Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed has declared his support for agitation going on Local Government Autonomy, saying such calls deserve a definitive statement though and if there must be enduring Local Government Autonomy scope of the Autonomy and conditions attached to it must be clear.
Speaking during a courtesy call on him by the National Vice-President of Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Patrick Igwe at Government House, Ilorin, the state capital, the governor said: “relationship between arms of government is purely guided by the constitution and the laws of the state”.
Gov Ahmed, who challenged local government workers to be specific on areas for autonomy or restructuring in their demands, advocated for a special funding window for education at the basic level to guarantee strong foundation for children at formative level.
According to the governor, “funding of basic education currently tied to the local governments needs to be reviewed as capacity of local governments to adequately meet this statutory responsibility has recently been challenged as a result of dwindling national resources”.
He therefore urged Local Government Councils to stimulate their internally generated revenue platform to improve their revenues to support pensions, gratuities, regular payment of salaries and basic infrastructure in their areas.
The Governor assured that Kwara State Internal Revenue (KWIRS) is ready to support the local councils to drive revenue and not to take over their function, stating that Local Governments in the state should liaise with the revenue body as a way to reinvigorate their Internally-Generated Revene.
Earlier, Patrick Igwe said he was in the state to appeal for support of the state House of Assembly on the need to pass the bill on Local Government autonomy.
SIKIRAT SHEHU, ILORIN
