LG Amendment Bill:  House Leader Makes U-Turn, Calls For Inclusion Of Special Section … As Assembly Passes Bill Into Law

By Ngozi Anosike

Against the backdrop of the action the executive Governor of Rivers State took on Monday, January 2, 2011, when against the rule of law, sacked 11 Local Government Council Chairmen and later forwarded a letter of notification of suspension to the Assembly for ratification, the leader of the House, Hon Chidi Julius Lloyd (Emohua) while debating on the Local Government Amendment Bill 2011 called for the inclusion of a special sub-section.

According to him, the section will empower the executive governor to remove any Local Government Council Chairman that errs anytime he deems necessary and later bring to the legislature for ratification.

Hon Paul Ngo disagreeing with him maintained that the law is clear on that, pointing out that as elected officers it is the Assembly that is constitutionally empowered to decide whether an elected officer should go or not.

On the funding of office of the Auditor General of local governments, the lawmakers reassured that deduction of 0.3% from every local government council's revenue as stipulated in session 116 of the bill for Auditor General's office when N77m has been appropriated for the same office in the budget by Rivers State Government will amount to double provision.

They submitted that such appropriation be put elsewhere while the Auditor-General's office be run with the deductions as stipulated in the bill. They also suggested that directors of budget and procurement be present in Finance and General Purpose Committee (F&GPC) meetings while 5% of every Local Government Council fund be given to the government recognized traditional a ruler in the area.

The Speaker, Rt. Hon Otelemaba Amachree ruled that the bill be passed into law.

Meanwhile, the House has also passed the contributory Pension Scheme Amendment bill 2011 into law.###