Supreme Court judgement on LG fin. autonomy is good but not enough – APC chieftain, Ngwu insist

Chinelo Kodilichukwu Enugu

A Chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Hycienth Ngwu has said that the Supreme Court judgement on Local Government financial autonomy is “good but not enough” to meet with the desired development at the grassroots level.

Ngwu, former APC Publicity Secretary in South-East, who made this known on Friday in Enugu, said that the local government needed electoral freedom as well to function optimally.

According to him, electoral freedom will ensure more reach and the grassroots people holding their elected representatives at that level accountable.

Ngwu, who is a founding member of APC, said: “The Supreme Court judgement is a good development but not enough to bring the desired change we need at the local governments.

“To bring about the complete change and to make the local government system independent enough to discharge their responsibilities that will impact positively on the people, there is a need to bring the INEC to conduct elections at that level.

“That will entrenche true democracy at the level. The situation where elections are conducted by State electoral bodies, where the party at the state government house wins in all polling units and wards is a mockery to democracy.”

The APC chieftain noted that if this electoral entanglement is not changed “the supposed benefits of this Supreme Court granted financial autonomy will not be felt 100 per cent at the local government.”

“We need financial as well as electoral freedom at the local government level for the people’s liberation,” he added.