The Nasarawa State Government is taking significant steps to restructure the local government system to align with the recent Supreme Court ruling that grants financial autonomy to the third tier of government.
To implement this change, the state government has submitted an executive bill to the Nasarawa State House of Assembly aimed at amending the current local government law.
During a session on Monday in Lafia, the state capital, Speaker Danladi Jatau announced the initiative after the House Leader, Suleiman Yakubu Azara, presented the title of the bill for its first reading, which was subsequently seconded by the Minority Leader, Luka Iliya Zhekaba.
Jatau explained that the proposed Executive Bill is designed to amend the existing local government law to comply with the Supreme Court’s ruling regarding the financial autonomy of local governments across the country. He scheduled the second reading of the bill for Wednesday, October 16, 2024, where detailed discussions on the amendments and their implications for the state’s residents will take place.
After the session, Jonah Ali, the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, addressed the press, highlighting that the amendment would eliminate the existing joint accounts and disband the State Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
This move comes on the heels of a landmark Supreme Court decision delivered on July 11, 2024, which affirmed the financial autonomy of Nigeria’s 774 local government councils. This ruling is anticipated to enhance governance at the grassroots level throughout the country, enabling local governments to operate more independently and efficiently.
