The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has called for the reform of local government administration to make it more functional, democratic and independent in the country.
The President of NULGE, Mr Ibrahim Khaleel, made the call in an interview with newsmen in Abuja last week.
Khaleel said that if the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari wants to make positive impact and create a better country for the citizenry, “there is need to overhaul local government administration’’.
He said Nigerians were demanding for a more functional, democratically structured and a more guarantee local government administration that would assuage their feelings and make government more accessible.
“We want a local government that will serve the purpose of its existence, bridge the gap of governance and give the rural people a new lease of life.
“We believe strongly that for Nigeria to be stable, grow, developed and for its diverse interests to be addressed, you must have a well articulate system of local government,” he said.
Khaleel said that the religious crisis that seemed to have ravaged the country and tearing Nigeria apart could be addressed if the country was structured through a viable and functional local government.
According to him, whatever religion each community belong, they will be allowed to operate in the way and manner that will best suite the interest of the community in the local government.
The NULGE president said that the creation of more local governments in the country became necessary because of its diverse nature.
“I just came back from Japan and I had the opportunity to visit one local government called Shimane, I saw what the local government was able to do by impacting on the lives of the people,” he said.
He said that the local government provided a well articulate social security policy for the rural dwellers, adding that the government must do all within its power to provide a well functional local government.