National Assembly grants full autonomy to Nigeria’s 774 LGAs
By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini
The National Assembly on Tuesday, granted full financial and administrative autonomy to all 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 amendment was one of 22 others approved by the House of Representatives last week and ratified by the Senate on Tuesday.
Both chambers had, through a conference committee, harmonised versions of the amendments to the constitution carried out by each of them last month.
By this development, the National Assembly had ratified all the 23 clauses and sections that had been amended by both chambers.
The newly amended document, which would be sent to the State Houses of Assembly for approval, also approved the creation of the Office of Auditor General of the Local Government as well as the State Local Government Service Commission.
The section equally deleted the State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIEC) from the constitution, thereby vesting the powers to conduct council elections on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
It, however, retained the immunity clause in the constitution for the President and Governors by adopting the Senate version of the amendments on the issue and rejecting the House of Representatives version, which removed the immunity clause.
The National Assembly also made provisions for independent candidature in future elections in Nigeria by amending sections 65 and 106 of the 1999 constitution.