By Haruna Usman, Birnin Kebbi
A civil society organisation, in Kebbi State, Association for Peace and Good Governance, has thrown their weight behind the struggle for local councils autonomy in Nigeria.
The COSs, general secretary, Comrade Usman Muhammed Anache, said the 774 local governments in the country are in chains, bondage and unconscious due to the existence of joint account which he said is not only suffocating them but slowing development at the grassroots level.
“As hard as the task is because the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria must be amended to allow autonomy for local councils which also must get the nod of all the 36 state governors”, he said.
He expressed optimism that it will see the light of the day since the senators brought it up again after it has lingered for many years.
The group alleged that some state governors are feeding fat on local governments funds hence the reason many of them are opposed to the breaking of joint account.
“In all honesty some governors are not meddling in the financial dealings of local councils and some are ready once it has been concluded they will accept like the Kebbi governor, Comrade Nasir Idris who is a labour governor”.
He said development and poverty reduction only possible if the local governments are fully autonomous financially and otherwise, while rallying support for Nigerian Senate, he urged state governors to cooperate with the senate to achieve full autonomy for local councils.
To those who fear that the elected chairmen once giving financial autonomy will abuse it by diverting the funds to their pockets, he reminded them that there will be checks and balances therefore the funds will not suffer in their hands.