The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State has hailed the judgement of the Supreme Court of Nigeria delivered yesterday which granted full financial autonomy to the 774 local government councils in the country, as well as outlawed the arbitrary dissolution of elected councils and appointment of caretaker ones in their place by state governors.
The party, in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary Chief Bemgba Iortyom and made available to newsmen in Makurdi on Friday, called on Governor Alia to dissolve the Caretaker Committees in the 23 local government councils in the state with immediate effect in compliance with the judgement of the apex court.
The state PDP recalled that Governor Alia had dissolved the duly elected councils for the local government areas of the state on his assumption of office, in blatant disregard for numerous judgments of court to the contrary, and has since continued to run the councils through caretaker administrations.
The statement said “PDP Benue aligns with millions of Nigerians who have since been celebrating the judgement across the country as a victory for democracy, as it is apparent that anyone who is against it is directly against democracy in Nigeria and an enemy of ordinary Nigerians.”
“The party affirms its confidence in the judiciary as the last resort for the common man in the country and hails the local government autonomy judgement as solidifying that role of the judiciary.”
The PDP also called on the National Assembly to expedite action on the amendments to the Constitution of the country which are before its chambers to grant full administrative autonomy to the local government tier to make it a full federating unit independent of the domineering powers wielded over it by state governments which is inhibitive rather than promotive of development at the grassroots.
The party said the Governor should recall his promise during the campaigns to grant autonomy to local governments in Benue State, and while he had joined other state governors to oppose the federal government’s quest at the Supreme Court for the same autonomy, he should see the judgement of the apex court as rather offering him a window to make good on that promise.