LG Autonomy Remains Sacrosanct- Tambuwal

Tambuwal

By Collins Agwam - LAFIA

The Speaker of the House of Representative,Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal
has restated that there would be no going back on the Local Government
autonomy which has been passed by the House.

 Hon. Tambuwal who re-echoed this at the 6th Quadrennial National
Delegate Conference of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGEE), in Lafia, yesterday, said the absence of Local government autonomy has continued to frustrate both the serving politicians and the poor masses at the grass root.

He explained that, the enormous importance attached to the LG autonomy
by the House of Representative informed their decision to conduct a
survey across the 360 constituencies in Nigeria in order to sample the
opinions of the masses on the autononmy, adding that, the autonomy
would ensure that only elected officials of local government areas
would be able to access grants directly from the Federation Account.

Hon. Tambuwal noted that as a result of the autonomy, the country
shall have uniform tenure of 4 years for all Local Government
Officials.

He also debunked insinuations that the House has created another
federating unit in the country by endorsing the autonomy of local
governments, describing it as the handiwork of mischief makers.

“Some people are saying we are trying to create another federating
unit by endorsing local government autonomy and I stand to debunk
that. What I want members of the public to appreciate, is the fact
that we have our own peculiarities as a nation. And that is why we as
a nation, having borrowed from united states, the presidential system
of government, we still have a senate president in our system, which
doesn’t exist in United States.

“What they have in America is the Vice President, presiding over the
Senate as the ceremonial head of senate. But, in Nigeria, we have a
Senate President presiding over the Senate and Speaker of House of
representative presiding over the House. That is why the issue of LG
autonomy is to address our peculiarities and not to create another
Federating unit”, he said.

The Speaker urged members of the State Houses of Assembly to follow
suit and pass the Local Government Autonomy in their various
states,saying that what the House has done is in the best interest of the
country.

Also speaking, Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura of Nasarawa State,stated
that the state government is in full support of the LG autonomy, saying
a well-articulated Checks and Balances mechanism should be put in
place to ensure transparency and accountantability in the third tier
system of government.

“I make bold to state that we in Nasarawa State are convinced that
attaining a virile society through sustainable growth and development
of our grassroots is hinged on an autonomous 3rd tier of Government in
Nigeria, especially when there is a well-articulated mechanism of
checks and balances by the State with the active participation of
NULGE, MHWUN and NUT to ensure accountability”, he stated.

The governor added that, his administration recognizes the role of
Local Government in reaching out to the people at the grassroots
explaining that this was the reason why Local Government administrators in
the state are given the free hand to provide the desired leadership to
their areas in accordance with the needs and aspirations of the
people.

Earlier, the National President of NULGEE Comrade Ibrahim Khaleel
Abdulkadir called on all state governments to support the idea of LG
autonomy so as to take development to the grass root level.

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