The Association of Local Governments of Nigeria has expressed support for President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.
ALGON described the action as a necessary step to prevent the political crisis in the state from escalating into widespread unrest.
Speaking after an emergency meeting of ALGON’s National Executive and Board of Trustees in Abuja on Thursday, the BoT Chairman, Odunayo Ategbero, said the intervention was timely and in the interest of the masses.
Ategbero noted that Tinubu’s decision to declare a state of emergency had significantly reduced the tension.
“As major stakeholders in local government administration, we are worried about the crisis in Rivers State because, at the end of the day, it affects the masses. It is always said that when two elephants fight, the grass suffers.
“If the President had not taken it upon himself to act swiftly, a lot of issues could have arisen. Perhaps, if the House of Assembly had been allowed to impeach the governor, it could have led to a crisis that might have snowballed into something even worse, possibly a civil war,” he stated.
Ategbero clarified that the emergency measure was not aimed at removing elected officials but rather to create room for resolution.
“The President has not removed the governor or the legislature. He only suspended them for six months. Hopefully, within this period, warring factions will come to the table and resolve their differences in the interest of Rivers people,” he said.
Providing an update on local government autonomy, Ategbero noted that there was pressure—driven by sentiment and personal interests—on members of the committee set up by the President to implement the Supreme Court’s July 11 judgment granting financial autonomy to local governments.
He stated that, despite efforts to stall the implementation, the committee had remained resolute in its task.
Ategbero said, “There have been pressures on this committee to delay the implementation of the Supreme Court judgment based on sentiment and personal interests. However, they have remained patriotic and resisted these mounting pressures.
“Steady progress is being made because the committee has instructed local governments across the country to open accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria to ensure a seamless transfer of funds for education and other key initiatives.
“We must commend them because if they had succumbed to pressure, this progress would not have been possible. It is only when these accounts are opened with the CBN that funds can be directly transferred to local governments for developmental projects.”
While acknowledging that the implementation process is still ongoing, Atagbero urged continued support for the initiative.
“If we fail to commend them now, it would be unfair. Yes, the process is not yet complete, but when we see steady progress, we must encourage and appreciate those driving the change. That is why we are commending them.
“We are impressed with the way the implementation is being handled. Despite some bottlenecks, steady progress is being made,” he said.
The ALGON BoT chairman said local government autonomy was crucial in driving grassroots development, particularly in security, health, and education.
“More than 80% of Nigerians live at the local government level. It is our responsibility to ensure they enjoy better living conditions.
“This is why we have consistently advocated for autonomy—to empower local governments to implement key developmental projects that directly benefit the people,” he added.