The federal government has said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains fully committed to implementing local government autonomy as a means of deepening democracy and accelerating development at the grassroots level.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, asserted this yesterday in Abuja when the National Forum of Ex-Councilors led by its President, Mr. Auwal Kassim Hassan, paid him a courtesy visit to his office.
He said their autonomy and the ability to function very well would strengthen democracy at the grassroots and also promote development at that level.
“The local government, which is the third tier of government, is actually the closest to the people of Nigeria and that is why President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his wisdom revisited the issue of autonomy for the local government councils. You are aware that some time last year, an interpretation was sought by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice at the Supreme Court and there was this pronouncement from the highest court in the land indicating that there is indeed, as enshrined in our constitution, the need for the local government councils to be autonomous; to be independent and also function in all ramifications, whether it’s political or financial,” Idris said.
He recalled that local government councils which once functioned effectively as the third tier of government had been significantly weakened.
“Over the years, we have witnessed the whittling down of the ability of the local government councils to function as enshrined in our constitution.
“The President, being a very strong democrat, believes that for our democracy to advance to the level that we want it to be, the strengthening of that tier of government is essential.
“Democracy is the best form of government and we would not want a situation where the local government will be weakened,” he said.
The minister urged state governors to collaborate with President Tinubu to restore local government councils to the structure and purpose originally envisioned by the framers of the Nigerian constitution.
Idris also thanked the former councillors for their commitment to democracy and informed them that President Tinubu was implementing far-reaching reforms aimed at restoring Nigeria to a path of economic growth and sustainable development.
