Fmr. Council Chair calls for local government autonomy

The cry by operators of the third-tier of government has attracted the interest of the former Vice-Chairman of Calabar Municipal Local Government Area, Hon. David Nsemo who call for concerted effort by the Bola Tinubu led administration to facilitate full autonomy to Local Government Areas in the country to FastTrack development in the grass-root.

Hon. Nsemo bared his mind while fielding questions from a LENS Newspaper Reporter on Saturday June 23, 2023 arguing that for a seamless democracy to prevail, the third-tier of government must be free from the suffocating grip of some state governors who deny the Local Government its fair share of allocation from the federal government.

Nsemo who is the political leader of Ishie Clan Council and uncle to member representing Calabar Municipal State Constituency in Cross River State House of Assembly, Hon. Stanley Boyce Nsemo appealed to the legislative arm of government to make laws that would help liberate the local government from the arm-twisting antics of some state governors who supposedly select stooges to administer and serve as conduit to siphon funds thereby unable to provide credible service to the people.

Doubling down, he called on the 10th National Assembly members to persuade the present administration to re-visit the law establishing the local government and remove the bottle-necks that serve as cog in the wheel of progress in the implementation of the autonomy of the local administration in Nigeria. He as well kicked against the formation of care-taker committees in place of proper election of council chairman and councilors saying it is against the spirit of fair-play, justice and equity by some over-zealous state Executives

He used the occasion to congratulate the Executive Governor of Cross River State, Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu for the over-whelming steps he has taken to restore and fix the state as the nations tourism destination and called for synergy from all Cross Riverians within and in the diaspora for him to succeed in his drive to build an egalitarian society devoid of hunger, under-development and insecurity accross the state.

Recall in recent times, Femi Aborisade has risen in defence of local government saying politicians have contracted prominent lawyers to denounce in strong terms the agitation for local government autonomy being championed by the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE).

One of the often brandished argument by forces opposing local government autonomy is that those who advocate Local Government autonomy lack a proper understanding of the concept of “True-Federalism”.

In a “True Federal System” there are two tiers of government-the National or Central government and the states, Hence iocal government in their estimation, is not a tier of government.

Calling for Local government autonomy and challenging governors for not giving Local governments a free hand to operate depict ignorance of the state of the law, they contend.

However, within the context of the constitution of Nigeria and the interpretation of the same constitution by appellate courts, including the apex court of the land (Supreme Court), the local government is recognized as a tier of government and should be recognized and given free hand by the Executive arm of Government to fund same from its share of allocation and not stipends from the federal allocation by state governors.

In Governor of Ekiti State Vs Olubunmi (2017) NWLR (Pt.1551) 1, 35, the Apex Court held: “any action of the governor which has the capacity of undermining the constitution (as in the instant case where the 1st Appellant purportedly ended the tenure of the Respondents Councils, dissolve them and replace them with Care-taker Committee) is tantamount to executive recklessness which will not be condoned.

Therefore, any suggestion that the local government is not a tier of government within the context of Nigeria’s fons-et-origo, the fundamental Law of the Land is a suggestion that undermines the constitutional democratic arrangement of Nigeria.

By: Archibong Emmanuel
(Snr. Reporter)