Representatives from all the 30 political constituencies in Jigawa State, trade unions and women groups have signed a memorandum to appeal for local government and state house of assembly financial autonomy.
The Team leader for engage citizen pillar of the partnership to engage reform and learn FCDO, Alhaji Sirajo Isah disclosed this during a one-day town hall meeting held in Dutse, the Jigawa state capital.
Alhaji Sirajo Isah explained that the meeting forms part of their responsibility to expand citizens’ space of influence in governance and added that one of the significant components of governance was constitutionalism.
He further said the national assembly had transmitted 44 bills concerning the alteration of the 1999 constitution which was awaiting consideration and ratification by the state’s house of assemblies.
According to him, the critical part of the alteration of FCDO is to ensure services are being provided to the citizens at the grassroots, independence and autonomy in terms of finances and administration of local governments as well as the house of assemblies in Nigeria.
Alhaji Sirajo Isah pointed out that, when local government and state house of assemblies were independent, they would be able to make good laws for the governance independently.
He added that they would also be able to provide oversight to ensure services provided to the people were of the best quality as well as constituency engagement to hear from the grassroots.
The team leader urged the representatives from the 30 political constituencies in Jigawa to understand the contents of the two major proposed bills and also appeal to their members to consider the bills when the review started on the floor of the state house of assembly.
Sirajo Isah called on the participants to work hard in teams for the salvation of local government councils financially and for the development of Jigawa communities.
Radio Nigeria reports that, trade unions which Include NULGE, NUT, NLC, women groups and other stakeholders attended the meeting.
The representatives from each constituency in the state adopted the decision organised by ‘NextJigawa platform’ and ELIP Innitiative.
Cov/Usman MZ
