Udora Orizu in Abuja
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ahmed Wase and the Minority Leader, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu have called for full autonomy for local government areas so as to guarantee the dividends of democracy to the people at the grassroots.
The lawmakers made the call yesterday at a leadership training sponsored by the Minority Leader for chairmen and councillors of local government areas in Delta State.
Speaking at the event, Wase recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari, had signed an Executive Order to declare financial autonomy for local governments.
He said: “As for me, first as a member of parliament representing my constituency and my people, I think I am on the same page with my constituents to have an autonomous local government system, anchored on the generosity of what the President has done. If you remember sometime in the past, he signed an Executive Order to have financial autonomy for local government. “It is not just about financial autonomy; we should also have a complete independence of their administration, apart from their finances. That is the only way it can work, to make Nigeria and Nigerians great.”
On his part, the Minority Leader, Elumelu said there was need to lobby governors to allow local governments to function independently.
According to him, “what we need is lobbying. There is the need for those fears of the governors (to be allayed). One of the states that voted
for local government autonomy (in the Constitution review exercise by the 8th
National Assembly) was Delta State.
My governor supported it the last time when it came, in 2015-2019 amendment/alteration (exercise); he supported it. And the Houses of Assembly that supported it were about 10 states that voted in favour of it; Delta State was among them.
“So, the issue about my state voting for it again is not a question. It is now left for other states to know that there is a need for them to emulate what Delta has done by supporting it. So, if Delta State can support it, I don’t see any other state that should not support local government autonomy.”
