Thread by @iOLOTU

Dear @solomon_rep,

I saw saw the proposed bill you presented at @HouseNGR. My question is simple: How is this bill going to change the ineffectiveness of the LGA? How will further disempowerment of the LGA get it closer to the people?

https://twitter.com/vanguardngrnews/status/1342374784219267075

Has the @HouseNGR ever challenged State Gvnors for not releasing funds to their LGA? If Gvnors do not give the funds that a constitutionally the right of the LGA, how then do you think they will fund it when it isn't a constitutional tier of Govt? These should be how we think

We should ask questions first when a problem exists, after which we can investigate one state in each region, then you have the appropriate committee brainstorm on d best cause for action that gets governance to the people. This eliminates any short sightedness in pushing a bill

Has d LGA elections been a reflection of the people's will? Why is the LGA election held by the SEC rather than by INEC? Why do we have all LGA in a state like Lagos owning a broom? Similarly some states having most LGA if not all using an umbrella? We should ask these questions

This brings me to the real reason why the LGA has continues to fail.

It has fail mainly because "The State Joint Local Government Account(SJLGA)"

When the LGA has revenue in its jurisdiction but the state govt fight them over jurisdiction. They can't get their own IGR.

The LG is dependent on the state because their fed allocation is maintained by the state under the SJLGA. A paper by Jude Okafor highlights the real issue.

The Borno State govt empowered a committee that effected the illegal deduction from the SJLGA.

26 LG chairs with exception of one sued the Borno Govt and the Hight Court ruled that it was unconstitutional the provisions that empowered the committee to make those deduction.

I guess at this point you would say wow at least something worked, right?

I have sad news for you

The judgement was given in June 2002 and these deductions continued. Some deduction were above 50%.

So my question Sir @ @solomon_rep is this

Can this same state govt that's won't give the LG it's constitutional allocation and disregard our judicial process allow LG's develop.

I think as a country our educational system wasn't meant to see society through difficult social, economic and political storms. Because I would say the House meant not have the experience, in designing an effective LG structure that delivers good governance to the people.

That's where our academia comes in. Our ability to let their years of research leave d journals, to help politicians draft models that transforms the LG.

@solomon_rep @SpeakerGbaja this bill will not achieve its intended goal but rather it will take d LG further away from Us.