President Muhammadu Buhari says his administration will support a constitutional amendment to free local governments from the stranglehold of state governments. Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, said in a statement that Buhari made his position known when he received the leadership of the Association of Local Governments in Nigeria (ALGON) on Thursday in Abuja.

He stated that the President told the ALGON leadership that the amendment, when carried out, would better the lot of Nigerians at the community level. He stressed that a constitutional amendment was urgently required to clearly define the relationship among the three tiers of government.

He described the frosty relationship between states and local governments as “very serious constitutional problem.

“The relationship between the three tiers of government is not a very nice one, especially that between the local governments and the states. “The states feel like they own the local governments if they are of the same party. It is worse if they are not. “This is a very serious constitutional problem and unless there is absolute clarity and transparency, the relationship will continue to be exploited against the interest of the ordinary people of the country.”

Buhari advised the ALGON executives to hold consultations with their people and lawyers with a view to presenting a bill that would seek constitutional amendment to free the councils from the stranglehold of the states. He said “this will limit the damage they can do to you. The quicker you do this the better, so that you can help your people much more.”

He acknowledged the request by ALGON for the release of 3.2 billion dollars wrongfully deducted by Federal Government for the final settlement of foreign debts in 2005. President Buhari said the government recognized the judgment debt but the timing of the request for its repayment was wrong, given the current economic situation in the country.

In his remarks, the acting ALGON National President, Alhaji Ibrahim Karaye, presented a six-point demand to the President, which included the repayment of the 3.2 billion dollars debts. He stressed the need to ensure the sovereignty of local government administration in the country.

The ALGON leader expressed the Association’s full support to the President’s programmes on improving security, anti-corruption campaign and economic revival.

eyeview:
It won't fly. The move to ammend the constitution was tried earlier. The state governors got their various state house of assemblies to vote against it and thus it couldn't muster the two-third majority needed.
Besides,with the exception of the senate, a majority of the members of the house of reps are candidates of their various state governors.
I don't see this amendment happening

basilo101:
what we need is to separate the state government from the Feds. State govt is the most viable to have autonomy. while LG is too small to be viable the FG is too far from the people, making the bulk of the responsibility of governance fall o ;Dn the shoulders of the state government. Bubu is a hypocrite, he should push for reform that will free the state from the choking stranglehold of Abuja

Pavore9:
Many Governors will fight it because Local government funds is for them to do as they wish with it!

Nigerians should be engaged in this national conversation and asked what they have benefited from their local government councils with the present arrangement where the councils are dependent on the mood of their Governors.

anonimi:


It is good.
It will happen now.
Have you forgotten that we now have a strong man, our "only saviour", whose body language odour alone fixes all things bad & ugly about our country
Unlike the "weak, bloody civilian" who was his predecessor.







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Izonpikin:
the baba should call for a referendum in order to discuss various reforms that should move this nation forward..

State autonomy should be buharis priority and not this...

Pavore9:


It starts from somewhere, beginning with local government autonomy it will be a good start and from there we press forward. The money allocated monthly to local government councils is like free money to many Governors that is why many councils are not having any impact on the people.

You need to live in the rural area to feel the rot more, a local government chairman who is a stooge of the Governor said the council had no money to repair the roof of a primary school destroyed by the rains but provided funds to hire 20 buses to convey people to the state capital for a political rally. Those LG chairmen are accountable to the Governor who put them there not to the people!

Izonpikin:
I know..but if Buhari is discussing that then he should scrap the governors sit as it is practiced in the UK...

So that locals can feel the effect of governance..

Buhari should think well and call for a referendum...

Pavore9:


Regionalism will crash the cost of running government but expectedly the political class will kick against it because it will amount to loss of political positions. It is the collective will and power of the people that can trigger the referendum.

MadamExcellency:
That means another constitutional amendment.

The first constitutional amendment for the autonomy of the Local Government areas was voted down by a majority from 36 States legislative assemblies because of their respective Government's (State Executive) influence.

Will they allow it this time? Let's see if our prayers get answered.

Remember, this will also create the distinction between the rich and the poor LGAs hence viability of most LGAs maybe exposed.


As the government proceeds on this important reform, we ask that it be extended to separation of States and Federal Government from owning a joint account and sharing same every month of the year.

The States also need certain degree of autonomy from Federal Government to enable them develop at their respective pace.

mamabomboy:
Nice move Mr Dullard. But how about also supporting an amendment that will weaken the strangehold of the Executive on the Legislature and also reduce the powers of the Executive