News Editor
- …advises State Governors to stay clear.
The Nasarawa State chapter of the people’s Democratic Party has expressed appreciation and commends president Bola Tinubu for pursuing the supreme court case that eventually confers some independence to local government financial administration as the tier of government closest to the people in Nigeria.
A statement released on Tuesday by party Chairman Mr.. Francis orogu described the outcome as laudable steps taken in the interest of quality administration and the safeguard of people’s Commonwealth, which is hitherto usually tempered by many State governors in the country for frivolous, wasteful, unplanned, selfish and unapproved expenditures.”
He said “we are aware that some state governors over the years have formed the unusual habit of using local government funds to prosecute election and rig themselves to power and in several other cases, as slush funds to prosecute their cases in court, paying unimaginable legal fees and other underhand, immoral and corrupt practices that compromise the values of democractic choices and desire of the people for progress and transformation even when such governors have become unpopular through non-performance and several obvious failures.”
The party contends that “It is no longer news that local government councils have become pay centres, as governors in some cases give the chairmen part salaries and paltry pocket monies then fret away with the rest on frivolities, rendering the third tier of government incapacitated to the detriment of projects execution such as the construction of feeder roads, culverts, markets, schools and equiping local dispensary with highly sort after medicaments. He further reiterated that
the attitude of these governors has killed democracy and governance at the grassroot, because in order to continue the plunder of people’s resources, they handpick favour seekers and collaborators as leaders of the councils, an act which keeps very credible persons away from aspiring to lead that tier of government.” He added that as it is, most LGs are run by less qualified political hangers on as a form of compensation where cronies and stooges are selected and crowned LG chairmen and when their tenure expires, they are re- appointed into caretaker committees or others with similar backgrounds, using a conduit styled as Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
The Chairman then rhetorically asked how the governors would feel or relate with a federal Ministry of State and Local Government Affairs at the federal level?.
Hon. Orogu said were section 162, etc, of the Nigerian constitution be enforced, many of the governor’s past and mostly present should be in jail perpetually.
He said that “strictly speaking, most of these governors would be in jail because of the volume of theft and misappropriation of local government funds, which has completely broken the chain of development at the LG level.”
The Party through its State Chairman further said that “we therefore call on critical stakeholders, the people, media, the State Assembly and other parties to help put an eye, watch and monitor any smart thieving move that could jeopardise the finances of local government so that if any governor truncate the law, he will have himself to blame. “Similarly, we urge all our PDP lawmakers and other well meaning members in the Assembly not to hesitate to raise the alarm should they notice any breach and untoward conduct of the governor in handling local government resources and encourage local government chairmen to begin to do the needful by ensuring that the much needed development is brought to the communities by involving locals in the development process to ease hunger and create access to opportunities and enhance security of life and property .
“The development of the local communities will stem the tide of rural- urban migration, poverty, hunger , insecurity and crime that has become a norm in the communities under the watch of these leaders.” The chairman also urged the National Assembly to please as matter of urgency eliminate or eradicate the state electoral commission law with the speed with which the old National anthem was replaced. Hon Orogu said this will compliment the efforts of the judiciary towards enforcing the financial autonomy which will in turn encourage well meaning mature minded leaders to participate in local government politics and contest, thereby decongesting the volume of contestants into state and national offices .
