LG Autonomy: Nasarawa PDP support FG’s action against governors

Mr. Francis Orogu, Nasarawa State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has applauded the Federal Government for taking legal action on Local Government autonomy.

NEWSVERGE reports that the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), recently on behalf of the Federal Government, dragged the 36 state governors before the Supreme Court, seeking full autonomy for local government areas.

The Federal Government urged the court to issue an order prohibiting state governors from embarking on unilateral, arbitrary and unlawful dissolution of elected LG officials.

Orogu told newsmen on Wednesday in Lafia that the move was commendable, saying that local government autonomy would enhance rapid development in the rural areas.

He further said that with autonomy for local government more qualified persons would be interested in contesting elective positions at the local level.

“Ordinarily, the process of achieving autonomy for local government is through an amendment to the constitution.

“Unfortunately, it will be difficult to successfully amend the constitution and give LGAs autonomy under the present system because most of the state Houses of Assembly are doing the bidding of the governors,” he said.

On the one year anniversary of the present administration, Orogu urged the government wake up to its responsibility to address the hardship being faced by Nigerians.

The chairman urged leaders, especially at the state level to desist from embarking on white elephant projects that do not have positive impacts on the lives of the people.

He called on the government to open up rural communities and address insecurity to enable farmers to go to farm with fear of getting killed.

Orogu said that the PDP had commenced membership revalidation exercise in the state to clean up their register.

“We have began the process of removing the names of those who had died, those who left the party and to also register new members.

“This exercise is being carried out simultaneously across the 147 electoral wards of the state,” Orogu added.