Yobe LG staff hail FG on financial autonomy

Staff of some Local Government Councils in Yobe have lauded the Federal Government for ensuring that the third tier of government was granted financial autonomy, saying the move would make the councils functional, boost local economy, and help in fighting crime.

Staff members, who spoke to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in separate interviews on Monday in Damaturu, said that the autonomy would further boost economic activities at the grassroots.

Aliyu Usman, Executive Officer in Damaturu Local Government Council, said the council had been facing challenges, saying most of them could not even buy diesel for their generating sets, talkless of executing projects.

“For every little thing, the councils had to write and seek for approval from the state government before accessing their funds,” he said.

Bukar Modu, a staff of Tarmuwa Local Government Council, said there had been massive relocation of people from the rural areas, to Damaturu, the state capital, for lack of work at the local government level.

“Most of the unskilled labourers migrated to Damaturu to get work and, where they could not, some of them went into crime.

“When the financial autonomy takes off, the local councils will be executing projects and people will have work to do, thereby reducing the rate of crime, ” he analysed.

Alhaji Mohammed Shettima, a retired local government treasurer, described the decision to grant the councils financial autonomy as a bold decision taken by this administration to reduce poverty and crime across the country.

”In the past when Local Government funds are paid directly into their accounts, the councils were undertaking various projects and the people were economically empowered ” Shettima said.

He urged the state governors to support the policy, adding that there might be sudden change in the economy and drop in crime.