Local government autonomy will end Nigeria’s problems —Ned Nwoko, former Reps member

A former House of Representatives member and philanthropist, Prince Ned Munir Nwoko, has emphasised the need for local government autonomy, even as he commended President Muhammadu Buhari on his stand for local government freedom and his recent statement on the issues.

The former House of Representatives member said local government autonomy is the beginning and end of all Nigeria’s problems, adding that granting local government autonomy will end all Nigeria’s problems and the crises across the country.

He spoke on the importance of local government autonomy to solving the myriad of problems and crises facing Nigeria, as well as her stability during a lecture organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Correspondents’ Chapel, to mark Nigeria’s Democracy Day in Abuja.

Nwoko said he was happy and equally sad when President Buhari spoke about the problem in the local government system, saying, I was happy because at least the President knows what is happening but I was also sad because he has failed to do anything.”

According to him, the President can issue an executive order on the matter, especially as the local government workers have been pushing for autonomy; adding that the idea of sending the money meant for the local governments to state in the name of state, local government joint account gives room for pilfering.

He pointed out that the local government should be empowered, because every crime is local, and the state government cannot deal with the issue because they don’t believe it is their obligation.

He pointed out that many parts of the 744 local governments are occupied by insurgents, hence, it is the people at the rural level that need to be empowered to provide the needed security and resolve the crisis within their locality.

He said: “You can imagine if each of the local government chairmen and the councillors are empowered to do it, and work with the traditional rulers. If N300 million is earmarked for the local government, N100 million does not get to them, The President said it, he knows about it. Then what is stopping him from working with the National Assembly to ensure there is autonomy for local government.”

Nwoko pointed out that even if the chairmen and councilors at the local government level cannot be trusted, the EFCC, ICPC, DSS and the CCT are there to do the monitoring on how they manage the funds, rather than the governors who are covered by immunity and cannot be probed when they are in office.

He said the allocations to local government would not be a windfall going forward as Nigeria prepares for the next local government that would become autonomous and will give comfort to every citizen.

“Youth restiveness is local, with local government autonomy and a local government system that is well funded, youth restiveness will definitely reduce. On the issue of security, the chairmen and councilors must work hand in glove with the traditional institutions, and this would be the way to go,” he said.

According to the former House member, another major area that needs to be addressed is the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC), advising that the SIEC should be abrogated while Nigeria must put in place a truly independent INEC run by an independent body and not by any elected person.

He said the present electoral system put in place for election into local government through SIEC cannot work because it is a bogus arrangement that gives power to any party that controls the state.

He said: “There should be only one truly independent central INEC that would be devoid of the influence of the Federal Government, that will have direct funding from the federation account on statutory basis. Most of the problems in Nigeria start from there.”

He stressed the need to urgently address this important issue, saying, “the National Assembly and the state assemblies are there. You know the processes that are required to make any major amendments.  We should not be bogged down by certain constitutional matters, if we believe that some steps ought to be taken for the interest of Nigerians, they should be taken.

“I know for instance that the issue of the Joint Account is a constitutional matter but if you listen to the President literally crying about the collapse of the local government system, do you now say that we should just wait until such laws are amended and continue to allow the stealing, no.

“What we want is a solution and the solution should be introduced as soon as possible while steps are taken to deal with the issues of amendment. We cannot say we will not do anything until the amendments.”

He added: “Many governors oppose Local Government Autonomy vehemently, they don’t want to hear about it because that is the only way they can win elections by planting the chairmen who are their boys to various local governments but I am glad that the President has identified this as a major problem.”

He warned that the President should not wait for the National Assembly but should take steps to address the issue now; because the National Assembly is also made up of people who were supported by their governors and won’t go against their governors.

He said: “Their loyalty is to their governors, so, I can say the governors are the biggest problem we have in Nigeria now. Every month, they come to Abuja and share the monthly allocations and go back to their states, and we know what they do with that, some of them squander it.

“This is our basic problem. If the economy of Nigeria were to be good and everyone is engaged, all the crises of bandits, Boko Haram, yahoo boys would be less. I want to assure you that all those people who took to those things did not choose them, it is because of the economy, the hopelessness of their situation. If a young graduate gets a good job, a mortgage to buy a house and a car and some comfort to go on holiday with his family, why would that person be agitating for another nation or to become a kidnapper?”

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