MOSES JOHN writes on the on-going campaign by the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) tagged “Freedom Movement For Local Government Autonomy” in the six geo-political zones of the country.
The on-going national rally and campaign to sensitise Nigerians on the need for the third tier of government to be independent by Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) across Nigeria has received resounding applause from Nigerians.
This is because as a third tier of government, it deserves to have a functional and vibrant system that would meet the yearning and aspirations of the grass root people.
NULGE who are at the receiving end, insist the time to seek for the financial, administrative and political independence of the Local Councils has come and called for support from all.
The rally which kick-started in Lafia, the Nasarawa state capital for the North-central last week, has so far moved to Calabar, Cross River state for the South-south zone and Lagos state for the South-west zone.
The train is expected by tomorrow to move to Kano for the North-west zone, later to Enugu state for the South-east zone, Taraba for the North-east zone, while the ground finale would be held in Abuja, the nation’s capital next month.
Speaking on the campaign, National President of NULGE, Comrade Ibrahim Khaleel, said granting local government autonomy would automatically end poverty, insecurity and restiveness in the country.
He said over the years in the current democratic dispensation, the ruling elites at the various level of governance had bastardised the noble development ideas behind making the local government system the third tier of governance in our country.
Comrade Khaleel who is fondly called ‘Mr Autonomy’ urges State Houses of Assembly in the country to do the right thing by voting for free of local councils.
According to him, “we are calling for an amendment of contradictory provision that confuse and manipulate the local governments in the country.”
He said the local government workers decided to champion the campaign because, “we remain the most dependable voice from which Nigerians will measure the true situation of governance at the local government level.
According to him, “The burden of creating awareness therefore lies on our shoulders to serve as the vanguard of the advocacy for local government autonomy.”
The NULGE president further said the elite across the political divide, irrespective of party affiliation, operate local governments as personal fiefdoms from which they exploit without being accountable to the people.
Khaleel said this is against the intent and rationale for the creation of the local government system which was deliberately designed for inclusive development or to take development to the very base/grassroots of our society.
He added that the broad incentive for the campaign for autonomy revolves around issues of development and its absence at the local level.
According to him, the campaign apart from the planned engagements with other stakeholders, would also seek political, financial and administrative autonomy of LGAs; abolition of State/LGA joint account, and Payment of 10% internally generated revenue by State governments to LGAs.
Also, Comrade Khaleel said stopping the deduction from LGAs’ federal revenue allocation by state governments, and the proposal for payment of teachers’ salaries to be on first line charge of FAAC.
Others are abolition of SIEC and reverting the conduct of local government elections to INEC, Implement the ruling of Supreme Court judgment against appointment of caretaker committees for LGs and reckless dissolution of elected local government councils.
“The constitution should be reviewed such that there are provisions that cater for the areas of structure, functions, composition, establishment, funding, status and other matters that affect local governments, rather than delegating it to the state governments or Houses of Assembly.
“New provisions/amendments on Local Government Councils shall read thus: Section 5 (4), the executive powers of Local Government Councils shall be vested in the chairman.
“Subsection (5), the executive powers vested in the chairman shall not be exercised so as to impede or prejudice the exercise of the executive power of the federation or of the state in which the Local Government Area concerned is situated or to engender any asset or investment of the government of the federation or the state or of the Local Government Area,” he said.
Similarly, “Other provisions that contradict full autonomy should be expunged from the constitution to avoid the serious contradictions for instance the structure, finance, establishment, composition and functions of Local Government Councils should not be vested in the state governments or state Houses of Assembly but in the constitution in view of section 5 that proposes vesting executive powers of the Local Government Council in the chairman.
“The constitutional provision on the existence and functions of the State Independent Electoral Commission should be expunged completely in the 1999 constitution because they have become the instruments of anti-democratic practices by the state government.
“In terms of power and control over public Funds:
The adoption and adaptation of Section 120-124 (3) to Local Government Chairman, Vice Chairman, Auditor–General for Local Government and the Chairman and members of Local Government Service Commission (LGSC).”
Others include: “For Local Government, the sections are to be placed after that of the state, hence the numbering to look like this: Section 125 – 129, 124 (4) now reads 129 (4) to cover the role of the Auditor-General for Local Governments who shall be appointed in accordance with section 130 (3).
“The public accounts of all local governments in a state shall be audited by the Auditor-General for Local Governments. We propose that the Local Government Service of each state shall be represented by the most Senior Accountant deemed fit by the Local Government Service Commission at any meeting of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission called for the purpose of distributing money from the Federation Account to the Federal, State and Local governments.
“State allocation of 20 per cent of its internally generated revenue to the local governments within the state. Establish a joint planning board through a law enacted by the House of Assembly, to require each Local Government in the state to participate in the economic planning and development of the local government areas.”
On the area of regular auditing of the accounts of all the local governments within the state, in terms of the funding of primary education, the level of participation by the Local Government Councils shall be in accordance with an Act of the National Assembly.
“We also recommend that the payment of primary school teachers’ salaries should be the sole responsibility of the federal and state governments. Primary Education is a subsidiary function as per provision of the 4th schedule of the 1999 constitution and April 2002 Supreme judgment on funding of Primary Education,” he said.
