Odunayo Alegbere, Chairman of the ALGON Board of Trustees, has attributed delays in the direct disbursement of allocations to local government councils to bureaucratic hurdles.
He stated that local government areas (LGAs) have been directed to open accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to enable the implementation of the Supreme Court’s ruling.
He emphasized that direct allocation would contribute to poverty reduction at the grassroots level by empowering local governments with greater financial control over their operations and development projects
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Mr. Alegbere acknowledged that while full financial autonomy has not yet been achieved, consistent progress is being made.
“If you look at the grassroots level, the level of abject poverty is alarming. But with this new arrangement, we are confident that we will eradicate and stamp out poverty,” he said.
Mr. Alegbere also criticized the current practice of state governments conducting local government elections, arguing that it often leads to selections rather than authentic democratic processes.
He expressed optimism that the ongoing constitutional amendments by the National Assembly would soon rectify this issue.
“We are happy with the president, and though we have not yet reached our goal, we are making steady progress,” he stated.
Mr. Alegbere also advocated for the removal of the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) from the constitution and its replacement with a national body to oversee local government elections, aiming to ensure a more equitable electoral process.
He further connected Nigeria’s escalating insecurity to the dysfunction of the local government system.
He argued that restoring the autonomy of local governments and integrating traditional institutions into governance would substantially strengthen security initiatives.
“Unless and until we revisit the older system, addressing insecurity will remain a challenge,” he stressed.
He urged the government to incorporate traditional rulers into the local government structure to enhance security at the community level.
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