By Ismail Auwal
Nigerian Senate has passed bills to grant full financial and dministrative autonomy to local governments.
The lawmakers also voted in favour of financial autonomy for State Houses of Assembly and judiciary.
.The bills seek to amend the Constitution to repeal the state joint local government account and create a special account for the payment of all allocations due to local governments councils from the federation account and the state government.
According to the bill, each local government council is required to set up and maintain its own special account called the Local Government Allocation Account, into which all allocations will be paid.
The legislations also mandate each state to pay to local government councils in its area of jurisdiction such proportion of its internally generated revenue on such terms and in such manner as may be prescribed by the House of Assembly.
For administrative autonomy, the bill seeks to allow local governments to conduct their own elections.
