States react to LG autonomy bill

The Houses of Assembly of some states yesterday acted on the bill on local government autonomy with Adamawa Assembly endorsing the Harmonised Constitution (Fourth Alteration) Bill, 2014 adopted by the National Assembly.

At a plenary session presided over by the Speaker, Ahmadu Fintiri, the law makers unanimously voted for all the amendments in a voice vote.

Fintiri said the House adopted the amendment because it was in line with the wishes and aspirations of people of the state. He particularly expressed satisfaction with the issue of local government autonomy, saying the House was committed to democracy and transparency in government.

However, members of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in Ondo State yesterday walked out of the House of Assembly, protesting the failure of the lawmakers to pass the bill. The local government workers immediately began a protest march at the premises of the assembly complex, chanting solidarity songs and demanding a change of government in Ondo State.

They also threatened to vote against the PDP in next year’s election.

Also hundreds of local government workers yesterday protested at the Rivers State House of Assembly, demanding for local government autonomy. This came on the heels of the assembly’s failure to pass the section on local government autonomy demanded by the union.

The Kogi State House of Assembly yesterday voted in favour of the bill. The House voted in favour of all sections forwarded to it for its consideration during plenary session yesterday but insisted on the scrapping of the State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIEC) as part of the constitution amendment.