Buhari signs 16 Constitution Amendment Bills, rail, electricity liberalized
President Muhammadu Buhari has signed 16 Constitution Amendment Bills into Law.
The wide ranging constitutional amendments include autonomy of the local governments, autonomy of the Judiciary and the liberalization of the electricity sector as well as the railway.
Indeed, by this signing of the amendments, the State Houses of Assembly and Judiciary arm of government are now constitutionally-guaranteed financial independence, while Railways have moved from Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent List.
Another landmark change is that states in Nigerian can NOW generate, transmit and distribute electricity in areas covered by the national grid.
The amendments, which are described as genuine and realistic restructuring of the Constitution, also see the prisons, known as “Correctional Services,” moving from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent List. This means that States now have the power to establish Correctional and Custodial facilities, and State Assemblies have the power to legislate on such.
Again, one of the new amendments to the Constitution mandates the President and Governors “to submit the names of persons nominated as Ministers or Commissioners within sixty days of taking the oath of office for confirmation by the Senate or State House of Assembly.”
A couple of the Constitution Amendment Bills relate to the change of name of some Local Governments, especially as LGAs are listed in the Constitution
In consequence of this amendment, Egbado North and Egbado South Local Government Areas in Ogun State are now to be known and addressed as Yewa North and Yewa South respectively.
In Ebonyi, Afikpo North and Afikpo South LGAs are now to be known as Afikpo and Edda LGAs respectively.
The Constitution Amendment Bills originally passed by National Assembly included one for FINANCIAL AUTONOMY for LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, replacing the controversial “State Joint Local Government Account” with a new “Local Govt Council Allocation Account”—to be credited directly.
With Railways moving from Exclusive to Concurrent, it means rail is no longer on the Exclusive List and the preserve of Federal Government and the National Assembly. States will now be able to MAKE LAWS regulating establishment and operation of rail services WITHIN their territory. However, Unter-State Rail will remain the Federal Government responsibility.
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