Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, on Saturday, described the Supreme Court ruling on Local Government Councils’ financial autonomy as a mere distraction from the main issues.
Recall that on Thursday, the apex court ruled that the Federal Government (FG) should henceforth pay allocations directly to Local Government Areas (LGAs).
The Court also ordered the Federal Government to withhold allocations of LGs governed by unelected officials.
Speaking with some members of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Ibadan, Makinde said the real issue is that the country is not producing enough.
According to him, the country must focus on addressing the problem of unproductivity, instead of worrying about LGA autonomy.
READ ALSO: LG Autonomy: Supreme Court Has Relieved Us Of A Burden – Govs
Makinde questioned the sustainability of the trend of LGAs receiving allocations from the federal government.
“They said there is a judgment of the supreme court on local government autonomy.
“I think it is just a distraction. We must face the real issue that we have.
“The issue that we have is that we are not producing enough.
“We are not productive. Maybe it may be part of the problem (LGA autonomy), we want to have value for what is being shared (federal allocations) but our problem is productivity.
“How much are those LGAs generating within their domains?
“Can they survive without handouts from Abuja? Handouts from Abuja, is that the way to go? Is it sustainable?”
