RENEWED HOPE: LG AUTONOMY & THE CONSCIENCE OF THE NIGERIA STATE
By: Saidu Ahmed
“Ultimately, leadership is about the strength of one’s convictions, the ability to endure the punches, and the energy to promote an idea” -Benazir Bhutto
Balance of power, devolution of power, separation of powers, fiscal federalism are all intellectual and beezer inventions aimed at restructuring the modus operandi of democracy as a system of government. Since Montesquieu, Hobbes, Foucault, Laski, Goberchev and lately David Easton and Francis Fukuyama, the place of power in politics and economy has been in perpetual transformation. Whether in the name of fitting into the demands of the new age or a tectonic modification in the distribution of scarce resources in a post-recovery political economy. Whichever way it is been perceived, the study, comprehension and diffusion of power (social, economic or political) has become a newfangled gizmo that requires us to all look further and better, because there is always more to what we have learned: democracy is a synthesis of our perfection and imperfection.
Since the Supreme Court verdict on the Local Government financial autonomy, there seems to be a growing consensus on the impact and moral standing of that political development. Without religious, socio-ethnic and party political differences everyone is saying well-done Mr. President for ensuring this magnificent progress has occured at a time when deliberate, censorious and castigatory attempts are always carried out to smear the image of the administration. However, constructive criticism has been one of the elements of the press freedom which the Renew Hope administration has guaranteed. It is from the oasis of these press freedom and constructive criticism that the Renew Hope administration has continue to believe and thrive as a responsible democracy.
I still recall when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said,” Fellow Nigerians, true democracy shines its light into the daily lives of the people who live under its nurturing wings. It affords us the freedom and liberty to think as we want, live where we want and pursue whatever legitimate endeavour that suits us. Democracy does not assume some false or forced unity of opinion. In fact, democracy assumes that conflicting ideas and differing opinions shall be the order of the day. Given the diversity and variety of the human experience, there must be diverse perspectives and viewpoints. What democracy demands is that we do not resolve differences through force and repression. But we make allowance for the legitimacy of views that differ from our own”.
It is progressive and sounds democratic to see all the State Governors celebrating the Supreme Court verdict on the LG autonomy. H.E Abdulrasaq Abdul Rahman, Governor of Kwara State and Chairman, Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) said, ” there will be total compliance with the apex court ruling by the governors…..The Governors are happy with the devolution of power regarding local government autonomy”.
With the LG autonomy, Nigerians are all expected to see more development and Investment in infrastructure, healthcare, education, security, foreign direct investment all happening now at the local government level directly. Nigerians are expected to see vast political participation in decision-making at the local government level. This will further enrich the conscience of the people to believe in the political philosophy of the Renewed Hope Agenda, this will in turn, uplift the status of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the comity of nations.
Saidu Ahmed is the Technical Assistant, Research & Strategy to the Honorable Minister of Information & National Orientation
