“Dissolution of the Governors Forum: A Step Towards Accountability and Transparency” says OPCI
By Richard Akintade, Osogbo
President, Oodua Progressive Care Initiative (OPCI), Dr Maruff Olarewaju has commended the Office of the Attorney General and the Nigeria Government for their prompt response to their previous statement on the importance of autonomy and separate accounts for local governments.
According to the OPCI President in a statement issued and made available to our Correspondent, the bold step taken by the Office of the Attorney General in dragging 36 governors to court is a commendable move towards deepening democracy and ensuring the financial independence of local governments.
The OPCI further urged the Federal Government to mandate the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct all local government elections. This will pave the way for a true democratic system and ensure that the will of the people is reflected in the leadership of local governments. The current system, where State Electoral Commissions conduct local government elections, should be abolished to achieve this goal.
“We believe that these steps will strengthen the third tier of government and enable local governments to fulfill their constitutional responsibilities effectively.
“We are also calling for the dissolution of the Governors Forum, a body that has long been criticized for prioritizing the interests of its members over those of the people they were elected to serve. The forum, which was initially designed to promote cooperation and collaboration among governors, has instead become a platform for them to collude and perpetuate their own power and privilege at the expense of the masses.
“For too long, the Governors Forum has been used to suppress dissenting voices, stifle opposition, and maintain a stranglehold on power. It has enabled governors to evade accountability, ignore the needs of their constituents, and perpetuate a culture of impunity.
“By dissolving the Governors Forum, we hope to see an end to the era of governors prioritizing their own interests over those of the people. We call on individual governors to be held accountable for their actions and to be transparent in their decision-making processes. We demand a new era of leadership that prioritizes the needs of the people, promotes participatory governance, and upholds the principles of democracy.
“The dissolution of the Governors Forum is a step in the right direction towards a more accountable, transparent, and people-centered governance. We will continue to advocate for a better Nigeria, where the voices of the people are heard and their interests are prioritized” the statement concluded.