Former Minister of Health, Olorunnimbe Mamora has pointed fingers at governors, asserting that they played a pivotal role in dismantling Local Government administration in Nigeria.
According to Mamora, the imposition of caretaker chairmen at the grassroots level and the hindrance of free and fair local government polls by governors have significantly weakened the democratic structure.
Mamora, who spoke in a recent interview on Channels Television, disclosed that the degradation began in 2001 when local government chairmen sought an extension of their tenure to four years, aligning with state and federal levels.
Despite challenges to this move due to constitutional constraints, the National Assembly passed the bill, prompting Mamora and his fellow speakers to challenge it in court.
He highlighted that the governors, concerned about the outcome, joined the legal battle, leading the case to the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court ruled against the National Assembly’s interference, emphasizing that determining local government tenure was beyond its jurisdiction.
Mamora shed light on the subsequent development, stating that then-President Olusegun Obasanjo urged state speakers to implement caretaker committees as a temporary solution to the lack of elected local government officials.
Unfortunately, he noted that this interim measure has been abused by governors, contravening Section 7 of the constitution that advocates for democratically elected local government chairmen.
Expressing concern, Mamora pointed out that local government elections are scarce, and when held, opposition parties often face challenges. Instead, the outcomes frequently favor individuals aligned with the governors.
The former Senator for Lagos East Senatorial District concluded by attributing the alleged mismanagement of LG funds to the abuse of the caretaker committee model by some governors.
The interview sheds light on the intricate dynamics contributing to the erosion of democracy at the grassroots level in Nigeria.
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