LG Autonomy: The Presidency Holds the Key, Not Governor Makinde: By Oluwadamilare S. O.

The issue of Local Government autonomy is not something we should continue to put entirely at the door of the state government.

The responsibility for making Local Government autonomy work ultimately rests with the Presidency and the National Assembly: the National Assembly has the responsibility to provide the necessary legal and legislative framework, while the Presidency, through the executive arm and relevant federal institutions, is responsible for implementing and enforcing the applicable laws and court decisions.

Senator Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli, as a member of the Senate, should therefore be able to tell Oyo people clearly what his contribution has been to the legislative process and discussions surrounding Local Government autonomy.

If the Presidency and the National Assembly have the constitutional and legal tools to make this happen, then the question remains: what exactly is delaying full implementation?

To me, this is where the Presidency’s intention becomes questionable. I believe the delay in fully implementing Local Government autonomy could be a deliberate political strategy to keep the governors within its sphere of influence and eventually secure their support for a second-term agenda.

Look at Osun: when the Presidency wants to deal directly with Local Governments, it has demonstrated that funds can be channelled directly to the councils. So, what exactly is stopping the same process from being applied across the other 35 states? That is a question Nigerians deserve to ask.

As for Oyo State, Governor Seyi Makinde has done well in ensuring that Local Governments remain functional. Local Government workers are being paid, while the chairmen are also carrying out infrastructure and other projects at the grassroots. Rather than turning autonomy into a political weapon or blaming the state government for everything, let us ask the Presidency and the National Assembly the bigger question: if Local Government autonomy is truly the objective, why has its full implementation continued to be delayed?