…Demands Constitutional amendment
Apparently miffed by President Muhammadu Buhari’s allegation that State governors steal funds meant for Local Government Areas, LGAs, regional groups have urged the President to back the claim with evidence and name state governors pilfering the funds.
The groups also demanded a Constitution amendment on local government autonomy, saying gaps in the constitution made it possible for governors to have influence over LGAs. In separate chats with newsmen, they said the President shouldn’t stop at raising the alarm but also ensure that necessary actions are initiated against offending state governors.
Recall that the President had, last Wednesday, said State governors were diverting funds meant for local administration, thereby causing what he termed stunted development at the local government level.
Before the latest alarm, the President, at different fora, lamented that local government administration in the country had been emasculated by governors, who he often accused of diverting allocations to them from the federation account.
However, regional bodies were unanimous in saying that any constitution amendment should ensure that governors no longer have powers to conduct LGA elections.
National Publicity Secretary of the Afenifere, Comrade Jare Ajayi, said: “The fact that such an accusation could come from the Federal Government at this time establishes what has been in the rumour mill before, that state governors do not allow local governments to have the quantum of money that comes from Abuja. For the fact that the federal government is aware of this means it should take action”.
Also speaking, spokesperson for Coalition of Northern Groups, CNG, Comrade Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, said: We are in absolute agreement with the President on the issue of local government finances being stolen by the states. At the risk of overstating the case, the CNG, like all other sane Nigerians, is in agreement that local government in Nigeria has been emasculated and the control of local finances is holding the local government councils back. They should be freed to collect and spend as they choose”.
On his part, Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Alex Ogbonna, said: “What the President has said is true. However, local governments are manipulated by the governors because of our constitution.
According to him, “The problem, I believe, lies in the Constitution; because it allows the state government to organise elections for the local government. As a result, the governors select and do not give room for those at the local level to vote for the chairmen. Elections do not take place at that level.
“The governors or the state electoral body do so for the people. In effect, they select those who share values with the state government. What they call a joint state/local government account allows the governors to have some level of relationship with the local government”.
Similarly, the apex socio-cultural organization of the South-South geo-political zone, Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, according to its National Publicity Secretary of the Forum, Ken Robinson, has urged the presidency to mention the states misappropriating funds meant for their local government areas to enable Nigerians to interrogate the situation.
