The Senate President Ahmad Lawan and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila have appealed to governors to allow the bill granting autonomy to local government councils and other 43 constitution alteration bills sent to various States Houses of Assembly to scale through.
They made the appeal at Distinguished Parliamentarians Lecture 2022 series organised by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) in Abuja on Monday.
It would be recalled that there is a current face-off between the governors and the federal lawmakers over the State Police bill rejected by the National Assembly.
ASHENEWS recalls that the governors have positioned that until the state police bill was considered by NASS, States Assemblies would keep hold on the local government autonomy bill.
The 1999 constitution provides that constitution amendment bills must also be passed passed by 24 States Houses of Assembly.
Lawan, urged Kaduna state governor, Nasir Elrufai to help lobby his colleagues.
“We will ask you to lobby for us. We have sent (to the States) the outcome of our Constitution review and we are yet to receive all from the States. So, we should be able to wind up this process by getting responses from the state Houses of Assembly.
“Even if it is one month left, we have the capacity to work together to ensure that we pass some of the legislations that are required in a very expeditious manner. Plead, lobby your Governor colleagues for us because I can see that you do that very well,” he urged.
Gbajabiamila also appealed to the governors to speed up the process.
“That process now seems to have stalled in the State Assemblies. As it is today, it is doubtful that the current constitutional amendment effort will conclude before the expiration of this legislative term.
“However, the appeal made by the Senate President to Governor Nasir el-Rufai for the required cooperation of Governors on the exercise may bring the process back to life,” Gbajabiamila said.
