- By Demola Atobaba, Ado-Ekiti
A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Bamisile, has described the supreme court’s verdict ordering full financial autonomy for all the 774 Local Governments in Nigeria as attestation that Nigeria has returned to full fledged democracy under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Specifically, the ranking federal lawmaker, saluted Governor Biodun Oyebanji for being one of the few governors that were elevating democracy and good governance at the third tier of government, by ensuring that democratically elected Chairmen and councilors are superintending over Ekiti 16 council areas.
The lawmaker representing Ekiti South Federal Constituency II, said these in a statement made available to TopNews in Ado Ekiti, on Thursday, reacting to today’s supreme court’s pronouncement that awarded full financial autonomy to councils.
Bamisile, who described the judgement as a propitious political capital to the All Progressives Congress-led federal government, expressed joy that democracy and good governance would now assume full momentum at the grassroots, where over 70% of the population reside.
Speaking on the landmark verdict, Bamisile, praised President Tinubu for deploying the instrumentality of the law to bring victory to Nigerians, who had been yearning for autonomy for the third tier of government since the advent of democracy in 1999.
He stated that with this resounding victory, people at the grassroots, whom he said had for long been alienated from governance in some states, can now feel the positive impacts of government and take full ownership of their councils.
“Let me on behalf of the three local governments of Emure, Gbonyin and Ekiti East in my federal constituency praise President Tinubu for bringing solace and comfort to the rural dwellers after years of fruitless agitations.
“I have always been a relentless proponent and advocate of full autonomy for our councils, that is where true development should emanate.
“The monies for the LGs can now be fully utilised to develop the people in states that had refused to comply. We thank God that Ekiti was outstanding and different in the running of councils.
“I also congratulate Governor Biodun Oyebanji for etching his name in gold as a champion of democracy, by allowing full fledged democratic practice to be deeply entrenched at the local governments, even before this verdict.
“Let me also congratulate the judiciary for truly acting as the fortress of democracy and the last hope of the common man. This is not a victory to our democracy alone, it is a victory to all Nigerians and we have every reason to rejoice”, Bamisile said.
Bamisile rejoiced that swift conduct of the local government election by Governor Oyebanji, instead of pandering to illegality, or emplacing the contraption called “caretaker committee” , has rescued Ekiti from embarrassment going by the judgement handed down by the supreme court.
“The supreme court verdict was explicit that only the local governments with democratically elected officials should get their allocations. It is on this premise that we must praise our people’s governor, Governor Biodun Oyebanji for rescuing Ekiti from the impending withholding of the allocations to some councils in compliance with the judgement”.
