FORMER LAWMAKER URGES STATE GOVERNORS TO SUPPORT LOCAL GOVERNMENT AUTONOMY 16-07-24
By Sadiq Aminu A former Chairman, Senate Committee on States and Local Government Administration, Senator Olalekan Mustapha, has called on State Governors to support the Supreme Court’s ruling on Local Government Autonomy for the country to witness meaningful growth.
Senator Mustapha made the call in an interview with Africa 247 correspondent.
According to him, the ruling which grants Local Government Councils direct access to their funds from the federal government will further enhance the growth and development of Nigerians at the grassroots.
“it will allow each local government to develop at its own pace, infrastructurally and socially. Secondly, it allow local government to make laws and take control of their sources of revenue like the collection of market bills and tenament rates which will make more funds available for them and allow them function very well. It will also allow the people benefit from all kinds of support especially in the area of direct scholarship from government and donors.”
The former lawmaker who is also the Chairman, Board of Governance, Local Government Summit Group, explained that for the Local Governments to attain full Autonomy, it is also important for the National Assembly to amend the constitution to allow INEC directly coordinate elections at the third-tier level.
“I think it’s very important that the constitution is amended to the effect that elections into the local government Councils will be held by INEC as it was. For me the state electoral bodies are not doing enough in electing representatives to the local government Councils. So I feel the constitution should be amended so that INEC will take back the responsibility of conducting elections at the third-tier level to make it more free and transparent.”
He also added that financial expenditure on conducting elections will be reduced when the responsibility on coordinating elections is solely on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.