By Abbanobi -Eku Onyekachi
The representative of AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) at the Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Joshua Chinedu Obika has tasked President Ahmed Bola Tinubu for implementation of local government autonomy, fiscal federalism through regional government, state police, which would tackle insecurity favourably. He
The legislator addressed journalists while marking 2024 Democracy Day in his constituency office in the nation’s capital.
Sending his message across, the parliamentarian noted with dismay that the reason why the rural dwellers were not having the impact of democracy, as well as continued to remain undeveloped
Sending his message across, legislator attributed poverty, lack of development and inability to benefit from the government, among other similar vices by the rural dwellers to the inability of the local governments to be independent from their states.
He noted with dismay that until the country realizes that there are three tiers of government: Federal, State and Local Governments and that each is independent on the other, the desired development shall not be achieved in Nigeria. This he called on Mr President to use his good office to address, for the people to enjoy their government and country.
Calling on the the legislators to do everything humanly possible and use their good office to be serious in amending the 1999 Constitution and remove many things from the exclusive legislative list and put them to the residual list, he urged the president to ensure that there be regional government.
He said regional government which, according to him would go along with fiscal federalism, as was practiced in the country during the second republic would encourage each region not only to develop at its pace, but also bring about healthy and profitable competitions between the regions. He reiterated the need for Mr President to ensure that there be fiscal federalism.
Although he said that he was against scrapping of states, as being called by some people and was in support of the demand by some legislators, for creation of an extra state in the South East, for equity, fairness and justice, he opined that the solution to Nigeria’s insecurity was state police.
Obika further explained that with local government autonomy, state police and regional government, each component unit would be able to favourably fight insecurity to a halt.
He believed that should the local governments be given autonomy, financially and otherwise, the rural dwellers would be able to trace the bad eggs in their mist and stop them once and forever, even as he advised Me President and the FCT minister, to start the issue of state police in the FCT as an example.
