Abia PDP endorses Supreme Court verdict on Local Government autonomy,
calls for Constitutional amendment, INEC organized Council election within 6 months
The Abia PDP has endorsed Thursdays Supreme court verdict affirming the financial autonomy of local governments in Nigeria, describing it as a crucial step towards enhancing good governance at the grassroots level and ensuring that local government councils become the true third tier of government closest to the people.
The state party in a press statement issued by its Vice Chairman/Acting Publicity Secretary Elder Abraham Amah and marked ” Removing The Bottlenecks Of Local Government Financial Autonomy ” , commended Nigeria’s apex Court for laying to rest the longstanding issue of local government autonomy.
It opined that to further strengthen this autonomy and free local governments from undue political influence, the Presidency should swiftly submit an executive bill to the National Assembly for a constitutional amendment reflecting the autonomy of local governments.
The party stated that the proposed constitutional revision should include measures such as dissolving the current Local Government Service Commissions and establishing bodies at the local council level to manage the employees and guarantee their pensions through a well-structured contributory scheme.
” The bill should also support the direct allocation of federal funds to local governments, by-passing the Joint Allocation Account Committee, and ensuring that state governors do not interfere with these funds”.
It added that in view of understanding the challenges associated with constitutional amendments, the Presidency should direct/ instruct INEC to set a timeline for local government council elections within six months, recommending that during this transition period, Sole Administrators should oversee the Councils affairs to facilitate a smooth shift towards full autonomy.
According to the party’s statement, it is crucial for state governors to respect the Supreme Court ruling and support the council heads in utilizing allocated funds for the benefit of the people, appealing to well-meaning Nigerians to champion the cause of local government autonomy and recognize its immense potential to improve governance and service delivery at the grassroots level.
