Nigeria Governors Frustrating Local Government AutonomyNULGE Boss Laments

The National President of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Comrade Ibrahim Kahleel has accused state governors of frustrating efforts to grant autonomy to local governments in the country.Kahlee said this at forum organized by the union in Lagos, as part of the its No Local Government, No Nation sensitisation campaign in the South Western part of Nigeria.He described the actions of some state governors towards the realisation of full autonomy for local governments in Nigeria as selfish, greedy and a major impediment.Kahlee argued that while the nations constitution was clear and unequivocal on the need for a full autonomy for the local governments in the country, state governors had continued to act against the constitution by paralysing local governance in the country.He added that the union had flagged off a campaign in six geo-political parts of the country as a way of sensitising Nigerians to the imperative of having an autonomous local government and its inherent benefits.The state governors have been a major impediment to local government autonomy just because of their selfish interests. The resources of the local governments that should have been harnessed to develop these communities are being hijacked by the state governments; a development that has hindered the growth and development of the local communities.What we are saying in this campaign is that the local government should be given full autonomy to enable the people enjoy the dividends of democracy since they are closest to the people, he stated.The NULGE boss however disclosed that the Union had tabled its inputs on the floor of the national assembly, on the ongoing constitution reform, part of which is the removal of the state and local government joint account provision, to make local government administratively autonomous.We are also advocating for the establishment of the Office of the Auditor General for Local Government to ensure transparency in the fiscal activities of this tier of government, he added.
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