We are reviewing concerns over LG autonomy – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it is reviewing the various concerns about the Supreme Court judgment that granted fiscal autonomy to Local Governments (LGs) in the country.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said this during a news conference on Sunday in Abuja.

Ologunagba was responding to questions on the party’s stand on the Apex court judgment, in view of comments by Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State.

Makinde had said that the Supreme Court judgment created a constitutional lacuna that would throw up different challenges at the LG level.

He said that, though he was not opposed to transparency in the councils, the judgment wasn’t not a “silver bullet” that will wash away Nigeria’s problems.

“The law is the law and when there is a conflict, yes, we should go to the court.

“But it behooves on us to look for our own homegrown solutions that can ensure that we have transparency and that our people do not suffer.

“This is because when two elephants are fighting it is the grass that will suffer,” Makinde had said.

Ologunagba said that the party’s stance was that the LGs were related to the state and that they were closer to the grassroots.

He said that the PDP was reviewing various positions on the Supreme Court judgment with concern.

“The fact that the Federal Government is trying to create another bureaucracy that would be corrupt or deviant in local government control, we think that would be another recipe for trouble.

“We believe that if there are reforms to be made on the local government, it should be done in conjunction with the governors, not by the fiat of the Federal Government.

“When it comes to the court, I am a lawyer, and I believe that this will not be the end of the matter,” he said.

Ologunagba said that the LGs could not be separated from state governments, adding that, ultimately, the governors have a substantial role to play with regard to administering them.

On concerns about local government joint accounts, Ologunagba said that the constitution provided for it.

“Again, these are issues that as a party, we are going to have more conversations with our governors,” he said.

On Rivers LGs controversy, Ologunagba insisted that the tenure of the elected local governments officers had expired.

He added that it was in the interest of the Federal Government to ensure that the state was at peace.