State Assembly Speakers seek Senate’s support over financial autonomy

Speakers of State Houses of Assembly on Friday met President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, and seek his support on financial autonomy of state legislatures.a

Spokesman for the Speakers delegation, Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori who is the Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly made the appeal when paid a courtesy visit to senate president, Ahmed Lawan.

Oborevworiri decried that state Executive are yet to give effect to the issue and urged the Senate President to help them take the issue up with the President for possible issuance of executive order.

This was contained in a statement made available to newsmen by the Special Adviser (Media) to the Senate President, Ola Owoniyi, on Friday.

In his response, the senate President said that the question of executive order would not be necessary because it is a constitutional matter which should be complied with by the state authorities.

Lawan assured them that he will approach the matter, on their behalf, through the Governors Forum

Lawan said the Assemblies at both state and national levels should continue to exchange ideas on how to support each other.

“This kind of visit should be very often,” Lawan told his guests. “We should have more and deeper frequent engagements between the National Assembly and the State Houses of Assembly.

“We need to be talking. We need to be engaging ourselves because there are certain things that we have to do together especially the constitutional amendment in which National Assembly takes the lead but the State Houses of Assembly will continue to have to play their roles as well.

“So we should not wait to be thirsty before we dig a well. We should always be proactive,” Lawan said.

Lawan said there are certain legislations that require some domestication or replication at the state level because “even if we implement them at this (national) level and the states have not bought in to it, it is going to have very limited success.”

The Senate President also encouraged the speakers at the State Houses of Assembly to have cordial working relationship with their respective Executive without necessarily compromising their independence.