Autonomy
By Mercy Omoike
Lagos, June 12, 2024 (NAN) The former leaders of the National Association of Local Government and Development Studies have commended President Bola Tinubu’s bold stance on local government autonomy.
They made the commendations in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
NAN reports that the Federal Government recently dragged the 36 state governors before the Supreme Court seeking enforcement of full autonomy of the local governments.
Among the injunctions, the Federal Government is urging the apex court to issue an order prohibiting state governors from embarking on arbitrary and unlawful dissolution of democratically elected local government chairmen, and constituting caretaker committees in their place.
A former member of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Students’ Representative Council and senior lecturer in the Department of Local Government at OAU, Dr Kazeem Lamidi, noted the long-standing demand for local government autonomy among stakeholders in Nigerian federalism.
“Local governance is crucial for effective governance and clear development agenda.
“The theoretical framework supporting local government autonomy underscores its necessity for minimising external oversight,” Lamidi said
He applauded Tinubu’s efforts to grant local governments a distinct status within the federation, emphasising the importance of direct revenue allocation to facilitate prompt social services delivery and enhance local governance.
This move, he argued, aimed to correct the current imbalance where state governments often assume local responsibilities, fostering a partnership for progress between local and state governments.
On his part, Dr Ayotunde Odewale, the pioneer President of the National Association of Local Government Students at OAU, stressed that Nigeria’s development hinges on strengthening local government institutions.
“Local government autonomy should not negate their interaction with other government tiers, especially regarding concurrent functions like primary education, healthcare, and agricultural development, as outlined in the 1999 Constitution.
“There should be cooperative relationship between local and state governments, moving away from the historically hierarchical dynamic,” Odewale said.
Also, Mr Oluwaloseyi Babaeko, a former CTC Chairman of the Association and past Secretary of the Nigerian Students’ Association at the University of Leeds, UK, asserted that full local government autonomy was overdue.
Babaeko urged the National Assembly to amend Section 162 of the Constitution, which mandated a joint state-local government account.
He decried the current weak state of local governments and called for their financial and political independence to drive national development.
Babaeko also appealed to state governors to support President Tinubu’s initiative and suggested the creation of a Ministry of Local Government at the federal level. (NAN) www.nannews.ng
DMO/OJI/JNC
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Edited by Maureen Ojinaka/Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma
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