…As Aregbesola, Sagay, others proffer
solution on how to make LGs functional
LAGOS—ONE thought dominated the
comments of discussants on how to make
local councils in Nigeria effective at a
forum in Lagos Tuesday: There is so
much rot in the councils and decisive
actions are needed to make them deliver
democracy dividends.
However, the discussants were divided on
how to ensure effective governance at the
grassroots. While some asked the National
Assembly to remove the Local Councils as
a tier of government and tie them to the
states in line with the dictates of classical
federalism, others said the councils should
be allowed to operate as currently
enshrined in the 1999 constitution.
Among those who proffered solutions to
the decay in the councils were Osun State
Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; legal
icon, Professor Itse Sagay, SAN; Professor
Francis Oluyemi Fagbohun; and Mr.
Onyekachi Ubani (Chairman, Nigeria Bar
Association, Ikeja branch).
This came as Prof Fagbohun, who chaired
the event, said that late Dim
Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu was
right when he called and fought for
confederacy in 1966 but people
misunderstood him and branded him a
rebel.
According to him, events in the country
indicate that “we are returning to
confederation. Nigeria has concepts which
you can’t find anywhere in the world. Our
federalism is homegrown. What we have is
not a federal system. We started on a
wrong note. The federating units did not
come together and agreed to unite. That is
the basis of our problems.
“Nigeria is an artificial creation. Before
independence, we had true federalism.
The East was even operating three tiers of
government and it worked. After the 1976
local government reforms, the councils
have never remained the same. Even the
establishment of the Joint Account
Committee has become a problem in most
states.”
Aregbesola on his part, attributed his
inability to conduct council polls in Osun
State to pending litigations, assuring that
once the legal fisticuffs were resolved he
would hold the polls.
They spoke at the second edition of the
National Public Discourse organised by
CMC Connect in association with O’Ken
Ventures, at MUSON Centre, Lagos. It was
themed: “Local Government Authority:
How Autonomous?”
The governor attributed the rot in the
councils to military introduction of unitary
system of government, designation of
councils as a tier of government, over-
concentration of power at the centre to
the detriment of the federating units,
creation of federation account and
allocation of funds to other tiers of
government.
Citing the examples of United States of
America, India, Brazil, Switzerland and
Australia among others, he said countries
operating a federal system of government
have two tiers of government – the centre
and the federating units (states) arguing
that it is an aberration to make councils a
tier of government.
He picked holes in the allocation of 51 per
cent of revenue to the Federal
Government with the 36 states getting 26
per cent. “The Federal Government is too
distant from the people. What is the
Federal Government doing with its 51 per
cent allocation? It is impossible for the
government at the centre to present itself
to the people in the grassroots.
“The introduction of garrison federalism
made it a rule that everything (revenue)
must come to the Federal Government
and ensured straight jacket garrison
command of allocation of funds to the
local governments. Which other federation
outside Nigeria allocates revenue from the
Federal Government to other tiers?
Government exists to generate income.
Any government that cannot generate
income is not worthy of its existence.”
To make councils functional, he said the
states should be allowed to create and
fund councils as they deem fit without
input from the National Assembly as
currently obtains; the country should be
restructured with power devolved to the
federating units because defective
federalism is responsible for the
widespread poverty in the country and
without allocation only a few states and
local councils would survive.
Speaking in like manner, Sagay said the
question of autonomy for councils in a
federal setting was an aberration. His
words: “What we have in Nigeria is an
aberration. It is unheard of for local
government to be listed in the
constitution. The local government is
totally and completely an agent of the
state government for development. What
should happen is that every state should
decide how many local governments it
wants and fund them by itself.
“The Federal Government should not fund
local governments. Why should we have a
federation account? Why do we all share
from one account and say we are a
federation? Why must we have the same
system of government in all the councils?
States should be able to decide the form
of local government system they want
whether parliamentary or presidential…
“Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo recognized
in 1947 that the only way we (Nigeria) can
be together is through federalism. We
should be thinking of how to reduce the
stifling control of the centre. Nigeria has to
practice a federal system of government.
What we have now is a semi-unitary
system. The Federal Government should
be thinking of how to convert the zones
into powerful regions and leaving the
centre with a few responsibilities because
the Federal Government is the weakest
government in the country.
“If we follow the correct principles of
federalism and allow power to devolve to
the federating units we will get it right.
The regions funded the Federal
Government in the past and kept 50 per
cent of their revenue. Today the Federal
Government strips states of their
resources. The Federal Government has no
resources. All they have is Abuja and
Abuja has nothing. If it is not Niger Delta
oil or Lagos VAT, it is Customs duties. Not
up to five per cent of Federal Government
resources come from the Federal
Government.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/06/ojukwu-was-right-on-confederacy-in-1966-prof-oluyemi-fagbohun/

I can only say goodmorning to my brothers from the South west. Anyway, what an adult sees sitting down, a child wouldn't see even while on a tree.

