The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has made significant strides towards ensuring its financial autonomy by passing a bill that allows it to manage funds accruing from the consolidated revenue fund of the state. This milestone was achieved after the bill went through its third reading on Thursday, October 12, 2023.
As the lead sponsor of the bill and Deputy Leader of the House, Otobong Bob, pointed out, this legislation is in line with the constitutional provisions outlined in Section 121(3) which clearly stipulates that “any amount standing in credit to the State House of Assembly shall be paid directly into the account of the House of Assembly.” The passage of this bill is therefore a fulfillment of these constitutional obligations.
In his remarks, Otobong Bob emphasized the need for financial autonomy for the state legislature in order to effectively carry out its legislative functions. This bill is a crucial step towards empowering the state assembly to discharge its duties without hindrance.
Deputy Speaker of the House, KufreAbasi Edidem, and the Chief Whip, Effiong Johnson, also expressed their support for the bill. They highlighted the fact that several other states, including Lagos, Delta, and Ebonyi, have already embraced financial autonomy for their respective state legislatures. They stressed the importance of Akwa Ibom State following suit.
The newly passed law is designed to address various aspects, such as ensuring the availability of funds for legislative oversight functions, facilitating lawmaking processes, and providing resources for the training and re-training of assembly staff, including personal and legislative aides of the lawmakers.
The Speaker of the Assembly, Udeme Otong, presided over the plenary session during which the bill was passed. The Speaker has now directed the clerk of the House, Mrs NsikakAbasi Orok, to forward the bill to Governor Umo Eno for assent. Once the governor signs the bill into law, it will solidify the financial autonomy of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly.
