LG Autonomy: 3 CSOs Provide Recommendations For Achieving Desired Outcomes At Seminar In Ilorin

Leaders and members of three civil society organizations in Kwara State, and other stakeholders gathered in Ilorin on Thursday to discuss how to strengthen and revitalize local government administration in the country.

While welcoming the recent Supreme Court ruling that gave autonomy to the third tier of government, the three CSOs which are the Cultural and Societal Values Development Initiatives, Moringa Development Association of Nigeria, and the Ruminants and Livestock Cooperatives Society, also emphasized the need to utilize this opportunity to put local governments in the country on a sound footing.

Recall that the Supreme Court of Nigeria  had on July 11, 2024,  made decisive decisions on local government administration in the country which include limiting the involvement of the state governors.

The apex court had also taken their hands off the local government funds and the  running of the third tier of government by declaring that it is unconstitutional for them to interfere and get involved in how the local government funds are utilized.

Talking to journalists including Team@orientactualmags.com during the seminar held at the Circular Hotel, Ilorin on Thursday, Professor Samuel A. Ibiyemi , who spoke on behalf of the CSOs, noted that the purpose of organizing workshops that will hold in six towns between September 12 ,2024, and October 3, 2024, is to promote Agenda 20.2026 that will help to achieve a genuine and effective LG autonomy.

‘Each of the workshops starting from 12/9/2024 in Ilorin, shall endeavor to work towards a meaningful and pragmatic development of agriculture in particular by each of the LGs for rapid and sustainable LG Autonomy. Each workshop is intended to attend to a particular peculiar problem that hitherto hinders the anticipated economic impact that has frustrated a vision for a greater Nigeria i.e Yar Adua’s NV2020.

The vision of The 3 CSOs in Kwara is focused on what the LG autonomy shall facilitate and how President Tinubu can work towards Agenda 20:2026.

LG autonomy shall entail genuine independence as a 3rd tier of government in the manner of what exists between states and the federal government. This proposal will require that the Supreme Court will be as clear as possible to all so as to enable everybody including political leaders and followers allow the local governments to function as the driver of the national GDP’ he said.

The CSOs have also come up with suggestions on how to ensure that desired outcomes are achieved in respect of the hard-fought local government autonomy.

‘We hereby propose that the 1999 constitution as amended shall incorporate the Supreme Court’s new enlarged judgment to enable each LG to have the right autonomy to develop each of the following services without any interference by either the state or the federal ministries. The local governments will be truly autonomous in the following services:

1. Land matters: 

a. Agriculture and Agro-industry, exploration of solid minerals. 

b. Community police system to effectively protect lives and property. 

2. Rural/community road; inter and intra LG Areas shall be adequately demarcated for proper maintenance. 

3. Basic education and health; this shall be exclusive responsibility of the LG Council; and it will include award of scholarships and bursary that will promote compulsory education for all children, health insurance policy for all ages. 

4. Chieftaincy affairs will be governed by a new policy with responsibilities by the traditional rulers. Hitherto the affairs and performances of the traditional rulers are being threatened by the politicians. 

5. Judicial system; there shall be well-defined demarcations in the operations of the judiciary in each of the three tiers of government.

6. River development; there shall be well- articulated policies on the river across LG Areas for the water to serve various purposes including township water supply, irrigation system, transportation and generation of micro-scale electricity. 

7. Finances; there shall be properly articulated policies for staff with relevant qualifications to prepare and manage the budget of the council. Taxation shall be well-demarcated to prevent the usual multiple taxation by the three tiers of government, for instance, raw agricultural product and local market affairs shall be the responsibility of LG councils this may include SME. 

8. Other interrelated services shall be well-defined to avoid multiple taxation on raw agricultural products, local market and SME businesses’ Professor Ibiyemi added.

While noting that the CBN, AFDP, USAID, and European Union have been urged to support efforts to promote agriculture at the local government level, he also disclosed plans to choose 10 graduates from each of the wards in Kwara State who will engage in farming activities at the 30 hectares of land that will be made available to them in each of the local governments.

Some among them will engage in farming, some will focus on Argibusiness  while others will handle research and development.

Equipped with irrigation and necessary equipment, having three or four planting seasons in a year will be possible and the impact will be felt within six months while people will put a stop to importation of foods.

Professor Ibiyemi added that if 600 out of the 774 local governments are made viable, the GDP of the nation will definitely increase.

He also urged the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to expand on the Supreme Court ruling on the local government autonomy in order that the local governments can perform creditably cognizant that it is a veritable platform for the growth and development of the nation.

  Professor Ibiyemi, who submitted that the CSOs are not supporting any political party ahead of the local government elections scheduled to hold in the State of Harmony on September 21,2024, said they would be ready to work with those who emerge as winners with emphasis and focus on getting local governments in the state revitalized.

 The CSOs however warned the incoming LG leaders in Kwara state against being ‘absentee chairmen’ and emphasized the need for them to stay in their respective local governments and change things for the better.

Anyone who chooses to be an ‘absentee chairman’ will according to him be removed from office.

Also speaking, Mr. Muyiwa Olumide Ajayi, who is the Managing Partner, Adekola Chattered Accounting Firm, urged the organizers of the seminar to ensure that effort is made to have the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and other stakeholders in attendance in subsequent programmes-Team@orientactualmags.com  Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com.  Thank you