Tag: LOCAL GOVERNMENT

“Local government autonomy unrealistic” –  Fashola

Aminu Imam
Fashola on LG Autonomy

Former Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, (SAN), has described the idea of full autonomy for local governments in the country as unrealistic, citing constitutional limitations and historical challenges with local governance. He explained that the Constitution did not support the notion of independent local government administration as often demanded. Fashola, who stated this while speaking on a television programme at the weekend, said: “I think the debate we must have is whether we really want autonomous local government. As it stands today, it is unrealistic to…

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Let Us Not Celebrate Our LGAs Yet

Abdul-Azeez Ahmed Kadir
Governors Forum

By: Nurudeen Dauda To start with, after the much celebrated Supreme Court judgement backing the full financial “autonomy” of Local Governments there are still other fundamental issues that must be addressed for us to get it right in our LGAs administrations as follows: one; Local Government elections, two; the issue of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and three; Local Governments reform. It is apt to state that we still have a very long long way to go! Firstly, the issue of free, fair, and credible elections in Nigeria remain a major…

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Local Governments: Between Constitutional Autonomy and Judicial “Coup”

Abdul-Azeez Ahmed Kadir
Bola Ahmed Tinubu

By; Abdull-Azeez Ahmed Kadir. Nigeria operates a federal system of government with sub-national. It has been a long debate if Nigeria operates three tiers of government or two tiers with administrative block as the third. Whatever you believe, the 1999 Nigerian Constitution as amended, recognises the Federal, State and Local Governments. Nigeria boasts of 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory with 774 Local Councils. The Local Government is the closest to the people at the grassroots; who constitute the majority of the populace and meant to make them feel…

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YIAGA Africa engages political stakeholders, advocates electoral reform

Abdul-Azeez Ahmed Kadir

Civil Society Organisation Yiaga Africa, has called on Kaduna state Government, political parties, agencies and various stakeholders on legislative reforms for improved local government election in Nigeria, to inspire public confidence in the electoral processes. Director of programs, Yiaga Africa, Cynthia Mbamalu, said this in Kaduna during an advocacy roundtable discussion ahead of local government elections in the state. She said it was pertinent that the government build citizens confidence by articulating electoral reform to allow local government autonomy since it was already in the Constitution. Mbamalu added that all issues…

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Gombe Council Polls: Police assure of security for Saturday’s exercise

Abdul-Azeez Ahmed Kadir
IGP Egbetokun

The police command in Gombe State, has assured of adequate security, ahead of Saturdays local government councils poll. Mr Hayatu Usman, the State Commissioner of Police, stated this in an interview in Gombe on Friday. He said that adequate personnel had been made deployed to all the 11 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state to ensure that the election was hitch-free. He urged residents to participate massively in the election as they had nothing to worry about, as policemen had been deployed to give them the needed security cover.…

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1999 Constitution Amendment Bill: States reject LG autonomy

Aminu Imam

…As NASS sends 35 amendment Bills to Buhari for assent The National Assembly says 35 Constitution amendment Bills have been passed by the State’s Houses of Assemblies. The Senate, yesterday, requested its Clerk to transmit the 35 Bills out of the 44 Constitution amendment Bills to President Muhammadu Buhari for his assent. However, among the proposed legislations not approved by the State Houses of Assemblies are Bills seeking financial and legislative autonomy for local governments. The resolution to transmit the Bills to Buhari for assent was passed at Tuesdays plenary…

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Autonomy Bill: State Govs. working to truncate LG autonomy NULGE

Aminu Imam

The leadership of the National Association of Local Government Employees (NULGE), yesterday, alleged plans by some State governors working underground to truncate the autonomy of local governments in the country. NULGE National President, Comrade Olatunji Ambali, who briefed newsmen in Abuja on the update of Local Government autonomy, said only 10 out of the 12 States which passed the Autonomy Bill have voted in support of the autonomy. He listed the States to include; Abia, Anambra and Enugu in the South-East; Edo, Akwa-Ibom and Delta in the South-South; Ogun and…

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Kaduna: Giwa Local Government Area Deputy Chairman suspended

Aminu Imam

Reports emanating today from Giwa Local Government Area in Kaduna State indicate that the Executive Committee of the local government council under the leadership of the Speaker of the Giwa Local Government Councils Assemby, Hon. Abdullahi Isma’il, have suspended the Deputy Chairman of the local government area, Hon. Zubairu Alhassan, over alleged charges of betrayal of trust and disclosing official government secrets as well as disrespecting the legislature, acts that are deemed as going against the law. The council made the announcement after its weekly sitting, during a press briefing…

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Local Govt. Spendings: 36 Govs. lose suit against financial autonomy for local governments

Aminu Imam

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, yesterday, dismissed a suit that State governors of the 36 States of the Federation filed to query the constitutionality of regulations the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, (NFIU), issued to guarantee financial autonomy for local governments. The court, in a judgment that was delivered by Justice Inyang Ekwo, held that the suit lacked merit. It held that the regulations, which came to effect on June 1, 2019, were aimed to ensure that funds meant for local governments are paid directly to them, rather than…

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Local Government Financial and administrative autonomy: Time to act is now

Abdul-Azeez Ahmed Kadir

By; Yusuf Ishaku Goje. The ambitious policy statement by the President, Muhammadu Buhari, of pulling out a hundred million despondent Nigerians out of poverty will only be a mirage unless the delivery of social services is taken closer to the people. Over the years, both the Federal and State government have proven incapable of addressing gaps that hinder effective and inclusive grassroots development. Massoud Omar, in the book Impressions and Facts (published by the Centre for Democratic Development Research and Training) succinctly justifies the above paragraph, when he stated, The…

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