Three statesmen and business moguls have thrown their weight behind the recent judgement of the Supreme Court in support of full Autonomy of Local Government Areas in Nigeria.
In separate statements made available to Jungle-Journalist.Com, the Chancellor of Gregory University Uturu, Professor Greg Ibe, the proprietor of Rojenny Games Village, Oba, Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka (Ogilisi Igbo), and the founder of All Progressives Grand Alliance APGA and United Progressive Party UPP all thew their full weight behind the decision.
In his statement to Jungle-Journalist.Com founder of Gregory University Uturu, Prof Ibe applauded the Supreme Court for giving financial impetus to the autonomy of Local Government Councils.
Speaking in reaction to last week’s landmark judgement of the Supreme Court which reaffirmed the financial independence of the 774 Local Government Councils of Nigeria, Prof Ibe commended the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, for his wisdom in “exploiting jurisprudence to deal with an apparently intractable political quagmire which has defied many years of amicable resolution”.
Prof Ibe subsequently enjoined Prince Fagbemi to further strengthen the autonomy of the third tier of government by championing the call for the amendment of the constitution in order to alter the current practice of using state electoral commissions to conduct local government elections.
Insisting that the current practice confers undue advantage to the governors, who according to him, “use executive powers in installing their political stooges in the local councils thereby undermining the independence of the LGAs”, Prof Ibe charged the Minister to work assidously with the National Assembly in amending the constitution to provide for the conduct of Local Government Council elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC).
Citing personal experience, Prof Ibe outrightly blamed the near comatose state of activities in Local Councils on many years of financial emasculation by state governments.
According to him, “While commending the Supreme Court for this landmark judgement, I want to specially thank the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN for his wisdom in exploiting jurisprudence to deal with an apparently intractable political quagmire which has defied many years of amicable resolution”.
Continuing he said, “With this victory in the bag, let me further charge the Minister to work assiduously with the National Assembly in amending the constitution in order to provide a level playing field for all political stakeholders in the Local Government Areas. Subsequently, he should do everything to reduce to the barest minimum the control state Governors exert over local government elections, since the current practice affords them the opportunity of using executive powers in installing their political stooges in the local councils, thereby undermining the independence of the LGAs”.
He further stated,”It is unfortunate that many Corporate Social Responsibility projects initiated by my Gregory Iyke Foundation suffered untimely deaths because of lack of partnership and governmental coordination by Local Government Councils. For instance, Igbo Uturu Cultural Carnival which we initiated in 2008 as a vehicle to revive, project and celebrate the unique cultures of the 17 Local Government Areas of our state couldn’t survive beyond 2012 because of the absence of independently empowered administrations serving as collaborators and coordinating units at the council
headquarters”.
Concluding, Prof Ibe therefore implored political elites in Nigeria to “allow the local councils to breathe by ensuring the implementation of the Supreme Court judgement in order to guarantee expedited grassroots development in the 774 Local Government Areas of Nigeria”.
In his deposition, the Chief Executive Officer of Ranent Industries Company Ltd, Anambra State and founder of Rojenny Games Village, Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka also commended the Supreme Court.
His words “The Supreme Court decision on local government Autonomy is a very good development. The local governments will take a lot of seriousness in terms of dividends of democracy.
“They will take a fresh look at security, employment, sanitation, and ease of doing business. Rural development in areas like provision of electricity, roads, water and so many other very basic amenities will be easier to provide for the communities by the local government authorities.
“With the allocation coming to local governments, it is easy for the President General of every town to have a link to that local government and expose where there is lack. The state is too removed to touch the lives of the people the way the local governments will now directly affect the people. It is a very huge success, but needs competent people to be elected into local governments, and that they are autonomous does not mean that they will totally operate without the state. The state is the mother of the local government, while the Federal Government is the mother of the state.
“So roles are going to be shared and this will help ease a lot of burdens that the states carry. It will also be easy to checkmate how monies are expended. The monies will also go to its proper use this time, and not be diverted. It’s a win-win for both the states and the local governments and also for the communities.
“But again, what about the local governments that have been taken over by bandits, like in the north? Who collects the allocations? In some areas like Orlu in the south East, some local governments are no more functioning. What happens to the monies meant for these areas?
“These are some issues that needs to be checked to protect the people, their finances and ensure the development of these local government areas.
In his own opinion, Chief Chekwas Okorie who founded two major political parties in Nigeria has this to say;
“I support the judgment, I am very glad that the Supreme Court has resolved a major issue that has held development at the lowest level of government over several decades. Since the 1999 Constitution came into existence, governors after governors have used that opening of a joint account to divert and embezzle money meant for local development.
“Our constitution recognizes three tiers of government and the third tier is this local government.
“These governors have used this to deny the local people the opportunity to choose people they trust to represent them as councilors and Chairmen of council. Because of thr desire not to be questioned on thr way they take over funds meant for local governments, they usually go for criminals, thugs who kill people on their behalf for purposes of winning election, to reward them with appointments, because they merely appoint councillors and Chairmen of local governments.
“In most cases, it is even easier to set up a caretaker committee instead of even going through the rigours of a sham election, and that is what has happened that the people in the rural areas no longer think that they have any right whatsoever to decide who represent them. These people that are appointed to represent them at that level are usually the miscreants in the society.
“What do they do with such positions? They use it to terrorise the villagers, including traditional rulers, because they know they are the stooges of the man at the Government House in their states.
“So governance at that level suffered serious setback. Now, we will soon begin to witness governance at that level and dividends of democracy for the people that deserve it. There are so many dividends deriving from this development.
“Those trying to find any technical ground that the Supreme Court overlooked, whatever it is, and those who are arguing against it, are not being sincere. The Supreme Court anyway, has the power to make law. So if the Supreme Court says that’s the way it should be, you need another legislation to change it, and that has to be a constitutional change, and I don’t think anything will make us go back to the old system that has never done any good to the Nigerian people.
“The next thing that will make it more effective is for the electoral system to now ensure that people’s votes count, because at that level, people in the rural areas know the people they will like to vote for to represent them. They know their background, they know their families, and if we give them the chance to choose, they will not chose those people there now. They will choose people accountable to them.
“Then they will begin to feel the impact of democracy where the people’s votes count. And that is what will deepen our democratic practice. So the second leg to make it effective is an electoral reform that will really give the electorates at that level to chose their councillors and Chairmen of council”, Okorie stated.