State Speakers Advocate Financial Autonomy For State Assemblies

The Conference of Speakers of State Houses of Assembly across 36 states of the country has issued a strong call to state governors to immediately comply with the constitutional provisions for the direct disbursement of funds to state legislatures.

In a communiqué obtained by our correspondent, the Speakers warned that failure to ensure financial autonomy could lead to a breakdown of governance and emphasised the critical link between legislative independence and effective governance.

The communiqué read in part, “We hereby call on all state governors to immediately and fully comply with the provisions of Section 121(3) of the Constitution by allowing for the direct disbursement of funds to the State Houses of Assembly.

“This compliance is not only a constitutional obligation but also a necessary step towards strengthening our democracy and promoting good governance.”

It further added, “The Conference of Speakers resolves to engage with relevant stakeholders, including the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, the Federal Government, and civil society organisations, to ensure the full implementation of financial autonomy for state legislatures.

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“We will also collaborate with these stakeholders to create awareness and build consensus on the importance of legislative independence. The conference will establish a monitoring and reporting mechanism to track the implementation of financial autonomy across the states.

“This mechanism will document instances of non-compliance and bring them to the attention of relevant authorities, including the judiciary for appropriate action.”

The conference further noted that it recognized the need for further legal and institutional reforms to reinforce the autonomy of state legislatures.

The communiqué added, “To this end, we will advocate for the amendment of relevant laws and the introduction of new legal frameworks that will strengthen the financial independence of the legislative arm at the state level.

“As Speakers of the State Houses of Assembly, we reaffirm our commitment to upholding the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We pledge to continue advocating for the full implementation of Section 121(3) and to defend the autonomy and independence of the legislative arm of government.”

Speaking to our correspondent, the Chairman of the Conference, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin highlighted the critical role of State Houses of Assembly in the ongoing constitutional amendments.

Ogundoyin said, “Our purview as the State Houses of Assembly is to work and deliberate on constitutional amendments, or as it may be a new constitution, but it has to come from the National Assembly.”