CSOs mobilise support for ratification of LG administrative, financial autonomy

By PHILIP YATAI

Some Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) under the Kaduna Local Government Accountability Mechanism (LGAM) are mobilising support for ratification of Local Government Administrative and Financial Autonomy Bills in Kaduna State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the CSOs are presently meeting in Kaduana State.

Mr Yusuf Goje of the Coalition of Associations for Leadership, Peace, Empowerment and Development (CALPED), the convener of the meeting, said on Monday that the goal was to ensure development at the grassroots.

NAN reports that the bills passed by the National Assembly, seeks to amend the 1999 Constitution to repeal Caretaker Committees in LGAs and Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC).

The bills also seek to create standard tenure for Local Government administrators and direct allocation to LGAs from the Federation Account and the state governments, among other issues.

The National Assembly was about to transmit the bills to the State Houses of Assembly for ratification in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.

Goje said that the meeting, supported by Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn, (PERL), was to facilitate a shared understanding on the need for Local Government Administrative and Financial Autonomy.

He said that the meeting was also for the CSOs to brainstorm on strategies to engage critical stakeholders and advocate ratification of the autonomy by the Kaduna State House of Assembly.

According to him, the move is necessary, given that the ratification of 24 states, representing two-third of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory is required for the autonomy to become a reality.

“The Local Government Administrative and Financial Autonomy are very critical in improving service delivery at the local government level.

“This is because the current arrangement is not allowing local governments to deliver public goods because of the overwhelming influence of the state governments on their finances and administration.

“Insecurity is rising in most communities because the local government systems were not strengthened enough to respond to security challenges through security mitigation and intelligence gathering,” he said.

Earlier, Mr Adejor Abel, State Lead Facilitator, PERL, a United Kingdom-funded governance programme, stressed the critical role of CSOs in ensuring that the bills were ratified in their respective states.

Abel, particularly, urged members of LGAM and Community Development Champions to mobilise more citizens for a constructive engagement of critical stakeholders to ensure ratification of the bills in Kaduna state.

“You have been influencing governance at the local government level, please build on the successes of your engagements to equally influence the ratification of the bills for the good of people at the grassroots.

“PERL will continue to work with citizens to actively engage critical stakeholders to champion advocacy for the ratification of the bills by the State Houses of Assembly,” he said.

NAN reports that participants at the meeting agreed to organise town hall meetings at local government areas and massive media engagements to sensitise residents on the bills to mobilise popular support.

They also agreed to embark on advocacies to critical stakeholders and the leadership of the State Assembly to ensure that the bills are ratified in the state.

The Community Development Champions in each local government areas were to engage their respective legislators at the state assembly to support the ratification of the bills. (NAN)