Osun Governor says Local Governments under states' control

Osun state governor, Rauf Aregbesola on Friday, September 15, 2017, said that the local government under the 1999 constitution of the country is an appendage of the state government.

The Governor held that there cannot be autonomy for local governments because they are absolutely under the control and ambience of the states, and that the only organ of the state empowered by the constitution to make laws for them is the state parliament.

Aregbesola stated this while delivering his lecture at a one day conference on the second Anniversary of South-West in National governance with the Theme "South-West to Abuja: A mid term appraisal" organised by Urban Media Resources Limited at the Aurora event centre in Osogbo.

He emphasised that the Presidential system the country is operating is too expensive for its economy to cope with, thereby advocating for a parliamentary system which is less expensive.

According to him, giving autonomy to local government simply amounts to disruption of the federal system of government.

Aregbesola opined that though the current system may have encouraged corruption, but the solution to such anomaly is not total removal of local government from its original body, which is the state.

The governor described the belief gaining grounds that local governments in Nigeria should be independent of state governments as totally strange and anti-federalism.

He noted that there are only two tiers of government in a federal system of government, namely the Federal government and the government at the federating level.

According to him, "Nigeria is not just a Republic, but a Federal Republic, a federal state is where every distinction of nationality is recognised, respected and honoured. None of the units of the Federation is therefore superior to the other. Every of the units are empowered by law to administer themselves under the general guideline of the constitution.

"Another anomaly that people, because of their frustration to some aspect of administration, are equally making mistake on and need correction is that a federation has two tiers of government. There cannot be three tiers in a federation. The moment you have three tiers, you no longer have a federation."

ALSO READ: APC not opposed to true federalism - Odigie-Oyegun

Aregbesola emphasised that the problem with the administration of Local Government in Nigeria can be corrected within the limits of the laws of the state in a federation.

He noted that it is not by assaulting the fundamental principle of federalism that the challenges and weakness being faced by the administration of local governments can be corrected.

The Governor also said Nigeria remains a poor country not because the country was blessed with necessary resources, but in its present state due to indolence culture among the citizenry.‎

‎He attributed the pace of insecurity challenges in the country to lack of productivity among Nigerians, saying if 50million out of 170 million Nigerians resolve to work for wealth, Nigeria will become the most productive nation among black race.‎

He averred that the status of Nigeria as a developing country is characterised by the failure to inculcate in her citizenry the culture of work for wealth which is known as the basis for development of advanced nations of the world.

"It is a fact that Nigeria do not need her entire populace to succeed economically as a county. If 25 percent equivalent to 50 million population out of 170 million Nigerians could resolve to work for wealth, then Nigeria will become a super power.

"This analysis means that 50 million population will be generating N1.25trillion yearly and if such continues in ten years, then Nigeria will become a super power.

"The way to economic vibrancy is not difficult, but the only difficulty in it, is the ability to inculcate the spirit that will stimulate consciousness to productivity."