The Senate has urged President Bola Tinubu to bring back the autonomy of the local government councils and to stop further allocation of funds to caretaker committee-led local government areas.
The Senate arrived at the resolution after deliberating on a motion by Sen. Suleiman Kawu (NNPP, Kano).
The motion, which was moved at Wednesday plenary, and entitled, ‘Urgent call on the president to resuscitate local government system in Nigeria,’ also urged the president to champion the cause of full autonomy for local governments in the nation.
“The challenges we face: persistent security threats, rural-urban migration, decaying infrastructure and widespread unemployment demand bold action.
“And we believe that empowering local governments holds the key to unlocking a brighter future for all Nigerians”, he said.
The red chamber further called on the president to use his leadership and influence to persuade the federating units and all critical stakeholders in the constitutional alteration processes to embrace the vision of full local government autonomy.
“Tinubu should also champion changes to the constitution that enshrine and guarantee genuine independence for local governments, granting them control over their resources, decision-making authority, and the power to chart their development path.”
The motion sponsor explained that the dream of achieving the objectives of the local government system encountered harsh realities.
“Successive governments often eroded local autonomy, limiting their financial resources and control over decision-making.
“Corruption scandals and mismanagement tarnished the image of some local governments, fueling public cynicism,” he explained.
This is as he expressed worry that some governors played a crucial role in frustrating local government autonomy in Nigeria through constitutional alteration processes.
“With limited financial and operational autonomy, local governments might struggle to effectively address local security concerns like community policing initiatives and intelligence gathering.”
Contributing, Sen. Ahmad Lawan (APC, Yobe) said that local governments must be effective and must be guaranteed by the constitution.
“I urge that we find a way of improving the capacity of those who run the local government system. Because I believe this requires devolution of powers”, he noted.
Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu (APC, Abia) said that local government funds must be returned 100 percent to the local government councils and improve the capacity of the people running the councils.
In his remarks, Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, who presided over plenary, said that the motion was apt and in tandem with “the zeal of all senators to bring sanity to bear in the local government system.”
On his part, Sen. Ifeanyi Ubah (APC, Anambra) said that to promote good governance in the country, “we must amend, look at Section 7 of the 1999 constitution. We need to amend so that we can start having values for democracy in our states.
“A state like Anambra has not conducted local government election in the last 18 years”, he noted.
