Former Deputy National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, has aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the recent Supreme Court’s verdict stopping state governments from retaining and using funds meant for councils across the country, urging that the president, who hinted about the journey to restructuring having started, must go further and make it total.
George made the call at the weekend in a statement signed by him, copy of which was made available to newsmen, saying that last Thursday’s judgment by the Apex court on the autonomy granted the local government (LG) administrations was not only victory for democracy but a big boost for Nigeria’s political and economic development.
The PDP chieftain, who is also the Atona Oodua of Yorubaland, while hailing judgment, asserted that going further to ensure total restructuring “is the only way Nigeria can work,” as, according to him, what Nigerians want is a complete overhaul of the polity.
George declared that the judiciary had, once again, proved that it is the last hope of the common man by being precise and unambiguous in its verdict that allocations must henceforth be paid directly from the Federation Account (FA) to councils governed by democratically-elected officials.
According to Chief George, the verdict, which he described as courageous, will, obviously, have far-reaching implications for the growth of democracy in Nigeria regarded as world’s most populous black country and Africa’s biggest democracy.
Besides, he said that the Apex court’s judgment would also strengthen democratic principles at the local level and foster transparency.
“Thursday’s Supreme Court judgment stopping State Governments from retaining and using funds meant for the third tier of government – councils – is not only victory for democracy but a big boost for Nigeria’s political and economic development.
“The Apex court was precise and unambiguous in its verdict: Allocations to Local Governments must be paid directly from the Federation Account to councils governed by democratically-elected officials.
“The judiciary has, once again, proved that it is the last hope of the common man.
“This courageous verdict from the Apex court, obviously, will have far-reaching implications for the growth of democracy in world’s most populous black country and Africa’s biggest democracy.
“This courageous judgment will also strengthen democratic principles at the local level and foster transparency.
“I also read President Bola Tinubu’s statement hailing the verdict and talking about restructuring.
I want to advise the President that he must go further because what Nigerians want is a complete overhaul of the polity.
“That is the only way Nigeria can work,” he said.
Chief George maintained that Nigerians wanted total restructuring, saying that this would lead to decentralisation of power, fortify the nation’s democracy and ensure that dividends of democracy reach all Nigerians anywhere they might be in the country.
The PDP chieftain argued that for any country to develop, there must be a strategic plan for a Bottom-Up Approach to governance, not the other way round, noting that Nigeria cannot be doing the same thing, over and over again, and expect another result.
On decentralisation of power, the Atona Oodua of Yorubaland pointed out that in developed countries of the world, one could count the number of airports controlled by the Central Government, saying that Jackson Airport in Atlanta, the United States (U.S.), controlled by the Atlanta City Council, is one of the busiest and most profitable airports globally.
George sadly noted that the major challenge in Nigeria is that almost everything is overcentralised, citing sea ports, just as he observed that many states in the U.S had Supreme Courts where legal cases in such states end, not in Washington D.C., unlike Nigeria where “all cases must go to Abuja.”
Here, for something as minute as mining gold in any part of the country, somebody must approve in Abuja. So, how do we want to develop Nigeria?
“Here, for something as minute as mining gold in any part of the country, somebody must approve in Abuja. So, how do we want to develop Nigeria?
“Look at Lagos State with 20 local governments. Ogun State also with 20 local governments. Every month, money will be sent to 20 councils in Lagos and 20 councils in Ogun and we all know the contributions of Lagos State to national development.
“Why should Lagos and Ogun have the same number of councils?
Lagos and Kano states were created in 1967.
“Jigawa was later carved out of Kano. Today, Lagos has 20 councils, Kano 44 and Jigawa 27. So, in essence, after 57 years, the old Lagos still has 20 councils while the old Kano (now Kano and Jigawa) has 71. Where is the justice in the system?” he queried.
“I strongly believe that states should determine the number of LGs they want. Also, what is the business of the Federal Government with parks? What exactly is the business of the Federal Government with livestock, agriculture, water, even education? What is the business of governors with markets?” he further queried.
George, in conclusion, demanded a new Nigeria where development starts from the grassroots, warning that everything must change from being centralized because “Nigerians are losing patience.”
He declared that the Supreme Court with its recent verdict on the local government autonomy had started the revolution, asserting this was the right time to rejig the 1999 Constitution in full.
“We want a new Nigeria where development starts from the grassroots. Everything must change. Nigerians are losing patience. Everything here is centralised.
“The Supreme Court has started the revolution. This is the right time to rejig our Constitution in full,’ the PDP chieftain declared.