NAN-H-96
Amendment
By Amen Gajira
Minna, Feb. 7, 2018 (NAN) The Niger House of Assembly on Wednesday endorsed local government autonomy by voting in favour of the abrogation of State/Local Government Joint Account in the proposed constitution amendment.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 20 out of the 27 members of the assembly were present and participated in the voting process.
The House, through a ballot system, also voted in support of the bill seeking to change the name of the Nigeria Police Force to the Nigeria Police.
It also voted in favour of a bill which provides immunity for lawmakers in respect of words spoken or written during plenary or committee proceeding.
The law makers also voted in favour of a bill seeking direct funding of state assemblies from consolidated revenue of states thereby endorsing the clamour for autonomy for state legislatures.
The bill seeking to reflect the establishment and core function of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) was also passed by the House which, however, voted against independent candidature for people seeking elective positions.
A total of 15 bills were considered by the lawmakers who had recently convened a public hearing for inputs that would guide them in the constitution amendment (Fourth Alteration) bills 2017.
NAN reports that after the voting, the Speaker, Alhaji Ahmed Marafa, directed the clerk to transmit the resolutions to the National Assembly through the Secretariat of the Conference of Speakers.
Marafa promised to ensure that the true position of the House on all the bills considered was transmitted to the National Assembly.
“I want to assure you that what transpired here today is what will be transmitted to the National Assembly,” he told his colleagues.(NAN)
AMEN/MO/ETS
==============
Edited by Morayo Omalade and Ephraims Sheyin