The National Chairman, Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, CNPP, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, has stated that the failure of the government to fully implement the Ibrahim Dasuki’s report on local government system has made it difficult for the operators of government at the grassroots to enjoy autonomy.
Musa said that the Dasuki ‘s report on local government reform was yet to be implemented after it was submitted to the then Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida. He blamed failed implementation on pressure from state governors.
According to him, “The state governments want to control local governments for political and economic reasons; this control is undemocratic as local government system should be autonomous.”
“Scrapping of local government councils is not the issue. Nigeria should go back to the regional system of government where six regions should be the federating units,” he said.
Musa suggested that each region should be allowed to create as many local government councils as they could cope with, based on the allocation from the Federation Accounts.
“The power given to the states is being abused, and there are problems concerning the present composition of Nigeria.
“Let us return to the regional arrangement, where each region should be entitled to create as many states and local governments as it wants.” He said.
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