OBASANJO BLOW HOT ON GOVERNORS OVER LOCAL GOVERNMENT AUTONOMY
The Former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has alleged the Governors of stylishly stealing the money that is allocated to the Local Governments.
The former President said that this manner has made the Local Governments incapable of doing their task for their people.
He added that the governors favor Local Governments’ money through the uncleared “joint account.”
Chief Obasanjo said that this was why the governors are against the Local Government (LG) autonomy.
Obasanjo made the statement when the members of a Non-Governmental Organisation, Friends of Democracy, FoD, made a visit to him at his new residence in Abeokuta, within the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library.
The group made the visit to asked for his support for the Local Government Autonomy Bill which had been approved by the National Assembly.
The bill still needs the endorsement of nothing less than 24 State Houses of Assembly to scale through successfully.
The statement made by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo is giving below;
“When in 1976, we brought in Local Government Reforms, it was meant to be a third tier of the government and not meant to be subjected to the whims and caprices of any other government.
“Just the same way that the state government is autonomous from the Federal Government.
“Local Government is meant to be autonomous from the State Government, but from what we know, by design, most states have incapacitated the Local Governments.
“They have virtually stolen the Local Governments’ money in what they called Joint Account. They were to contribute 10 percent but they never contributed anything.
“So, what we have across the country are Local Government Areas that have functions, but cannot perform the functions.
“They have staff but most of them cannot pay the staff, and we keep getting excuses upon excuses."
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