By  HENRY UMORU & JOSEPH ERUNKE

ABUJA — As the Senate votes today on some amended clauses and recommendations in the on-going constitution review, Senator Ita Enang has said he would not go with those with the opinion that local government areas be granted financial autonomy.

He also kicked against granting mayoral status to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, as proposed by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu-led Constitution Review Committee.

Speaking yesterday in Abuja, Enang, PDP, Akwa Ibom North-East, said his reason was the fact that the third tier of government was not a federating unit, adding that the extant law only recognised local governments within the state.

He also said giving mayoral status to the FCT might challenge the position of a sitting President and pose a security threat to the nation.

Enang insisted that granting mayoral status to the Federal Capital Territory was not in the best interest of the country.

He explained that in the United States, its capital, Washington DC, was under the President and legislature, thus making the position of the mayor similar to that of the local government chairman.

According to Enang, the approval of mayoral status for the Federal Capital Territory is capable of challenging the authority of the President since the intent behind the establishment of the FCT is supposed to be based on neutrality.

He said: “In Nigeria, there are 774 local government councils. If you have a mayor elected on

another party different from that of the President, there is bound to be crisis.

“The idea behind the establishment of a capital territory was intended to make for neutrality. It is not in the interest of national security for us to create a mayoral status for the FCT.”