A chieftain of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, has declared that the recent Supreme Court judgement on local government autonomy will significantly boost grassroots development across the country.
Oguntoyinbo stated that the judgement would also strengthen Nigeria’s democracy and improve the livelihoods of the masses nationwide. He made these remarks in a statement made available to the media on Wednesday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
However, Oguntoyinbo cautioned Nigerians to be vigilant against governors who might attempt to control local government finances through underhanded means.
“We should keep our eyes on the governors so that they will not go behind the scenes in controlling the finances of the local governments,” he said.
“Local government chairmen should be bold to ensure their freedom from the governors, having been protected by the law.”
Oguntoyinbo also commended President Bola Tinubu’s administration for addressing the issue of governors controlling local government finances.
“The Attorney General’s bold decision has saved the country from the state governors’ excesses,” he noted.
He emphasized that it was undemocratic for state governments to erode the powers and functions of local governments by introducing caretaker administrative systems.
“Its introduction in a full democratic setting is an aberration to the system of government the country is operating,” Oguntoyinbo added.
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