CONSTITUTION AMENDMENT: Govs oppose LG autonomy, indigeneship, single term tenure •Want state police, revenue allocation reform

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Written by Olawale Rasheed, Abuja
Thursday, 11 August 2011
AS reports indicate soft-pedalling on the proposed single tenure presidency, opposition to further elements of the proposed constitutional amendments is deepening,

as most state governors are said to be unhappy with recently leaked reports on the provisions of the proposed amendments.

Recent reports had indicated that apart from the single tenure presidency, the package by the presidency also includes the scrapping of the state-local government joint account, with a view to granting the 774 local governments financial autonomy.

Other clauses include a new provision to grant indigeneship to Nigerians once they have resided in an area for at least six months, a clause meant to solve the perennial indigene-settler rift in some parts of the country.

Nigerian Tribune gathered in Abuja on Wednesday, that the governors are worried about the handling of the proposed amendments, even after President Goodluck Jonathan had promised full consultations with them and the party leadership before taking further action on the issue.

A very dependable source told the Nigerian Tribune that the piecemeal leakage of the provisions to the media by some aides in the presidency had only heightened suspicion and strengthened the hands of those opposed to the amendments.

“The handling is troubling. Why the piecemeal leakage of such sensitive proposals?” The source queried, stressing that most state chief executives even within the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were uncomfortable with the approach adopted, even after the last assurances by President Jonathan.

Nigerian Tribune investigations showed that the governors regard any attempt to scrap the joint state and local governments account, as provided for in the present constitution, as an attempt by the federal administration to weaken the states and undermine the authority of the state chief executives.

A top state official from the North told the Nigerian Tribune that while there may be some problems in the operation of the joint account, “the way to go is not the scrapping of the accounts, as that may weaken the attempt to strengthen and accelerate development at the state levels.

“In any case, almost all state assemblies will vote against that proposed amendment, as laws exist at the state level which regulate local administration in line with the provisions of the constitutions,” the source said.

Aside the anger over the joint account, the issue of indigeneship was said to have also alarmed states in the northern part of the country with the North-Central and the two other northern zones said to be regarding it as a joke.

Findings by the Nigerian Tribune within the North-Central zone revealed that the proposed indigenship amendment is considered a subtle way to entrench Hausa-Fulani domination of the zone, considering the subsisting issue of communal conflicts across the states in the zone.

“Such amendments will automatically empower the Fulani herdsmen to take over lands and grazing areas. Before long, the core North will be in charge of the North- Central zone,” another state official from the zone noted.

For the core North, such amendment was regarded as a Christian-Igbo agenda, to dominate the core North and Christianise the zone.

A member of the House of Representatives from the North-West, who pleaded anonymity, said the governors from North-West and North-East would never support such a move, as, according to him, “it will create national security challenge for the nation.

“How will any governor or state assemblies from the core North accept such amendment. Nigeria is not ripe for that and I know our governors will convey the message of their people to the president. If not, the bill will be dead on arrival.”

Meanwhile, the apparent revolt within the Governors Forum is said to have put Governor Rotimi Amaechi, a very close ally of the president, in a very difficult position.

Areas of consensus among the governors, it was learnt, included the amendment of the constitution to give more funds to the state and local governments, as well as the creation of state police to tackle the increasing menace of insecurity in the country.

Governors of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) were said to have adopted a charter of reform focussing on provisions to entrench true federalism in the constitution, while the PDP governors were said to be divided along the North-South lines over the president‘s proposed single tenure presidency.

A source in Abuja told the Nigerian Tribune that consultations were ongoing among the governors to take a stance on the proposed amendments, while the details of the amendments were still being awaited by the nation

http://www.tribune.com.ng/index.php/front-page-news/26508-constitution-amendment-govs-oppose-lg-autonomy-indigeneship-single-term-tenure-want-state-police-revenue-allocation-reform

LG autonomy should be pushed through regardless. These governors are just being selfish and greedy.

^^^ No way, The entire thing should be rejected, the whole shebang! Afterall its the Nigerian way to throw the baby away with the bathwater.

BTW LG autonomy should be discouraged as it seems to be the only means of asserting some sort of control and supervision over the LG's which are mostly out of control and only a little more than a waste pipe. LG's apart from a few in cities in certain states are virtually non existent and totally irresponsible why make them autonomous?

Ajatuka n'tagbari!

wesley80:

^^^ No way, The entire thing should be rejected, the whole shebang! Afterall its the Nigerian way to throw the baby away with the bathwater.

  BTW LG autonomy should be discouraged as it seems to be the only means of asserting some sort of control and supervision over the LG's which are mostly out of control and only a little more than a waste pipe. LG's  apart from a few in cities in certain states are virtually non existent and totally irresponsible why make them autonomous?

