Why I Started Advocating For Local Government Autonomy By Sam Onuigbo

.... Says, I have been vindicated

A member of the Governing Board of North East Development Commission (NEDC), Hon. Sam Onuigbo, has commended the Supreme Court for its landmark judgment on the issue of fiscal autonomy to Local Government Councils in Nigeria.

He disclosed that he began advocating for LG autonomy after serving in different capacities as Special Adviser to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Commissioner for Lands and Survey, Commissioner for Finance, Abia State and his subsequent election into the House of Representatives in 2015.

Onuigbo, who is also the Chairman, Committee on Security, Climate Change, and Special Interventions on the Governing Board of NEDC, stressed that the emasculation of the local governments by state governors was responsible for slow growth of democracy in the country

According to the former lawmaker, the development also led to the lack of productive engagement of the teeming unemployed youths in the grassroots and the attendant insecurity.

He recalled that although former President Muhammadu Buhari signed Executive Order 10 granting fiscal autonomy to the councils, the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) found a way around it through the same apex court and continued holding down the council funds through the Joint States and Local Governments Accounts regime.

While commending the President Ahmed Bola Tinubu administration for undergirding the constitutional provision for local government autonomy with judicial pronouncement, Onuigbo said he anticipates that the abolition of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) would follow suit to ensure transparent local governments.

In a statement to journalists in Abuja, yesterday, the former federal lawmaker regretted that for over 24 years the local government system was left to wallow in incessant manipulation by state governments, stressing that he has been vindicated.

He stated: “I started agitating for Local Government autonomy out of experience and first hand knowledge of how far the system suffered undue interference from state governments.

“The issues of insecurity, youth restiveness and unemployment were direct fallouts of lack of accountable government at the grassroots. Democracy could not bear dividends because that tier of government was made an appendage of state executives.

“Now, the Supreme Court judgment has opened a big window of opportunity that things would be made right at the Local Government Councils. What remains is to cut the last ligament of burden by abolishing SIECs so that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should conduct council polls.”

Onuigbo, who sponsored Nigeria’s landmark legislation on Climate Change, declared that it is only when council chairmen are freely elected by the people that proper accountability and provision of social amenities in the councils will take root.

“Unlike the state governors, council chairmen do not enjoy constitutional immunity. So, any council chairman that messes up with council funds would be made accountable and be prepared to have explaining to do at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

“But, for this to happen, all loopholes for possible manipulation or intimidation by state governors should be blocked. Communities should know that council chairmen are responsible to them and not to state governors when the opportunity to dictate the tune during council poll is taken away and given to the people,” he added.

Source : https://igberetvnews.com/1469427/started-advocating-local-government-autonomy-sam-onuigbo/

Joke of a country.

The so-called autonomy is as useless as the P in psychology.

The useless chairmen will still have to seek the consent of their govs who will request for 90% of the allocation.

Is a win for everybody,

I believe before the next election INEC will be the ones conducting all LGA election, if not this autonomy will not still work fully

Now for the local government chairnen to dey chop excess,their obstacles has been removed

To contest now for chairmanship go come brutal more cos our country like gboro-election
Them fit dey shake hand well with governors if possible

If Tinubu truly want to retain his dignity as hero of democracy then winning local government autonomy isn't the best legacy for him.
He should proof himself as a true hero.
He should know that what will bring lasting solution to a complex country like Nigeria is achieving True Federal system, where power is restored either to states or regions, resource control, state policing, etc.

I see LGAA as broadday light robbery that won't stand the test of time eventually. It may be now or next 20years but it won't yield needed solution and Tinubu's efforts will just go down the drain.

My advice to him is to brace up and do the necessary.
He shouldn't allow fear of the northern politicians swallow him from doing what is right

Advocating for something spelled out in the Constitution since the beginning? LG Autonomy or illegal accessing of funds set aside by the Constitution for explicit Local Government use by Governors? This whole thing sounds like 419 abeg! I would rather all the governors who ever dipped their hands into the LG accounts be sued for what is unconstitutional and essentially theft.

These governors are rogues who dipped their hands into accounts that they were not authorized to touch at all. So why this stewpid charade for Pete's sake!

Abeg shut up. In a sane country all these would have been settled from day 1

There is hope for Nigeria

Kobojunkie:
Advocating for something spelled out in the Constitution since the beginning? LG Autonomy or illegal accessing of funds set aside by the Constitution for explicit Local Government use by Governors?

