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From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
The Citizens Centre for Integrated Development and Social Rights (CCIDESOR), a civil society organisation, has called for the urgent and full implementation of the Supreme Court judgment on local government financial autonomy.
The Executive Director of CCIDESOR, Dr. Emeka Ononamadu, who addressed journalists at the weekend in Owerri, Imo State, also demanded direct payment of local government allocations from the Federation Account to the councils, adding that two years after the apex court’s ruling, Nigerians are yet to feel the impact of the local government administration as the third tier of government nearest to the grassroots.
Expressing his dismay over the continued control of the local government funds by the various state governors, Ononamadu maintained that Nigeria cannot achieve any meaningful economic recovery without empowering its local governments by allowing direct financial allocation to them.
He added that the local government remained the organ of government nearest to the people of which its economic viability would have a major impact on the well-being of the people, especially those in the grassroots.
Ononamadu also canvassed for the constitutional amendments to remove ambiguities surrounding the Joint Account system, strengthening of local government accountability architecture, including transparent budgeting, open procurement systems, and citizen monitoring mechanism as well as guaranteeing credible democratic elections at that level across the country.
While advocating for strong political will to implement the reform, he noted that local government autonomy backed with a strong accountability system would not only reduce corruption, but also stimulate economic growth, reduce insecurity and strengthen rural development in Nigeria.
