BoT ActionAid Nigeria calls for local govt autonomous.

AbdulAhad Otuoze
THE Board of Trustees of ActionAid Nigeria, has called on the federal and state governments to expedite actions to make local government councils autonomous to fast-track rural development, strengthen agriculture, create employment, and reduce rural-urban migration.
This was contained in a press statement issued by the Board of Trustees of ActionAid Nigeria following its 43rd meeting held virtually which was made available to Nigerian Tribune in Lokoja by Communications Coordinator, Lola Ayanda.
The statement added that the role of the local government councils as the third tier of government in the Nigerian 1999 constitution includes provision of infrastructural developments at the grassroots. Yet, state governments have continued to usurp the powers and functions attributed to the local governments and only acknowledge them as a subunit of the state with no autonomy.
The Board also recommend that the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) should ensure that its multifaceted approach to registration and administration of the COVID19 vaccine be inclusive, recognising citizens in excluded communities; whilst the National Orientation Agency works with other stakeholders to eliminate perceived myths about the COVID19 vaccine.
“We recommend the overhauling and restructuring of the nation’s security architecture to create real changes in such areas as funding, equipment, accountability and boosting the morale of the men in the field among others. Also, community ownership is key to winning the battle against insecurity as evidenced by ActionAid Nigeria Community Action Response Teams (CARTs) piloted in 24 communities in Kogi and Nasarawa states.
“To reduce poverty, governments at all levels should prioritise policies relevant to specific communities; COVID-19, conflicts and climate crisis should be carefully considered to successfully reduce poverty in Nigeria. Anticorruption rhetorics should be matched with action. We call on the federal government, anticorruption agencies to ensure the implementation of emergency fund management protocols and bring defaulters to book.
“To reduce Nigeria’s debt profile, the government must urgently close all leakages along the revenue collection value chain, swiftly reduce the cost of governance at all levels of the polity and expedite the process of diversifying the economy.