As HURIWA tasks Senate on attempts to sabotage bill
The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has accused some governors of plans to scuttle councils’ autonomy in the ongoing constitutional review in the National Assembly.
Specifically, the union accused Chairman of Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), Kayode Fayemi, of plans to truncate councils’ autonomy in the constitutional review in which the National Assembly had voted in favour of autonomy for council administrations across the country.
President of NULGE, Hakeem Ambali, who stated this in Abuja, yesterday, commended the National Assembly for towing the path of honour to vote in favour of councils’ autonomy.
The National Assembly had on Tuesday, voted in favour of full autonomy for local government councils in the country, a development that has allegedly angered State Governors who collect funds on their behalf from the federation account.
Although the National Assembly has passed it, it will require 2/3 majority of the states Houses of Assembly to also pass the bill.
Ambali, who noted that the struggle to grant full autonomy to councils has been a long-standing one, said some National Assembly members have come under severe pressure and threats from governors not to support the idea.
NULGE said when the autonomy takes effect, development will trickle down to the councils at the grassroots level.
BESIDES, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), yesterday, urged the National Assembly to ensure that corrupt governors do not sabotage the bill granting financial autonomy to local governments.
In a statement issued by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA also decried members of the National Assembly for voting against pro-women provisions in the constitution review.
It however, commended the Ninth Senate for passing the bill on financial and administrative autonomy to all the 774 councils of the country, but frowned on the lawmakers’ decision to voted against all positive laws aimed at enhancing political and economic emancipation of Nigerian women, describing it as backward, primitive and tragic.
The group stated that it was outrageous and sad to note that National Assembly, dominated almost entirely by men, behaved in a chauvinistic manner when the lawmakers declined citizenship to a foreign-born husband of a Nigerian woman whereas a Nigerian man’s foreign-born wife gets automatic citizenship in the country.
They denied women the ability to take citizenship of their husband’s state after five years of marriage; 35 per cent appointed positions for women; 35 per cent affirmative action in party administration and leadership and rejected specific seats for women in the National Assembly.
THEGUARDIAN
