2 months ago
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Former national vice president of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olabode George, has applauded the court verdict granting financial autonomy to local government Councils.
He stated that the development is not only a victory for democracy but a big boost for Nigeria’s political and economic development.
The elder statesman, however, urged President Bola Tinubu to go the extra mile and ensure the complete restructuring of the country.
Speaking via a statement, he asserted that the judiciary has once again proven that it is the last hope of the common man.
According to him, “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 the world’s most populous Black country and Africa’s biggest democracy. This courageous judgement will also strengthen democratic principles at the local level and foster transparency.”
Speaking further, George said, “Nigerians want total restructuring and this will lead to decentralisation of power, fortify our democracy and ensure that dividends of democracy reach all Nigerians anywhere they may be in the country. For any country to develop, there must be a strategic plan for a bottom-up approach to governance, not the other way round. We cannot be doing the same thing, over and over again, and expect another result.
“For instance, in many developed countries, how many airports – international and local – are controlled by the central government? Jackson Airport in Atlanta, the United States is one of the busiest and most profitable airports globally. Atlanta City Council controls it. What of seaports? A major challenge in Nigeria is that almost everything is over-centralised.
“Many states in the U.S. have Supreme Courts and that is where legal cases in such states end, not in Washington D.C. In Nigeria, 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?
“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.”
English (US) ·