Senators on the Constitution Review Committee have concluded their two-day retreat in Kano, reaching a consensus on granting full autonomy to local governments, while views on state police remained divided.
The retreat, which was organized in collaboration with the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), saw discussions focused on key amendments to Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution.
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Senators from various regions expressed differing opinions on critical issues such as the creation of state police and the formation of additional states.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, along with other senators, supported the push for full local government autonomy, which they argued had been overdue.
Bamidele emphasized that local governments should operate independently of state governments, given their critical role in governance.
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Bamidele noted that while the constitution currently places local government administration under state control, the growing demands for autonomy stemmed from concerns over governors undermining the third tier of government.
He also suggested that local government elections should be conducted by an independent body to prevent misuse by state governors.
Osita Izunaso echoed these sentiments, dismissing fears that granting full autonomy to local governments would lead to council chairmen having too much power.
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He insisted that governors would still maintain significant constitutional authority, and local government chairmen would not pose a threat to them.
Senator Abdulfatai Buhari agreed, stressing that local government autonomy could only be fully realized if elections were managed independently of state authorities.
He also called for the removal of the Joint Account provision from the constitution, to ensure that local governments could manage their finances without interference.
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Senator Sani Musa highlighted that the move toward local government autonomy was part of broader efforts at restructuring.
He noted that empowering local governments would enhance grassroots governance and improve service delivery.
Senator Ned Nwoko also supported the call for local government autonomy, emphasizing that the current state of local governance was almost non-existent.
He argued that granting autonomy would revitalize local governments, allowing them to manage local resources effectively and address issues such as security and healthcare.
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However, senators were split on the contentious issue of state police.
Those in favor, like Senator Musa, argued that creating state police would help tackle the growing insecurity faced by many states.
But Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume and others opposed the idea, fearing that governors could misuse state police for political purposes, targeting their opponents.
The senators also discussed the creation of additional states, with some calling for a fairer representation of the South-East and South-South regions.
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Senator Izunaso proposed the creation of Orlu State, while Senator Nwoko supported the long-standing demand for Anioma State in the South-South region, which has been agitating for statehood for over 50 years.
