Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, has kicked against the agitation for local government autonomy.
According to him, those calling for local government autonomy were agents of confusion as granting autonomy to local government councils was antithetical to true federalism.
He said local councils were administrative units of the state and therefore their autonomy may be the end of the states.
Aregbesola said this while speaking at the one-day conference on the second anniversary of the Southwest in national governance held in Osogbo, the Osun state capital.
He noted that, while settling for federalism, Nigeria’s founding fathers copied the Indian example, where the federating units were coordinate with the central government.
“In India, we have a state that is more than Nigeria in size and population. We also have Goa, which is not more than Lagos as a state. The large states cannot dominate smaller states. California cannot dictate to Arkansas. The Federal Government in the United States cannot interfere in what happens in other states, unless it is invited.
“Also, under the federal system, the Federal Government cannot interfere in the activities of the local government. Those calling for local government autonomy are agents of confusion. I know there are anomalies with the local government administration.
“But, it does not mean that it should be autonomous under the state. It is against the spirit of federalism. Whenever the states cease to control the council, that will be the end of the state.”
