LG autonomy not automatic solution to problems – Makinde
By Adewale Owoade
Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State says the supreme court judgment granting financial autonomy to local governments is not an automatic solution to problems in the country.
Makinde stated this at an Advisory/Consultative Committee Meeting, comprising stakeholders in the local government system, held at the Executive Chamber of the Governor’s Office in Ibadan.
The governor at the meeting set up two committees to review and make recommendations on the implementation of the judgement.
The Technical and Legal Committees were saddled with responsibilities of reviewing the Supreme Court judgment and coming up with recommendations that will ensure that the change does not affect the people of the state negatively.
“I am not saying things should not be transparent at the local government level but it is a distraction to tink this is the magic bullet that will wash away our problems.
“NULGE is here, NUP, NUT and others are here. So, let us sit down and discuss and fashion out our own way out of this issue.
“I believe that it is our problem irrespective of what they are doing at the federal level.
” We would not toil or play politics with the lives of our own people here in Oyo State.
“For us in Oyo State, we can solve our own problem, deal with our situation and prioritise our people.
” Our task is to discuss among ourselves and whatever we agree upon, we have the state house of assembly members here, they have the oversight functions to make law for good governance at the local government level,” Makinde said.
In attendance at the meeting were; Local Government Council Chairmen, the leaderships of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) and the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP).
Others were leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), as well as representatives of Ministries, Departments and Agencies that have connection with the local government system.
The meeting also had in attendance the Deputy Governor, Mr Bayo Lawal; Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin; Chairman, House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Hon. Olajide Akintunde and other government functionaries.
Briefing newsmen shortly after the closed door meeting, the Oyo State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Hon. Ademola Ojo and the Attorney-General of the State/Commissioner for Justice, Biodun Aikomo, thanked the governor for setting up the committees.
They said the two committees set up by the governor had been given a time frame of four to six weeks to come up with the homegrown approach to addressing the lacuna created by the Supreme Court judgment.
According to them, the governor has shown that he is committed to the welfare of Oyo State people and the development of the state.
(NAN)
