LG autonomy: Sultan gives conditions for traditional rulers support
The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, Thursday, said traditional rulers would support local government autonomy only if it would lead to the grassroot development. Speaking while receiving members of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) led by the National President of the Union, Comrade Ibrahim Khalil who paid him a courtesy visit […]
The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, Thursday, said traditional rulers would support local government autonomy only if it would lead to the grassroot development.
Speaking while receiving members of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) led by the National President of the Union, Comrade Ibrahim Khalil who paid him a courtesy visit at his palace, he said they would support whoever want to bring positive change to the people at the grassroots.
He urged the NULGE members to fear God and not to resort to any form of intimidation in their agitation.
"If local government autonomy can bring positive change to the people at the grassroots we will support," he said
He called on the members to make sensitization against political thuggery part of their agitation.
"Politicians only recognise our youths when it comes to political thuggery but not to make them useful and beneficial to their societies, "he noted
He added: "Ask them to tell anybody who come to employ them for thuggery to lead them or bring his children to lead them."
The Sultan called on leaders to fear God and be just to their people, saying injustice leads to poverty, hunger and insecurity among other social vices.
Earlier, the NULGE President said local government system in the country has been bastardized, hence their agitation for their independent.
According to Khalil, all is not well with the system as money meant for the local governments were being diverted and people disconnected from the government.
He said that functional local government system could address the fragile security in the country.