Why LG autonomy is imperative – Saraki

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President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has restated his support for local government autonomy in the country, saying the Senate and the National Assembly appreciate the importance of autonomous governance at the third tier of government and will continue to work towards its realisation.

Saraki spoke during a visit by the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), led by its National President, Comrade Ibrahim Khalil. In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sanni Onogu, Saraki was quoted as saying: “Here in the Senate and the National Assembly, we appreciate the importance of governance in the third tier of government — the local government. “As such, it is very important that we strengthen local government administration, part of which is ensuring that there is autonomy. I also believe that strengthening local government administration means that we all do our best to increase capacity at the local government. “In developed countries, people who are competent to contest at a level, even as high as the Senate, would tell you they don’t want to be at the Federal level like Abuja or Washington. They prefer to stay at the local level.” Saraki informed his visitors that it is also important to ensure that local governments are properly and independently funded, stressing that there “must be symbiotic relationship between the states and the local governments to ensure that the third tier of government is not placed at a disadvantage. “It is unfortunate that you observed that in the last Constitution alteration exercise, we were not successful on this issue. Being a former governor, the Senate Leader always reminds me that ‘I have seen the light.’ But on a serious note, we all have a role to play to strengthen our local government system.” Earlier, the National President of NULGE, Ibrahim Khalil, lamented that local government administrations in the country have been rendered impotent over the years as a result of undue interference. “But Nigerians are still demanding answers. If the Buhari administration knew, in the course of the last three years, that the nation has been invaded by forces from outside or even deserters from Libya, why has it continued to admonish Nigerians to learn to live with their neighbours? “If, in the course of investigations, it (Buhari Presidency) discovered that the insurgents were from outside Nigeria, why is the government reportedly paying ransoms to them and even considering amnesty options? “Is it part of governance to pay ransom to invaders? These are the questions that Nigerians expect the Buhari Presidency to answer.”