Deputy Speaker of Plateau State House of Assembly, Hon. Shehu Saleh Yipmong, who represents Kanam Constituency, said the issue of financial autonomy for state legislation is a welcome development which is not aimed at benefiting the incumbent parliamentarians but the system.

The bill, which seeks to provide for the funding of the Houses of Assembly directly from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the states, is now on its second journey to the states assembly. It was first passed by the National Assembly during the 2010 constitution amendment, but was curiously rejected by the states when it failed to secure two-third majority of all the houses to give it the legitimacy of going forward to the president for his assent.

Analysts and former states’ lawmakers said as important as the bill was during the 7th assembly, it was killed by state lawmakers because of “intimidating posture of governors.”

Speaking, Hon. Shehu said, “It will open up the system and put the parliamentarians on the threshold for development because most times, you realized that there are certain functions that the members will want to carry but they have to write a memo and all the bureaucratic obstacles, which put the House in a position of borrowing and that is a heavyweight that is not good for the system,” he said.

The bill provides for first line charge from states’ finances for the Houses of Assembly which would make them financially buoyant.
There are fears that governors may influence legislators in their states to see that the section does not see the light of day.
“No governor will be comfortable with this; it is like usurping his powers,” said Barr. Ahmed Umar, a legal practitioner in Abuja.

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Plateau: Financial autonomy of legislature will benefit the system – Hon. Shehu