Stakeholders in the economy and financial sectors have commended the Jigawa government for guaranteeing financial autonomy to the 27 local government areas of the state.

They also lauded the conduct of local council elections in the state in compliance with the Supreme Court verdict.

It will be recalled that the Supreme Court, in a landmark judgement, voided the State and LGAs Joint Account and directed the federal government to stop disbursing funds to states without elected councils’ officials.

The judgement came against the backdrop of alleged mismanagement of LG funds by state governments through the state and local government joint account.

The stakeholders, including civil society activists, public administrators and LG employees, who spoke in separate interviews with journalists in Dutse, said the feat would fasttrack sustainable social and economic development of the states.

Abubakar Shitu, chairman, National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in Jigawa, said the 27 LGAs have been enjoying financial autonomy prior to the Supreme Court verdict, which accelerated development at the grassroots.

He said that Governor Umar Namadi’s administration was releasing funds accrued from the federation account to the LGAs without undue interference since inception.

“The LG account has been fully functional and operational, thus receiving their grants directly from the federal account without interference by the state government,” he said.

Mr Shiitu said the state government had adopted proactive measures to ensure accountability and transparency in the management of funds by the councils.

Ahmad Aminu, coordinator, Good Governance Initiative, a non-governmental organisation, urged the councils to prioritise education, health and youth development programmes, to improve the social and economic wellbeing of the people.

He said the measure was imperative to encourage development at the grassroots and the country at large.

“The council officials must use their autonomy in the right and appropriate direction; they should engage in projects that will bring development to their people,” he said.

Also, Misbahu Muhammad, chairman, Jigawa Civil Society Forum, said granting autonomy to the LGAs would herald effective and efficient service delivery to the people.

Corroborating earlier opinions, Abubakar Danladi underscored the importance of independence of the LGAs as the third tier of government.

Mr Danladi noted that if the councils were allowed to operate independently, Nigerians would have access to basic social amenities and feel the impact of governance at the grassroots.

“People in rural areas might not go to state or federal governments to demand services; rather, they can access their leaders at the grassroots with ease.

“Granting LGAs financial autonomy will also tackle the current insecurity challenges bedevilling the country,” he said.

On his part, James Gwomna, the spokesman of the Bogoro Local Government Council of Bauchi, reiterated the council’s desire to reinvigorate the education sector.

He said the newly inaugurated members of the council, under the leadership of Lawi Sumi, pledged to leverage every avenue to reform the educational system in the area.

The council, he said, promised to prioritise execution of people-oriented projects in the 13 wards in the area through prudent financial management.

He said the council had sponsored 20 indigent students to study health-related courses at Bill and Melinda Gate College of Health and Technology, Ningi.

Mr James listed the courses to include community health, radiology, pharmacy, and environmental health technology, among others.

The gesture, he said, was part of an effort to assist youth and women in their academic pursuits.

However, Jinjiri Garba, chairman, Bauchi State Network of Civil Society Organisations (BASNEC), called for practical measures to ensure that the LGAs utilise their autonomy for the betterment of the people.

He also warned state governments against imposing puppets to run the affairs councils at the detriment of the popular wishes of the people.

Mr Garba alleged that opposition parties and their candidates were not winning LG elections, thus denying them the chance to participate in the local administration in the states.

“If you are not with them and you are not obedient, you cannot be there. There are some governors who came out to say it’s not going to work.

“And the local government’s autonomy, it’s at the mercy of the governors. If the governors are ready to do it, they will, and if they don’t agree to do it, it won’t happen.

“Local government councils proved to be more functional and work for the people under military rule rather than civilian administration.

“But this is a democracy where the governors are the ones conducting local government elections and not the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC),” he said.

Mr Garba further advocated for the LG elections to be conducted during general elections under the supervision of INEC. 

(NAN)