Federal Government Need To Be Decentralise  – Delta ALGON Boss

The Chairman of All Local Government of Nigeria, Delta state chapter, Hon Constantine Itiako Ikpokpo has said that the decentralization of power from the federal government to state and local government councils is the panacea to the numerous problems confronting the nation.

Ikpokpo, who spoke on Thursday in a chat with newsmen in his office in Oleh, headquarters of  Isoko South Local Government Council, said that not until power is disperse between the federal, state and local government the way a federal system of government should be, Nigeria would not make any meaningful progress.

He said that the agitation for restructuring was so valid because the federal government over the years has failed to do the needful by decentralizing power either through constitutional or statutory reforms.

According to the Isoko South Local Government Council Chairman, the federal government has not done enough in area of ensuring a peaceful nation and peaceful communities because it controls all the security apparatus that would ensure law and order in the land.

Ikpokpo said that local government councils were in the receiving end of the belligerent problems confronting the country yet remain the most starved in terms of distribution of revenue.

“There is so much money at the central and so we cannot get it right until we distribute revenue fairly. The local government would continue to be pummeled by the state and state would continue to suffer unjust revenue distribution from the federal government until there is devolution of powers.

“Actually, 60 percent of the funds should go to the local government and state but until we get this right we won’t get any meaningful development. As it is now, the bulk of the money goes to the federal government and imagine the federal government is the one allocating money for construction of health center, isn’t that abnormal?.

“Imagine the situation if the Delta state government was not augmenting the payment of salaries and other entitlements in the local government councils. It would have been a disaster for local governments. The way out therefore is the proper distribution of revenue and allocation to state and local government councils. That’s the only way to salvage the situation”.

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