The Senate, on Wednesday, got into a heated debate over the enforceability of the financial autonomy granted to the 774 Local Government Councils across the country by the Supreme Court in August this year.
Tony Nwoye (LP, Anambra North), had at the commencement of plenary, resen through orders 41 and 51 of the Senate Standing rules, to move a motion on alleged moves by some state governments to circumvent the implementation of the judgment through counter laws from their respective State Houses of Assembly .
Nwoye, before the Senate ran into trouble over the matter, informed the Senate that nine other senators were co – sponsors of the motion .
He specifically alleged that some State governors are already using their Houses of Assembly to enact laws that would mandate respective local government councils in their states to remit monies into State / Local Government Joint Account ruled against by the Supreme Court.
Soon after rounding off with his presentation containing six prayers for enforcement of the judgement and seconded by Osita Izunaso ( APC, Imo West ), Senator Adamu Aliero ( PDP, Kebbi Central) , raised a constitutional point of order for stoppage of debate on the motion .
Adamu Aliero cited section 287 of the 1999 Constitution that makes the Supreme Court judgement enforceable across the country, to urge the Senate not to overflog the issue .
“Supreme court judgement is enforceable across the country . There is no need for us to be debating anything that has to do with it here,” he said .
In siding with Aliero, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio threw an additional spanner in the motion, by calling the attention of senators to section 162, sub section 6 of the 1999 constitution.
The section, according to Akpabio, created the State / Local Government Joint Account, which has to be amended to pave the way for the full implementation of the Supreme Court Judgement.
“I think what we need to do is to carry out required amendments of certain provisions of the constitution as far as local the government’s autonomy is concerned,” he said .
Before taking a final decision on the motion, the sponsor, Nwoye hurriedly raised order 42 of the Senate Standing Rules for personal explanation on the motion the same time Abdulrahman Summaila Kawu (NNPP, Kano South ) raised a similar point of order .
The simultaneous points of Order brought confusion into the session with many senators rushing to the Senate President for personal consultation, which eventually made the Senate go into an emergency closed door session at exactly 12: 46pm .
