State Assemblies Want Devolution Of Powers Included In Constitution Amendment

 

The Speakers of the Houses of Assembly are asking for the introduction of devolution of powers in the next round of constitution amendment.

This was made known during a conference on Thursday at the National Assembly in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

This is according to the chairman of the Speakers of the Houses of Assembly, Abdulmumin Kamba, who presented the constitutional amendments of the state assemblies to the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki.

The Conference of Speakers is seeking the reintroduction of the devolution of powers in the next round of constitution amendment.

The Senate and the House of Representatives rejected a proposal for devolution of powers in 2017.

But the Senate, however, okayed the Bills seeking autonomy for Local Governments as well as reduced age limits for eligibility to run for political offices following appeals by a group of youths under the #NotTooYoungToRun movement.

The lawmakers also voted in favour of the amendments that the President must nominate Ministers within 30 days and attach the portfolios of the Ministers to the Senate when sending for confirmation.

Other areas voted include the separation of the office of the Minister and Commissioner of Justice from the Attorney General of the Federation and of states to create an independent office of the Attorney General of the Federation insulated from partisanship.

Also, to empower INEC to deregister political parties over failure to secure an elective seat, to remove NYSC, Land Use, PCC, NSA Acts from the constitution and make them flexible for regular amendment.