NANS commends NASS for granting full autonomy to LGAs

...says abrogation of SIECs will enhance democracy at grassroots 

By Demilade Michael

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has commended the National Assembly for granting full financial and administrative autonomy to all the 774 local council authorities across Nigeria by amending section 124 of the nation’s constitution.

NANS in a statement signed by the Clerk of the Senate, NANS National, Abdul Yekinn Odunayo, in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, on Thursday, described the action of the National Assembly as a bold step towards freeing the LGAs from the shackles of some state governors.

Odunayo, who equally commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for dragging the state governors to the Supreme Court over the LG autonomy, noted that the Constitution amendment effected by the National Assembly on Tuesday, will give a boom to the efforts of Mr President in granting both financial and political autonomy to the third tier of the government, which according to him is the closest to the people.

He observed further that by deleting the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) from the constitution, thereby vesting the powers to conduct council elections on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), will strengthen democracy at the grassroots and prevent the governors from imposing their stooges as local government Chairmen.

NANS expressed optimism that with the Constitution amendment, local governments will begin to function maximally and be able to perform their constitutional roles of engendering and delivering good governance to the people at the grassroots.

"We, at the NANS commend the National Assembly for amending the Constitution and granting full autonomy to the LGAs in the country. With this, the 774 LGAs across the country will heave a sigh of relief and be free from the grasp of the state governors. 

"It is our belief that the local government, as the third tier of the government and closest to the people, should have the desired freedom to discharge its duties according to the dictates of the Constitution.

"The deleting of SIECs from the Constitution is another laudable step taken by the NASS, and vesting the conduct of LG elections on INEC will go a long way in preventing some governors from imposing their stooges as LG chairmen of the people. 

"The NASS, by its action,  has indeed given impetus to the efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure total autonomy to the LGS, which are mostly being run by Caretaker Committees set up by the governors. With this development, allocations due to each LG will go directly to it, while the issue of arbitrary dissolution of LG administrations will be put to rest.

"Also, abrogating SIECs will enhance and strengthen democracy at the grassroots, as people will have the choice to elect their preferred candidates for LG positions, without undue interference or influence from the governors.

"It is our hope as a student body, that the case instituted at the Supreme Court by the Federal Government against the state governments over LG autonomy will favour the FG, thereby, giving a pristine breath of life to the LGs and safeguarding their allocations from being tampered with.

"We, therefore, express our absolute confidence in the President Tinubu-led administration in its quest to take the country out of the current economic and socio-political quagmire. NANS will continue to give the necessary support to the administration to ensure it makes the desired impact on the nation", Odunayo stated in the statement.