I TIRE OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

THE LG autonomy is unrealistic until the 1999 constitution is amended by withdrawing SIEC from conducting LG elections. LG & Guber elections should be conducted the same day by INEC

All state Governors that have been chewing LGA budgets should be compelled to pay back all the money

omoredia:
Abeg shut up. In a sane country all these would have been settled from day 1

Like "subsidy is gone". If it's me, my day one speech will be " the whole of the South East is no more part of Nigeria. They are now BIAFRA". Make them carry their wahala comot.

spiSeyi:
THE LG autonomy is unrealistic until SIEC are withdrawn from conducting LG elections

Which LG autonomy abeg? What the heck do you understand by the term LG autonomy? These rogues are lying to you all.

Kobojunkie:
Which LG autonomy abeg? What the heck do you understand by the term LG autonomy? These rogues are lying to you all.

Check my modified comment

omoredia:
Abeg shut up. In a sane country all these would have been settled from day 1

As e no come be sane country nko?so he should allow the insanity to continue? do you think bfor you talk?

There's hope for this country.
Haters gonna be unhappy with this good innovation

Zxcvbnmghtr:


Like "subsidy is gone". If it's me, my day one speech will be " the whole of the South East is no more part of Nigeria. They are now BIAFRA". Make them carry their wahala comot.

Honestly my mind you read before this write up lol 😂

spiSeyi:
THE LG autonomy is unrealistic until the 1999 constitution is amended by withdrawing SIEC from conducting LG elections. LG & Guber elections should be conducted the same day by INEC

What you are asking for has absolutely nothing to do with what happened this week though. It had nothing to do with LG autonomy. Rather, it was an attempt to excuse the many excesses of governments up till now where it concerns LG accounts when in fact the Constitution since 1999 has been clear that the accounts in question belong only to the LG, not Governors. What this means is governors who have been accessing those accounts have done so illegally.

To everybody that contributed to this landmark ruling, I say thank you.

Now local governments should fix roads, schools and hospitals, electricity, parks etc

No more waiting on the state governor!
Good one!

No sane Nigerian will hate the supreme court judgement on the local government autonomy.......... That's one thing I know for sure.

Risingblue008:
Now for the local government chairnen to dey chop excess,their obstacles has been removed

To contest now for chairmanship go come brutal more cos our country like gboro-election
Them fit dey shake hand well with governors if possible

they now have more responsibility! !

If your street roads are bad, you can easily access your local government office for complain ! lol 😂

MIKOLOWISKA:
As e no come be sane country nko?so he should allow the insanity to continue? do you think bfor you talk?

Mugu. May thunder str!ke u early in the morning

Zxcvbnmghtr:


Like "subsidy is gone". If it's me, my day one speech will be " the whole of the South East is no more part of Nigeria. They are now BIAFRA". Make them carry their wahala comot.

Thank God u are deaf and dumb. Mugu

Kobojunkie:
Advocating for something spelled out in the Constitution since the beginning? LG Autonomy or illegal accessing of funds set aside by the Constitution for explicit Local Government use by Governors? This whole thing sounds like 419 abeg! I would rather all the governors who ever dipped their hands into the LG accounts be sued for what is unconstitutional and essentially theft.

These governors are rogues who dipped their hands into accounts that they were not authorized to touch at all. So why this stewpid charade for Pete's sake!

Grammatical Errors and Corrections:

"Advocating for something spelled out in the Constitution since the beginning?"

Clarification needed: It seems like a question but it's not clear.
"LG Autonomy or illegal accessing of funds set aside by the Constitution for explicit Local Government use by Governors?"

Fragment: Needs rephrasing for clarity.
"LG" should be spelled out the first time as "Local Government (LG)".
"This whole thing sounds like 419 abeg!"

"419" is slang and should be clarified.
"abeg" is informal and should be changed to "please".
"I would rather all the governors who ever dipped their hands into the LG accounts be sued for what is unconstitutional and essentially theft."

Correct as is, but consider rephrasing for clarity.
"undecided"

Fragment: Unclear placement.
"These governors are rogues who dipped their hands into accounts that they were not authorized to touch at all."

Correct as is, but consider rephrasing for clarity.
"So why this stewpid charade for Pete's sake!"

Spelling: "stewpid" should be "stupid".
Informal phrasing: Consider rephrasing for formal tone.

Corrected Version:

Advocating for something that has been spelled out in the Constitution since the beginning? Are we talking about Local Government (LG) Autonomy or the illegal accessing of funds set aside by the Constitution for explicit Local Government use by Governors? This whole thing sounds like fraud, please! I believe all the governors who ever dipped their hands into the LG accounts should be sued for what is unconstitutional and essentially theft.

These governors are rogues who dipped their hands into accounts that they were not authorized to touch at all. So why this stupid charade for Pete's sake?