The Ogun State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka has promised to allow local governments to operate as stipulated by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria if elected into office.
He, however, berated the outgoing government of Senator Ibikunle Amosun for stifling that tier of government and making them ineffective to carry out their constitutional responsibilities as the closest tier of government to the people.
Isiaka said this while fielding questions from the panelists during the gubernatorial debate organised by the Committee For Defence of Human Rights (cdhr) in Abeokuta on Tuesday where six candidates participated.
Governor Amosun was conspicuously absent at the gathering where candidates were asked various questions on their agenda for the state.
Isiaka said for the development to spread across all the 20 local councils in the state, government at that level should exercise a level of autonomy with little supervision from the state governor, he lampooned Amosun for rendering the local councils ineffective.
The PDP candidate who assured the people of his desire to expand the economy of the state to engender development said that was the only antidote to survive the global economic meltdown and fall in the prices of petroleum products at the international market.
He said, "We envisage no problem in getting resources to finance our four point agenda which places emphasis on welfare of the people because we have many projects, if executed, that will increase the internally generated revenue (IGR) of the state and provide employment for our teeming youths.
"The problem we have in Ogun State now is that most of the projects being executed are not well thought out before execution, that is why contractors have left the sites but we shall complete all these projects.
"At this critical time when there is a global economic challenges, our state needs a sound financial expert to keep us afloat and I have all it takes to do this and make our state greater".
Isiaka, a first class graduate of Accounting from the University of Ife now Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) said he felt bad seen students of secondary schools in Ogun State sitting down at home because the government has failed to fulfil its promises to the teachers. He said no serious government will toy with the education, which he described as the bedrock of human development.
"The strike action embarked upon by the teachers can be averted if this government is serious about education and welfare of the teachers".
He, however, promised to address the welfare of the teachers and civil servants in the state and restore all their rights and privileges denied them by Amosun government.