A political Group by name, Imo Grassroots Leadership Association, IGLA, has commended the House of Representatives for voting en masse on the Local Government Autonomy in the on-going Constitution Amendment by the National Assembly.
The organization made up of former elected Council Chairmen, Deputy Chairmen, Councilors, Supervisory Councilors, Secretary of Local Government Councils, Sole Administrators, Transition Committee Chairmen and members has Barr Rex Anunobi as its Chairman.
In a release signed by Barr Anunobi, a former Chairman of Nkwerre LGA said, “We strongly believe that for us to deepen our democracy as well as encourage meaningful development at the grassroots in accordance with the doctrine of true federalism, local government as a third tier in the federating units should be autonomous with the states empowered with some degree of supervisory framework to ensure judicious appropriation and deployment of funds allocated to the system.
This will no doubt reflect the true federalism and the ultimate yearnings of Nigerians towards rescuing the local government system from the grip of some state governors whose overbearing appetite for diverting and utilizing local government funds at the expense of the third tier government has contributed to the near comatose of the local government system in Nigeria.
Again, this ugly development is traceable to the inability of some state governors to conduct local government election as they prefer to appoint their loyalists and stooges to oversee the local government councils in their various states. Unfortunately, this anti-democratic practice contradicts the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which only recognized democratically elected government structure at the three tiers of the federating units.
We, therefore salute our representatives in the green chamber for their utmost patriotism, wisdom, steadfastness and most importantly for rekindling our hope in democracy which we collectively fought to enthrone in the country.
In the same manner, we appeal to the senate to reconsider its position on the issue in the interest of Nigerians.
Finally, the adoption of payment of pension to former Presidents, Vice Presidents and principal officers of the National Assembly at the national level as well as Governors, Deputy Governors and principal officers of the state assemblies at the state level should be replicated at the local government level in the spirit of true federalism so that former council chairmen, vice chairmen and principal officers of the local government legislative bodies will equally benefit from the policy. This is one of the surest ways to strengthen the federal system of government in Nigeria and checkmate corruption and gross abuse of office prevalent at the local government system as there is presently no security of tenure of elected council officials.”
