A Chieftain of People’s Democratic Party in Ikwuano LGA of Abia state, Barr Sampson Onyekwere has hailed the judgement of the supreme court on local government autonomy.
This was even as he lamented that the gains Local Government Areas in the state made under the senator representing Abia North at the National Assembly, Orji Uzor Kalu as the Abia State governor between 1999-2007, died because of lack of autonomy
Onyekwere lauded Ikwuano Local Government Area as one of the local governments that turned the fortunes of the council by effectively maximizing the autonomy the then Governor Orji Uzor Kalu ( 1999-2007) granted the 17 local government areas of Abia state.
In a chat with newsmen in Umuahia on Monday, Onyekwere told reporters that all those gains between 1999-2007 died because of lack of autonomy. So I am happy with the supreme court judgement as it it an excellent way of rejigging activities in the local councils.
He said that under LGAs, local governments were able to embark on projects, pointing out, “Ikwuano Local Government Area owned a transportation company called Ikwuano Mass Transit during the tenure of Hon KC Ugbaja as Chairman under Gov Kalu.
“The mass transit generated revenues for the local government and the then state Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu never interfered in the activities of the local governments The successor of Late Ugbaja, Hon Stanley Ojigbo inherited those investments in transportation sector for Ikwuano Local Government.”
During the days of local government autonomy, Onyekwere said, “I remember how the then Chairman renovated the community schools and constructed roads in the local government”
Reacting to criticisms against the judgement as a setback on principles of true federalism, the legal luminary said the judgement is a necessary clarification of the constitutional powers of the various tiers of government and argued that the judgment is in line with the constitutional provisions that establish the role of state governments in ensuring the effective administration of local governments.
The implication of the judgment, he said, depends on one’s interpretation of the Nigerian federal system and the role of local governments within it, stating, “When Local Governments are able to make decisions and take actions without needing approval from State Governments, when they are able to manage their finances, collect revenues, and allocate resources without state government interference, there would be massive, better development and better security”.
