With Buhari, LG Autonomy ‘ll Be A Reality– Jiba

8 years ago

With Buhari, LG Autonomy ‘ll Be A Reality– Jiba

Hon. Micah Yohanna Jiba, is the Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and he is also the National President of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON). In this interview with IGHO OYOYO, he said that member of ALGON believe that with the government of President Muhammadu Buhari local government autonomy will become a reality. Excerpts…

What are the expectations of ALGON from the incoming president?
There is this common adage in Nigeria that says ‘soldier go soldier come, barrack remains.’ We, at the local government level, have waited for a change of government for a very long time and now that change has come.
President Muhammadu Buhari is our own, he is more of a grassroots leader. That was the main reason he was voted into power by Nigerians. I have assured my colleagues that there is no need to entertain any fear, this new administration is coming to work with the people at the grassroots. Change is the only constant thing in life. All members of ALGON are ready to support him and we believe that as a man of integrity, he will work with us. We are facing many challenges in ALGON and with this government, we believe that the solution has come.

Local government autonomy has been a struggle that ALGON has been championing, do you expect any positive response from this new government?
It is simple. What belongs to Caesar should be given to Caesar. The three tiers of government have their own share from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee, so, the local government should be allowed to take its share from the allocation. The federal government has its percentage, likewise states and local governments, but the local government has been restricted from taking what belongs to it. The allocation can be used for the benefits of the masses and the development of rural areas. The state government can never be everywhere, that is the reason for the third tier of government.

What should be in the agenda of the new government is to allow the local government to directly take charge of its allocation from the federation account, without interference from the state governments. We will still approach the new National Assembly and also take our cry to President Buhari, who is a grassroots president and a man that the masses have been waiting for. Now that he is here, there is no doubt that he will grant the local governments autonomy.

Now that the governors’ forum has come together to become one, are we going to see same in ALGON?
Well, the story of the governors’ forum and ALGON is not the same. Since I assumed office as ALGON president, we have been one. When I came in as the National Interim Management Committee President of ALGON, I promised Nigerians that we will come together as one and we are one. We are working together for a common interest, which is fighting for local government autonomy. I always embrace leadership with a determination that the system must work in the interest of the ordinary Nigerian on the street. We may not be able to compete with state governments, because of paucity of funds, but I will tell you that we have challenged most state governments in terms of infrastructural development. In AMAC, we constructed several roads, bridges and electrification projects that equal the standard of what FCT Administration does at state level. So, I want to assure you that ALGON is not divided.

What is your advice to the new administration regarding the plights of FCT residents?
It is no longer news that the FCT residents are peace loving people and accommodating. Many governments have come and gone, so it is not new to FCT residents. I advise President Buhari to bring his wealth of experience, so that the FCT residents will enjoy him. The entire residents are happy to welcome him and are ready to work with him 100 per cent.

Corruption is major challenge every Nigerian would expect Buhari to start with, do think he can end it alone?
I believe it is going to be a gradual process, whereby all hands must be on deck, because Nigerians believed that President Muhammadu Buhari will immediately end corruption. However, I anticipate a difficult battle ahead for him in the fight against corruption, because he will have to operate in a democratic setting this time, not like in the military that work with decree. So, he needs God to be able to tackle corruption in Nigeria without being frustrated. I remember when he was a military Head of State, President Buhari did a good job, that nothing like fraudulent practice was associated in his regime. I can testify for him anytime.

I also remember that during that period, that No Military Governor could travel outside the country or award any contract without approval from the Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters, who himself got directives from the Commander-in-chief. In fact, no Military Governor was allowed to travel outside Africa.

This time around, since it is a democratic setting, this present Nigeria may be a bit difficult, but God will help him choose people of like minds, who have the sincere desire to make Nigeria great again and will be ready to end the deadly disease called corruption that has eaten into the fabric of Nigeria. Also, for him to successfully fight corruption in this democratic setting, where constitutional procedures which are sometimes frustrating must be followed, he needs corporation of every Nigerian to do it.

We at the grassroots will always corporate with him, because when the head is good, the entire body will follow.

That is the confidence we have in Buhari, all we pray for now is for God to give him the wisdom of Solomon.

As the President of ALGON what is your advice to the President Muhammadu Buhari on the expectations of Nigerians?
Our expectations from the Buhari-led government are formulation of a transportation master-plan to solve the perennial transport difficulties experienced by Nigerians on daily basis, he should complete the railway projects embarked by the immediate past Goodluck Jonathan-led administration including the Abuja light-rail and the Abuja – Kaduna railway projects and more railways. He should also expand the country’s highways, effective water supply, security, restoring the sanity of mass housing and affordable schemes. He should produced a comprehensive guideline for mass housing development in the country, water supply, affordable education and provision of scholarships to take care of the less privileged in the country. This government should also engage in expansion, rehabilitation, re-equipping and upgrading of existing general hospitals standard to international levels. He should also attract investment, so that under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements, many projects and programmes would be carried out and finally he should empower the local government to improve its internal revenue generation.
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