Makinde: S’court verdict on LGA autonomy mere distraction

Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo, says the supreme court ruling on LGA financial autonomy is a mere “distraction”.

On Thursday, the apex court ruled that the federal government should henceforth pay allocations directly to local government councils.

The seven-member panel of the apex court held that state governors have continued to abuse their powers by retaining and using the funds meant for LGAs.

The court also ordered the federal government to withhold allocations of LGs governed by unelected officials.

Speaking  with some members of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Ibadan, Oyo state capital, Makinde said the real issue is that the country is not producing enough.

The Oyo governor noted that the country must focus on addressing the problem of unproductivity, instead of worrying about LGA autonomy.

Makinde questioned the sustainability of the trend of LGAs receiving allocations from the federal government.

“They said there is a judgment of the supreme court on local government autonomy,” he said.

“I think it is just a distraction. We must face the real issue that we have.

“The issue that we have is that we are not producing enough.

“We are not productive. Maybe it may be part of the problem (LGA autonomy), we want to have value for what is being shared (federal allocations) but our problem is productivity.

“How much are those LGAs generating within their domains?

“Can they survive without handouts from Abuja? Handouts from Abuja, is that the way to go? Is it sustainable?”