ABUJA: The Federal Government has not commenced direct allocation to Local Government Areas (LGAs) due to ongoing processes.
According to Hon. Odunayo Alegbere, Chairman of the ALGON Board of Trustees, local governments have been instructed to open accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for seamless implementation of direct allocation.
Although the process is not yet complete, Alegbere commended the Federal government for the progress made so far, citing the Supreme Court’s judgment on financial autonomy for local governments.
He said the Federal government is working towards implementing this judgment, which includes administrative and political autonomy for LGAs.
Alegbere assured that direct allocation will help stamp out poverty at the grassroots level, as local governments will have more control over their finances and projects.
He decried the current system, where states conduct local government elections, in which it is often more of a selection process than a true election and assured that the challenge would be soon be addressed with ongoing constitution amendment by the National Assembly.
“We are happy with the president, and I’m proud of the fact that we have not gotten to where we want to go, but we are making steady progress,” Alegbere said.
Eradicating Poverty
Alegbere emphasized that direct allocation will help stamp out poverty at the grassroots level, as local governments will have more control over their finances and projects.
“If you look at the grassroots level, abject poverty is tremendous, but with this new arrangement, we are sure that we will erase and stamp out poverty at the grassroots level,” he said.
Free and Fair Elections
Alegbere noted that the current system, where states conduct local government elections, is often more of a selection process than a true election.
“We are working towards ensuring that the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) is removed from the constitution, and a national body is established to conduct local government elections,” he said.
Insecurity
Alegbere, who attributed Nigeria’s insecurity challenges to the failure of the local government system, suggested that the government should incorporate traditional institutions into the local government system, allowing them to play a key role in solving security challenges. He believes that a properly functioning local government system is essential to addressing Nigeria’s security issues.
To address insecurity in the country, Alegbere, he said, “Unless and until we go back and look at the older system, it will be very difficult to address.”
Traditional Institutions
ALGON BOT Chairman suggested that the government should incorporate traditional institutions into the local government system, allowing them to play a key role in solving security challenges.
Rivers State Crisis
On the Rivers crisis, Alegbere commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for declaring a state of emergency in Rivers State, which he said has helped to douse tension and prevent a civil war.
On the claim of ALGON Secretary position by a fractional group,
Alegbere warned that anyone claiming to be the Secretary-General of ALGON is an impostor, as the association has a clear leadership structure.
Alegbere expressed optimism that the Federal government will continue to make progress in implementing the Supreme Court’s judgment and strengthening the local government system.
“We are happy, as we are the umbrella body of 774 Local Government Nigeria,” he said.
“We want to assure Mr. President that we are going to continue to cooperate with him, because he has actually demonstrated leadership by ensuring that the local government system is made functional at this time,” he added.
