Catholic group seeks financial autonomy for councils

A CATHOLIC group, Caristas Nigeria, has called on the National Assembly to revisit the issue of local coouncils’ financial autonomy to effectively check challenges of payment of salaries and other bills at the third tier of government.

It wants all forms of joint accounts at that level of administration abolished to free funds development.

In a statement signed by the Executive Secretary, Rev. Evaristus Bassey in Calabar, the group said: “We read with keen interest the desire of the National Assembly to represent the constitutional amendments to President Muhammadu Buhari for his signature as amended rules of the legislature now allow for things that were not finalised in the previous assembly to be carried over to the next assembly.

With a new government in place, and with majority of state governments coming under the APC, the APC-dominated National Assembly should live to its progressive credentials by revisiting the issue of local government’s financial autonomy.

“Nigerian citizens are left powerless because they cannot exercise any power at the local government level, being that many state governors have forced their rubber stamp assemblies to enact corrupt laws that amass the revenue of local governments, and so there is little left for people to have any say as to the proper application of resources,” it said.

The group further argued that, “with full financial autonomy which should come with the abrogating of joint accounts, people at community level shall be motivated and mobilised to ensure accountability at that level,” Caritas stated.