Confab: NULGE asks delegates to curb govs power

    
The National Union of Local Government Employees has called on delegates at the ongoing National Conference to prioritize local government autonomy with a view to freeing it “from the tyrant approach of state governors.”

The National President of NULGE, Mr. Ibrahim Khaleel, who tabled the demand in an interview with journalists on Friday in Abuja, said the best way to address the problems in Nigeria is having an inclusive local government.

He said, “I think our position is well known by all Nigerians and it has not changed from our long time struggles to emancipate the system of Local Government from the tyrant approach of the state governors. Our position is that we really want the LGs to be free, to be autonomous; we need LGs that will address the aspiration and yearnings of our rural people. So, it is necessarily for the National Conference to take it as very important issue that will address most of the problems of our society.

“We want LGs where every member of the community will be a committed stakeholder to the development and aspiration of his area. We believe that when the National Confab agreed to strengthen the institutional framework of the LGst, free it from the excruciating control of the state governments and allow the communities to realize the potential within them, the issues of insecurity, poverty and non-performance of governance will cease to exist.”

According to him, if the National Conference is used to address the problem of Nigeria, many issues would be resolved amicably.

“You will agree with me that this is where we are having these problems. Where are the security challenges coming from? Where and how? What are the causes of this rancour? I believe what the two former Secretary-Generals of the United Nations, Kofi Annan and the other one, may be Butrus Ghali, who were both Africans mentioned in different occasions that any nation that put exclusive policies in administering its own state is bound to have conflict and rancour and that is exactly what is happening”, Khaleel stated.

He also accused some state governors especially those in the North of beautifying their own community at the detriment of other communities in the state describing it as injustice which must be addressed.

Khaleel said, “I believe the failure of LGs is due to an over control of this tier of government by the state government. I believe the Federal Government even though it has several issues that need urgent attention, should release the funds for states and LGs each month.

“We believe that there are some issues with regard to declaring complete revenue generated for the Federation but that is by the way; no matter how it is, every state and LG gets her own share of the constitutional revenue.

“But unfortunately, how many state government when they get this money release same to the ethnic groups that comprise different communities to the LGs when they get back to their states? How many of these state governments actually involve community in their state in deciding what to do with this money?