in area of management of their finances by the Governors or the State Assembly, it might lead to abuse of the opportunity,” Ajibola said.
The Assembly also recommended that the name of the ‘Nigerian Police Force’ be changed to ‘Nigerian Police’ to make them liberal in the execution of their duties.
The Assembly also referred the 2015 budget to the Committee of Finance and Appropriation after it passed through second reading.
Governor Ayodele Fayose had on December 15 presented a N80.774 billion 2015 budget titled, ‘Budget of Reality’ to the House of Assembly.
The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, Edo state chapter, on Monday called on the Edo State House of Assembly to adopt the proposed local government autonomy, in the harmonized amendment to the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, earlier sent to the house by the national assembly.
The State President of the union, Edward Young, explained that the decision of the national assembly was a reflection of the popular opinion of majority of Nigerians.
He noted that the review of the constitution would serve as a viable solution to most of the challenges bedevilling the country, especially at the grassroots.
Young added that the autonomy promote proper planning, execution of projects, bring government closer to the people and eliminate delay in the remittance of statutory allocation from the federation account to the third-tier government.
While appealing to the state government to support aspiration of the union, the president also called for massive support from members of the union and their families who contributed to the approval of the proposal.
Receiving the workers on behalf of the Speaker of the assembly, Uyi Igbe, the lawmaker representing Uhunmwode constituency, Mrs. Elizabeth Aitivie, assured that the state legislature would consider the request of the union.
ABUJA—IN a rare show of solidarity, the two factions of the Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF, temporarily put aside their year-long differences, yesterday, to fight against the National Assembly proposal granting autonomy to the country’s local governments.
R-L; Governors Martins Elechi, Godswill Akapbio, Segun Mimiko; Deputy Governor Kogi, Yomi Awoniyi, Governors Jonah Jang, T Orji and Others after their meeting recently in Abuja. PHOTO; Sinday Aghaeze
The two factions, led by Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State and Jonah Jang of Plateau State, in separate reactions said the autonomy proposal for the local government system was out of sync with the operation of a federal system.
The two houses of the National Assembly had adopted the proposal for autonomy for the local governments as the third tier of government in the federation. The move which has been received with joy among some stakeholders in the local government system was, however, opposed by the two factions of the NGF.
The Jang-led faction of the NGF walked out from the mainstream faction led by Governor Amaechi after supporters of Jang disputed the outcome of the election which returned Amaechi as chairman of the governors’ association last year.
Reacting to the decision of the National Assembly to grant autonomy to the local governments, the Amaechi-led faction speaking through its Director-General, Asishana Okauru, affirmed that the body would not change its opposition on the issue of autonomy for local governments.
Amaechi’s NGF
Speaking in a telephone interview with Vanguard, he said: “The NGF does not support autonomy for local governments. The governors are against it, they have said it and still maintain that they will not support autonomy for local governments.
“There is no country in the world that there are three federating units; there are only two all over the world. Why should you say that there must be a third federating unit in Nigeria?”
According to him, chairman of the forum, Governor Amaechi aside making a similar call last year, had at a session with journalists recently said that the governors would continue to push against granting autonomy for the 774 local governments in the country.
Jang-led NGF
In an unusual concord with the Amaechi-led forum, the Jang-led NGF in a statement by its secretary, Earl Osaro Onaiwu, said: “The NGF under the leadership of Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State has differed with the NASS over the move to amend the constitution and grant local governments full administrative and financial autonomy.”
The governors in the statement accused some members of the National Assembly of using the conference committee to force through an amendment that was clearly rejected by the Senate during the constitution amendment debates and votes.
Onaiwu in the statement quoted the governors as saying that “it was improper in an issue of this magnitude for the conference committee to overturn the position of a majority in the upper house.
“The push for local government autonomy by the National Assembly was hasty without first considering the problems of executive recklessness and ineffective administration at the local level.”
The governors thus warned that “the amendment will lead to the hijack of some local government administrative structures by a few powerful individuals without the oversight the state government currently provides.”
The forum, however, expressed confidence that the amendment will be rejected by a majority of the states houses of assembly.
