Buhari supports financial freedom for local governenments

President Muhammadu Buhari seems prepared to rescue local governments from the stranglehold of states and their governors so that they can continue to function as the closest to the people as he says he will support any constitutional amendment for that purpose.

The president said this when he receiving the leadership of the Association of Local Governments in Nigeria (ALGON) on Thursday, September 15, 2016, in Abuja.

President Buhari said a constitutional amendment was urgently required to clearly define the relationship among the three tiers of government.

There had been arguments from many Nigerians that the local governments had been rendered ineffective by the state governments which have taken over major parts of their finances.

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Buhari described the frosty relationship between states and local government as a very serious constitutional problem, according to a statement by his spokesperson, Garba Shehu.

"The relationship between the three tiers of government is not a very nice one, especially that between the local governments and the states.

"The states feel like they own the local government, if they are of the same party. It is worse if they are not.

"This is a very serious constitutional problem and unless there is absolute clarity and transparency, the relationship will continue to be exploited against the interest of the ordinary people of the country," Buhari said while advising the ALGON executives to hold consultations with their people and lawyers with a view to presenting a bill that will seek a constitutional amendment to free the councils from the stranglehold of the states.

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Buhari added: "This will limit the damage they can do to you. The quicker you do this the better, so that you can help your people much more,"

The statement said the president acknowledged the request by ALGON for the release of $3.2 billion wrongfully deducted by the federal government for the final settlement of foreign debts in 2005.

Buhari said the government recognised the judgment debt but that the timing of the request for its repayment was wrong because of the current economic situation in the country.

Acting ALGON national president, Alhaji Ibrahim Ahmed Karaye, presented a six-point demand to Buhari.

The demands included the repayment of the debt and the need to ensure the sovereignty of local government administration in the country.

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The union expressed its full support for the president’s programmes on improving security, anti-corruption campaign and economic revival.

Source: Legit.ng