should President Goodluck Jonathan implement the recommendation of the
National Conference contained in the final report submitted to the
President last week.
According to the recommendation on creation of additional states,
"Alteration of section 3 Section 3 of the principal Act is altered -
(a) by replacing the existing subsection (1) with the following as new
subsection (1) -"(1) There shall be fifty-four states in Nigeria, that
is to say, Aba, Abia, Adada, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Amana, Anarribra,
Anioma, Apa, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta,
Ebonyi, Edo, Edu, Piciti, Enugu, Etiti, Ghari, Gombe, Gurara, Ijebu,
Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kainji, Kano, Katagum, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi,
Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, New Oyo, Njaba-Anim, Niger, Ogoja, Ogun, Oil
Rivers, Ondo, Ose, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Savannah, Sokoto,
Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara," and (b) by deleting subsections) (2) and
(6); and ( c) in subsection (3) by replacing the word "third" with the
word "second."
The long standing agitation for the creation of a mayoral status for
the Federal Capital City was approved, just as additional two area
councils were approved for the FCT in addition to the existing six
area councils with strong warning that all compensations be paid.
The conference also resolved that the Minister of Finance, not the
President will now present the annual budget to the National Assembly,
even as it threw out recommendation for a unicameral legislature and
voted that the bi-cameral legislature be maintained.
The report also stated that public schools taken over by various state
governments across the country 42 years ago would henceforth be
returned to the religious missions which were the original owners.
The conference further voted in favour of Modified Presidential System
of Government as recommended by the committee; described as "home-made
model of government that combines the attributes of parliamentary and
presidential systems." The concept has the potentials of entrenching
the principle of separation of powers as practised in presidential
system and promotion of co-operation and harmony between executive and
the legislature as operated under the parliamentary system.
The President elected under the new system shall exercise full
responsibility for his government and shall select ministers, not more
than 18 of them, from the six geo-political zones of the country, and
in the modified presidential system the president shall pick the vice
president from the legislature.
On local government administration, the conference also voted that
states should own their own constitutions while the functions of local
governments as contained in schedule 4 of the 1999 constitution (as
amended) has been transferred to the states subject to the power of
the state Houses of Assembly to add or reduce the said functions of
the local governments.
Conference also voted against the local government as a different tier
of government, saying that the House of Assembly of a state may confer
other functions on local government and agreed that the constitution
shall fix the tenures for local government councils.
Delegates approved the scrapping of joint state and local government
accounts; to be replaced with a State Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation
and Fiscal Commission, adding that the body would be expected to have
as members, representatives of local government areas and a chairman
nominated by the state governor for confirmation by the state House of
Assembly.
In addition to the functions conferred on the local government
councils as specified in the Fourth Schedule of the 1999 Constitution
as amended, a state House of Assembly may by law, confer other
functions on the local government.
Henceforth, and except otherwise overturned, conference also conferred
financial autonomy on state Houses of Assembly as a way of freeing
them from direct control by the executive and voted that for
functionality, local government should be politically and economically
independent.
The report recommended that there should be complete abolition of the
concept of plea bargain by accused public functionaries and also
agreed for the establishment of special courts, for instance,
anti-corruption courts to handle cases involving corrupt practices.
Also in the report, henceforth, anybody arraigned before the court by
EFCC, ICPC and by any law enforcement agencies, the accused person is
regarded as guilty, unlike the present situation where he is regarded
as innocent until the accused is proven not guilty. Now he is regarded
as guilty until he proves himself innocent.
Continue...
ReplyDeleteThe issue of state police as controversial as it appeared, a decision was taken that those who want it should go and have state police, but those who do not want it, the recommendation of the conference was that the present status of the Nigerian police should remain. But from ASP downwards should be indigenes of every state and that on its own, is like state police.
Churches and mosques
Henceforth, there will be no sponsoring of both Christian and Muslim pilgrimages to the holy lands and that churches and mosques will now pay tax to the Federal Government.
It was also agreed that payment of pension, severance, life insurance for legislators at all levels be cancelled and according to the delegates, same would apply to governors and their deputies, just as lawmakers, governors and their deputies will now receive salaries and allowances commensurate to the functions they perform.
Henceforth, civil servants, who engage in contract for pecuniary gains, will be dismissed from service, just as there was the retention of status quo of retirement age of 60 for workers in public service.
There was also succour for people living with disabilities as delegates voted that governments at all levels should grant allowances to them which will be equivalent of government workers on grade level 06 as that would enable them employ the services of private aides to assist them in carrying out some private and domestic activities.
Also contained in the report is sharing of funds to the Federation Account among the three tiers of government should be: Federal Government (42.5 per cent), State governments (35 per cent) and Local governments (22.5 per cent).