From: Joe Effiong, Uyo

The Director General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Prof Abubakar Sulaiman, has stressed the need for the state assemblies in Nigeria to enhance their capacity in order to maximally manage the financial autonomy granted them by the Fourth Constitutional Alteration and Executive Order 10.

Speaking at the opening of Capacity Building Workshop for members of Enugu House of Assembly at Ibom Icon Hotel, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State yesterday,  Sulaiman said the conceptualization of the autonomy would require improved capacity within the assembly itself, as such NILDS would not leave the room for the executive to maneuver and delay the process.

Related News

His words: “As you are well aware, the Nigerian Governors Forum has passed the buck to the legislature, insisting that the delay on the part of the NGF is because some legal and administrative bottlenecks are yet to be finalized in some state assembles. We have all worked too hard to allow for such distractions.

“It is in this regard that I wish to commend PASAN members of the civil society and leadership of the National Assembly who have put their weight behind the push by the conference of speakers on the actualization of the autonomy.

“Equally, we must commend the government of President Muhammadu Buhari for revisiting the issue of autonomy. Only on Monday, 11th April 2021, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, said that the Federal Government was determined to push through the content of EO 10 and there was no going back on the matter.”