May 27, (THEWILL) – The Senator representing Kano South Senatorial District, Sulaiman Kawu Sumaila, has commended President Bola Tinubu over his recent move to compel the 36 states of the federation to give autonomy to local governments.
In a statement signed by him and made available to newsmen, Sumaila said the President’s decision was timely, as the Nigerian masses are in dire need of policies that would alleviate their sufferings.
He said Tinubu deserved commendation as the decision he took to ensure local government autonomy was in line with the stand of the Senators in their efforts to salvage the grassroots from the hardships they were facing.
“I am happy, Mr. President has begun to toe the path to salvage our people by giving the local governments autonomy to operate as enshrined in the constitution. The decision to compel the 36 states of the federation to give autonomy to local governments is a step in the right direction.
“This will surely help in bringing developments to our people, particularly the grassroots in the rural areas. It will equally boost the nation’s economy by increasing our Internally Generated Revenue through the agricultural value chain and other commercial activities that will come up after the local governments get their autonomy,” the lawmaker said.
He, however, appealed to the President to also look into the problem of local government election, as it is another problem affecting the progress of the grassroots under democratic governance.
“I would be glad if President Tinubu would also address challenges affecting the conduct of local government elections in the nation. The President should do something to stop politicians from messing with the processes of local government elections for their personal interests.
“We are all aware of how local government elections are conducted under the watch of state governors in this country. From the primary to the main election, the processes are always being manipulated by politicians for their personal interests as against the interests of the majority.
“This should not be so under democracy and I am appealing to Mr. President to also do something urgently to address this problem. I am sure this will complement the autonomy of the local government, thereby paving the way for extending dividends of democracy to the grassroots,” he said.
Senator Sumaila affirmed that the legislative and executive arms of government have done their part, saying it is now left for the judiciary to appropriately exercise its constitutional rights in deciding on the case before it on local government autonomy.
“We at the National Assembly have raised the matter, supported the autonomy for local government and the executive has also reasoned with us. It is now over to the judiciary to make its stand.
“I thanked the Senate President, Mr. Godswill Akpabio and Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, for giving me the opportunity to table the matter before the Senate and also my colleagues for supporting me on this issue,” Sumaila added.
About the Author
Abdullahi Yusuf is a seasoned journalist, communicator and was previously the Deputy Editor-In-Chief and Zonal Manager, News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Jos, where he retired on December 15, 2021
