The Ogun State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Abayomi Tella, has called on state governors to implement the Supreme Court judgement on local government autonomy, stating that it would ease their responsibilities at the grassroots level.
In an interview with Daily Trust over the weekend, Tella expressed concern about the inactivity of local government chairmen in Ogun State, emphasizing their financial constraints. He criticized the lack of compliance with the Supreme Court ruling granting financial autonomy to the 774 local government councils across the country.
“Well, it’s quite unfortunate that our people don’t realize what local government administration truly entails, particularly our governors. What is happening today in Ogun State does not align with the Supreme Court’s decision. As we speak, Ogun State local governments do not have any autonomy. I live in the grassroots; I’m a grassroots politician, and I can confidently say there is no autonomy for local governments in the state,” Tella remarked.
He clarified that his stance was not influenced by his position as an opposition leader but as an Ogun State indigene with experience in governance.
Highlighting local government autonomy as a significant achievement of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, Tella urged state governors to embrace the policy to improve governance at the grassroots.
“We can only appeal to the governors. If they implement this, it will ease their burden and benefit rural communities. I think all our governors should join Mr. President to ensure this key achievement is realized,” Tella added.
Source: Dailytrust.com