LG Autonomy Would Free Councils From Economic Strangulations- Yussuff

Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Lasun Yussuff has affirmed that granting local government autonomy would free councils from economic strangulations by the state thereby sustaining democracy.

Hon Yussuff, who faulted the position of some state Governors on Local Government Autonomy, said autonomy of local government is a must in a democracy.

He made the disclosure during a training and empowerment programme organised for youth and women on beans foods value addition, in collaboration with Nigeria Stored Products Research Institute, where the sum of N4.2m was given to 84 participants.

The Deputy Speaker who is the Co-chairman of the constitution amendment committee of the National Assembly, where autonomy for local governments was unanimously passed said, granting autonomy to local governments would entrench economic gains at the grassroots.

He described the local government as a tier of government critical to the current administration’s anti-corruption crusade.

According to Yussuff, “every politician that knows his onus must support a democratic instrument of entrenching democratic gains at the grassroots”.

“Democracy is incomplete and incohate if local government administration is tied to the apron string of the state, and remain subservient”.

“My position is clear on the local government autonomy, and that is what I have displayed as the Co-chairman of the constitution amendment committee of the National Assembly, where autonomy for local governments was unanimously passed”.

“I am of the opinion that there is no local government in Nigeria, the way state governors are running that third tier of government”, he averred.

It would be recalled that some state governors of the federation among which Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is included have kicked against granting autonomy to local governments councils in Nigeria.

Governor Aregbesola, who on two different occasions have come up to condemn and reject the idea of making local governments in Nigeria autonomous.

Aregbesola described those calling for local government autonomy as confusionists with devisive tendencies.

The governor added that the concept of local government autonomy was an aberration and a move towards the collapse of states.

Both Lasun Yussuff and Governor Rauf Aregbesola are from Osun State, while the former hailed from Osun Central Senatorial District, the latter came from the East Senatorial District.

Speaking on the circumstances surrounding his emergence as the Deputy Speaker, he explained that his consistency and doggedness, coupled with conviction about issues have sustained him in politics over time.

“I emerged as the Deputy Speaker against the wish of established structure in the South West, and out of general consensus among party chieftains, they wanted me to go because they know my capacity, I told them I will stay and fight, and I have fought and conquered”, he said.

He maintained that politics should be a vehicle for welfare and empowerment for the people and their total liberation from economic quagmire.

“Politics without the conscious efforts by political players to empower and liberate the people economically is nothing but a farce.

“I make bold to say that I have never benefitted from the APC more than what I have contributed in the past years.

“Always offer your supports for noble cause genuinely and without condition the way I do, obviously the gain will come one day.

“I believe that you can do all these if you are both philosophical and spiritual, because life and religion are philosophical and spiritual, those who are living without these two things are living without significance,”Yussuff resorted.