ITV Debate of Senate Abolishing the Bill on Local Government Autonomy: held on the 21st July 2013 on ITV Station Benin City Edo state.
ITV ACE Presenter Mr Wilson: His Excellency Prince Frank Ukonga ,Happy birthday in Advance. Hope your day went well I'll like us to talk on the Senate Abolition of the Local Government Autonomy bill this Sunday on ITV program by 8 Am. Hope you will join us to celebrate your birthday on the 21stof July in grand style.
H.E. Prince Frank Onaivi Ukonga: Thank you for your immense consideration to celebrate my birthday in grand style through a greatest debate on one of the3 hottest most controversial topic of temporary times which is the issue of local Government Autonomy and the issue of the Senate decision in abolishing the bill of the Autonomy of Local Government in Nigeria.I appreciate your respect for me and pray that your television Station continue its leadership position among others in Nigeria and the world in Generality.
ITV Mr Wilson: So what is your view His Excellency Prince Frank Onaivi Ukonga on the issue of the Senate abolishing the bill of local government Autonomy.
H.E. Prince Frank Ukonga: My views have been widely published in Nigeria and all over the world on the issue of Local Government Autonomy not only in Nigeria but on the issue of Local Governments institution on a global basis . And it is imperative to grant all Local Government institutions independence, which will translate to financial autonomy and Autonomy in the governace of their polity and in this context we offer the following observations:
1] that all local governments in Nigeria be recognized as federatrion units as provided for in the three tier of government of the Nigerian Federation.
2] that all federating units to be held adequately responsible as seperate collegiate but symbiotical units addressed to be subordinating one anothers in the three concetric abellian function and not in the fashion of Master servant relationship as in the present case of the 774 local governments in Nigeria that has been completely enslaved by the governors and the governors forum of His Excellency Rotimi Ameachi.
3] that for proper management of the Local Government it is inperative to give both financial autonomy by separating the joint state and local government accounts.
4] that on no condition must a governor be permited to sack an elected local government officials and appoint in their steed his cronies and hanger on as administrators of the local governments.
5] That as federating units the local government polls should henceforth be conducted by the Federal electoral commission INEC and all state electoral bodies be scrapped or collapse into INEC
The House of Representatives approved all these afformentioned observations of Edo SDP that we sent to them but unfortunately the Senate decided to play a cheese game of WIN- WIN between the governors and the Presidency.
the Senate conceeded the issue of 2 terms to the Presidency while it ceeded the issue of the local government autonomy to the governors for now. So a truce is likely to have been arrived at ,but at the expense of the masses of Nigerians that are in need of local government freedom so that the dividents of democracy can trickle down to the masses.
But then this is only a temporary victory for the governors as the struggle continues until the local Governments are totaly free from slavery and bondage of the governors.
ITV Mr Wilson: Thank you His Excellency Prince Frank Ukonga for letting us know your views a
Happy birthday and many happy returns.
