Senate Urges President to Lead Push for Full Local Government Autonomy

By Iyojo Ameh

The Nigerian Senate Wednesday called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take the lead in advocating full autonomy for local governments nationwide.

This is contained in a motion, titled ‘Call on the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces to Resuscitate Local Government System in Nigeria’ sponsored by Senator Kawu Suleiman, representing Kano South during in Abuja

Senator Suleiman emphasized the vital role of local governments in driving grassroots development, expressing concern over the current state of promise overshadowed by frustration.

He emphasized the importance of genuine control and decision-making power at the local level, stressing that autonomy is essential for effective security measures tailored to specific community needs and for building trust with residents.

The Senate echoed these concerns, with several senators attributing Nigeria’s current challenges, in part, to the state of local governance, as they urged a revisit of Section Seven of the constitution during the amendment process to address these issues comprehensively.

In response to the motion, the Senate passed a resolution calling for federal agencies to comply with existing legal provisions empowering local governments.

This includes ensuring the timely release of allocated funds directly to their bank accounts and streamlining administrative processes.

With this resolution, the Senate underscores the urgency of revitalizing the local government system to promote effective grassroots governance across Nigeria.