Prez Buhari To Free LGs From States And Clarify Tiers Of Govt Roles

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President Muhammadu Buhari says his
administration will support a constitutional
amendment to free local governments from the
stranglehold of states and better the lot of
Nigerians at the community level.
Receiving the leadership of the Association of
Local Governments in Nigeria (ALGON) on
Thursday in Abuja, President Buhari said a
constitutional amendment was urgently required
to clearly define the relationship among the
three tiers of government.
He described the frosty relationship between
states and local government as “a very serious
constitutional problem”.
“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,” the President said.
President Buhari advised 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.
“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 President
said.
The President acknowledged the request by
ALGON for the release of 3.2 billion dollars
wrongfully deducted by the Federal government
for the final settlement of foreign debts in 2005.
Supported by Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, the Minister
of Finance, President Buhari said the
government recognized the judgment debt but
the timing of the request for its repayment was
wrong given the current economic situation in
the country.
In his remarks, Acting ALGON National President
Alhaji Ibrahim Ahmed Karaye presented a six-
point demand to the President which included
the repayment of the 3.2 billion debt and the
need to ensure the sovereignty of local
government administration in the country.
The ALGON leaders expressed their full support
to the President’s programmes on improving
security, anti-corruption campaign and economic
revival.
GARBA SHEHU
SSA to the President
(Media & Publicity)
September 15, 2016

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