The Senate, yesterday, got into a heated debate over the enforceability of financial autonomy granted to the 774 local government areas by the Supreme Court in August 2024.
Tony Nwoye (Labour Party, Anambra North), had, at the commencement of plenary, rose through orders 41 and 51 of the Senate Standing rules, to move a motion on alleged moves by some state governments to circumvent the implementation of the judgment through counter laws from their respective state Houses of Assembly.
Nwoye, before Senate ran into trouble, over the matter, informed the Senate that nine other senators were co-sponsors of the motion.
He specifically alleged that some governors were already using their Houses of Assembly to enact laws that would mandate respective local government areas in their states to remit monies into the state/local government joint account which was ruled against by the Supreme Court.
Soon after rounding off with his presentation containing six prayers for enforcement of the judgment and seconded by Osita Izunaso (All Progressives Congress, Imo West), Adamu Aliero (Peoples Democratic Party, Kebbi Central), raised a constitutional point of order for stoppage of debate on the motion.
Aliero cited Section 287 of the 1999 Constitution that makes the Supreme Court judgment enforceable across the country, to urge the Senate not to over-flog the issue.
“Supreme Court judgment is enforceable across the country. There is no need for us to be debating anything that has to do with it here,” he said.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, threw an additional spanner at the motion, by calling the attention of senators to Section 162, Sub Section 6 of the 1999 Constitution.
The section, according to Akpabio, created the state/local government joint account, which has to be amended to pave the way for full implementation of the Supreme Court judgment.
“I think what we need to do is to carry out required amendments of certain provisions of the constitution as far as local governments autonomy is concerned,” he said .
Before taking a final decision on the motion, the sponsor, Nwoye hurriedly raised Order 42 of the Senate Standing Rules for personal explanation on the motion at the same time Abdulrahman Kawu (New Nigeria Peoples Party , Kano South) raised a similar point of order.
The simultaneous points of order brought confusion into the session with many senators rushing to the Senate President for personal consultation, which eventually made the Senate to go into emergency closed door session at exactly 12:46pm. (The Sun)
