Why we can’t stop allocation to caretaker LG chairmen – Dogara

Against persistent calls for the National Assembly to stop monthly allocations to local governments without democratically elected chairmen, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has said that the federal legislature was handicapped in stopoing the allocations, adding that the power to legislate on local government areas is vested in the state houses of assembly by the  constitution.

The Speaker disclosed this during a visit by the  National Executive Council of the National Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, led by  its national president, Khaleal Ibrahim, to his office.

The union had visited to renew their call for the autonomy of the local government areas in the ongoing 1999 constitutional review.

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Represented by the Deputy Speaker, Yusuf Lasun, Dogara however assured NULGE officials that the House would do everything within its powers to ensure the council areas were granted autonomy.

The Speaker also advised them to engage seasoned legal practitioners to study the Nigerian constitution so as to explore all the available opportunities to put in place the framework that will help to realise it, noting that the Nigerian constitution had given the right to legislate and create local councils to state assemblies.

He however added that if the constitution should recognise three tiers of government, the local government areas should be autonomous.

While speaking earlier, NULGE national president, Khaleal, said the purpose of their visit was for the emancipation and freedom of Nigerian people and also to appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari to extend the ongoing fight against corruption in the country to local government areas, adding that the fight could not be completed without President Buhari extending it to the grassroots, particularly the operations at the local government areas.

Khaleal said:  “We are of the opinion that the fight should be extended immediately.  We believe that under your leadership, local government councils should be free and autonomous. The local government areas breach the gap between government and the grassroots.”

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