We, the undersigned hereby call on the National Assembly to amend the relevant sections of the Nigerian Constitution to ensure that the Local Government, which is the third tier of Government is made independent and autonomous.

We are wondering why the third tier of the Government should be subsumed into the second tier of Government which is the State. the need to make the Local Governments autonomous from the State Government has become paramount following the spate of undue control of the Local Governments by the Governors and the State Houses of Assembly in the federation.

It is regrettable that the Constitution granted the State Governments the sole right to interfere in the administration of the Local Government ranging from conducting elections into the Local Governments, disbursement of allocations and other funds accruable to them from the Federation Account and other so-called oversight functions of the State Houses of Assembly on the Local Governments.

In most States, the Governors are administering the Local Governments indirectly by refusing to conduct elections into the Local Governments and instead appointed their cronies as Transition Committee Chairmen and Members or as Soles Administrators as the case may be. Where they manage to conduct elections through the instrumentality of the State Independent Electoral Commissions, members and supporters of their political parties are rigged into offices as either Executive Chairmen or Councilors. This unwelcome development has weakened our democracy and polity since it does not produce viable oppositions.

Our democracy is matured enough and we hereby call on the Federal Government and the National Assembly to amend the relevant sections of the Constitution to ensure that the Local Governments are made autonomous without further interference from the State Governments. The Local Government System in itself is a complete one, with both Executive and Legislative arms. The legislative arm made up of Councilors should be allowed by the Constitution to make Laws for the Local Government as well as carry out the necessary oversight functions at that level.

The amendment should also scrap the State Independent Electoral Commissions and empower the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) to also conduct elections into the Local Governments during the General elections when elections into other political offices are held. We also demand that the tenure of the Local Government Administrations be amended in the Constitution to a four year term as applicable at both Federal and State levels.

We are convinced that if all these amendments are made, there would be sanity in the Local Government system and in our polity.

The Local Government is the third tier of the Government, we want it to be independent so that the grassroots can feel their impacts.

God bless Nigeria!

Good People… Great Nation!!

Signed:

African Youth Development Foundation (AFRYDEF)

Hon. Remy Chukwunyere,

President/CEO,

www.afrydef.org