Monday 21 January 2013

We‘ll resist Governors’ attempt to truncate LGAs autonomy – Senate

 by Remi Koleoso
Sen. Smart AdeyemiThe Chairman of Senate Committee on FCT, Sen. Smart Adeyemi, on Sunday said he would spearhead a nationwide protest to resist moves by State Governors to oppose local governments’ autonomy.
He said it was unconstitutional for the governors not to allow the local government areas have autonomy in the management of their finances. Adeyemi said this while speaking with newsmen in Abuja.
The Senator also described the Nigeria Governor's Forum (NGF) as alien to the nation's Constitution.
Adeyemi said it would amount to a breach of the Constitution for state governors not to allow financial autonomy for the local government, adding that most of them were oblivious of the sufferings of the people at the grass roots.
Responding to the Chairman, NGF, Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s assertion on the autonomy of LG in the country, Senator Adeyemi said there was no provision for a Governors’ Forum in the US Constitution, which was an advanced democracy.
He said the Nigerian situation was quite different from what obtained in the US or any other part of the world, noting that the Nigerian masses could only feel the impact of government through the local government.
While commending the efforts of Governor Amaechi for putting in place various developmental programmes in Rivers States, he challenged the governor to point at some of his colleagues who were doing same thing in any of the states in the country.
"In 1976, when we had the local government reform, it was to enable us to have as situation whereby quite a number of the sub-ethnic groups could have an identity in the first instance and equally, so that they can manage their own affairs.
"Now if you are saying you don't want the local government to be autonomous, then why do we go ahead to vote for the executive and other personnel for the running of the local government?
"I think it is unconstitutional for the governors not to allow the local areas to be on their own in terms of the management of their finances. One, it is a breach of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. When the governors were taking their oaths of office, with that sacred document, they said that will obey and respect the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Governor Amaechi is a very intelligent, articulate and courageous man. But good as all these qualities are, we are not equally short of those qualities in the National Assembly. I will equally say that from the interview he granted, I could now understand and appreciate where he is coming from.
“But the unfortunate thing is that Rivers State is not Nigeria. What Governor Amaechi is doing in Rivers State, I wish other governors are doing that. If other governors are even adding more to the allocations of their local government areas, then we have no business discussing the autonomy in the first instance.
“But as the chairman of the Governors’ Forum, I hope he is taking time to find out what is happening in the other states of the federation. When I speak, I don't speak as a Senator or speaking on behalf of Kogi people. I speak as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In essence, my constituency is Nigeria, first and foremost.
“And when we talk of contemporary issues, we talk about them because we want good governance; we want protection of human rights; we want improved standard of living.
“Now, one of the hallmarks of democracy is that you talk, I talk; democracy is not about arrogance. It is about discussing and you come up with superior arguments and then I will concede to you.
"I saw a lot of what he was doing and I asked myself a question- I hope this can be done in the other states of the federation. I don't know if people are scared the same way I am scared about the high level of poverty in Nigeria; I don't know whether you people are concerned about the fact there are millions of Nigerians roaming about the streets without job.
"I don't know whether you are concerned about the fact that you going round the local government areas today and there are armies of educated people who are not employed, roaming the streets; capable of causing revolution
"When we raise contemporary issues like this, we raise them because we want the best for our nation. We stir up national discourse so that the intelligentsia can come together and proffer solutions.
“What I am saying is, the chairman of the Governors’ Forum should ask his colleagues if they are doing what he is doing. if they are not doing that, then there is a reason for us to be concerned.
"In the course of his interview, I read where he said the Governors’ Forum will not allow the three tiers to be entrenched in the constitution. But let me say it to their excellencies that it pays you people to allow the three tiers of government to survive or else you will not sleep with your two eyes closed or else your old age would be disturbed.
"These are the truths. Again, in the course of the interview, the governor said that there is nowhere in the world where you have a federal system of government that you have local government being autonomous.
"I will say it to His Excellency that the federal system of government of our nation is slightly different from what we have in other nations of the world. Why? Because of our diversity as a people. Yes, we are One Nigeria but nobody will want his tribe being oppressed or relegated", Adeyemi said.
He said the local government was the only tier of government that had direct bearing on the lives of people at the grassroots.
Adeyemi said: ``we will do everything possible to resist any attempt to stop the third tier of government from being entrenched in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
``We the people will rise against that move. I will join other stake holders including labour, NULGE to go on a nationwide demonstration.
``I speak this not only as a Senator. I speak this as a journalist and as a former labour leader. So let nobody think about a two tier system of government.
``If you make any attempt to expunge or to reduce the power of the local government, then it is to prepare for anarchy in a few years to come,’’ he said.
NigerianCompass

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