Speaker encourages autonomous assemblies

Abuja - The Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has urged
State Houses of Assembly to support moves
to grant them financial autonomy.
The speaker made the calling during a
meeting with members of the Bauchi state
House of Assembly in his Abuja office.
He said democracy was facing serious threat
at the grassroot as a result of lack of
independence for the local governments.
“There is no meaning to independence of you
are not financially independent. Slaves dont
build societies, only free men do," said
Dogara.
"The only authority for oversight in the state
is the state assembly, but when we
transmitted the proposal for amendment to
the state assemblies they rejected it,” Dogara
said.
He lamented that in the last four years
tenure, "trillions of Naira" were allocated to
states and local governments but there were
no projects commensurate with the money
they received.
“I am not indicting you but speaking to your
conscience, our feeling is that there has not
been appropriate and effective oversight by
the state legislatures,” he said.
The speaker preached unity among leaders.
“I am calling on leaders to rise beyond our
differences, unite and deliver dividend of
democracy to the people."
- CAJ News