The Rivers state House of Assembly has voted against six key parts of the 1999 constitution amendment tagged Fourth Alteration Bill, 2017.

Among the proposals rejected by the State Assembly are the parts that seek financial autonomy and special accounts for local governments in the country.

The Assembly also rejected the proposal affecting the Judiciary where the amendment proposed to separate the office of the Attorney General from the office of the Minister or Commissioner for Justice.

Also rejected is the part that gives power to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to deregister any political party that fails to meet certain criteria.

Our correspondent reports that only member representing Port Harcourt Constiuency 1, Victoria Nyeche voted in favour of financial autonomy for local governments while member representing Gokana constituency, Innocent Barikor voted to be indifferent on the matter.

Nyeche and Barikor who are both of the All Progressives Congress, APC refused to comment on their decisions.

Meanwhile, the House voted in favour of nine other proposals including; Independent Candidates for election, reduction in the age limit for aspirants (not too young to run), immunity for lawmakers over comments made during plenary, powers to the Judiciary to strike out a pre election matter immediately after the stipulated one hundred and eighty days, among others.

Speaker of the House, Ikunyi Owaji Igbani said the decisions were taken after members duly consulted with their constituents more than five months after the proposed amended Bill was sent.

The decision of the Rivers state House of Assembly is coming on the heels of numerous calls for restructuring by members of the ruling party in the State.

I am happy this is coming from PDP controlling state. Many people have no retentive memory on national issues. At inception of GEJ, people are clamouring for restructuring but PDP said there is no need for it. When they are feeling heat of possible lossing of election the idea of Confab surface. Many recommendations which does not require legislation were made but none was implemented until that government came to an end. The same people has now suddenly become apostles of restructuring.

Man it the states want to strangle LG autonomy. If 10 more states reject LG autonomy it's dead. The states simply want to lord over local government account. If the state government local account gone they can't eat from it. I give Ms. Victoria credit for doing the right thing. She deserves to be sent back.

Our correspondent reports that only member representing Port Harcourt Constiuency 1, Victoria Nyeche voted in favour of financial autonomy for local governments

Rejected:
Imo
Kogi
Rivers

Watch by the time PDP loses 2019 election to APC in Rivers state these same PDP members that voted against Local Government Autonomy will start shouting give Local Government Autonomy. Same way they did with national confab after organising it and submitted report never implemented it because they thought they will win 2015 election. If they had won 2015 election PDP would still not have implemented the confab report now they are blackmailing APC to implement what they would have never implemented 20years to come. Yes APC is not good but PDP is the worst, any other party can take over from APC but certainly not PDP is like going back to Egypt. If you believe in what I just said say I and against say NAY, the Ice have it.

What a disgusting show of shame! How can any legislator claim with a straight face that his or her constituents are against giving their LGA autonomy from the state governor? Who would ever choose to live in LGAs which serve no meaningful functions, and which exist only to extract more funds from Abuja for governors and their state assembly lackeys to "chop"?

I wish I could say the blame for this disgusting situation lay entirely with the representatives who refuse to properly perform their official duties by looking out for the interests of their constituents, but ultimately it is the constituents themselves who are to be faulted for letting their reps get away with it. Things will only change when voters start to prioritize honest, effective and intelligent representation over picking "their son/daughter" or who is sharing out the most rice and chicken on election day - and given how utterly st.upid so many Nigerians are even on a forum like this one, I don't see that day coming any time soon.

Even if most of the state in the south south are allowed to control their resources 100%,it will still not develop with the set of fool!sh politicians dey have

I'm for full local government autonomy

You see why we can never move forward...they were shouting centre was holding too much power, but give the little to LGA "usai".

To pass immunity during plenary, na sharp sharp...

They did a few useful things. The independent caniditure cool. The not to young to run met requirements. The only state I know that rejected independent candidate is osun so far. There's still a chance for it.

Meanwhile, the House voted in favour of nine other proposals including; Independent Candidates for election, reduction in the age limit for aspirants (not too young to run)

KenOne:
Watch by the time PDP loses 2019 election to APC in Rivers state these same PDP members that voted against Local Government Autonomy will start shouting give Local Government Autonomy. Same way they did with national confab after organising it and submitted report never implemented it because they thought they will win 2015 election. If they had won 2015 election PDP would still not have implemented the confab report now they are blackmailing APC to implement what they would have never implemented 20years to come. Yes APC is not good but PDP is the worst, any other party can take over from APC but certainly not PDP is like going back to Egypt. If you believe in what I just said say I and against say NAY, the Ice have it.

That will never happen