Corrupt politicians making LG administration worse – Obasanjo

FORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo has lamented the corruption endemic in the 774 local government areas in the country.

Obasanjo said politicians are responsible for the corruption and it will take divine intervention to get the third tier of government sanitised.

The ex-President stated this today when he played host to the new President of the National Union of Local Government Employees, Comrade Akeem Ambali, at his Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library Penthouse residence in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

According to a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, the former President urged the local government workers in the country to be prayerful for things to get better.

Titled, ‘LG’s survival: We need prayers now – Obasanjo’, the statement quoted Obasanjo as saying, “I am of the view that the situation needs prayers. A situation whereby a local government cannot even afford a grader to make local roads motorable, a situation where they cannot build hospital or provide for the educational needs of their people is not what we want the local government to be when we are creating the 1976 Reform

“Well, the rot actually started by the military, who wanted to have such local councils in their respective areas. This increased the number to 774 from about 300.”

“But, the politicians further make it worse with corruption. These were not what we envisioned, when we created local governments reform in 1976. Local governments are expected to provide overall quality of life for the people who reside in their communities, but is that what we have now?” Obasanjo queried.

Earlier, the new NULGE National President intimated the former President on the recent happenings, disclosing that the Union needed his intervention and contribution on the planned delisting of local government from the 1999 constitution by the National Assembly.

Ambali described the bill as an attempt to kill local government administration in the country. He said union leaders have been mandated to visit members of the lower chambers in their constituencies as part of advocacy and engagement to ensure they stand with the people.

The local government reform of 1976 was implemented during the Muritala/Obasanjo military regime which was completed by Obasanjo when the Head of State, Muritala Mohammed, was assassinated.

The 1976 reform established a uniform system of local government as regards their functions, structure, and financing nationwide.

The local government was made the third tier of government of the federation to bring governance closer to the people.

According to the reform, the federal government was to fund the local government with a statutory percentage share of the federation account and state revenue.

Also special grants were made available to the Local Government Service Board and Commission.