BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

BENIN CITY—SECOND Republic Senator, Senator Francis Okpozo and a socio-cultural organisation in Edo State, Benin National Congress, BNC, have accused the senate of attempt to destroy the country’s democracy by its failure to back autonomy for Local Governments, just as they hailed the House of Representatives for listening to the cries of Nigerians.

Okpozo said: “The Senate is totally wrong in its decision. It means they are not taking the feelings of Nigerians into consideration. The provision in the  constitution that has to do with local government autonomy has been there all the time, and until the military era, the funds of the local governments were well managed and there were  developments at the councils.

“But today, there are no roads, no water and who is responsible, it is the state governments. When the money comes, they share it amongst themselves, and give little for the councils and the councils will not have enough to pay salaries let alone buy equipment such as bulldozers and others. So, to insist that they will not be  granted autonomy suggests that the senate is conniving with the state governors.

“They carried out a public hearing and every where they went people said make the local governments autonomous, so where did they come up with their decision. It was unanimous that local governments should be autonomous, the senators cannot go and make an alteration to the decision of the people, we sent them there. What they have done is against the voice of Nigerians.  And I commend the House of Representatives s for standing on the side of the people.”

The BNC in a statement by Dr. David Ekomwenrenren, Director of Publicity, backed the proposed strike action by National Union of Local Government Employees, saying that the decision was capable of derailing democracy at the grassroots.

According to the statement, “we have studiedly examined the dichotomy between the Senators and House of Representative members over the lingering crisis over financial autonomy for the Local Government councils. It is sad that Senators will degenerate into conservative elements for the propagation of untoward policy legislations that are antithetical to democracy and federalism.