Speakers to partner Presidency in actualizing autonomy for states legislature

Speakers of the 36 Houses of Assembly in all states of the federation yesterday resolved to work with the Presidency in order to achieve financial autonomy and independence for the states’ legislature, vowing to pursue this resolve to a logical conclusion, this time round.

Addressing newsmen in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, the newly elected Chairman of the Speakers’ Conference, Hon. Ismaila Kamba said that they would not make same mistake where few state Houses of Assembly opted out of the project in the past.

He made this assertion at the end of a two-day conference on the Administration of Criminal Justice Act organised by the Kwara State House of Assembly in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC.

“We will try to understand where that bill is and if necessary, we’ll refer it back to various Houses of Assemblies for another re-presentation and forward it to Mr. President for assent. “And I am very sure that we are not going to make the same mistake the other assemblies made. We are going to unanimously agree and endorse that state assemblies should have their financial autonomy.

“Also, I am very sure that Mr. President, in his wisdom and on his stance on anti-corruption crusade, will oblige and assent the bill into law this time,” he stated.

Following its deliberation on a model- administration of criminal justice law, the speakers’ conference agreed on its adoption at the state-level. It equally highlighted the purposes of the law as a tool that engenders smooth, effective and transparent criminal justice administration and meet the hopes and aspirations of the Nigerian citizens in their entirety.

While agreeing on the urgency to table the model administration of criminal justice law for onward adoption at the respective Houses of Assembly, they further agreed that all the states which had not done so would endeavour to pass into law the administration of criminal justice bill within three to six months of receiving the model draft bill from the experts.

Stressing that they will ensure common legislative agenda as part of programmes to execute, the Speakers promised to entrench virtues and values that could make democratic governance people-oriented.

They equally vowed to ensure total support to anti-corruption crusade, adding that they would partner with government at all levels in promoting peace, security and harmony in the country.