LG autonomy bill: ex-commissioner seeks states’ legislators support
Abakaliki – Dr Paul Okorie, a former Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transportation in Ebonyi, has called on lawmakers in the 36
Okorie, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abakaliki.
Okorie commended the courage and patriotism of members of the National Assembly in passing the bill granting full autonomy to the 774 local government areas in the country.
He said that the move would deepen democracy and engender development at the grassroots level, urging state houses of Assembly to give concurrence to the bill to enable it become a law.
“The Senate and the House of Representatives have demonstrated that are representing the people well by passing the local government autonomy amendment bill.
“I want to use this medium to appeal to state houses of assembly to concur with the bill very swiftly.
“I want to remind lawmakers in the various state houses of assembly that they are there for the people and must not succumb to intimidation and antics of the state governors.
“They can hold town hall meetings in their respective constituencies to aggregate the views of their constituents on the issue.
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“I know that in their bid to hold on to the funds of the local governments, governors will begin to lobby members of the state legislature to vote against the bill when it is brought down to them.
“I am advising that our state lawmakers do the needful by concurring to what the national assembly has done so that local government area can be fully autonomous.
“The National Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU); the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) have been strengthened to go after anybody that mismanages public fund”, Okorie said.
He reiterated that the local government autonomy would enable council chairmen to embark on infrastructure and human capital developments in their respective areas without undue interference by state governors.
The former commissioner added that elections at the various councils would no longer be a decision of the governors.
“The autonomy will promote good governance and deepen participatory democracy at the grassroots, because people will exercise their rights to choose who will lead them in a more transparent and credible election.
“The councils will be able to choose their priority projects that will impact on the lives of the citizens at the local governments, including opening access to farm lands and empowering the poor and vulnerable,” he observed.(NAN)
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