The President NULGE, Comrade Ambali Akeem has urged Nigeria’s electorate to vote against any political party that is not in support of Local Government autonomy.
Comrade Akeem spoke on Tuesday at a press conference addressed by the leadership of the Senate and House of Representatives Committee on Constitution review on the progress of the 44 constitution amendment bills transmitted to the State Houses of Assembly.
The Chairman of the Committee and Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege said six months after the transmission of 44 Bills to State Assemblies, “it is most disheartening to inform you that only 11 State Houses of Assembly have demonstrated their independence and loyalty to the Constitution regarding the 44 bills”.
He said 25 State Houses of Assembly have yet to consider and vote on the bills.
“So far, only Abia, Akwa-fbom, Anambra, Delta, Edo, Kaduna, Katsina, Kogi, Lagos, Ogun and Osun States have successfully considered, voted on, and forwarded their resolutions on the 44 bills to the National Assembly.
“More worrisome is that while we are still expecting the receipt of the resolutions of the remaining Houses of Assembly, we received a letter from the Conference of Speakers of State Assemblies informing the National Assembly that the remaining States will not act on the 44 Bills unless the National Assembly passes four new Bills they have proposed in the letter.
The Bills the speakers propose seek to amend the Constitution to establish State Police; State Judicial Council; Streamline the procedure for removing Presiding Officers of State Houses of Assembly and institutionalise Legislative Bureaucracy in the Constitution.
However, Omo-Agege said it is “legally inappropriate for the Conference of Speakers to use the four Bills as a quid pro quo to act on the 44 Bills the National Assembly 44 Bills transmitted. It is clear, and we cannot overstate, that this letter is not in keeping with the obligation the Constitution has placed on them regarding the Constitutional amendment.
He made it clear, the Bills the National Assembly transmitted to the State Houses of Assembly as required by the Constitution are not about members of the National Assembly.
“It transcends our personal and political interests. It is about the people who have graciously given us_ the temporary privilege to serve them. The offices and positions we each hold belong to the people. And they yearn for a government that is honest, accountable, and responsive to their needs. It is, therefore, disheartening that some State Houses of Assembly, through the Conference of Speakers, would give the National Assembly conditions before fulfilling their constitutional obligations”.
Continuing Akeem said, “We want to know the position of the Labour party candidate, the APC, PDP and the others, whoever is not ready to support Local Government autonomy Nigerians should vote them out. It is not about salary, we believe in the indivisibility of Nigeria and we would rise up to resist them.”
He indicated that the action of the speakers is an attempt to blackmail the National Assembly, adding how can you say because the National Assembly has bot considered your own selfish interest that is why you must hold the country to ransom?
“For us in labour, we are ready to engage them. The basic fact is that they are delaying this constitutional amendment passage because of Local Government autonomy
“The governors were thoroughly engaged, we were in Ibadan Governor Seyi Makinde represented their interest when the National Assembly organized fora and they were there, they made their presentations. Those who are opposing Local Government autonomy are those who are diverting Local Government funds
“Look at Ekiti, he is owing over 8 months salary and he just left the place without paying”.
