Association of Ex-Local Government chairmen of Nigeria has lauded the Supreme Court verdict on the council’s financial autonomy.
The Supreme Court on Thursday in its verdict directed the release of the monthly allocation due to the 774 local government councils to them directly from the Federation Account.
The National President of the Association, Hon. Albert Asipa in a statement made available to journalists in Ibadan on Sunday, declared that the Supreme Court judgment was a landmark one towards turning around the lives of the people at the grassroots.
The National President asserted that the Federal Government which initiated the court case meant well for the country and every people of good conscience must applaud Mr. President, who has demonstrated uncanny commitment and devotion to the betterment of lives of the citizenry against all odds.
Hon. Asipa praised the state governors for the equanimity with which they had accepted the verdict, noting that the governors would now concentrate on those issues that really have to do with the state governments while the local government councils would now become busier than they are presently.
He recalled that what the Supreme Court judgment did was to halt a kind of gradual slide and complete paralysis of the local government system stressing that the system was not as bad as it currently turned when some of the members were calling shots at their respective councils some years ago.
Hon. Asipa, who was former Executive Chairman, Imeko/Afon Local Government of Ogun State maintained that the framers of the constitution, who described the political head of the local government as the ‘Executive Chairman’ were not in the dream’s land and the words were not for fun, but, suddenly, the whole thing became eroded and nothing to execute at the local government councils again.
According to the National President, “It is that erosion that is being put paid to by the Supreme Court judgment and it is a function of vision and foresight on the part of Mr. President. It is a good thing that we are deepening our democracy. At our level, we are happy for the country and especially our people at the grassroots. They are the real beneficiaries of the new dawn and we say congratulations to them.
“To our colleagues at the local government councils, you are to note that this is the route we in the association have passed through before and we are in the best position to give you sound counsel. To whom much is given, much is expected. Fund availability is not license for frivolities, mundane and extravagant lifestyles.
“Rather, it is a license for you to touch people’s lives as the closest government to the people. We are in a very critical situation in our country where it is almost impossible for people to feed. This is the time to put on your thinking caps and engage in functional agricultural activities to ensure food sufficiency.
“There’s no any local government council in the country that has no one comparative advantage or the other that can be leveraged on to do something meaningful. Let the people feel government’s presence as they have never done of recent. It is through that that there would be justification for this laudable legal instrument”, the statement added.
The ASELGON boss recalled that since 2015, the association had been at the fore front of the clamor for the autonomy of the Local Government, noting that at the South West Delegates’ Conference held in 2022 at Abeokuta, Ogun State, part of the Communique issued at the Conference were Local Government autonomy and State Police.
“We are happy with the Supreme Court judgment, an indication that our association is well focused,” Ashipa added.
