The National Union of Local Government Employees NULGE, and other stakeholders in the local government administration on Monday said there will be no general elections in the country,if the long agitated local government autonomy was not granted.
Rising from its one-day emergency meeting in Akure, the Ondo state capital,the tripartite of NULGE,Civil Society Organisation, (CSO)and Non-Governmental Organisation(NGO)from the Southwest States urged the remaining State Assemblies yet to pass the two bills on local government autonomy to do so without delay.
According to NULGE National President,Ibraheem Khaleelim โas major stakeholders especially on the two bills for local government autonomy,we will continue our agitations until we are successfulโ
โDemocracy is about participation and dialogue is key in any public discourse,that is why we embarked on this forumโ.
The NULGE President maintained that no governor could exist without the mandate of the people, stressing that they would go back home to sensitise the people on the need for the governor, who still need their votes to remain in office.
A leader of the Civil Society Organisation (CSO) Akomolafe Pius said the third-tier administration must be in place as a government closer to the people.
He urged the State Assemblies and other relevant bodies against playing politics with the two sensitive bills, noting that it was long overdue.
Also, the National Coordinator, Committee for Democracy and Rights of the People(CDRP)Comrade Amittolu Shittu said the forces against the autonomy would be resisted.
He declared that both the National Assembly and Federal Ministry of Finance would be picketed by the stakeholders, stressing that democracy would derail,if local government is killed.
NULGE President in Ondo state, Dr. Bunmi Eniayewu stressed that they would re-double their efforts and ensures that the two bills were passed in the state.
According to him โWe have sensitized the people and as soon as the public hearing is concluded, the state assembly will ratified the two bills.
