BY Precious Folorunso
A Public Affairs Analyst, Engineer Jacob Omotayo has appreciated the Federal Government decision to inaugurate a committee to implement the Supreme Court judgment on Local Government financial autonomy.
Omotayo gave this remark on the Diamond Breakfast show on Thursday, 21st August, 2024 at Diamond Fm, Ilorin Kwara State.
Recall that the Nigerian government set up a committee to enforce the supreme court’s ruling in order to ensure that Local governments have full control over governing.
Omotayo said that the ruling by the Supreme Court shows we are alive to what is going on around us hence the celebration by Nigerians. However, he also stated that there might be certain challenges on the implementation of the ruling of local government autonomy. According to him the system has been crippled and what is next is how to make it work.
“ The next issue after the pronouncement is how the system will work effectively. Money should go directly to the local government and local governments should have elected local government channels and houses constituted to have their own laws.”
Omotayo also pointed out that the various ungoverned spaces are as a result of lack of autonomy and if local governments are left to run themselves there won’t be ungoverned spaces.
He further mentioned the issue of money politics as regards the local government elections that took place in Kano state where the nomination forms for the local government chairman was set to ten million naira which adversely limits genuine participation. He stated that money politics have been in existence and only those with deep pockets are able to vie for positions.
“This is the way they want it, to allow those who have the money to remain in the corridor of power .”
Omotayo however, emphasized that good governance can’t be bought at a price or mortgaged and it is important that the system is changed to a per time system.
“You can’t get good governance where money is required to get to office. It has become business .”
Edited by TAIWO ADEYEMI