The National Association of Nigerian Students has praised the National Assembly for a historic move to grant full financial and administrative autonomy to all 774 local council authorities across Nigeria.
This significant development follows the recent amendment of Section 124 of the Nigerian Constitution, which was approved by the National Assembly on Tuesday.
In a statement released on Thursday in Abeokuta, Ogun State, NANS Clerk of the Senate, Abdul Yekinn Odunayo, lauded the National Assembly for this decisive action, describing it as a bold step towards liberating the Local Government Areas from the control of state governors. Odunayo also expressed appreciation for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s role in taking the issue of LG autonomy to the Supreme Court, which has played a crucial part in the constitutional changes.
The recent constitutional amendment is seen as a vital step in advancing President Tinubu’s efforts to achieve both financial and political autonomy for local governments, which are often considered the tier of government closest to the people. Odunayo highlighted that the amendment, which removes the State Independent Electoral Commission from the Constitution, transfers the responsibility of conducting local council elections to the Independent National Electoral Commission. This change is expected to strengthen grassroots democracy and prevent governors from manipulating local government elections by imposing loyalists as local government chairmen.
Odunayo stated, “We, at the NANS, commend the National Assembly for amending the Constitution and granting full autonomy to the LGAs in the country. With this, the 774 LGAs across the country will heave a sigh of relief and be free from the grasp of the state governors.
“It is our belief that the local government, as the third tier of the government and closest to the people, should have the desired freedom to discharge its duties according to the dictates of the Constitution.
“The deleting of SIECs from the Constitution is another laudable step taken by the NASS, and vesting the conduct of LG elections on INEC will go a long way in preventing some governors from imposing their stooges as LG chairmen of the people.
“The NASS, by its action, has indeed given impetus to the efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure total autonomy to the LGs, which are mostly being run by Caretaker Committees set up by the governors. With this development, allocations due to each LG will go directly to it, while the issue of arbitrary dissolution of LG administrations will be put to rest.
“Also, abrogating SIECs will enhance and strengthen democracy at the grassroots, as people will have the choice to elect their preferred candidates for LG positions, without undue interference or influence from the governors.
“It is our hope as a student body, that the case instituted at the Supreme Court by the Federal Government against the state governments over LG autonomy will favour the FG, thereby, giving a pristine breath of life to the LGs and safeguarding their allocations from being tampered with.
“We, therefore, express our absolute confidence in the President Tinubu-led administration in its quest to take the country out of the current economic and socio-political quagmire. NANS will continue to give the necessary support to the administration to ensure it makes the desired impact on the nation,” Odunayo concluded.
This landmark amendment by the National Assembly comes as a response to longstanding calls for greater autonomy for LGAs, which have historically faced challenges due to the excessive control exerted by state governors. By shifting the responsibility for local elections to INEC, this constitutional change aims to ensure more democratic and transparent governance at the grassroots level.