By Ahmed Ilallah
The local government Reform movement for administrative and financial autonomy has become controversial to the categories of political leaders in the country.
However, there are provisions and proper processes for making amendments to the Nigerian Constitution.
The provisions of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution as Amended on the Local Government Councils can easily and democratically be amended using the constitutional guide, if the citizens wish.
The question is who wanted the reformation of the local government administration in the country? Are the Nigerians or some Nigerians?
To refresh our memory, in 2022 among the bills passed for the amendment of the Constitution, there is the Bill for Local Government Administrative and Financial Autonomy to amend the existing provisions of the 1999 Constitution as Amended.
But, this Bill failed to be secured by at least 24 State Assemblies, after the Bills with 43 others had been passed by the National Assembly and sent to the State Assemblies for their approval as required by the Constitution.
This decision by the State Assemblies has transferred the citizen’s decisions on the matter in the democratic mechanism.
The current legal battle initiated by the Federal Government instituted a legal action against the Governors of the 36 States of the Federation at the Supreme Court over alleged misconduct in the administration of Local Government Areas, LGAs.
In a suit by the Federal Government which was filed by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, is seeking full autonomy for all LGAs in the country as the third tier of government.
My frank opinion on the matter, it is undemocratic, and an attempt to use the legal part of the Federation to make decisions and enforce it to the citizens against their wishes.
If the elites or the political leaders believed that the reformation was the best at this time, the citizens should be educated and pursue their representatives at the Federal and State Assemblies to make the amendment.
No matter how anxious some people are to make any changes in the constitution, it’s very paramount to have full citizen engagement and allow the public in any decision-making through the legal provisions of the Constitution.
alhajilallah@gmail.com
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