By Wole Mosadomi & Tina Akannam

Minna—The Jigawa State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, and Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu of Niger State have kicked against autonomy for local government councils in the country.

They said local government councils belong to the states, adding that it was the various  states that can therefore decide on how to effectively run them.

Muazu spoke at a five-day capacity building seminar for magistrates and Sharia Court judges in Minna, Niger State capital yesterday,  saying that the state/local government Joint Account had been misconstrued hence the clamour by some people for local government autonomy.

According to him, the truth of the matter was that the Joint Account was between the various local government councils and not with the states.

He, however, threw his weight behind total financial and administrative autonomy for the legislative arm of government in order to free the executive from constant harassment, intimidation and threat by the legislators.

His words, “I disagree with the autonomy of the local government. There is a misconception about the Joint Account. Some local government are more buoyant than others and I can tell you that in state, only three councils are in a position to pay salaries of their staff if they are independent because others depend on other buoyant councils to remain afloat.”

Also, the Jigawa State chapter of the NUT opposed the proposed autonomy for local government in the country.

The state Chairman of the union, Mr UIsman Ya’u Dutse made this known while speaking with newsmen shortly after their State Executive Council, SEC, meeting in Dutse yesterday.

Dutse noted that the union took the decision because primary school teachers usually face serious difficulties under local governments administration.

According to him, returning of basic education to local governments would not only be a big mistake but amount to a total denial of the children of the masses accesses to education.

He added that the mismanagement of public funds at the level of local governments coupled with inadequate funding of education led to their inability to pay salaries promptly in the past.

He, then appealed to the National Assembly to rescind its decision to approve autonomy for local governments to salvage primary education in the country.