VIDEO: Coalition Calls For Local Government Autonomy
A coalition of civil society organizations has thrown its weight behind the present move by the National Assembly to amend the 1999 constitution.
In Abuja on Tuesday, the coalition however said that particular attention should be paid to the section on local governments in order to make them more functional.
Coordinator of the coalition, Daniel Soetan said the 1999 constitution as amended denies fiscal autonomy to the local governments.
He told reporters that the provision that forces local governments to be responsible to the states in the matters of their finances, makes it legally easy for state governments to take hold of local government finances.
According to him, the present constitution also allows the states to take over the powers of the local governments even in simple areas of market development, primary health and education because the state government have concurrent powers.
The coalition called for end to the establishment of caretaker committees for local governments instead of duly elected council administrations with guaranteed tenure. This, the group said, can only be achieved if the constitution is properly amended and elections conducted at constitutionally guaranteed periods.
The coalition which said the present move to amend the constitution was long overdue also called for an amendment that will guarantee a revenue allocation of 52 percent to the local governments while the federal government should receive 20.6 percent.
