Constitutional Amendment : Nasarawa Assembly Votes In Favour of LG, Legislature, Judicial Autonomy

The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has voted in favour of the local government, legislature and judicial autonomy among other bills.

Speaker of the House, Mr Ibrahim Balarabe-Abdullahi, announced this during the presentation of the Transmission of Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bills, 2022 on Tuesday in Lafia, the state capital.

COVID-19: Firm launches oxygen plant in Nassarawa

Again, 4 Kano, Nassarawa travellers killed in Jos

He also announced that the House has voted against independent candidacy. According to the Speaker, out of the 66 bills sent to the House by the National Assembly for alteration, they voted in favour of 65 and against one bill.

The Speaker said, “The bills voted in favour included A Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Abrogate the State Joint Local Government Account and Provide for a Special Account into which shall be paid all allocations due to Local Government Councils from the Federation Account and from the Government of the State and for Related Matters.

“A Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Establish Local Government Council as Tier of Government and Guarantee Their Democratic Existence, Tenure, and for Related Matters.

“A Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to provide for the Financial Independence of State Houses of Assembly and State Judiciary and for Related Matters among other bills that we voted in favour.”

Balarabe-Abdullahi further said, “We voted against A Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to provide for Independent Candidacy in Presidential, Governorship, National Assembly, State Houses of Assembly and Local Government Council Elections, and for Related Matters.”

He, however, directed the Clerk of the House to produce a clean copy of the bills immediately and submit same to National Assembly within 24 hours.

Earlier, Mr Umar Tanko Tunga, the Majority Leader of the House moved a motion for the alterations of the bills which was seconded by Hon Daniel Ogazi, the Deputy Majority Leader.