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Jonathan forges ahead with single tenure plan
By
Yusuf Alli The Nation
Wed Aug 3,2011
Jonathan
50 amendments likely in Constitution review Bill
GOVERNORS will soon lose their grip on local governments cash,
if the Presidency succeeds in pushing through a bill to kill the
Local Government Joint Account.
The bill will also fix tenure for elected local government
officials, contrary to the situation in various states where
two-year and three-year tenure systems are being operated.
Besides, the Presidency may put on hold the proposed review of
the revenue allocation formula, until the Local Government
Reform is carried out and accepted by the governors.
But, despite public outcry, the Presidency is pushing ahead with
its plans for a single six-year tenure for President, governors
and members of the National Assembly, The Nation learnt
yesterday.
The President is said to be leading the consultation team
selling the proposal to Nigerians.
"Even at the government level, there are divergent views. That
is why the President will be consulting many stakeholders and he
is going to allow robust debates on the proposal to guide the
National Assembly in its decision," a source said, adding:
"The draftsmen will revisit some documents, like the Abacha
Constitution of 1995, the report of the National Political
Reform Conference of 2005 and the 1999 Constitution Citizens’
Forum for Constitution Reform (CFCR), which prepared a draft
Constitution and the Pro-National Conference (PRORONACO) Peoples
Constitution."
President Goodluck Jonathan is considering between 30 to 50
sections of the 1999 Constitution for amendment.
Some of the proposed amendments are:
•six-year single tenure;
•fixed tenure for the 774 local government councils;
•abolition of Joint State-Local Government Account, as
applicable in most states;
•constructive true federalism; and
•removal of prison management from exclusive list to concurrent
list.
Although the review of the revenue allocation formula may be
part of the constitution amendment, a source in the Presidency
said the proposal would be after the governors must have
endorsed the Local Government Reforms.
The source said: "We are proposing several constitution
amendments. It could be up to 30 or 50. We have a lot to change
and the proposal will soon be forwarded to the National
Assembly.
"The President will soon begin consultations with stakeholders
on some of these proposed amendments before sending the Bill to
the National Assembly.
"Legal draftsmen are working on the sections to be amended and
the details. When stakeholders make their input, then the Bill
will be fine-tuned."
According to the source, "one of the key areas is the local
government system, which has been virtually hijacked and
crippled by governors". "Most states operate different tenure
systems for local governments; this is unacceptable," he said,
adding:
"In fact, it has got to a ridiculous stage that in some states,
caretaker committees are in charge for as long as some governors
wish.
"But the most crucial is our plan to effect a constitution
amendment that will lead to the abolition of Joint State-Local
Government Account. Nearly all the governors have abused this
account system.
"Security reports have confirmed that funds meant for local
governments are being diverted by governors under the guise of
joint account. These local governments now only manage to pay
salaries. Yet, it is the closest government to the grassroots."
On the review of the revenue formula being asked for by
governors, the source, who is a senior government, official,
said: "We cannot change the revenue allocation formula, until
the autonomy of local governments is guaranteed."
"The governors will also have to accept the reality that the
local government system must run effectively. The era of
tampering with the local government funds is over.
"If this is acceptable to the governors, the Presidency will
also accept the review of the revenue formula through
constitution amendment," the source, who pleaded not to be
named, said.
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