Mashood Mustapha Praises Supreme Court Ruling on LG Autonomy, Criticizes State Governors’ Feigning Support for LG Autonomy
By Omowumi Omotosho
A notable figure in the Kwara All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Mashood Mustapha has expressed strong support for the Supreme Court’s recent decision on local government autonomy.
In a statement signed by the APC stalwart on Saturday, he also commended the federal government’s efforts in championing the crucial initiative of saving the local government from the shackles of state governors.
“The Supreme Court ruling on Local Government autonomy is a landmark victory for Democrac”.
“I want to sincerely appreciate the Federal Government for anchoring this important initiative”
“The local government, as the third tier of government, has a huge role to play in the development of a state, but it’s rather unfortunate that some governors have rendered it redundant”.
“They have held the LGs by the jugular for far too long. Therefore, the ruling of the Supreme Court is a breath of fresh air”, Mustapha affirmed.
Furthermore, Mustapha knocked certain state governors who, despite neglecting to hold local government elections for years, are now posing as proponents of LG autonomy.
“Nigerians are highly intelligent, so they can’t be hoodwinked by the antics of some Governors who have suddenly become advocates for Local Government autonomy after failing to conduct Local Government elections for several years
“In fact, some state Governors only decided to conduct LG elections when they got wind of the fact that the Federal Government was heading to the Supreme Court on the basis of LG autonomy.” he stated.
Mustapha, therefore, urged both current and future local government administrators across Nigeria’s 774 LGs to manage their allocations prudently.
“Now that the coast is clear for a fully functional Local Government system in Nigeria, I urge both the serving and incoming LG administrators to make judicious use of the allocations accrued to their various LGs,” he stated.
He also called on citizens to actively participate in LG elections to ensure the election of capable leaders.
“I also want to implore the citizens to get fully involved in the LG elections and ensure that only the right candidates are elected to pilot the affairs of the Local Governments,” Mustapha concluded.
