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In a pivotal National Executive meeting held on Thursday, the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), has underscored the importance of financial autonomy for local governments in Nigeria, highlighting progress in the implementation of the recent Supreme Court judgement that affirmed their autonomy.

ALGON praised President Bola Tinubu’s “decisive action in declaring a state of emergency” in Rivers State, which temporarily suspended the governor and legislature for six months.

The position of ALGON was made known by the Chairman of its Board of Trustees (BOT), Hon. Odunayo Ategboro, while briefing journalists after their emergency executive meeting which focused on the Supreme Court’s landmark judgment of July 11th, 2024 and the ongoing efforts to implement this decision.

Hon. Ategboro expressed optimism about the federal government’s implementation committee, chaired by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

He noted that despite encountering bottlenecks as well as pressures not to implement the Supreme Court judgement, the committee has made commendable progress, including instructing local governments to open accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to ensure seamless financial operations.

In his words, “We were here to discuss issues of national importance, particularly as it affects the local government system in Nigeria. And our focus of discussion remains the Supreme Court judgment of July 11th, which granted autonomy, financial autonomy to the local government in Nigeria.

“We are aware that the federal government has set up an implementation committee under the chairmanship of the Secretary of the Government of the Federation, and this implementation committee has commenced their deliberations, and they want to report that so far so good”, he said.

Hon. Ategboro noted that the local government system must be empowered to drive social, political, and rapid development at the grassroots level, arguing that with over 80% of Nigerians residing in local government areas, there is the need for autonomy to address critical issues such as security, health, and education.

“You agree with me that the local government system in Nigeria has to be embodied in such a way that we can have social, political, rapid development at the grassroots level, because more than 80 percent of our people in this country reside at the local government level. And we need, as the administrators at the local government level, to ensure that life is made better for the citizens at the local government level.

“And this is why we have been clamoring for autonomy in local government so that we can implement a lot of developmental issues, particularly on security, health, education, and so on and so forth, to better the lives of the masses of our people at the grassroots.

“And we are happy and we are lucky at this time that we have a president, a list of presidents, that believes in the implementation of all these things at the grassroots level.

“Now democracy has actually come back to the local government level. All the state governors are now, you know, conducting elections as against what was obtained in the past, where you have them giving tickets, which is an aberration to the country of Nigeria”, he stressed.

On the crisis in Rivers State, when asked about the feeling of ALGON after the dissolution of the elected government structure in the state, Hon. Ategboro voiced concerns over its impact on the masses.

He however praised the “president’s decisive action in declaring a state of emergency, which has temporarily suspended the governor and legislature for six months.” This measure, he explained, aims to provide a window for reconciliation among warring factions and prevent further escalation.

Hon. Ategboro called for unity and understanding in political leadership, urging stakeholders in the state to prioritize the welfare of citizens over personal conflicts. “Politics is not a do-or-die affair. Our primary objective should be to ensure better living conditions for our people,” he stressed.

As ALGON continues to advocate for local government autonomy, the ALGON chairman reaffirmed the association’s commitment to supporting initiatives that enhance governance and development at the grassroots level.

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