Reps’ hopeful of passage of Local Government autonomy bill, others

The House of Representatives on Wednesday expressed hope that some of the outstanding bills, including Local Government autonomy, get the required two-thirds votes from the State Houses of Assembly.

The Deputy Speaker, Hon. Idris Wase expressed optimism while addressing members during the consideration of the report of the State Houses of Assembly on the 35 bills transmitted to the National Assembly in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

Accordingly, the House urged Gombe, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kwara, Oyo, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, and Zamfara States Houses of Assembly that are yet to forward their resolution on the Bills to do so in fulfilment of their Constitutionally imposed legislative obligation to the Constitution amendment process.

Hon. Wase said: “For instance, the autonomy of Local Government that we pray that these States that have not brought theirs if they can pass it, it would also count.

“And those other ones would see the light of the day.

“The House recalls that 68 Bills seeking to alter provisions of the Constitution were presented on the floor of the House of Representatives and the Senate on Wednesday, 23 February 2022, for passage.

“The House acknowledges that 27 Houses of Assembly – Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kogi, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun Rivers, and Yobe have forwarded their resolutions on the Bills (attached are details of Status of Resolutions of State Houses of Assembly on the Constitution (Fifth) Alteration Bills).

Other bills include: “Financial autonomy of State legislatures and State Judiciary; Enforcement of Legislative Summon; Inauguration of Members-Elect; and Deletion of reference in the Constitution to the provisions of the Criminal Code, Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Act, Criminal Procedure Code or Evidence Act.

Others are: “Provision for Intervening Events in the Computation of Time for the Determination of Pre-Election Petitions, Election Petitions and Appeals from there; Expansion of the Interpretation of Judicial Office; Appointment of Secretary of the National Judicial Council; Devolution of Powers (Airports); Devolution of Powers (Fingerprints, identification, and criminal records); Devolution of Powers (Correctional Services); Devolution of Powers (Railways); Devolution of Powers (National Grid System); Power to enforce compliance of remittance of Accruals into the Federation Account and Review of Revenue Allocation Formula;

Similarly, the State Houses of Assembly also passed Food Security, Nigeria Security, and Civil Defence Corps bills.

To this end, members of the House of Representatives directed the Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA) to transmit the 35 Bills that have so far met the requirement of the provisions of Section 9(2) of the Constitution to Mr. President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federation for consent in line with the requirements of the Acts Authentication Act.