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The National President of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria Hon. Kolade David Alabi has commended the Governors of Kaduna and Kano states for their resolve to allow the democratic process in the Local Governments to continue unhindered either by illegal removal or interference in their finances.

He said that ALGON has received with greatest admiration the comments of the new governor of Kaduna state, Engr. Uba Sani, to continue to grant financial autonomy to the 23 councils and their chairmen to maximally work and enthrone good governance to the people.

The National President said that the news was received across the divide of many ALGON leadership, including ALGON Board of Trustees members, “representing the conscience of the heterogeneity of the Nigerian rural populace.”

Responding through the Board of Trustees Chairman, Hon Odunayo Ategbero, Hon Alabi described the move of the Governor as heartwarming and one that must be sustained in all the affected states with the leadership transition.

Hon Alabi also used the opportunity to thank the new Governor of Kano State, Abba Kabir Yusuf, who has promised to respect the letters and spirit of the 1999 Constitution as (Amended) by not removing the Council Chairmen but to allow their tenure to its logical end.

He described him as a true democrat whose respect for the people’s mandate amplifies his patriotism and as one that promises huge gains for the 44 LGAs.

While urging all other Governors to tow such a path, Hon Alabi expressed happiness over the Friday’s June 23rd ruling and court judgement of Plateau State High Court presided over by Justice Isiaku Kenga who ruled that 17 Local Government Area Chairmen were illegally removed and should remain in office.

Amid mixed feelings, ALGON National President condemned in strong terms the termination of services of LGA Chairmen in the state by the new Governor, Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, on June 1, 2023 suspending the state 17 LGA Chairmen and Councilors.

According to him, the action was “reprehensible, undemocratic and short of all expectations from all ramifications having been a one-time Local Government Chairman, a one-time ALGON secretary in the state, a Lawyer and a widely acknowledged Christian.”

He noted that “ALGON is also watching with keen interest the unfolding activities in the Benue State House of Assembly concerning the suspension of the Benue Councils Chairmen amidst Court injunction and wish to appeal to the state Governor, Rev Father Hyacinth Alia to live up to expectations in the interest of Justice and fair play by not allowing himself to be dragged to such illegality of serving them letters of termination of duty as the Chairmen have their Constitutional rights with a certificate of return that allows them up to 2024 to end their tenure.”

The ALGON President described such an incident as a minus for Democracy in Plateau and Benue states.

He further said that “injury to one is an injury to all”, saying that ALGON, as well as the entire 774 and area councils, “are in the mourning mood of such unwarranted action.”

He noted that ALGON will continue to appeal to the judiciary, law enforcement agencies, civil societies and the mass media for sustenance of a democratic local government system.

He said that under the present ALGON leadership, “the Association has had near mass return to democratically elected chairmen in almost 28 states out of 36 of the federation with just Abia, Imo, Bauchi, Zamfara, Benue and Anambra, Edo and Kwara states, of which Plateau has joined, in bad light.”

He said that “it is no longer fashionable to run the system with all manner of nomenclatures like ‘Transition Chairman, Caretaker, and interim Management’ which makes appointees subservient and instruments of local oppression against the true social contract for rural service delivery.”

While appealing for reversal of such infringement, he canvassed for the unfailing resort to the Nigerian judiciary as the last hope of the common man in laundering the democratic space.

He noted that “the era of political bastardization, weaponization through all manner of executive rascality from some state governors at the whims and caprices their appointees in the LGAs in the past have been checked lately.”

He referred to the unconstitutional sack of the elected-serving local Government Chairmen, which its climaxed-landmark in judgment against some state Governors, who at various times, sacked their democratically elected council chairmen.

He observed that those Governors got the vehement judgment of both the ruling of the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court urging their reversals alongside other punitive measures.

The ALGON President vowed that ALGON as a body will continue to fight against such in the future as much prognostic analysis and evidence.

According to him, they have shown that such anti-democratic action is tantamount to a consequential halt to the smooth running of local councils, leading to odious systemic rot as seen in some states with the current state of their LGA and Council system.

He concluded by calling for the unflinching support of the President Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR), who he described as the best local government friendly leader to continue to strengthen the councils in the country for which ALGON will eternally remain grateful.

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