Group Asks ALGON Leadership to Take Advantage of Local Government Autonomy Act and Develop Rural Areas

Paschal Emeka, Abuja | June 2, 2023

Following the signing of the Local Government Autonomy Bill by former President Muhammadu Buhari, the Advocate for Better Leadership and Sustainable Rural Development Initiative, (ABLE) has urged the national leadership of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) to ensure the delivery of democracy dividends, curb rural-urban migration, harness all economic opportunities at the grassroots and transform rural areas.

ABLE Executive Director, Comrade Destiny Uche Madu, who made this assertion at a press conference in Abuja, said the call is a result of
the recent signing of the Local Government Autonomy Bill into law by the immediate past President, Muhammadu Buhari.

The group commended the ALGON Chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Abdullahi, who doubles as the Chairman of Abaji Area Council, FCT Abuja, as well as the leadership of the 774 local governments and the 6 Area Councils of FCT for their resilience, during the struggle for local government autonomy.

Recall that in 2017, ABLE filed a suit against the federal government, the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, the 36 State Governments, the 36 States Attorney Generals and Commissioners of Justice as parts of its avowal to ensure the emergence of local government autonomy in the country.

” The National Leadership of the ALGON now led by the visionary Abaji Area Council Chairman deserves salutations and commendations for giving visionary treatment to the struggle for that fine piece of Legislation.

“From the very beginning, the ABLE declared its determination for composite Local Government Autonomy that shall effectuate into the delivery of democracy dividends, curb rural-urban migration, harness all the economic corridors specific to the grassroots and transfer all the outward manifestations to Urban life to the Rural Areas.

“Over and above all Local Government Autonomy veritably situated with the concomitant greatly enhanced revenues shall cushion the effects of subsidy removal given the multi-dimensional poverty and positively impact the lower wage earning stratum of the population and household incomes.

“Whilst Petroleum Fuel Subsidy removal is in consonance with market forces and global best economic practices, there is the imperative need to strengthen and fortify the social security net, create it where it does not exist and provide alternative mass transportation for the greatest majority and phenomenally increase the National Minimum Wage.

Comrade Madu further called on President Tinubu to ensure that at least one of the four petroleum refineries is functional so that Nigerians can benefit more from the deregulation of the downstream petroleum sector.