By Ayodele Oni
Former Senator who represented Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, has lent his voice to autonomy for Local Governments in the country saying their autonomy is the only way to strengthen governance at the grassroots and save Council Areas from paralysis.
Sani, who spoke in an interview on Sunday had served in the Eight National Assembly as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts.
He pointed out that the step by the Federal Government has the potential to restore development at the grassroots and strengthen the local government system.
“Local Government autonomy is the only way to save the LGs from bankruptcy and paralysis.
“Poverty and insecurity in the country is rooted in the destruction of the local government system.”
According to him, most council chairmen only go to their offices when federal allocations are released.
He said the lack of financial and administrative autonomy for the local government affected the performance of the third tier of Government.
He described Federal Government’s proposal that State Electoral Commissions (SIECs) should be scrapped as a good move, saying scrapping SEICs would deepen democracy at the grassroots.
“The scrapping of SIECs is a step in the right direction. It has become impossible for opposition parties to win elections at the local councils level because of the institutional rigging and imposition of candidates by State Governors.
“The Chairmen of SIECs and staff of SIECs are all agents of the state governors and of the ruling party in their respective states.”
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of justice, Lateef Fagbemi is currently in court seeking legal backing for the 774 Local Councils in the country.
