The senate and house of representatives have passed a bill seeking to grant financial and administrative autonomy to local governments across the country.
Both chambers passed the bill with a sweeping majority, Premium Times reports.
The legislation is entitled: ‘Bill for an Act to Alter 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.’
In the same vein, both chambers of the national assembly passed a constitutional bill granting financial autonomy to the state legislatures and judiciaries.
While the lower legislative chamber passed the bill with 286-1 votes, the upper legislative chamber passed it with 83-1 votes.
In the bill, each local government council is to create and maintain its own special account to be called the Local Government Allocation Account into which all the allocations will be paid.
The legislations also mandate each state to pay to local government councils in its area of jurisdiction such proportion of its internally generated revenue on such terms and in such manner as may be prescribed by the House of Assembly.
For administrative autonomy, the bill seeks to allow local governments to conduct their own elections.
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