Enugu Assembly backs local govt autonomy

Enugu State House of Assembly would support calls for the autonomy of local government administration in the country.
Speaker of the House, Edward Ubosi, made the disclosure, yesterday, in Enugu when he addressed protesting members of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE).
The members thronged the assembly complex during a rally, and demanded total autonomy of the local government administration.
“As we are fighting for our own autonomy, we will also support other people who are fighting for their own autonomy so that God will help us to achieve our own.
“Anything about local government system, all of you will know that I am a part of it. The issue of local government autonomy is something I am a part of because I am a former councillor, supervisor and local government chairman.”
He urged the leadership of the union to also engage other members of the House of Assembly to ensure that there is consensus on the matter.
“I urge you to go to your constituencies, and engage your representatives even if it takes going to their houses.
“You need to do some consultations by meeting stakeholders. If you ask me to vote, I will vote for local government autonomy,” he said.
NULGE National President, represented by the National Treasurer, Comrade Ambali Akeem, also demanded that state independent electoral commissions across the federation should be scraped, and a singular electoral commission be tasked with conducting elections at the local government level.
“Over the years, they have failed to conduct credible election at the local government level. Most of the time, what they do is coronation instead of election. And the local government tenure system is not spelt out in the law. Some will have three years, some two years, while some will have one and half years,” said Ambali,
Chairman of Enugu state chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Virginus Nwobodo, urged the speaker to use his position to ensure that local governments are liberated for effective performance.
“We join our counterparts all over the country to say that the local government should be autonomous.
“We support NULGE totally, in the fight for total liberation of the local government system, in order for them to function effectively,” he said.