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Abia State House of Assembly, has described as fake, the information in some quarters that the House has passed into law, a bill that seeks to create a Central Management Agency for funds belonging to LGAs and to compel the state to usurp LGs powers.
Recall that on Wednesday, there was news that the Abia State House of Assembly has passed the bill into law throwing up speculations that the State Assembly was against the financial autonomy granted local governments and was also against the Supreme Court judgement on the matter.
Addressing newsmen on Thursday at the Assembly complex, the Deputy Speaker of the House, and House Committee Chairman on Media, Rt. Hon. Austin Okezie, debunked the rumours making the rounds, describing it as misinformation peddled by those who are not informed.
He said the bill the House is deliberating on is H.A.B 17 -Abia State Rural Access Road Agency and for other matters Connected therewith, which is an Executive Bill and seeks to establish the Abia State Rural Access Road Agency and for other Matters Connected therewith.
Speaking on the merits of H.A.B 17 -Abia State Rural Access Road Agency and for other matters Connected therewith, Rt. Hon. Okezie, said the bill has been passed into law by 19 States of the federation including Ebonyi, Sokoto among others, revealing that it is a World Bank funded programme under RAMP.
He stated that it comes by way of Counterpart Funding for states that desire to participate in the project, stressing that both State and LGAs must play their parts in ensuring that they can access the RAMP project or attract them to construct roads in the rural areas.
Rt. Hon. Okezie also revealed that for states and LGAs to access the project, it is logical for them to have the Rural Access Road Agency Law, which according to him, is a prerequisite for partaking in it, emphasizing that the rural roads are located in LGAs, which is why the LGAs must be considered in this Bill.
The Deputy Speaker also refuted allegations that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) members in the Abia State House of Assembly staged a walkout when the bill was passed into law to register their displeasure.
He assured Abians that the bill when passed into law, will be for the benefit of Abians, maintaining that the House deserves commendations from Abians for keying into what other states of the federation are benefiting from.
Rt. Hon. Okezie assured that Abians at large will be duly intimated on what the LGAs stand to gain if this bill is passed into law, stressing that the bill does not intend to create a Central Management Agency for funds belonging to LGAs nor compel LGAs to usurp their powers as being speculated in some quarters.
He also called on Abians to desist from peddling fake news in the guise of spreading information, lamenting that the social media space have been kept awash over the news that the House is against the Autonomy granted LGAs in the country.
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