Ogun Assembly will go for LG autonomy – Speaker

From Kehinde Abeokuta

TAkinyemi, he Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Suraj Adekunbi, has said that the autonomy for local government administration as approved by the National Assembly is not negotiable.

The Speaker, however, said caution will be applied on the scrapping of the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC), saying the House will consult widely before taking a position on it.

Adekunbi, who spoke after receiving a fellowship award of the Chartered Institute of Commerce, and the award of the Oodua Best Speaker of the Year, from the Yoruba Redemption Foundation, assured that the LG autonomy bill would get the support of the House, when the constitutional amendment bill is sent to it for consideration.

“We will maintain our previous position on the local government autonomy, when the 1999 constitutional amendment bill is transmitted by the National Assembly,” he said.

The Chairman, the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy, Olusola Sonuga, had championed the move, declaring that it was evident that the third tier of government needed air of freedom to be able to express their capabilities.

“Since the 7th legislature, the House has not hidden its preference for autonomy at the local government level. It will allow them to show their capabilities. That has been our position,” he added.