ALGON demands refund of $3.2 billion used to service foreign debt
Tobi Soniyi in Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari has said his administration will support a constitutional amendment to free local governments from the stranglehold of states and better the lot of Nigerians at the community level.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Garba Shehu said Buhari expressed his readiness to support an amendment to the constitution to make local government areas independent when he received the leadership of the Association of Local Governments in Nigeria (ALGON) yesterday in Abuja.
Buhari said a constitutional amendment was urgently required to clearly define the relationship among the three tiers of government.
He described the frosty relationship between states and local government as “a very serious constitutional problem.
“The relationship between the three tiers of government is not a very nice one, especially that between the local governments and the states. “The states feel like they own the local government, if they are of the same party. It is worse if they are not.
“This is a very serious constitutional problem and unless there is absolute clarity and transparency, the relationship will continue to be exploited against the interest of the ordinary people of the country,” the president said.
Buhari advised the ALGON executives to hold consultations with their people and lawyers with a view to presenting a bill that will seek a constitutional amendment to free the councils from the stranglehold of the states.
“This will limit the damage they can do to you. The quicker you do this the better, so that you can help your people much more,” the president said.
The president acknowledged the request by ALGON for the release of 3.2 billion dollars wrongfully deducted by the federal government for the final settlement of foreign debts in 2005.
Supported by Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, the Minister of Finance, Buhari said the government recognised the judgment debt but the timing of the request for its repayment was wrong given the current economic situation in the country.
In his remarks, acting ALGON National President, Alhaji Ibrahim Ahmed Karaye, presented a six-point demand to the president which included the repayment of the N3.2 billion debt and the need to ensure the sovereignty of local government administration in the country.
The ALGON leaders expressed their full support to the president’s programmes on improving security, anti-corruption campaign and economic revival.
