Dosunmu hails Supreme Court judgement on local govt autonomy

Former Director General of NIMASA and Public Policy Expert, Dr. Ade Dosunmu has hailed the decision of the Supreme Court of Nigeria on the matter of Autonomy of the Local Governments brought before it by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, calling it a landmark judgement that is long overdue, but timely.

“The importance of this decision at this time in our history cannot be over emphasised as it will no doubt guarantee the delivery of dividends of democracy to the grassroot as represented by the 774 Local Governments.

“We now have a well structured federal system that guarantees the independence of each tier of government like it is obtainable in other federal jurisdictions all over the world, ” Dosunmu said in a statement.

He urged State governors to take the development in good faith and see this as a sacrifice they need to make for the advancement of the nation’s democracy.

He also tasked the Local Government chairmen to see the judgement as a call for accountability and more dedication to duty, noting that to whom much is given, much is expected.

The former NIMASA boss advised Nigerians in the 774 local governments to get involved and demand for accountability from their local government chairmen.

“There must be robust civic engagement by the residents of the local govts on how funds allocated are utilized and monitor how projects are implemented,” he said.

Dosunmu congratulated and commended President Bola Tinubu, for the bold initiative leading to the historic judgement.

This, he said, has opened new vistas of opportunities for Nigerians as we consolidate our democratic journey.