The National President of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Comrade Akeem Ambali, expressed concern as governors in various states across Nigeria encroached upon the powers of local government areas, describing the current state of affairs for the government closest to the people as disheartening.
In a statement to the press, Comrade Akeem Ambali emphasized the need for local government autonomy as a solution to address the challenges faced by local government areas.
“The 9th National Assembly approved the local government autonomy but we ran into a mucky water because the forum of governors constituted a hindrance in achieving this.
“While states like Ogun, Delta, Edo, Kogi, Anambra and some others passed the local government autonomy bill, there appeared to be a conspiracy led by the then governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, who openly canvassed against the local government autonomy.
“And we all know that without having a functional local government, there is no way we can achieve meaningful and desired development in Nigeria.
“This is why Nigeria appears to be drifting on the verge of collapse because the poorest of the poor resides in the local government, where there are no motorable roads, where banditry reigns supreme, coupled with the absence of a viable local government administration.”
Meanwhile, the current 10th Senate is already making moves to stop the impunity of state governors in meddling into local government affairs.
Firstly, the senate is asking the federal government to stop the statutory allocation to local government councils whose chairpersons were not democratically elected.
The latest move by the Senate was upon a motion moved by the senator representing Benue South under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Abba Moro, who is of the opinion that LG allocations to states without elected local government officials should be blocked.
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