I can only say goodmorning to my brothers from the South west. Anyway, what an adult sees sitting down, a child wouldn't see even while on a tree.
[/quote]

You are a lost soul. What did Ojukwu see that Awolowo or Azikwe not see? keep living in your deluded grandiose of the land of the rising sun

Ojukwu is a fool like me left his people when matter most. My oga at d top be dat ;P

Did he really run or relocate?

Even Tinubu made similar statement sometime last year. Ojukwu remains the only person both dead and alive that saw the true nature of Nigeria. ThankGod some people are having a rethink. Later Musiwa would come out to show state lite pictures decpitng falsehood and unholy propaganda telling us that Ojukwu failed to take irrelevant bla bla blas into cognisance before fighting for confederacy in 1966, whereas,they knw very well that Ojukwu did the right thing then.

debetmx:
I can only say goodmorning to my brothers from the South west. Anyway, what an adult sees sitting down, a child wouldn't see even while on a tree.


You are a lost soul. What did Ojukwu see that Awolowo or Azikwe not see? keep living in your deluded grandiose of the land of the rising sun

^^^It's obvious what Ojukwu saw that Awo and Zik didn't see.......i tell a lie; in all fairness, Awo saw it too, but was too busy and consumed with his 'battle' to see the unique opportunity presented to help reconfigure the political structure of the country.

“Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo recognized
in 1947 that the only way we (Nigeria) can
be together is through federalism. We
should be thinking of how to reduce the
stifling control of the centre

So you see, unlike Zik, Awo -like Ojuwku- had a better understanding of what the countrys problem was, but for whatever reason, he decided to 'chase a rat when his house was on fire'!

kunlekunle: Did he really run or relocate?

^^^Quit trying to be diversionary!

IGBO-SON:


^^^It's obvious what Ojukwu saw that Awo and Zik didn't see.......i tell a lie; in all fairness, Awo saw it too, but was too busy and consumed with his 'battle' to see the unique opportunity presented to help reconfigure the political structure of the country.



So you see, unlike Zik, Awo -like Ojuwku- had a better understanding of what the countrys problem was, but for whatever reason, he decided to 'chase a rat when his house was on fire'!

The bitter truth was that ojukwu never saw you, Who he saw was Gowon. Let anybody me prove wrong. He was fighting a personal war, using gullible people who thought they were fighting a cause for the land of the rising sun.

Do you think Awolowo would have wasted the lives of 3million Yorubas?

T8ksy:


Ojukwu didn't see confederacy when his home boy, Ironsi was in power. In fact, he supported his unitary

decree and he Ojukwu was estactic bragging the following day about how he intends to export his kith and kins to the north

to take up civil service posts, therein.


Ojukwu only changed his tune when his homie lost out on power and then viola, he had a dream, "Confederacy" is the answer!

God bless you. The same way the northerners abandoned Araba when their brother, Gowon took over power.

IGBO-SON:

So you see, unlike Zik , Awo -like Ojuwku- had a better understanding of what the countrys problem was, but for whatever reason, he decided to 'chase a rat when his house was on fire'!

Awolowo didn't chased a rat but give to the situation of then what it required .......


Ojukwu should have made wider consultations with like-mind home and abroad before declaring secession ------Atleast,the logistics of Biafran should have been tabled before Southern Nigerian elders and the minorities therein as well as sympathizers around the globe @large ........ !!!


---but we could say Ojukwu is not visionary nay a strategist but a soldier who act first and think bout its consequence later .........!!!


Awolowo was a selfless leader,a Diplomat,a lawyer and a Politician also a Yoruba Man (Bo laso bi agba,oo le lakisa bi agba ) -----!!!

And when a Young Warlock is cutting a tree,na the elders abound shall know where it would fell !!!

Ikemba 1 of nnewi. RIP. Hero to his people. Who cares what nonentities think.

Awolowo was a selfless leader,a Diplomat,a lawyer and a Politician also a Yoruba Man (Bo laso bi agba,oo le lakisa bi agba ) -----!!![/quote]

ojukwu had utmost respect for the person of Awolowo and am sure his views on issues. History knows ojukwu was only acting on his ego (agidi ibo) and may be his personal ambition

T8ksy:

Yeah................just as Pa Awo of blessed memory will always remain an hero to his people

and we yorubas, don't give a rat's a.r.s.e what inconsequential people say about him, least of all those that he defeated

in the civil war.

Awo defeated who? He played boy, like you people are known to be. And remind me again about the causation of his death.

Nigeria is in a deep mess, and whenever they try to think of a solution and come face to face with what Ojukwu fought for, they will forget their thought, they are trying to sweep the issues under the carpet but each time a bomb explodes, they will remember the warnings. The words of the Ikemba will always hang in the air, haunting the whole of the bad people in this country, the Ikemba was right afterall........

T8ksy:

Remind me who was playing boy boy to Tafawa Balewa in the first republic......... and the 2nd.

