by Usman Alabi
The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed through second reading a bill seeking to grant special economic status to Lagos and some other deserving states in the federation.
The bill succeeded even when similar bill failed in the Senate because the sponsors included Kano, Anambra and other states within the threshold of 10 million inhabitants, which meet the criteria for megacity by the United Nations.
The bill was titled: “a bill for an Act to alter the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004, to grant Special Economic Consideration to certain States in Nigeria and other matters related thereto.”
If the bill succeeds, any state with such status would be entitled to 20 per cent of all proceeds accruing to the Federal Government from the state, to reduce the pressures of urbanization, overcrowding and decaying infrastructure.
The sponsors were Mr. Babajimi Benson APC, Lagos, Linda Chuba Ikpeazu PDP Anambra; Danburam Abubakar Nuhu APC Kano and Sadiq Ibrahim APC Adamawa.
It is important that our structure of government puts into consideration global changes. In other words, our federal arrangement must be dynamic. There is nothing wrong in states like Lagos and Kano getting special status, it also has a way of advancing our political status.
Tell us what you feel about this bill.