NASS Gets Kudos Over LG Autonomy

As the National Assembly granted full financial and administrative autonomy to the 774 local council authorities across the nation by amending Section 124 of the 1999 Constitution, Nigerians have commended the two chambers for the move.
Respondents in a survey by The Tide last Tuesday also urged the state governors and state Houses of Assembly to follow suit and grant the local governments autonomy.
Speaking to The Tide, Monday Frank said that If the state governors and assemblies work against the local Government autonomy this time, it means that  their days are numbered politically.
In his reaction to the issue,Mr Patrick Igbo  said the development was the best thing that has happened to the nation’s democracy and commended the development.
Isaac Olarewaju in his own opinion said God will speak to the hearts of those who will be in charge to spend the money that would be allocated to them judiciously while Kelvin Cephas Diri  said it was a good one but wondered whether the houses of assembly of the 36 states will make it work.
According to Desmond C O Braide  and Ransom Mordekiah, Autonomy for local government was a welcome development and should be applauded, adding that the state assemblies must concur as this was the surest way of taking development to the grassroots.
It would be recalled that last Tuesday, the National Assembly granted full financial and administrative autonomy to the 774 local council authorities across Nigeria by amending section 124 of the nation’s constitution.
The section provides a consequential provision for the making of the local councils, a full third tier government without undue interference from the state governments.
The ammendment was one of the 22 others approved by the House of Representatives last week and ratified by the Senate last Tuesday.
Both chambers had through a conference committee harmonised versions of the amendments the constitution carried out by each of them last month.
It however, retained the immunity clause in the constitution for the President and Governors by adopting the Senate version of the ammendments on the issue and rejected the House of Representatives version which removed the immunity clause.