Ok, Awo didn't defeated the ibos but at least he taught you all a lesson never to mess with yorubas, again.

Hehehehehe, Igbos have never tried to mess with yorubas, its the yorubas that are afraid and running away from their shadows everyday. Till they drink poison while nobody was chasing them........

T8ksy:

oh yeah? So what the hell was Ojukwu's biafra Liberation force doing in Ore en route to Lagos?

I don't remember anyone sending them an invite.

That was a misadventure carried out by Banjo who chose to disobey the Ikemba, Banjo got a bullet for his disobeying orders.

T8ksy:

Remind me who was playing boy boy to Tafawa Balewa in the first republic......... and the 2nd.

Ok, Awo didn't defeated the ibos but at least he taught you all a lesson never to mess with yorubas, again.

Lol. Never to mess with what? Chai. Hahaha. You want your brothers to come and ban me when I start saying the truth? Nobody in this universe takes you seriously. You guys are still toddlers. Believe me. Listen awo is a thief. He is also a very weak man. We know men fight with men. It is only weaklings that fight with women and children.

T8ksy:

Yeah? Like the misadventure Banjo conducted in the mid west region.

Yeah? Like the misadventure Banjo carried out in Benin.

T8ksy:

Of course! And when s.hiiit.e hits the fan, the man ran off in the middle of the night dressed like

an ugly bearded tranny leaving his kinsmen at the mercy of the enemy. Some man!

The definition of bravery is standing up and fighting, the Ikemba fought like a man and will forever be remembered as a hero who was given a presidential burial. MKO was beaten to death by IBB whom Al mustafa allowed in though the back door.

T8ksy:


Ojukwu didn't see confederacy when his home boy, Ironsi was in power. In fact, he supported his unitary

decree and he Ojukwu was estactic bragging the following day about how he intends to export his kith and kins to the north

to take up civil service posts, therein.


Ojukwu only changed his tune when his homie lost out on power and then viola, he had a dream, "Confederacy" is the answer!

Interesting ! Could you substantiate this ?

Ojuku was right about what?

The same thing Awo told Zik pre independence and he rejected?

The same thing Ojuku celebrated when Ironsi implemented it?

Ojuku was just another coward

dayokanu: Ojuku was right about what?

The same thing Awo told Zik pre independence and he rejected?

The same thing Ojuku celebrated when Ironsi implemented it?

Ojuku was just another coward

Deep.

After killings of several Igbos in the north,Nigerian leaders sat in Aburi, where Ojukwu convinced the others that confederation was the best way to go, considering the dangerous rivalry between the major ethnic groups..

My understanding is that, on getting back to Nigeria, Gowon and other began to foot drag on the Aburi agreement and they were fully encouraged by technocrats from the SW then, remember that prior to the July 1966 coup, the Igbos and Yorubas were in serious neck and neck rivalry for opportunities, in Lagos and SW, the departure of the Igbos in droves gave the Yorubas a fresh breath of air...

Igbos who saw education almost 100 years after the first yorubas, quickly pulled themselves up and became very competitive, achieving great strides in many field of endeavor, Drastically closing the educational gap with the Yorubas and moving to all corners of Nigeria to establish them selves, nigeria very quickly saw these As a threat and thus the animosity between various Nigerians and the Igbos, most notably the core north and the SW.

As already established the blazing rapid progress of the igbos was viewed with serious suspicion by those who couldn't cope with the progress, initially, the igbos were eager to for the british to go and was ready to make any sacrifices to achieve such, Hence allowing the reluctant north more political power as a sort of assurance against perceived political domination from the more educated south, the Igbos probably calculated that the spirit of free and fair enterprise would be allowed to reign in an independent nigeria, they probably calculated that competition and industry would be the main stay of the Nigerian economy....boy were they wrong!

The unhealthy rivalry lead to the coup and counter coup and by this time it was clear that ethnic tensions and fears of domination by other groups would not allow the environment of free enterprise, industry and competitive of the Igbos to thrive in nigeria..
Hence Ojukwu's proposal of confederation, which should have made logical sense at the time, but Nigerians had already grown so afraid of the Igbos that he natural stance was to stand on the opposite side of what the Igbos were saying, weather it made sense or not

This great fear of the igbos have lead the victors of the war to configure Nigeria in such a way that the factors which will allow the igbos to thrive will be removed. hence free enterprise , industrial development, power generation, oil industry etc are all controlled by government, for many years laws were made prohibiting groups or people outside government from owning oil companies, generating power, owning major industries like telecoms, banks etc...Igbos were left with only trading...as a people who cannot be held down they took it too new heights as the environment allowed....

Only recently, after the powers that be, believed that the competitive spirit of the Igbos was no longer a threat, they began to open up various sectors of the economy...banks, telecoms, local content for oil industry, etc....this is being done very slowly...the fear of the Igbos as always remains a guiding factor