Err, so you think they'd be "out of control" and a "waste pipe" even if independent?

I don't see why LGAs have to be useless right now. If you empower them, give them their own budget (not one which the state governors can easily get their hands on), give them them additional powers to tax, I think a lot of good things can be done.

Why conceptually is LGA autonomy a bad idea but increased state autonomy (i.e., federalism) a good one?

^^^ You should grant autonomy to those that are 'mature' enough to handle their independence. Their are over 700Lg's in Nigeria and less than 5% are in developed areas, the rest are conveniently shielded from public scrutiny and are lords unto themselves until State governments come calling. While I do not believe the opposition to their autonomy by state Gov's is altruistic, I believe retention of some form of control at the state level is about the only way of checking SOME excesses of Local govt's. Autonomy at this stage is more like giving the most irresponsible level of govt a blank cheque. Digging a hole to cover a hole IMO.

I would be very happy if my own LGA had the ability to tax and manage its own federal allocations w/o much state interference. There is a lot we could get done even there.

I understand that others might mismanage elsewhere, but let's not throw out the baby with the bathwater

Isn't it interesting to see that NE and NW rejected the indigeneship part because "such amendment was regarded as a Christian-Igbo agenda, to dominate the core North and Christianise the zone."

Where is ndu_chucks? !!

You see why I find it hard to drop the idea of a Biafra?

For me, Nigeria CAN NEVER WORK if they feel that way. I can understand the NC feelings because of the Fulani herdsmen menace.

What I find so funny is when they say we are not ripe for this or that, they don't know they are indirectly saying we are not ripe to be a country.

Tell me a country (I mean a country) that have state of origin crap? Even in our passport, we hid our stupidity and ashamedly replaced State of Origin with Place of Birth.

If we are not ripe yet, simply divide it and let everyone go his way. When we finally decide that we are ripe, then we can talk.

As everyday passes, I keep hating this country more and more.

Local govt autonomy should be supported,the governors are selfish and foolish

This might help explain the superiority place of birth or place of residence have over state of origin.

Sam Loco Efe hailed from Edo state but he is Igbo thru and thru and an indigene like every other Igbo that's why Enugu will be giving him a state burial and not Edo State.



www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-733046.0.html

<Quote>

As everyday passes, I keep hating this country more and more.

</quote>

Why, because other Nigerians don't want you on their land?

Obiagu1:

This might help explain the superiority place of birth or place of residence have over state of origin.

Sam Loco Efe hailed from Edo state but he is Igbo thru and thru and an indigene like every other Igbo that's why Enugu will be giving him a state burial and not Edo State.



www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-733046.0.html

Naw nigga he a Bini man not Igbo, But I commend the Enugu state Gov on the patriotic action!! Yo we do it too nucca, Your Igbo stars are getting rescued by Fashola, Okparaji now has a statue in Lagos state too. So Nucca you better arrange your point wella!!!

You said Sam Loco is Igbo thru and thru cuz he was born in Enugu but will your "why can't we rule Lagos" folks consider themselves Yoruba for living in Yoruba land? Yea you guessed right bro! Why is it that when something favours you, you say it but when it doesn't you don't? Ok ok ok I get it; bias cuz of your people, It's all good brother from another mother!!

When Phillip Emeagwali claimed to be Yoruba because he was bred in Yorubaland through and through, Obiagu1 was the first to protest.

Most successful Igbos where born and/or bred in Yorubaland, does that make them Yorubas?

kofoshi:

Ajatuka n'tagbari!

Aya mi owon. Oto ojo meta kan o.

@ndu_chucks

Here it is!

A genuine idea that can unify Nigeria is been seen as an Igbo/Christian stratagem to conquer the North.
Why should we continue to be one nation?   

Onlytruth:

@ndu_chucks

Here it is!

A genuine idea that can unify Nigeria is been seen as an Igbo/Christian stratagem to conquer the North.
Why should we continue to be one nation?   

Progressive minds will not oppose the idea, I believe Buhari and IBB proposed the same idea during their campaigns. You people need to stop quoting faceless politicians and assigning their purported views to those of a whole region.

Your statement:

Onlytruth: Isn't it interesting to see that NE and NW rejected the indigeneship part because "such amendment was regarded as a Christian-Igbo agenda, to dominate the core North and Christianise the zone."

Where is ndu_chucks? !!

is irresponsible and shows a distasteful prejudice. Who are the NE/NW in your quote above, the same faceless politician quoted in the OP's article? You can do better than this.

@ndu_chucks

Who are the NE/NW in your quote above, the same faceless politician quoted in the OP's article? [/b]

The same politicians who think they own Nigeria -whom you represent BTW.

They ain't faceless; just that no Nigerian president from the south have Igbo blood in them.  We would have taught them to either secede with their Yoruba wives in the west or shut up!