EXCITING NEWS: TNG WhatsApp Channel is LIVE…
Subscribe for FREE to get LIVE NEWS UPDATE. Click here to subscribe!
A bill for an act to amend the constitution to give more power and responsibilities to local government councils the country has scaled second reading in the House of Representative.
Rep. Oberuakpefe Afe, (PDP-Delta) the sponsor of the bill said on Wednesday in Abuja that the functions of the local councils under the 5th schedule was restrictive.
Afe said that the functions were vague such that elected officers of the councils were not challenged enough to carry out projects for the benefit of Nigerians.
“It is this obvious lacuna that this bill seeks to address by giving the councils a legal plank to play their roles as they collaborate with federal law enforcement agencies,” he said.
The lawmaker said that section 7(5) of the bill sought to concede some responsibilities to local councils in the area of environmental challenge and development to make their administration more impactful.
He stressed that the bill was a new regime that would give more latitude to state legislatures to determine the number and size of local councils in line with their economic viabilities.
He urged the House to give its support for the passage of the bill.
The bill was however, passed after a voice vote by the Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila.