Why I Support Pres. TINUBU On LG Autonomy

• The Ooni Of Ife Reveals

On 29th August, 2024, the Oni of Ife, His Royal Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II was in Ejigbo Local Council Development Area, in Lagos State to commission Ifoshi road which is the longest and one of the most economic strategic roads to the council.  The commissioning of the road project was massively attended by top dignitaries in Ejigbo and its neighbourhood not leaving out traditional rulers, religious clerics, politicians and community leaders.

The arrival of the Oni at the event was well received by the Ejigbo LCDA boss, Honourable Monsuru Oloyede Bello and the entire people in the community as they rolled out drums to welcome the highly revered king who came all the way from Ile Ife to cut the ribbon of the newly reconstructed road for public use.

Oba Ogunwusi during his speech commended the Honourable Oloyede for the laudable project capable of transforming the fortune of the people for good. He went ahead to appreciate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for laying the foundation for Local Government autonomy in the state and other successive governors in Lagos state for uploading, something which he said has led to the remarkable successes recorded at the grassroots over the years. He said the President administration’s policy on granting the Local governments across the nation’s full financial autonomy will ensure development takes place across the nooks and crannies of the nation. Below are excerpts from the Oni’s speech: “I’m grateful to our president Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He is the one that made this initiative compulsory that all states should own their development.

“I’m grateful to the governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sowoolu. I’m indeed deeply grateful on behalf of the Yoruba land and the entire Nigerians and this is why I’m grateful, the governor said something not so long ago. He said he’s using his fifth year in office and he has never for once touched the money that belonged to the Local Government under him. That is a big sign and that is why you see ‘Obe’ was able to get funds to do infrastructures like Ifoshi road.

“Our president also did something significant when he took the office of presidency. He said if all state can be like Lagos where the government doesn’t use money that are meant to be allocated to other sectors like local government (LCDA) for personal use, the country will develop and God grant him success. They took the matter to the Supreme Court and the apex court ruled that the local government should get their due allocation directly from the Federal Government. This will soon be happening in all parts of Nigeria.  “Please let’s all appreciate our president for this milestone because it has been done in Lagos and it gave room for development.

“If all local government can be like this, when obe came to meet me at my palace , he told me they have financial records on every expenses on allocated funds, I said to him I’ve not heard this before. Then he said they pass budget on projects and that’s how it is all across Lagos state, but after his explanation, I said I now understand what our president said and what he is trying to do.  “Obe God will grant you success as you execute the plans of development the government wants for the people.

-Jamiu Abubakar

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