Otive Igbuzor, executive director, African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD), says the ongoing constitutional amendment in respect of Local Government Autonomy in Nigeria must also address the issue of leadership selection processes at that level of government.
Igbuzor noted that while LG autonomy is highly desirable now in the country, the autonomy must be able to throw up credible leadership selection processes that ensures only quality people are elected to preside over affairs of the LGAs.
He pointed out that the quest for LG autonomy will be meaningless, if it was not able to deliver good governance as well as development to the ordinary Nigerian at the grassroots, who are mostly excluded from the benefit of governance.
Speaking at the weekend, in Abuja during a ‘Multi Stakeholders Dialogue on Local Government Autonomy’ workshop organized by the Organisation through a financial support provided by Christian Aid Nigeria, Igbuzor also observed that Nigerian democracy was yet to deliver security and development to the people .
According to him, the current mounting agitation for restructuring across the country was being provoked primarily by leadership failure occasioned by the poor caliber of people elected into positions of public leadership.
Also, he said that apart from the confusion created by the Constitution which make it difficult for LG administration to function fully, the reforms which the National Assembly is aiming at in LGs must promote greater participation of the citizenry in governance.
“In Nigeria here our democracy is facing three major challenges, number one, our democracy is not delivering service to the ordinary people, let me give you an example, in the 80s only 20% of Nigerians are living in poverty.
“From 1999 to 2014, the number of Nigerians living in poverty has increased to about 70% despite that over #70 Trillion the nation earn from the oil sector. This has got to show that our democracy is not delivering security and development.
“The trend in which our democratic governance is not addressing the issue of accountability as well as the concentration of the wealth of the nation in hands of few people, in addition to exclusion of ordinary Nigerians from participating in governance need to be resolved” he stated.
Also, speaking at the occasion which had in attendance Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) across the country, Media, and other stakeholders, Bolaji Abdullahi, All Progressive Congress (APC), national publicity secretary, disclosed that his party is in support of restructuring of the country in principle.
“Restructuring as a principle and philosophy is what APC believe in, as we believe it will help bring government closer to the people. However, I believe that more work need to be done to get the issue discussed beyond Abuja.
‘We must also be cautious about LG Autonomy, as my experience when I was a commissioner in my state Kwara shown what could happen if the autonomy is not handled carefully” he added.
