President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday, March 17, 2023, signed 16 Bills on Constitution Amendment into Law paving the way among other for State Houses of Assembly and state Judiciaries to now have constitutionally guaranteed financial independence.
The development was made known by the Special Assistant to the President on Digital and New Media, Tolu Ogunlesi on his Twitter handle.
Following the signing of the amendment, the state Houses of Assembly and judiciary have now been granted financial autonomy after years of demand.
Railways had also been moved from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent list.
This implies that both the federal and state governments will henceforth act or intervene on issues relating to the railways but the former overrides.
The amendment also mandates the President-elect and governors-elect to submit the list of ministerial or commissioner nominees within 60 days of taking the oath of office for confirmation by the Senate or State House of Assembly.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Babajide Omoworare, confirmed the development in another statement issued on Friday evening.
The statement read: “President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday assented the Constitutional Alteration Bills, among others, are ensuring financial independence of State Houses of Assembly and State Judiciary; regulating the first session and inauguration of members-elect of the National and State Houses of Assembly and for related matters.
“Others are ensuring that the President and governors submit the names of persons nominated as ministers or commissioners within 60 days of taking the oath of office for confirmation by the Senate or State House of Assembly; and for related matters; enabling states generate, transmit, and distribute electricity in areas covered by the national grid; and for related matters.
“Excluding the period of intervening events in the computation of time for determining pre-election matters petitions, etc; regulating the first session and inauguration of members-elect of the national and state assemblies; changing prisons to correctional service and re-designate correctional service in the concurrent list; and moving item railway from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent list.”
