By FEMI OGUNSHOLA
The House of Representatives has okayed Local Government (LG) autonomy, recognising it as a tier of government and guaranteeing its democratic existence and tenure in the ongoing electronic voting on constitution amendment bills.
The House also abrogated state-local government joint account and provided for special account into which it shall pay all allocations due to LG councils from the federation account and from the government of the state.
The exercise took place on Tuesday in Abuja at the plenary where members voted via electronic on 68 clauses on the Constitution Amendment Bill.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that on clause one which is to abrogate the state-LG joint account and provide for a special account, 257 members voted in favour of the bill while nine voted against and zero abstained
Also, on clause two which said a Bill for an Act to alter the constitution to establish LG as a tier of government and guarantee their democratic existence and tenure, 258 members voted in favour while 15 voted against and zero abstained.
The House also voted in favour of the Bill seeking to empower states to generate power.
On the bill for financial independence of State Houses of Assembly and State Judiciaries, 286 members voted in favour for both arms of government and only one member voted against the bill.
Voting on the report on a bill for an Act to Strengthen the Judiciary for timely dispensation of justice, members voted in favour of the bill.
On time to determine pre-election petitions to exclude the period of intervening events in the computation of time for election Petitions and appeals, members again voted in support of the bill. (NAN)

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