Nigerians have been urged to join hands together to fight the emasculation of the Local Governments which is the third tier of Government by the State Governments.
Legal Practitioner, Fred Nzeakor, disclosed this while speaking on the TVC News programme, This Morning on Wednesday Morning with Yori Folarin.
Mr Nzeakor said the State governments have succeeded in strangulating the Local Governments making it difficult for people at the Local Level to get access to quality service and governance.
He added that if the Local Governments are a more open tier of government to the right calibre of people, more capable Nigerians who want to serve at the third tier of government will put themselves forward.
He condemned a situation where State Governors sit somewhere with there cronies to make a selection of who to be in charge of Local governments without the input of residents of such Local Governments.
He disclosed that the Local Governments have also turned into a cash cow for State Governments who have created what is now known as JAC or Joint Allocation Committee.
According to him all Local Government Chairmen get now is handouts from State Governments to pay salaries while any project to be undertaken by them will be determined by the Commissioner For Local Government or the Governor.
This situation according to him is antithetical to what should obtain at the third tier of government.
He described Elections at the Local Government Level as a charade which must not continue as it currently obtains everywhere across the Country.
For some respondents on the programme, the issue of Local Government autonomy is one that should be on the table for those aspiring to be leaders both at the State at Federal Level.
They accused governors of being the architect of the misfortune of those at the grassroots which has left the third tier of government in shambles.
He however said as a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, its Presidential Candidate will do whatever is necessary including lobbying State Governors to ensure that they accede to Local Government Autonomy and bring development to the grassroots.
According to him, the current constitution in Nigeria does not support development at the Local level making it easy for State Governments to strangulate Local Government activities.
He urged all Nigerians to stand up and be counted in the move to extricate the Local Governments and their administration from the stranglehold of the State Governments.
2023 DUG defectors ‘ll return after general elections – PDP
Spokesperson of Delta State Campaign Council of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Barr Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe, has assured that some members of Delta United Group, DUG, which on Sunday defected to opposition party as a result of self inflicted frustration over the emergence of Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, as the party’s governorship candidate, will surely return to PDP after the forthcoming general elections.
Oghenesivbe gave the assurance on Monday, while speaking as a guest of Delta Rainbow Television public affairs programme, “Morning Ride,” saying that what the defectors did was to shamelessly lick their vomit, the All Progressives Congress, APC and Senator Ovie Omo-Agege.
He disclosed that the infamous defection was foreseeable, not a surprise to Deltans judging from the unguarded anti-democratic statements and negative body language of the defectors after the party’s governorship primary wherein Oborevwori emerged winner in a free, fair and transparent exercise.
Oghenesivbe noted that the universal principles of party politics in constitutional democracies allow for free and fair contest, as was the case in Delta PDP governorship primary, but that after the exercise the losers and stakeholders must of a necessity collapse political structures to work for the victory of the party and candidates.
The PDP Campaign Council mouthpiece, further disclosed that all coordinators of David Edevbie Campaign Organisation across the twenty five local government areas in the state, on Sunday declared their unalloyed support for the candidacy of Rt Hon Sheriff Francis Oborevwori at the country home of their authentic amiable leader, Olorogun Dr Isaac Akpoveta.
Edevbie LGA coordinators made the declaration during Delta Central PDP candidates consultation visit to Akpoveta, led by Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, pointing to show that the DUG defectors are on a futile Political sojourn. And very soon, Olorogun David Edevbie will be sheriffied.
Oghenesivbe, who is also the Executive Assistant on Communications to the Vice Presidential candidate of PDP and Delta State Governor, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, said a check on the political relevance of the defectors revealed that they are spent politicians looking for greener pastures without corresponding electoral value and relevance.
He however noted that their selfish ambitions cannot be actualized in the opposition party, which is why they shall hurriedly return to PDP after the forthcoming general elections, adding that their decision will have negative effects on their fractured and derailed political career.
“The recent defection of some DUG members was never a surprise to us in PDP, it was foreseeable because of their undemocratic statements and negative body language after the governorship primary.
“The defectors are simply searching for greener pastures in the wrong party, because PDP and our excessive local content governorship candidate, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori will defeat Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and the APC at the polls on March 11.
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