Legislature autonomy will aid democracy – Speaker

[Punch]

Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Mr. Razak Atunwa, has said opposition against the autonomy of state houses of assembly is inimical to the growth of democracy in the country.

He warned that any governor that opposed financial autonomy for the entire legislature in the ongoing constitutional review could be a dictator.

Atunwa spoke in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, when a delegation of Department for International Development and United Kingdom-based State Accountability and Voice Initiative, which is championing autonomy for state legislature paid him a sensitisation visit on the review of the 1999 Constitution.

 The Speaker's media aide, Alhaji Abdul-Raham Sanni, quoted his principal in a statement as saying that granting fiscal autonomy to the state legislature would not only ensure prudence and accountability in governance but would also enhance quality legislation.

He said the autonomy of the Assembly would facilitate the enjoyment of more dividends of democracy by the people.

Earlier, leader of the delegation, Mr. John Mutu, said the autonomy of legislature should not be seen as a source of conflict between the executive and the legislature but a means of creating better platform for good governance at the state level.

A two-term member of National Assembly, Mr. Celestine Oghanze, expressed confidence that the proposed fiscal autonomy for state legislature would engender good governance and greater performance of legislative duties.



The Punch