Kaduna Assembly passes financial autonomy bill

Following the amendment of section 121 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, which conferred financial autonomy to state Houses of Assembly, the Kaduna state House of Assembly passes its financial autonomy.

The law seeks to provide for the management of funds accruing to the House of Assembly from consolidated revenue funds of the state in order to ensure accountability, transparency, effective and efficient utilization of the funds.

According to the law, any amount standing to the credit of the legislature, the consolidated revenue fund of the state would be paid directly to the statutory account of the legislature and the statutory account will be opened in the name of the legislature to which all monies received from the consolidated Revenue Fund Account will be deposited.

There will also be an established board which will be known as the Fund Management Board which will consist of the Speaker of the House of Assembly as the chairman, the chairman committee on House Service and three other members of the House of Assembly to represent each of
the three senatorial districts which may be determined by the selection committee of the House.

The Deputy Speaker, Mr. Nuhu Shadalafiya said with the passage of the bill will give the Kaduna state Assembly easy access to funding of programs and activities of the Assembly.

“It will give a way in checkmating bottle neck bureaucracy as well as give members of the Assembly the opportunity to showcase their constituency well in terms of town hall meetings, report gatherings as well as committees in the Assembly who will have funds as at when due to carry out their administrative work,” Shadalafiya said.

He also said the financial autonomy will help in the capacity building of the legislature, the staff and management as well as those on adhoc assignments in the Assembly.

 

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