Why State Assemblies Should Embrace LG Autonomy-APC Chieftain, Prince Ibrahim Oladega

A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Prince Ibrahim Kehinde Oladega, has urged the 36 state assemblies in Nigeria to domesticate local government autonomy law.

Speaking in an interview, Oladega, ex-Special Assistant on Political Matters to former House of Representatives Speaker, Rt Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, stated that every law that the President signs is on behalf of the local governments, saying that at the end of the day the local governments inherit everything the government at the center does.

Oladega stressed that former president Muhammadu Buhari has done the best by signing local government autonomy into law.

He said; ” I urge members of the states assemblies in Nigeria to domesticate the law and make sure that the local governments stand on their own.

“We tend to cry more when we have to act more. Our former President has done the needful by signing the bill into law. Let every state assembly help their governors.

“We are doing so well in Lagos in our own way. We can’t be all perfect. We just feel that there is need for better things to be done. Governance is like a baby, for every law you make, you have to make another one.”

Oladega, who also served as a member of the Taraba State adhoc committee for the screening of delegates for the 2023 presidential primary, said that everything that is done is for the grassroots in every state.

“When you look at what happened in the north you will see that they have more relaxed local government chairmen there. In Lagos State, our local government chairmen are doing great jobs because we have the opportunity of going outside the shore of the state.

“I have been to different parts of the country. During my NYSC days, I camped in the east before I redeployed to Osun State. I could see some levels of differences between our local governments here and what they have there.

“Lagos has always been a role model in national development. 20 local governments for 22 million people would be inadequate. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had a vision and that is why we still maintain the LCDAs today. If you deduct the 37 LCDAs he created, you can imagine what Lagos will look like,” he said.

While urging Nigerian youths to be involved in politics, Oladega said that the current governor of Lagos State has been involved since the last 20 years, when he was less than 40 years of age.

He stressed that leadership is too sensitive for mediocre to rule, and that one has to understand every language of it.

“It’s just like medicine. When a doctor writes something, a pharmacist will understand it but a layman can’t read it. That is the way politics is. It’s very essential and it’s key.

“You have to understand that. Youths have always been involved. Asiwaju was a youth, when he contested in 1992. Former governor and former minister, Babatunde Fashola became Chief of Staff to Tinubu, when he was Governor at what age.

“Former speaker Femi Gbajabiamila is 61 and he has served 20 years in the National Assembly. They understand the game. Every leader has his own projection and aims. Some of them want to become governors or president.

“You will now say because he has served in the National Assembly twice he should go back home? Tell me a first timer who has become the speaker of the House of Representatives or President of the Senate.

“You have to be a minimum of second timer in the House to be Speaker. If you say after four years they should go home what will happen? Imagine if Femi Gbajabiamila did not go for second term or more would he have become the speaker.

“A Lagosian had never become the speaker before. This is the first time. He served as a minority leader and majority leader. He has been involved. We only celebrate their apex career and not their efforts. People see me as his special adviser, but what about back then,” he said.