Leadership of the Interim Management Committee of Association of Local Government of Nigerian, ALGON has applauded the members of the National Assembly for its effort in passing of bill granting full financial and administrative autonomy to local government.
Report has it that lawmakers voted on 68 Constitution Amendment bills at their plenary, the votes which was done electronically saw both chambers of the National Assembly during tge process on the Constitution Amendment voting in favour of Local Government administrative autonomy as a tier of government and guarantee their democratic existence and tenure.
In a statement signed and released to newsmen by its National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Jide Ashonibaire, the IMC described the development as one that is worthy of mention as each local government now has the responsibility to maintain and create its own special account to be called Local Government Allocation Account.
“We applaud the effort of members of the National Assembly in passing the bill of full financial and administrative autonomy for the local government, which is the third tier of government. This development though long overdue, is one that delights our association.
“Now, each state is mandated to pay local government councils portions of its Internally generated revenue in terms prescribed by the House of Assembly.” he said.
Meanwhile a breakdown of everything, in the House of Representatives, the bill to create a special account through which funds for local governments will be paid directly from the Federation Account had 257 ‘YES’ votes while nine persons voted ‘NO.’
For the local government autonomy, 258 members of the House of representatives voted ‘YES’ while 15 voted ‘NO’.
In the Senate Chamber, Local government financial autonomy had 92 ‘YES’ votes and two ‘NO’ votes.
Also in the Senate Chamber, local government autonomy, had 258 ‘YES’ votes and 15 ‘NO’ votes.
Local government administrative autonomy had 88 ‘YES’ votes, four ‘NO’ votes.
The National Assembly made this vote less than 24 hours after the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) led a protest to the National Assembly, to demand overwhelming votes in favour of autonomy for the local government and the judiciary.
