Olabode George, former national vice chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, has praised the July 10 Supreme Court verdict granting financial autonomy to local government councils.
He called the judgment “precise,” “unambiguous, “ and “courageous verdict,” noting that the judiciary has “proved that it is the last hope of the common man.” He believes that financial allocations to local governments must be paid directly from the Federation Account to councils governed by democratically elected officials.
However, as beneficial as the judgment is, Mr. George urged President Bola Tinubu to take matters to the next level to “ensure complete restructuring of the country.”
George believes that total restructuring will lead to decentralization of power, fortify democracy, and ensure that democracy’s dividends reach all Nigerians. He said that for any country to develop, there must be a “strategic plan for a bottom-up approach to governance,” not the other way around.
“For instance, in many developed countries, how many international and local airports are controlled by the central government? Jackson Airport in Atlanta, the United States, is one of the busiest and most profitable airports globally. Atlanta City Council controls it. What of seaports? A major challenge in Nigeria is that almost everything is over-centralized.
“Many states in the U.S. have Supreme Courts and that is where legal cases in such states end, not in Washington D.C. In Nigeria, all cases must go to Abuja.
“Here, for something as minute as mining gold in any part of the country, somebody must approve in Abuja. So, how do we want to develop Nigeria?
He warned that Nigerians are losing patience with the government’s over-centralization. Olubode George, the former Navy General, believes a new Nigeria where development starts from the grassroots is needed.
He applauded the Supreme Court for starting the “revolution” and demanded the political elite “rejig” the Nigerian Constitution.
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