By Joshua Omoloye, Politics Editor, Abuja
Some changes that allow for devolution of powers to states of the federation have been approved by the National Assembly during consideration of a report on constitution review.
Local government autonomy was the highlight.
Both chambers of the legislature considered 68 harmonized bills out of which the Senate passed 45 and rejected 23.
With the devolution, correctional centres, railways, airports and electricity among other were moved from the exclusive legislative list.
Those passed are:
*Bill 29 seeking the removal of Airport from exclusive legislative list to concurrent;
*Bill 30 seeking to remove fingerprints, identification and criminal records from exclusive to concurrent legislative list; and
*Bill 31 seeking to delete prisons in the exclusive list and redesignate it as Correctional Service in the concurrent list.
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*Bill 32 which removes railway from exclusive to concurrent list;
*Bill 33 which allows states to generate, transmit and distribute electricity in areas covered by national grid;
*Bill 34 seeking to include Value Added Tax on exclusive legislative list;
*Bill 36 which seeks to expand scope of citizenship by registration and;
*Bill 37 which provides for qualification to become an indigene of a state in Nigeria.
The Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Commission is also empowered to enforce compliance with remittances of accruals into and disbursement from Federation Account.
Part of the landmark amendments was autonomy to local governments. The lawmakers unanimously voted for the bill.
The bill seeks “to abrogate the State and Joint Local Government Account and provide for Special Account into which shall be paid all allocations due to local governments of the states.”
The second bill on Local Government Administrative Autonomy was also passed.
The bill seeks to establish local governments as a tier of government and guarantee their democratic existence and tenure.
The lawmakers also gave power to the National Assembly and State Assemblies to summon the President and Governors to answer questions bothering on security or any other issues on which they have powers to make laws.
The bill seeks alteration to Section 67 of the Principal Act by inserting after subsection (3), a new subsection (4) which provides: “Nothing in this section shall preclude the National Assembly from summoning the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to attend a joint session of the National Assembly to answer questions on national security or any issue whatsoever, over which the National Assembly has powers to make laws.”
The bill further seeks to alter Section 108 of the Principal Act to insert a new subsection (4) to provide: “Nothing in this section shall preclude the House of Assembly of the State from summoning the Governor of the State to attend a sitting of the House of Assembly to answer questions on security or on any issue whatsoever, over which the House of Assembly has powers to male laws.”
The National Assembly also passed a bill to make it an offence and to provide for the possible conviction of any person who refuses to honour the summons of the National Assembly or any of its committee.
The new section provides: “Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Constitution, any person who after having been summoned to attend, fails, refuses or neglects to do so and does not excuse such failure, refusal or neglect to the satisfaction of the House or the Committee in question, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to such punishment as shall be prescribed by a Act of the National Assembly.
The National Assembly also passed a bill for independent candidacy allowing for politicians who are interested in positions to stand for elections without standing on a political platform.
The two chambers equally okayed separation of the office of the Attorney General of the Federation from that of the Minister of Justice.
They, however, turned down a bill to provide for more seats for women in the National and State Houses of Assembly as well 35 per cent affirmation
The indigenous people of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) did not get a fair share in the amendment as two important bills of concern to them were rejected.
Although the House of Representatives approved mayoral position for the FCT but with its rejection by the Senate, the bill failed to get National Assembly approval.
The other bill seeking appointment of an Abuja indigene as FCT minister was also roundly rejected.
