President Bola Tinubu is on the right track for instituting a suit at the Supreme Court against the 36 state governments over local government autonomy.
Chief (Dr) Benson Enikuomehin, a legal practitioner, stated this in a statement on Saturday, commending the Federal Government over the step taken to ensure financial autonomy for the third tier of government.
He stated that the legal steps by Tinubu and the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi SAN, on local government autonomy “are not only commendable, but are geared towards the prosperity of the nation.”
According to Enikuomehin, since the inception of civilian administration in 1999, local government administration has been the first casualty of alleged high-handedness of the state governors.
The Ondo State-born legal practitioner stated: “Both the resources and the initiatives of the local government administration have been murdered.
“Some of the state governments went as far as collecting market rates, local taxes, liquor licences and all the duties specifically meant for the local authorities.”
He particularly alleged that a law was passed in Ondo State in which the 18 local government areas in the state ceded all their powers to the state government.
“In Ondo State, an obnoxious law was passed in which the 18 local government areas ceded all their powers to the state government to be carried out by the latter. This is the extent these greedy leaders could go in pauperising the locals.
“The monthly allocations to the local government areas are shamelessly taken over by the state governments and pulled into an account called “Joint Account” where the governor and the top civil servants usually have their field day.
“The local government chairman is thereafter given a peanut as a security vote to be spent for the month. The security vote ranges between N1m and N1.5m.
“The governor and his team of civil servants go to devour the hundreds of millions of naira cornered into the “joint account”
“Above is the monthly rituals that happen to the money released to the 774 local government areas in the federation.
“The person designated as the local government chairman is the “Personal Assistant to the State Governor on Local Government Affairs”. This accounts for why there is liturgy, apathy, inefficiency and brazen corruption at the local government level,” he added.
Enikuomehin, a former member of the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), said the step taken by President Tinubu, through the Attorney General, is therefore seen by well-meaning Nigerians as a welcome development.
“As a measure of redressing the evils perpetrated by the governors, the monies forcefully taken away from the local government authorities should be refunded and accounted for by the various state governments/governors.
“The financial autonomy being sought for the local government areas will be a mirage if the processes by which the councillors and chairman are elected remain the same.
“The governors select the card- carrying members of their party to head and manage the various State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC).
“There is nothing independent in these state electoral bodies. They are very crude when it comes to conducting local government elections.
“The Constitution of Nigeria and their conscience mean nothing to them. They just want to deliver results to the governor.
“To cure the above malady, it is opined that local government elections should be conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“The state governor will not be able to manifestly rig the election. Necessary constitutional amendments should be set in motion to this effect.
“Added to the above is the issue of individual candidacy. Constitutional amendment should be pursued to actualise this.
“Individual candidates should be allowed to contest for the posts of councillor, local government chairman, member of the House of Assembly and the House of Representative/Senate.
“The above suggestions, if taken and worked upon, will definitely enhance and sustain the local government authorities as the third tier of government.
“President Tinubu and his Attorney General and Minister of Justice are therefore encouraged to remain focused and undaunted on these noble steps they have taken,” he added.
