Reps, Senate will agree on LG autonomy –Lawmaker

[Mirror]

A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Emmanuel Jime, has assured Nigerians that the Senate and the House of Representatives would harmonise on the need to grant autonomy to local governments in the country.

The Senate had voted against autonomy for local governments while considering over 70 items in the 1999 Constitution, but the House voted overwhelmingly for the independence of the third tier of government from the states last month.

The lawmaker, who represents Makurdi/Guma Federal Constituency of Benue State, spoke at the weekend while addressing journalists on his award of 934 scholarships to students in all local governments in his state.

Jime while speaking on topical issues in the 1999 Constitution, said though the Senate voted against granting the local tier of government autonomy, the two chambers of the National Assembly will certainly fall on the same page on resumption in September.

He said: "To my mind, and I think I can say with all sense of responsibility that the Senate would harmonise with the House on the issue of local government autonomy."

According to Jime, who is the Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Capital Territory, FCT, voting for local government autonomy by the House, was commendable even as he sought the support of the state Houses of Assembly on the issue.

National Mirror

[Folami David]

The lawmakers of this country just have to do all they can to bring out good laws that would develop this country.