Constitution Amendments: Reps Want INEC To Conduct LG Polls

The House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review, says it is considering the return of the conduct of Local Government elections to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

The Green Chamber said it was a way of ensuring a secure tenure for elected Local Government leaders.

Chairman of the Committee and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Idris Wase, stated this when the International Republican Institute led youth leaders of the registered political parties in the country to present to him a communique of their meeting on Thursday.

The youth leaders were advocating among others, a secured tenure for elected Local Government leaders, financial autonomy for Local Government and independence of the Local Government administration.

Wase told the delegation that he was of the firm belief that if the country had a functional Local Government system, over 60 per cent of the challenges facing the country would be addressed.

He asked the youth leaders to carry the advocacy for a functional local government system to all states of the federation.He pointed out that the President, Muhammadu Buhari, was determined to leave behind a functional local government in the country.

He said, “You are helping us as a government in our key determinant areas regarding what Mr President wants to leave as part of his legacy.You remember the intervention he made regarding the judicial autonomy and the financial independence of the Local Government”.

“You are adding the secured tenure of the Local Government now. That is in tandem with what the present Government wants to do in giving good governance that level.”.
“I want to inform you that what we are trying to do in the Constitutional amendment is to make sure that the financial autonomy is there, the independence of the local government is there.”
“We are trying to achieve that by all standards.In terms of the tenure, we are trying to take away from the states and take it back to INEC so that we have a uniform system in terms of the election.”

“Everyone of us is aware that prior to 1999, we had a unified system and even after 1999, the tenure was three years. Their autonomy was apt and we had good governance.”

“60 per cent of what we have as challenges in this country today will be sorted out if we have good governance at the Local Government level. I want to believe that the President is with you on this 100 per cent.”

The leader of the delegation and Assistant Director of the International Republican Institute, Sunday Alao, said the aim of the visit was to ensure that more opportunities are created for political participation for young persons.