LG autonomy smokescreen to distract Nigerians from the real issues –Atiku’s support group
The Nigeria Youths For Atiku (NYFA), a support group of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, says the Supreme Court ruling granting local government autonomy remains a smokescreen to distract Nigerians from the real issues of hunger, terrorism and starvation.
The group’s Director of Publicity, Mr Dare Dada, in a statement on Monday said the ruling was mere a distraction and decoy by the APC led government to now seek for peoples mandate in 2027.
Dada, who noted that the judgement on LG autonomy had been greeted with mixed reactions, said Nigerians would still reject APC at the poll in 2027.
“While some Nigerians have welcomed the judgement as a good development, we in NYFA are of the opinion that it is mere a distraction and decoy by the APC led government to now seek for peoples mandate in 2027.
“It is our opinion that the move was politically motivated because everything about APC is politics and toying with the people’s emotions as against good governance which ought to be the core of their actions.
“It is good that we celebrate this kind of judgement but it will be difficult to rewrite history regarding the LG autonomy,” he said.
He said that the advocacy for LG autonomy was not new.
Dada added: “The Association of Local Government of Nigeria, ALGON, was created to advocate for longer tenure of elected local government chairpersons in 1999; as at 1999, only offices of LGA chairpersons were limited to three years while other political offices have four years.
“It is on record that President Obasanjo and the then Senate President Anyim, tried to amend the constitution to accommodate a 4-year tenure but President Tinubu and other governors kicked against it and instead opted for state-guided elections and appointment of administrators for LGAs.
“President Tinubu did not only contribute towards the weakening of our local government for over 20 years, yet unconstitutionally created additional thirty seven (37) LCDAs and appointed administrators to run them.
“His sudden love for LG autonomy is suspicious. Now that the highest court in the land has given judgement granting autonomy to the local government areas, what will happen to the thirty seven LCDAs he created in Lagos without constitutional backing?”
According to him, Nigerians need the Federal Government to create an environment where they will not only live in but thrive in.
“They need an environment that guarantees them affordable housing, three square meals and one in which they will no longer continue to convert their hunger to fasting and become religious fanatics unleashing their anger on other innocent citizens.
“It is of no use celebrating LGA autonomy when they will still appoint or elect their friends and family members who cannot be accountable to the people.
“We want a responsible government that is accountable. A country we all can be proud to live.
“A country where every policy is about good governance and not about selfish political strategies.
” Nigerians want a country that genuinely cares for her people without forcing them to escape to other countries for comfort and security,” he said.
According to him, the group has thrown its weight behind the 2023 Presidential Candidate of PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who had the requisite experience to run the affairs of our country effectively.
He said that Abubakar had experience in governance and understood both the economic and political demography of Nigeria quite well.
“A trial and error presidency can not take Nigeria anywhere except a competent and experienced person.
“Thus, we will entrust him with the affairs of our dear country in 2027 and fully back his race in running.
“We implore the APC led government to use their remaining 3-year tenure to focus on the real issues of hunger and starvation ravaging this country as the time for political moves has passed.
“Issues bordering inflation, devaluation of naira, fixing of the country’s refineries and curbing banditry should be of utmost concern so that Nigerians can genuinely applaud them and perhaps change the impression they have had of the party as incompetent.”
Recall that the Supreme Court, in a historic judgment on Thursday, July 11 ordered the Federal Government to immediately start direct payment of local governments’ funds to the councils’ exclusive accounts.
This is contrary to the normal practice of paying the funds to the councils through the State Joint Local Government Account.
The apex court ruled in favour of full financial autonomy for the 774 local governments.
The judgment came in a suit brought by the Attorney General of the Federation, following claims of inability of local governments to have access to their funds.
