In a rare show of solidarity, the two factions of the Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF, temporarily put aside their year-long differences, yesterday, to fight against the National Assembly proposal granting autonomy to the country’s local governments.
The two factions, led by Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State and Jonah Jang of Plateau State, in separate reactions said the autonomy proposal for the local government system was out of sync with the operation of a federal system.
The two houses of the National Assembly had adopted the proposal for autonomy for the local governments as the third tier of government in the federation. The move which has been received with joy among some stakeholders in the local government system was, however, opposed by the two factions of the NGF.
The Jang-led faction of the NGF walked out from the mainstream faction led by Governor Amaechi after supporters of Jang disputed the outcome of the election which returned Amaechi as chairman of the governors’ association last year.
Reacting to the decision of the National Assembly to grant autonomy to the local governments, the Amaechi-led faction speaking through its Director-General, Asishana Okauru, affirmed that the body would not change its opposition on the issue of autonomy for local governments.
Speaking in a telephone interview he said: “The NGF does not support autonomy for local governments. The governors are against it, they have said it and still maintain that they will not support autonomy for local governments.
“There is no country in the world that there are three federating units; there are only two all over the world. Why should you say that there must be a third federating unit in Nigeria?”
According to him, chairman of the forum, Governor Amaechi aside making a similar call last year, had at a session with journalists recently said that the governors would continue to push against granting autonomy for the 774 local governments in the country.
In an unusual concord with the Amaechi-led forum, the Jang-led NGF in a statement by its secretary, Earl Osaro Onaiwu, said: “The NGF under the leadership of Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State has differed with the NASS over the move to amend the constitution and grant local governments full administrative and financial autonomy.”
The governors in the statement accused some members of the National Assembly of using the conference committee to force through an amendment that was clearly rejected by the Senate during the constitution amendment debates and votes.
Onaiwu in the statement quoted the governors as saying that “it was improper in an issue of this magnitude for the conference committee to overturn the position of a majority in the upper house.
“The push for local government autonomy by the National Assembly was hasty without first considering the problems of executive recklessness and ineffective administration at the local level.”
The governors thus warned that “the amendment will lead to the hijack of some local government administrative structures by a few powerful individuals without the oversight the state government currently provides.”
The forum, however, expressed confidence that the amendment will be rejected by a majority of the states houses of assembly. – Vanguard.
These Governors are very selfish and self- serving too.It is criminal for these confused and looting gangsters to oppose decision of the National Asssembly ,they want to continue to subjugate the people and loot them dry.
With all the so called oversight functions being performed by our governors, I have hardly observed any positive developmental projects being successfully implemented by the Local Government Authorities in most states I’ve visited lately.
Unlike when we were very young and growing up, in the late 70s up till the 90s, whenever there was democratic government, a lot of LG projects are usually being implemented. Even, at the time of military rules, there were sound LG projects being executed by good contractors.
Now, the story is that the same everywhere, the state governors sit over the LGA allocations, tell them that no LG chairman won an election, the LG chairmen are installed, so they could be removed if they raise objections to State Governors idea of operation no Local Government Projects.
I support LG autonomy, at the LG level it would very easy for the people to assess their chairman and call for his removal if he/she is not performing.
The fact that candidates can now emerge and contest elective posts without depending on the big parties will help the the people choose and vote in who they love and trust.
Let LG autonomy be!
The LGs need autonomy to deliver.The states have not done better in the last years.Let citizens hold their LG to account for public monies as they can access the LG easier than state govt.
It is very selfish and self-centeredness for these governors to reject Local govt. autonomy. Look at Abia state for instance, the governor has killed the local govt system, trampled on it and buried it. As at today September salary of the local govt staff has not been paid. September salary will be paid second week of November. Local govt staff in Abia state cannot even train their children. They cant even feed themselves. After three months the governor will pay one month salary. Yet allocation comes on monthly basis. There are no meaningful projects at the local govt. level. For nearly 8 years he has not conducted election for local govt.. Transition chairmen are appointed based on who praises him. It is not even based on the integrity of the person being appointed. Even a goat can be appointed a transition chairman. What they are after is using the allocations as personal money.