ABEOKUTA–The National Association of Local Government Employee (NULGE), Ogun State has called for a total constitutional overhaul in order to achieve the desired Local Government autonomy.
The Ogun state President of the Union, Comrade Ayuba Olatunde made this call during a press conference Friday, as part of activities marking the union’s maiden NULGE week.
Olatunde opined that without local government autonomy, it will be difficult to fight the challenges of decay in healthcare, educational systems, poor sanitation, insecurity and other challenges facing the country.
He stated that the constitution needs to be overhaul, in order to make in clear terms the status of local governments, adding that state governments are taking advantage of the loopholes in the provisions of the constitution that establishes local government thereby rendering it handicap.
He however called on the National Assembly and the State House of Assemblies to expedite action on the recent debate to grant local government autonomy, adding that pending the action, state governments should respect and adhere strictly to the constitutional provisions on local government.
“We want a complete overhaul of the constitution in favour of the local government and to that extent the independency of local governments in the country.
“The negative effects of this lack of autonomy translate to vices including but not limited to decay in health care, and educational systems, poor sanitation, poverty and rural and urban migration with its attendant consequences.
“The overall effects of all these is what we are experiencing in the country today: reduction in life expectancy; insecurity ranging from banditry, kidnapping, killings, etc; food shortage, economic decadence and unemployment.
“The National assembly to expedite action on the recent debate to grant local government autonomy and transmission of same to State house of Assembly for their two- third assent.
“The State Houses, most importantly Ogun State House of Assembly to assent the bill when transmitted to it without further delay.
“The State governments pending the granting of the autonomy for local government, to respect and adhere strictly to the Constitutional provisions on local government as earlier discussed and the Supreme Court Judgement on funding of primary education, releasing the internally generated revenue of local government to respective local governments and remitting the 10% State government’s IGR to the joint account”, Olatunde emphasized
