Senate plenary
Stop allocating funds to caretaker committee-led LGAs, Senate tells FG
The Senate yesterday accused state governors of misappropriating funds allocated to local government councils in Nigeria, saying that arm of government was dead in the country
It also said the dream of achieving the objectives of the local government system has encountered harsh realities as successive governments have often eroded local autonomy, limiting their financial resources and control over decision-making.
Consequently, the Red Chamber asked the federal government to stop further allocation of funds to caretaker committee-led local government areas, LGAs, and urged President Bola Tinubu to, as a matter of urgency, champion the cause of full autonomy for local governments in the country.
Resolutions of the Senate were sequel to a motion sponsored by Senator Suleiman Kawu, NNPP, Kano South.
The Senate resolved that President Tinubu should champion the cause of full autonomy for local governments in the country.
Presenting the motion, Senator Kawu said, among others: “The Senate notes that in the tapestry of Nigeria’s governance system, local governments are meant to be threads weaving development close to the ground.
‘’Envisioned as the closest tier of administration to the people, they hold the potential to address local needs directly and shape communities from inside out. But the story of Nigeria’s local government system is one of promise and paradox, woven with threads of hope and frustration;
“Also notes that the journey began in 1976 with local government reform, aiming to decentralize power and empower communities.
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‘’Envisioned as self-governing entities with elected officials, local governments handled critical aspects of community life – primary education, healthcare, sanitation, local infrastructure and community security. It was a dream of grassroots democracy, where decisions were made closer to the people they impacted.
‘’Aware that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, when he served as governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007, demonstrated sincere passion for the autonomy of the local governments in Lagos State. This can be grasped when he purportedly established 37 LCDAs within LGAs in Lagos State and introduced reforms to strengthen them.
“Also aware that the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, when he served as the governor of Akwa-Ibom Stated from 2007 to 2015, implemented various initiatives to improve service delivery at the local level, such as rehabilitating infrastructure, investing in healthcare and education, and launching poverty alleviation programmes, as well as deducting 10% of the IGR to LGAs which informed ground breaking achievements by LGA in Akwa-Ibom State local government administration.’
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