Governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello, has urged the national assembly to amend the constitution such that states are delegated more powers to control their own affairs most especially, allowing each state to determine minimum wage.
Public hearing exercise on the review of the constitution, which cuts across the geopolitical zones of the country, commenced on Tuesday.
Speaking during the public hearing held at the government house in the state, Bello said if states are empowered with greater control, Nigeria will be restructured and functional.
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“Specifically, Kogi state requests that our constitution must devolve more powers to the states by amending the second schedule of part one and part two of the Constitution to allow states more input/control over some issues currently fenced off in the exclusive legislative list,” he said.
On food and drugs administration, the governor said state control will help “develop organic responses to food security and crush the menace of drug and substance abuse that is wreaking havoc on our youth all over the nation”.
Bello also called for states to have “full powers over the administration of criminal justice”, as well as significant control over taxation, and minimum wage determination.
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“This is the logical progression to the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015. Kogi state has since taken the lead in domesticating that Act but states must now be enabled to deploy greater innovation for enhancing the efficiency of justice delivery in the face of spiralling crime,” he said.
“Registration, regulation and taxation of business names and other forms of businesses which states may desire to enable within their territory — collection of stamp duties will grant states access to economic opportunities from which they are currently shut out. This is a necessity as all talks of states’ financial sustainability will require the development of a business environment that is unique to a state’s economic development needs.
“Labour matters, to the extent that a state’s labour force, payroll and minimum wage must match its carrying capacity — these can no longer be imposed on states on the basis of labour agreements with the federal government.
“It is also imperative that a state which has complied with collective agreements like Kogi and three other states have complied with the revised CONMESS for health workers should be freed from the burden of solidarity strikes if organised labour decides to protest noncompliance by other states.”
