Ekiti PDP chieftain calls for LGs autonomy

A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader in Ekiti State and President, Ambassador Gbenga Olofin Movement (AGOM), Ambassador Gbenga Olofin has urged the National Assembly to grant full autonomy to Local Governments in the country as part of its amendment of the 1999 Constitution, saying; "running local councils as parastatals under the Governor's Office as presently being done in most states in the country is jeopardising development at the grassroot level."

Olofin, who frown at the way local council funds are being deducted at will by some State governors under the guise of Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC), said the National Assembly must save Local Government from going into extinction by making it the real third tier of government that it was designed to be.

In a release issued today, Olofin noted that the ongoing Constitution amendment exercise must be done with the sole aim of laying solid foundation for Nigeria's development and peaceful co-existence of its citizens, reiterating that; "One of the major impediments to development in Nigeria is the Constitutional provision that gave State Houses of Assembly power to legislate on local government administration and that portion of the Constitution must be amended."

The statement reads; "Today, Local Councils, especially in Ekiti State are being ran like parastatals under the governor's office with the councils unable to spend their funds without the governor's approval.

"Particularly, our experience in Ekiti State since this present Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) government took over power has shown that the idea of giving State Governments control over Local councils was a mistake, and it must be corrected.

"Laws that are at variance with the Constitution are even being made by State Houses of Assembly to further stiffen the necks of local government councils in the country with most state governors now having power to sack duly elected council officials at will.

"Ridiculously, Ekiti State House of Assembly even made a law empowering the State governor to appoint local council secretaries, supervisors, advisers and even personal assistants to the chairman.

"The National Assembly must therefore make our local councils autonomous to save them from imminent collapse.

"For instance, if the local councils were autonomous, Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi would not have had the effrontery to remove duly elected council chairmen and councillors and replace them with his party's candidates that did not contest any election contrary to Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution.

"Also, the local councils would not have relied on the governor to approve payment of the N18,000 minimum wage to their workers, and this would have averted the two months strike that grounded all primary health care institutions in the state.

"Again, a situation whereby council funds are used to execute state government projects like renovation of secondary schools, payment of stipend for some aged people, construction of roads, among others would not have arise."