Former Ogun State Governor and the Senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun East, Otunba Gbenga Daniel has said there would be no form of development in rural communities if the local government is not allowed to operate as an independent tier of government.
Daniel is joining other Nigerians in the clamour for the autonomy of the local governments in Nigeria as a way to engender drastic development at the grassroots.
Daniel said this while on his campaign tour to Atan, the headquarters of Ijebu North Local Government Area of Ogun State.
The former governor pledged to push for the autonomy of local governments in Nigeria to enhance their capacity to deliver quality and effective governance at the grassroots.
He said the people at the grassroots and the socio-economic fortunes of rural Nigerians would continue to remain poor if the local governments are not allowed to enjoy financial autonomy and take steps to improve the lives of the people at the grassroots.
Daniel recalled how he was able to “establish a healthcare facility in Atan” while he was the governor from 2003 to 2011, pledging to convey the deplorable state of roads in the area to the appropriate quarters.
He expressed confidence that “something will be done soon to these roads.”
Daniel explained that the job of a lawmaker is to facilitate Federal Government projects to senatorial districts and use the law-making process to bring about quality governance.
His words, “In the last one week, we have been in this local government, we have toured all the nooks and crannies of this local government, we know what is happening here, we understand the condition of the roads, which is a big challenge and I want to assure you, we will let the power that be, know and I am sure that something will be done very very soon.
“The works of a Senator are different from that of a governor. We want to go to Abuja and make laws, but senators and governors and presidents must work together. So I want to plead that this election, it’s not about OGD alone, but all APC candidates.
”Part of the problem we have in many states today is the issue of local government autonomy, and part of what we want to go and fight is that local government resources should be given to the local government.
”Without the local government being properly empowered and funded, nothing can happen, and that is what I think is very important that we are going to do.
