Rivers State Governor and Chairman of Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NSF), Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi said, at the weekend, that Nigerian governors would continue to oppose calls for local government autonomy.
He pointed out that Local governments, in their estimation, should not be designated as federating units.
Governor Amaechi declared his stand for the umpteenth time when he fielded questions from newsmen.
He said that governments all over the world maintain two tiers ofgovernance and, therefore, insisted that the Governors forum, as a pressure group, would continue to push its opposition to local government autonomy through the ongoing constitution amendment exercise.
“Of course, yes, we will continue to oppose autonomy of local governments. Let a state governor or let the states create as many local governments as they want to create.
“Don’t put it there as a constitutional issue. Okay, you say for instance, you are accusing some governors of mismanaging resources, how? I have given example in Rivers state where not only do they collect their money directly, they collect ‘my’ N2 billion monthly.
“Ask them, I pay the salaries of all their teachers and that is N2billion per month. If you take away that one, my wage bill will come down to N6 billion per month.”
The governor further said; “The governors are a pressure group,if we succeed in putting the pressure on both National and State Assemblies and say look there are two tiers of governance, governors are one of the most patriotic elements in this country. I say to you. “Look there is no country in the world that there are three federating units, there are only two all over the world. Whyshould you say that there must be a third federating unit in Nigeria.”
Governor Amaechi also denied insinuations that governors were frustrating the ongoing constitution amendment exercise and said that on the contrary, the governors were cooperating with the National Assembly on the amendment exercise.
He said: “How will I know that? Just tell me one role the governors are playing in the process. Are we the legislative arm of government? That question does not require an answer because what he (Senator Adeyemi) is saying is that there is no state Assemblies and National Assembly, the governors have constituted themselves into state Assemblies and the National Assembly too.”
http://www.leadership.ng/nga/articles/44321/2013/01/07/govsll_continue_oppose_lg_autonomy_amaechi.html

Denied institutions their autonomy, is one of the greatest problem in nigeria

Thieves!!! If the LGs are autonomous there would less for Govs to steal.

these govs are just too powerful.they can handtwist the president to do their biddings.shameless thieves.

Jaidey-one:
Thieves!!! If the LGs are autonomous there would less for Govs to steal.

not really my guy, those local government area council chairmen are as useless as president jonathan goodluck, unlike the ones we have gotten so far in delta state, allocation all the resources we have in our federation accounts, nothing good will come out of it instead, they will start marrying new wives, building big houses here & there, raising an army & having their churches inside their compounds that a pastor will be rented every sunday to preach sermons, only in delta state.

Omen100:

not really my guy, those local government area council chairmen are as useless as president jonathan goodluck, unlike the ones we have gotten so far in delta state, allocation all the resources we have in our federation accounts, nothing good will come out of it instead, they will start marrying new wives, building big houses here & there, raising an army & having their churches inside their compounds that a pastor will be rented every sunday to preach sermons, only in delta state.

Shallow reasoning to counter the need to strengthen the third tier of government closest to the people . . .

If we are to follow your reasoning pattern, then we shouldn't even be electing L.G.A officials since they are as "useless" as your President and Commander in chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria