Constitution amendment: Northern states lawmakers endorse local govt autonomy

The 19 northern states’ Houses of Assembly have thrown their weight behind autonomy of local government in the ongoing review of the 1999 constitution, stating that the independence of the third tier of government will improve the wellbeing of the people and ensure good governance at the grassroots.

Chairman of the Northern States Speakers Forum and Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Marafa Ahmed Guni, stated this in Minna on Friday, while receiving officials and members of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, who were on solidarity rally to the Assembly.

The visiting unionists sought the support of the House for autonomy of the local government councils in the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution by the National Assembly.

Guni assured them that the present Houses of Assembly in Northern Nigeria were ready to support the autonomy of local government councils because the autonomy

His words, “Without mincing words, I am assuring you that we in Niger State House of Assembly are giving the assurances that we will support the local government autonomy; not only this State House of Assembly.

“I am talking to you as the chairman of the 19 Northern States of Nigeria. All the 19 states are supporting two issues: local government autonomy and the autonomy of the legislature in the review of the 1999 constitution.”

The Speaker therefore advised NULGE and the proponents of local government autonomy to seek the support of only five states in the South as the 19 Northern States Houses of Assembly were solidly behind the move.

He stated that the autonomy of the local government councils would bring about development at the grassroots level because 85 per cent of Nigerians are residing there.

According to Guni, “When we were in Lagos for the constitutional review we did not only talk about local government autonomy. We talked about additional percentage of allocation to the local government if we want them to survive.

“When we receive the constitution in Niger State we will call all stakeholders and even meet at the 19 Northern Houses of Assembly level, but as far as local government autonomy is concern, it is a done deal. We have taken a decision and no going back on the autonomy of local government and the legislature.”