PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2012
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Kwara North endorses states creation, rotational presidency From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin
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L-R: Chairman Board of Trustees, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) Dr. Musa Babayo, member of the Board, Alhaji Abba Gana, Acting Executive Secretary, TETFUND, Mallam Aliyu Naiya and Assistant Chief, Public Relations Unit of TETUND, Mr. Samuel Ezenwa, during the presentation of award for most outstanding Public Institution in Nigeria to TETFUND by Independent Service delivery Monitoring Group (ISDMG), at the weekend in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa
PDP chieftain tasks NASS on LG autonomy From Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan
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Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader in Ekiti State, Ambassador Gbenga Olofin has urged the National Assembly to grant full autonomy to Local Governments in the country as part of its amendment of the 1999 Constitution, saying; “running local councils as parastatals under the Governor’s Office as presently being done in most states in the country is jeopardising development at the grassroot level.” Olofin, who frowned at the way local council funds are being
deducted at will by some State governors under the guise of Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC), said the National Assembly must save Local Government from going into extinction by making it the real third tier of government. In a release issued which made available to newsmen, Olofin noted that “one of the major impediments to development in Nigeria is the Constitutional provision that gave State Houses of Assembly power to legislate on local government administration and that portion of the Constitution must be
amended.” The statement reads; “Today, Local Councils, especially in Ekiti State are being run like parastatals under the governor’s office with the councils unable to spend their funds without the governor’s approval. “Particularly, our experience in Ekiti State since this present Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) government took over power has shown that the idea of giving State Governments control over Local councils was a mistake, and it must be corrected. “Laws that are at variance with the Constitution are even
being made by State Houses of Assembly to further stiffen the necks of local government councils in the country with most state governors now having power to sack duly elected council officials at will. “Ridiculously, Ekiti State House of Assembly even made a law empowering the State governor to appoint local council secretaries, supervisors, advisers and even personal assistants to the chairman. “The National Assembly must therefore make our local councils autonomous to save them from imminent collapse.
Northerners urged to reject six geo-political zones in constitution From Ahmed Idris, Birnin Kebbi
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ollowing the on-going review of the 1999 Nigeria Constitution, the Deputy Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Abuja, Dr. Shehu Abdullahi has admonished the representative of the North in National Assembly to distance themselves from the recognition of six geo-political zones in the 1999 constitution Amendment. He gave this advice weekend at Zuru while delivering a speech at the people’s public session on the review of the 1999 Nigeria constitution organized by the Member representing Danko/ wasagu, Fakai,Sakba and Zuru Federal constituency in the National Assembly. “If this is allowed to be incorporated into the constitution and may God forbid, if we lose our regional bargaining leverage of having more states and Federal Legislative Representative in both chambers of the National Assembly, it will be a mission impossible for the region to have it expunged from the constitution”. He also pointed out that “if they are honest, let them call for the abolition of states as
cohabiting federating units, then we will begin to take them seriously”. “If this were to happen, we would have lost it as a people and as a region, the north will then be left shading the inconsequential crocodile tears’’, he said. Dr. zuru in his lecture also opposed the local government
joint account and the removal of the Immunity clause from the 1999 constitution, tools used by some of the state governments to witch hunt their opponent in the political race. Also in his remark, the Member representing Zuru, Fakai,Sakaba and Damk/Wasau federal constituency Hon. Abdullahi Dan. Alikali said “over
the years, people have seen the Nigerian constitution as a document of the political elites used in Abuja and the state capitals, the connection of the Nigerian people with and their ownership of the constitution have been very tenuous, knowledge of the constitution have been vague and its content mystery to Nigerians’’.
Shettima wants federal allocation reviewed From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri overnor Kashim Shettima of Borno state has called for the review of Federal Revenue Allocation Formula in favour of the state and local governments. The governor made the call at the weekend while speaking at the public hearing on the review of the 1999 constitution held at the International Conference Hall of the Musa Usman secretariat Maiduguri, state capital. He said “the constitutional provision under section 162(2) should be amended so as to allow flexibility to take care of political, economic and social forces and changes in the country. Therefore the revenue sharing
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formula should be reviewed in favour of states and local governments, as the state and local governments have been directly or indirectly assisting federal institutions in their states.” He lamented that the Federal Government has virtually neglected Borno and Yobe states ,as there is no federal presence in the two states, pointing out that even the Biu Dam which was started 30 years ago has not been completed. On the agitation for creation of states, Shettima said creation of more state would not proffer solution to the issue of development. What people need said, was good governance, stressing that a villager in Miringa, Garubula, Lassa or Wamdiyo prefer the opening up of the hinterland
which state or local government creation cannot address. “I urge Nigerians to treat the issue of state creation with outmost sense of responsibility and caution, even as I strongly recommend that section 8 of the constitution be amended to remove the ambiguities and cumbersomeness in the process of creation more states for future consideration.” Shettima said. The Governor also called for the establishment of the Desert Control Commission to handle the fast advancing Sahara desert in Northern part of the country, particularly Borno and Yobe states, as desertification and wind have claimed several hectares of arable land and forced some communities to migrate southwards.
he people of Baruteen,Kaiama Local government which constitute part of Kwara North Senatorial district have endorsed the creation of new states as well as rotation of presidency between Northern and Southern parts of Nigeria in the House of Representatives Peoples’ Public session on the 1999 constitution review. The Federal constituency which fall within the axis of House Chairman on Media, Zakari Muhammed argued hotly among themselves for and against the immunity clause for President,Vice President, Governors and Deputy Governors. The constituency however agreed that they would not be segregated if the presidency is being rotated stressing that removal of immunity would create chaos in the country. They also rejected additional tenure for President, voting right for Nigerians in diaspora as well as abolition of bi-cameral legislature among other 38 issues raised for review. Speaking with Peoples Daily after the session, Hon. Zakari Muhammed explained that the agreement of his people on states creation does not mean that they want to be carved away from the present Kwara State but rather want more local governments that would be recognised constitutionally.
Session witnesses low turnout in Nasarawa From Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia
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he much publicised people’s public session organised by the federal house of representatives to enable Nigerians across the federal constituencies actively participate in the ongoing constitutional review, witnessed a low turnout in Nasarawa state. Our correspondent who arrived the City Hall venue of the event, reports that only a few residents graced the occasion, which was mostly attended by political office holders from the state and representatives of the organised labour. Youths who turned up in their numbers but chose to pester dignitaries for money, were however denied access to the hall by security operatives. A resident who spoke to Peoples Daily, Adigizi Amos, ascribed the low turnout to inadequate publicity by the organisers in the state. “Most people are unaware of the event. Besides, ordinary Nigerians lack confidence in the exercise. How are we sure what we want will reflect in the final document?”, Amos queried.