By Emman Ovuakporie & Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA—SPEAKER of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has said that the National Assembly was handicapped in stopping monthly allocations to local government councils without democratically elected chairmen.

Yakubu-Dogara

According to him, the constitution vests the power to legislate on local government areas to state Houses of Assembly.

The Speaker stated this when the National Executive Council of the National Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, led by  its national president, Khaleal Ibrahim, visited him in his office to renew their call for the autonomy of the local government areas in the ongoing 1999 constitutional review.

But Dogara, who was represented by the Deputy Speaker, Yusuf Lasun, assured the officials of NULGE, led by its national president, that the House would do everything within its powers to ensure  the council areas were granted autonomy.

He advised them to engage seasoned legal practitioners to study the Nigerian constitution so as to explore all the available opportunities to put in place the framework that will help to realise it.

He noted that the constitution of the country had given the right to legislate and create council areas to state house of assembly, adding that if the constitution should recognise three tiers of government, the local government areas should be autonomous.

He said the state governments were holding unto the joint account to run the financiers of the council areas.

Speaking earlier, NULGE national president,Khaleal, said their visit was for the emancipation and freedom of Nigeria people and also to appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari to extend the ongoing fight against corruption in the country to local government areas.

He said the fight could not be completed without President Buhari extending it to the grassroots, particularly the operations at the local government areas.

Khaleal said:  “We are of the opinion that the fight should be extended immediately.  We believe that under your leadership, local government councils should be free and autonomous. The local government areas breach the gap between government and the grassroots.”

He said that main challenges facing NULGE   was the continuous encroachment and diversion of local government funds by the state governments, adding that the union would continue with the struggle for the emancipation of the LGAs.

According to him, state governments impose political structures at the council areas that most times negate the principle of democracy.

He also alleged that the state governments manipulated the state Independent Electoral Commission, SIEC, during council elections, thereby subverting the will of the people.

Also speaking, Chairman, House Committee on Labour and Employment, Francis Ezenwae Onyebuchi, said the House was a national ally of the Nigerian workers.

“The Green Chamber stands clearly for the independence of LGAs. We voted clearly for it and by God’s grace, it shall come to pass. We want to assure you that we will give you all the support and encouragement,’’ he said.