South-West Governors Makes Fresh Demands From FG

South-West Governors Forum has proposed that local government creation should be the exclusive duty of state governors.

The Governors want the section 8 (5) and (6) of the 1999 constitution removed to accord the governor’s power to create LGAs.

“Section 8 (1) and (2) provides for the procedures for creation of state while Section 8(3), (4), (5) and (6) provides for the procedure for creation of local governments,” The forum said.

This proposal was part of a document dated July 5, 2021, titled, ‘Proposals for the Review of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Amended): Presentation by South-West Governors’ Forum’, presented to members of the national assembly from the zone.

“However, Section 8(5) and (6) should be expunged to make local government creation the exclusive duty of the state government.”

Furthermore, they demanded in the document that section 29(4)(b), which confers adulthood status on married under-18 women, should be removed.

“Section 29(4)(a) and (b) contradict each other. While (a) says ‘full age means the age of 18 years and above, (b) says ‘any woman who is married shall be deemed to be full of age’.

“This reinforces child marriage which negates the Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 and the Child’s Rights Act 2003, which outlaws child marriage.”

They also demanded that states should be in charge of mineral resources within their territories.

It was also in the same document that the Governors proposed the scrapping of the 36 States of the federation and a return to the regional government.

They want the National Assembly to consider converting the six states in the geographical zone into federating unit.

Nigerians, both individuals, groups and organisations have been demanding that the country be restructured to give more powers to the states.