By Egufe Yafugborhi & Davies Iheamnachor

PORT-HARCOURT—RIVERS State House of Assembly yesterday, begged the National Assembly to relinquish more legislative responsibilities to state houses of assembly, expressing worries that much power was concentrated in the national lawmaking body.

This came as the state Assembly approved six alterations in the on going 1999 Constitution Fourth Alteration Bill, 2017 and rejected four of the 15 alterations sent to it by the National Assembly.

Senate

The House in a voting system coordinated by its Speaker, Ikuinyi Owaji-Ibani, approved the fourth alteration 24, which outlines the process for the amendment of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, where the President withholds his assent.

The Assembly okayed alteration Number 27 which provides for the reduction of age for qualification to contest the position of President, Governor, national and state assembly seats to give opportunity  for more youths, approved alteration eight, which permits immunity for legislators during sitting and to strengthen  the legislative process.

The House also favoured alteration 28, which specifies the period within which the President or state governor must present an appropriation bill to the legislature for consideration and okayed alteration number four, which confers financial autonomy on state Assemblies  and alteration number two, which reduces the period that the President or state governor can spend money before the passage of the next budget from six months to three months.