Alhaji Umar Mu’azu, a community leader in Katsina State, has urged state governors to respect Local Government Councils financial autonomy to fight poverty and reduce unemployment at the grassroots.
Mu’azu made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sideline of 30th Coronation Anniversary of the District Head of Danja, Alhaji Mohammed Tukur-Bature, on Sunday in Danja.
NAN reports that the Senate in March, passed the LG Financial and Adminstrative Autonomy Bills.
The bill seek to amend the constitution to repeal the State/LG Joint Account and provide for a special account where all allocations due to the LGCs from the federation account and state government shall be paid.
Under the new law, each LGC is expected to create and maintain its own special account to be called Local Government Allocation Account into which all the allocations will be paid.
It also mandate each state to pay to LGCs in its area of jurisdiction such proportion of its internally generated revenue on such terms and in such manner as may be prescribed by the House of Assembly.
For administrative autonomy, the bill seeks to allow LGCs to conduct their own elections.
Mu’azu who is the Dandarman Danja (Title Holder), and one of the Chief Advisers to the District Head, attributed the bedeviling insecurity in parts of the country to high rate of unemployment among the youths in the society.
He said that, if LGCs are given their monthly subventions directly from the Federation Account, they would be able to provide employment for the teeming youths as well as execute meaningful projects for the masses at the grassroots.
“Its unfortunate, LGCs don’t have access to grants meant for them, the funds are held by the governors in the name of state/LGC Joint Account.
“Is only the governors that can determine how the money should be spent,” he said.
He, therefore, advised the governors to release LGCs’ money directly from federal purse to enable them execute viable projects and provide employment for the youths in their respective areas. (NAN)
