NLC in support of lga’s autonomy in Nigeria ― NLC President

 

The President, Nigeria Labour Congress{ NLC}, Comrade Ayyba Waba  has thrown his  weight behind the calls by a spectrum of the Nigerians for full  autonomy of the Local Governments in the country, adding that if the government at the grassroots is strengthened, democracy would be strengthened in Nigeria as well.

He stated this on Thursday in his address as the Chairman, at the Nigeria National Merit Award House,   Maitama District,  Abuja,  during the conferment  of Excellence awards on 10 Council Chairmen from Adamawa, Benue,  Gombe,  Niger , Plateau, Kebbi  and  Sokoto states ,  by  Three Medals Communications, publishers of  The Medals Magazine, Abuja,  under the aegis of Nigerian Local Government Excellence Award (LOGEXA) as well as the official launching of the Medals Magazine’s  publication.

Among the recipients at the occasion included,  Hon. Mohammed  Mammab Auna, Chairman, Magama LGA, Niger state, Hon. Idi Amin, Chairman Maiha LGA, Adamawa state, Hon, Adakole Abutu, Chairman, Ohimini LGA, Benue state, Hon. Haruna Danladi , Chairman, Shongom LGA, Gombe state, Hon. Panshak Titus Yohanna, Kanke LGA, Plateau state, Hon  Salihu Garba Kamba, Chairman, Dandi LGA, Kebbi state,  Hon. Abubakar Bashire, Chairman, Tambuwal LGA, Sokoto state and Hon. Mohammed Abdulmalik Sarkindaji Chairman, Mariga LGA, Niger state respectively .

He stated  further   that  Nigeria is one of the very few countries in the world that was paying lip service to ignore the call for full autonomy  for the Local Governments which he described as the closest government to the people at the grassroots,  stressing that   one of the  challenges confronting  the citizenry  as  a  people  is not lack of resources  but utilizing  the resources for the benefits of the people.

He thereby advocated for accountability and respect for the rule of law by public office holders in the country, arguing that a situation whereby the state governments were presiding over the allocations of the Local Government from the Federal Allocation Accounts Committee {FAAC} was unacceptable.

Waba who described the awards of excellence conferred on the three Council Bosses in parts of the country  as a worthy cause and a morale booster to the recipients and their other colleagues who were yet to be recognized for their individual performances in their respective  Local Government Councils across the country .

Accordingly, he recalled that in the past when democracy  was actually working in Nigeria that potential politicians  have had to start their political carriers from their respective Local Government Areas in the country and with track records of performance he3nce such politicians either be encouraged by the electorate to aspire to higher office if they performed optimally by the ratings of their people while those who had failed to perform  optimally during their stewardship could be doomed forever .

“We, in the Organized Labour Unions  the civil society organizations and other well meaning stakeholders  in  the country believe we can join hands to develop this country together  but  for now the Local Governments have been reduced to nothing,

“The NLC  will continue to  work to work with Nigerians of goodwill  and if we can fix the Local Governments, we can  fix the entire polity in order to make Nigeria a better place for all the citizens’, he declared .

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