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The Kwara State House of Assembly, on Tuesday, passed a bill barring the state governor from sacking elected Local Government chairmen and councilors from office, News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports.
The bill for a law to amend the Kwara State Local Government (Amendment) Law No. 3 of 2006 was initiated by a member representing Oke-Ogun state constituency, Hon. Kamal Fagbemi.
In the amended bill, it is now unconstitutional for the state governor to unilaterally dissolve democratically elected local government council chairmen and councilors in the state.
Speaking during the consideration of the general principles of the amended bill, Fagbemi, had urged his colleagues to ensure the passage of the bill, saying the amendment became imperative in view of the fact that the principal law was inconsistent with the provision of the 1999 constitution.
The lawmaker stated that section 7 of the 1999 constitution guarantees that Local Government shall be governed democratically, stressing that provision of section 18 of the State Local Government law No. 3 of 2006 was not in tandem with the provision of the nation’s constitution.
The legislator also disclosed that the Supreme Court judgement in respect of the dissolution of Local Government Councils by Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, was illegal and unconstitutional.
He said the decision of Supreme Court according to the 1999 constitution, shall be enforced in any part of the federation by all authorities, persons and by Court of subordinate jurisdiction.
Speaking after the passage of the bill, the Deputy Speaker, Mathew Okedare, who presided over the plenary, directed the Clerk of the House, Hajia Halimat Jummai Kperogi, to prepare a clean copy for the governor’s assent, adding that the third tier of government was strategic to the accelerated socio-economic transformation of the state.