The policy position of the All Progressives Congress (APC) began to unfold yesterday as its governors opposed local governments autonomy. The governors also said the power to alter the revenue allocation formula, which is vested in the President, should be transferred to the National Assembly. The 11 governors met under the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital. The House of Representativesvoted for councils’ autonomy in the proposed amendment to the Constitution. Apart from host Governor Tanko Al-Makura, the meeting was attended by Governors Kashim Shettima (Borno), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Babatunde Fashola (Lagos), Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Abdulazeez Yari (Zamfara), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun) and Adams Oshiomhole (Edo). Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha was represented by his deputy Prince Eze Madumere. Yobe State Governor Ibrahim Geidam, who is away in Saudi Arabia for the lesser hajj, sent an apology. Fayemi read the communiqué of the meeting, saying: “The Forum commits itself to the process of APC party formation and consolidation, in line with the on-going efforts of the interim national leadership and with the understanding of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) as it affects the development of healthy relationship among the members of the APC. “The PGF discussed constitutional amendmentextensively and resolved that the issue of Local Government Administration,recognisingthe fact that Federalism is the basis of our sovereignty, is a matter within the purview of the Federating Unit and every attempt to legislate by the National Assembly on any aspect of Local Government Administration will tilt the country towards a unitary state. This will undermine and weaken the fundamental principles of our federalism. “The Forum deliberated on revenue allocationand notes that in spite of recommendationsmade to the Presidency, no effect has been given to the extant proposals on the need to give more funds to the states and local governments because that is where the citizens reside. “The PGF further recommends that the powers to alter the revenue allocation formula currently with the Presidency should be vested in the National Assembly henceforth. Fayemi said the meeting also discussed a number of national issues in the on-going “dialogue to salvage the nation, proffer practical solutions on moving Nigeria forwardas well as strategies to complement efforts of the interim national executives to strengthen the party” . The Forum praised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for rising to the occasion by registering the APC in the overall national interest. It, however, hoped that such “nationalistic and patriotic position of INEC” shall continue to guide its conduct with respect to its statutory mandate. The Forum expressed confidence in the interim national executive of the APC “in its on-going efforts to reposition the party as a credible alternative to the teeming Nigerians that are yearning for change”. Other decisions reached include: “The Forum condemns the killing of security operatives at Lakyo by the outlawed Ombatse militia and commends the Nasarawa State Government for the proactive steps taken in instituting a Judicial Commission of Inquiry with a view to bringing to book the perpetrators of this dastardly act. “The Forum condemns unreservedly the repression in Egypt, following the unconstitutional ouster of a democratically-elected government and calls on the International community to ensure speedy resolution of the crisis.” Elaborating on the position of the governors on council autonomy, Oshiomhole said: “We are in a federal system. The basis of our federation is the states, not local governments, and we are not going to reinvent the wheel in Nigeria. “To legislate on autonomy can be handled by state governments that believe in it. You can’t impose one drug that cures all ailments. The fact of our diversity itself suggests that it is better to allow certain issues to be dealt with at the level of state governments. “If Nasarawa State, for example, feels that it wants to give additional responsibilities to the local governments, the Nasarawa State House of Assembly should have the power to so legislate. That power should not reside in Abuja. That is the issue. Who decides what is the issue? “Abuja should not be the one prescribing onedrug for every Nigerian ailment. We have Houses of Assembly and they are just as responsible as their counterparts in Abuja. That is the point we are making.” He added: “But I also want to say that too often we forget how we got to where we are.In the name of autonomy in the past, some local governments were unable or unwilling to pay salaries of primary school teachers, such that in some states’ teachers were not paid for about five months. “The result was that in those states, teachers were on strike endlessly.
Posted on: Thu, 15 Aug 2013 06:56:52 +0000
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