Lucky Obukohwo Reporting
A social political group, Edo Forum of Patriots (EFP) Inc. has lauded the Supreme Court ruling on local government autonomy saying it will herald meaningful development to the people at the grassroots levels.
The group also wants the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to strip the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) of its powers of conducting the local government councils elections due to the overbearing influences of the state governors on them.
The group through its leader, Rt. Hon. Bright Omokhodion disclosed in Benin City.
He said the ruling has unmistakably brought better hope and new vistas to the administration of these 774 Local Government Councils.
Hon. Omokhodion said the judgement now ensures that there will be financial autonomy, as the Joint Account made possible by Section 169 subsection 6 of the amended 1999 Constitution became immediately ineffective.
In his words, “The import of this is that the Local Government administration would become more accountable and transparent to the people at the grassroots instead of the Governor.
“Any Local Government Chairman who allocates finances to the State Governor under any guise or form would have to account for these at the appropriate time to respective investigative agencies.
“In addition, the ruling has abrogated the imposition of Care Taker Committees in place of elected officials by the Governors. Any State without elected officials in place at the Local Government Councils would be denied financial resources to operate.
“We at the EFP, commend Mr President for taking this very bold and proactive step to rein in the Governors, as most Local Government Councils in the country lack basic infrastructural amenities due to this contrived interventions that promote poor administration which foist under – development at that level of governance almost everywhere in the country.
“While still in the euphoria of this ruling, we wish to appeal to the President to take one more step in ensuring that the over bearing influence of the state government is severed and development guaranteed at this level, by extending the powers in the conduct of elections into the elected offices to the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) instead of the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC).
“This is to further reduce the influence of the state apparatus in the election of public officials in the councils.
“This, has been one of the ways of securing unproductive unalloyed loyalties to the Governors instead of the people.
“Where as most have argued that the ruling bit off a slice from our nature of federalism, we dare respond that we must adopt and adapt to what works for us.
“We could have a federation that stands on three legs – federal, states and local governments.
“Our experiences have so far shown that the state governors cannot sponsor nor supervise development at the local government levels using the present templates.
“This ruling has provided a paradigm shift and Nigerians of goodwill should embrace it as it has the antidote against corruption and so much drive to push development at this level which is closest to the people”.
While commending the President Bola Tinubu’s on this feat, he faulted the Afenifere for not doing enough all these years.
“Whereas Afenifere recognized the damage done to this tier of government by most state governors and their goons, in spite of several sections of the 1999 Constitution that attempted to rein them in, she failed to recommend lasting solutions.