The Federal Government and the National Assembly have been asked to cede control of the 774 LGAs in the country through the review of the 1999 constitution to the traditional rulers for optimal performance.
The Vice Chairman, Oyo Council of Obas and Chiefs and Onile Igbon of Orile Igbon in Surulere local government area, Oba Francis Alao advocated this while receiving in audience in his palace the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian of God, (RCCG) Pastor Enoch Adeboye at the weekend.
Pastor Adeboye was in Orile Igbon to flag off the Church annual evangelism programme otherwise known as ‘Let’s Go a fishing’.
The monarch who described local government administration in the country as abysmal failure in terms of making rightful constitutional impact on the people at the grassroot as enshrined in the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria stressed the need for a change of guard.
He noted that the ineptitude of the local government administration has contributed in no smaller measure to the high rising poverty rate in the country.
The monarch disclosed that over 80% of the nation”s population are living below poverty line, adding that this can only be reversed through the review of the constitution and appointment of people of impeccable characters into public offices.
According to him, “As far as we are concerned, there is no local government all over the Country anymore. Its administration should be given to the traditional rulers for an effective performance.
“All the 774 local governments across Nigeria are not working at all. Let the traditional rulers take over the position. Also, let there be Local government and Judiciary autonomy. This will help the nation to grow and bring progress to the nation.
“There are lots of fantastic traditional rulers who are equipped academically more than those whom we put there. We have retired Judges, military officers, accountants and others among us.
“Let them give us constitutional role to play so that the nation can be healed. There is a lot of division all over the country. The crime rate is high because 80% of Nigerians are living in abject poverty.
“There is no middle class Nigerian anymore. It is either you are poor, extremely poor or you are extremely rich. No rich Nigerian. Those who are rich, they are extremely rich and they are not even up to 2% of the entire population.The rest are poor. There’s no middle class Nigerians economically,”
He also advised President Bola Tinubu not to base the appointment of public officers on academic qualifications alone as this had been the nation’s greatest undoing in the past.
“President Tinubu should look at those people he is appointing. He should be able to appoint people who have the fear of God; character must be part of the criteria used in the appointment of public officers.
“He must choose people with good character, not only people with pedigree and academic inclination. They should have good character that when they get to office, they would not continue to do things the way the others have been doing it.
“The civil service is corrupt.The politicians are corrupt.So where do we find solace now? God Almighty will guide the president right.”
On the private meeting he had with Pastor Adeboye, he said, “I had private discussion with Daddy G.O and it had to do with the progress and peaceful co-existence of the nation, Nigeria and my environment here, Surulere Local Government, Ogbomoso and Oyo State.
“All Baba is saying is that he is praying for those at the federal and also for those in the state because he believes in the power of prayer.
“He talked about all what is going on in the country; the economic situation in the country and baba is saying that he would continue to pray for God to direct the people at the helms of affairs to the right part, so that there will be great improvement economically in this country.”
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