Ben Ndu
A Non Governmental Organization (NGO), The Citizens Centre for Integrated Development and Social Rights (CCIDESOR), has decried the current economic and fiscal emasculation of Local Government Areas in Nigeria.
He said that the situation breeds insecurity, joblessness and poverty at the grassroots across the country.
Dr Emeka Ononamadu, the Executive Director of CCIDESOR, disclosed this to newsmen in Enugu on the backdrop of a Stakeholders Roundtable on Freedom of Information Act in Enugu.
The roundtable, which has the theme: “Reviving Local Governance: Citizens-Led Advocacy for Local Government Budget Accountability and Reform in Nigeria, ” was organised by CCIDESOR in partnership with Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room (SituationRoom).
Ononamadu said that the near collapse of the third tier of government had robed them of fiscal, revenue generation and job creation capacities, adding that this had left huge level of impoverishment and deprivation which had reduced the standard of living of Nigerians.
He called on the political class to allow every tier of government to function effectively, so that, political office holders can be held accountable for the resources they are receiving both internally and from the Federation account.
“When you talk about emasculation of the council areas; is the state governments you are talking about; that have emasculated them.
“The state governments have, like we have found, contracted out most of the functions of the local government to their political party members and personal cronies and it’s happening all over the country.
“We are sad that this is happening and it is making people living at the local council areas and council workers to be unproductive and redundant,” he said.
He commended President Bola Tinubu for following up on his belief on local government financial autonomy to a victory at the Supreme Court, adding that more actions were needed on the apex court’s pronouncement.
Ononamadu noted that the local governments administrations also needed fiscal, political and administrative autonomy to fully stimulate the local economy to steady growth and.prosperity.
On fiscal autonomy, he noted that the local government councils needed to generate its own yearly budget, internally generated revenue and create short and long term investment concern for its survival.
“There is a need for 100 per cent political autonomy of credible and people-elected leadership and not the present governor’s handpicked administrators answerable to the governor alone.
“The council authorities must have full administrative control over all issues and people living within the council area, by making administrative council laws for the good and prosperity of all,” he said.
Speaking, the President of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Enugu State Chapter, Mr Udoagha Ani, stressed the need to revive the local council system to effectively work and deliver good governance at the grassroots.
Ani said that an effective council area would reduce pressure at the state and federal levels as well as give vast majority of Nigerians a sense of belonging and willingness to support development in their localities.
Different speakers at the roundtable called for complete autonomy of the local governments for the betterment of the people at the grassroots.
