The Senate, after a two-day retreat concluded over the weekend in
Kano by the members of its Constitution Review Committee have unanimously
agreed to amend the 1999 constitution, with a view to including full autonomy
for local governments in the Nigeria constitution.
The federal lawmakers, who
expressed divergent views on the issue of state police, however pointed out
that the issue of full local government autonomy was long overdue in the
country.
Senators from the South-East and South- South geopolitical zones at the forum advocated the creation of additional states.The legislators bared their minds at the sidelines of the Retreat which was organised by the Senate panel in collaboration with the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC).
Their decision to save the
third tier of government from total collapse following the abuse of their roles
by the state governors, may not be unconnected to the recent Supreme Court
verdict and the pledge by Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, that the National
Assembly would tinker with the constitution to legalise their full
autonomy.Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele; a former Chief Whip of the red
chamber, Ali Ndume; Chairman Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Sani Musa;
Senators Abdulfatai Buhari, Osita Izunaso and Ned Nwoko in their various
submissions insisted that full autonomy for local governments was long overdue.
Bamidele noted that the current constitution placed the administration of local government in the hands of the state government but the exigency of the current situation has made it necessary to make the third tier of government, completely independent.Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, backed the position of the Senate Leader by saying the election of council chairmen and the councillors should be conducted by an independent body not constituted by state governments.
He said, “Local government autonomy could only be achieved if their elections were conducted by an independent body. “If that is not done, states will continue to siphon their money, through threats, through blackmail. “If I just put you there as local government chairman, as the governor, definitely you will be answerable to me, but if I am contesting my election people’s eyes will be on me and when I am able to perform, you can’t force me to take the money to the governor. “If we want that Supreme Court judgement to hold water, we should expunge from the Constitution, that aspect of Joint Account.
Senator Sani Musa noted that the process of restructuring had started with the Supreme Court verdict on local government autonomy. Similarly, Senator Ned Nwoko said local government autonomy was very critical. The senators were however divided on the issue of state police.
Those in support said insecurity would be tackled with state police while others said political opponents would be targeted by state governors. Musa who supported the idea said, “when we are talking about State Police, every state in this country is facing one insecurity or the other and I believe that if we look at the issue of State Police, it is good for us. ” However, Senator Ali Ndume said, “What we need is to increase the manpower of the police and improve their welfare for effective policing. State Police would be abused by the governors. ”Senators from the South-East and South- South geopolitical zones at the forum, advocated the creation of additional states, with both Senators Ned Nwoko and Osita Izunaso saying that the creation of additional states in their geopolitical zones were long overdue.
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