Constitution Review: Lawmakers who vote against LG autonomy should be denied return ticket— Benue governoship aspirant

A governorship aspirant on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Surveyor John Tondus, has advised the electorate to take more than a passing interest in the debate on the ongoing Constitution review at the State Assemblies.

Speaking with newsmen in Abuja, the PDP chieftain who alleged that governors opposed to autonomy for local government are plotting to instigate lawmakers in their respective states against local government autonomy said any lawmaker who takes a position against the popular movement should not be allowed to return to parliament.

He said: “We have another opportunity because there is another constitutional review that is going on. My concern is not with the NASS. It is especially with the states assemblies. My concern with them is that the state assemblies that we have today in Nigeria are all rubber stamps of the executive arm of the various states. And it takes us to another level of insecurity in the country. So, my appeal to Nigerians is that it is an opportunity to elect leaders that will represent them at different levels.

“That will take care of their needs. And that can only happen if we have a state assemblies that are upright and are for the interest of the people and not for their own personal interest. My advice will be that now, that the NASS have agreed that there should be an autonomy within the LGAs system. And should in case that is passed to the various houses of Assemblies, my advice to them is that every Nigerian that is of age for voting should critically look at his representative in the Houses of Assemblies in his constituency and watch out for him if he votes against autonomy of the LGA.

“He or she should be voted against to ensure they do not come to the House because he is not there to serve but only his personal interests. So, I am calling on Nigerians at the local government of the Federation to look out for their representatives at the assembly level such that each of them that voted against it should be voted against so that they will not get back to the house.

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“Like as I said, or they used them to ensure they vote against it because local government administration has become a conduit pipe of the chief executive of the state where money meant for the third tier of government is being used by the governors for personal gains not to the grassroots development.”

The PDP chieftain expressed the hope that given the statutory power to operate, an effective local government empowered financially would go a long way in addressing the security challenge facing the country.

“In fact, the challenge we have as it concerns insecurity today is because the third tier of government is not working. Some of us were born and brought up in the village. And we know how and when the local government system was effective. The local government chairman was elected by the people and not selected by the governors. I will take you back to the insecurity, we are talking about today.

“For instance in each local government headquarters, you have the police and the DSS. You have the NSCDC. But I will tell you that because I have the privilege of working in government, I will tell you for free that the local government chairman doesn’t have access to N2 million as security votes in that LGA.

“Where a local government chairman will need to spend 2 million on issues of security in a state, he will have to get across to the governor if such an approval will be given for him to be able to access the N2 million.

“Now, we are talking about insecurity which is an emergency situation, even the process and procedures the local government chairman will use to reach the governor, of course, there are some that before they can’t reach the governor even once in a month. So, how will you be able to address the issues as chairman after being referred to as the Chief security officer of the local government on paper?

“That is the reality that you are not the chief security officer of the local government. So, lack of autonomy of the LGA contributes 75-80% of insecurity we are facing in our country today.”