A bill seeking the establishment of a federal agency for the conduct of local government elections in Nigeria was introduced in the Senate on Thursday.
Titled “Local Government Independent Electoral Commission (Establishment) Bill, 2024 (SB. 531),” the bill was sponsored by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Sani Musa, and passed first reading at plenary.
Also, on Thursday, the senate rejected a bill meant to establish an agency that would be saddled with the responsibility of regulating the road transport and the transportation profession in Nigeria.
The bill, titled: National Road Transport Council In Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, 2024 (SB. 324), was sponsored by the Deputy Senate Leader, Oyelola Ashiru. It failed to scale second reading because of the popular opinion of lawmakers that Nigeria didn’t need additional agency at the moment.
However, Part of the draft of the first bill read: “To establish the National Independent Local Government Electoral Commission (NILGEC) responsible for conducting elections to the office of the Local Government Chairman and Councillors, and any other matter thereof to do with local government as a third tier of government.
“The National Independent Local Government Electoral Commission (NILGEC) is hereby established as an autonomous body mandated to organise, oversee, and conduct elections for the offices of Local Government Chairman and Councillors across all states.”
The proposed legislation listed the functions and powers of NILGEC to include conduct of free, fair, and transparent elections for Local Government Chairman and Councillors, among several others.
On the second bill, the senators expressed their willingness to support any legislation that would reduce the numbers of the federal agencies in line with the Steve Oronsaye’s report currently being implemented in the country.
In his contribution to the debate on the Bill, the Senator representing Edo North Senatorial District, Adams Oshiomhole, vehemently opposed the bill.
“The police have the traffic division and they do their job so diligently so that if there are roadblocks you will find them trying to manage traffic. If there are accidents they do everything to establish who is wrong, who is right, and prepare to go to court if the party decides to go to court,” he said.
Oshiomhole, however expressed regrets that the FRSC had not been performing its responsibility well.
Sunday Aborisade
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