Senator Abdurahman Kawu Sumaila, who represents Kano South Senatorial District, has warned state governors against any attempt to obstruct the full implementation of local government autonomy in Nigeria.
READ ALSO: Why I left NNPP – Senator Kawu Sumaila
Speaking on Saturday in Kano during the North-West Zonal Public Hearing of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, Sumaila described the interference by governors as a major threat to grassroots development. He accused some governors of deliberately frustrating the system by withholding council allocations and reducing local government authorities to mere beggars.
He praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for backing the bill on local government autonomy and for taking the matter before the Supreme Court to seek a lasting solution.
He called on the National Assembly and other relevant stakeholders to stand firm and resist any moves aimed at undermining the independence of local councils. He also emphasized the need to pursue the matter through legal and constitutional means to ensure that the third tier of government operates without undue interference.
During the hearing, the senator was accompanied by local government union leaders, who presented a draft bill seeking full autonomy for local governments as part of the ongoing constitutional review process.
