Senate President Godswill Akpabio has promised that the National Assembly will amend the current laws that impede the operation of local government councils in the country, ensuring full autonomy for third-tier governments.
Senator Akpabio cited the State and Local Government Joint Accounts Committee and the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) Act as the laws that the National Assembly will amend to give full autonomy to local governments in the country.
Senator Akpabio gave this assurance at the Independent High School Ukana in Essien-Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, shortly after participating in the local government elections in the state on Saturday.
A statement by the Special Assistant to the Senate President on Media and Communications, Mr. Anyeti Ekong, said that Senator Akpabio called on the people to participate in the exercise irrespective of the outcome.
The Senate President said: “I am a strong believer in local government autonomy, and the Supreme Court recently ruled that local government funds must go directly to local governments. However, as a result of various provisions in the Constitution, Some adjustments in Congress will still be needed for that to become a reality.
“Similar to the provisions of the Joint Local Government Accounts Committee and the State Independent Election Commission Act, I am here today to participate in local government voting and to observe the conduct of elections by the state government. .
“Sometimes I hear that local government elections will be held and the ruling party in the state will win all the posts. Therefore, I had to go and see how such a feat is accomplished. .
“With the avalanche of support I’m receiving in my Senate district and local government that you’re all witnessing, how do people usually score 100 percent? I mean, this simply means that if elections are deemed free and fair, political parties will choose people based on their ability, not on the ruling party in that state.
“It calls into question the conscience of Nigerians, the need for us to examine our own conscience, the need to ensure that every vote counts, the need for us to deepen our democracy and strengthen our democracy. It questions the need to make it work. If democracy does not work at the grassroots level, it means that development will not reach the common people.
“It is said that Akwa Ibom will hold local government elections today and that is why I came to participate despite many other errands. So I exercised my franchise. I came to meet my friends again.
“My message to the people is to vote whether you win or lose. The joy is being able to exercise your rights and having the right to vote. “It will require input, administrative lobbying, and even judicial advocacy,” he said.
Akpabio said that when he served as governor of Akwa Ibom State from 2007 to 2015, opposition parties in the state won several chairperson seats, announced by the State Independent Electoral Commission, but the current He recalled regretting that this was no longer the case in the political climate. distribution. He asserted that by amending relevant laws, the will of the people would prevail in local elections.
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