LG autonomy: NULGE president hails Ekiti, two others

The President of the National Union of Local Government Employees, Comrade Ambali Olatunji, has commended the Ekiti State Government for adhering to the constitutional provisions of local government autonomy in the state.

The president of NULGE gave the commendation on a Channels Television programme: “The Morning Brief.” on Tuesday.

Comrade Olatunji, who criticised state governments for flouting the local government autonomy law, however, cited Ekiti State as one of the three states that have followed the due process for local government autonomy.

He identified Rivers and Jigawa as the two other states that have also complied with the constitutional provision.

The NULGE president, who flayed what he described as flagrant disregard for local government autonomy by state government, alleged that many states have continued to deny the third tier of government democratic governance through the use of caretaker committees or sole administrators as against elected officials.

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He added that many of them have also not complied with the financial independence aspect of the autonomy, through unwholesome practices that slow down growth and development at the third tier government.

When asked by the moderator to mention names of the states that are disregarding the local government autonomy law and who are in the habit of crediting and withdrawing money from the local government account, Comrade Olatunji said only the three states: Ekiti, Jigawa and Rivers, have complied with the law.

He said: “Only three states are complying mutatis mutandis with the provisions of the constitution: Ekiti, Jigawa and Rivers. 

“These are the states that stand above board on the issue of local government autonomy.”