Chairman of the National Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, Ibrahim Khaleel, has called for the scrapping of State Independent Electoral Commissions, SIECs, saying they pose serious threat to the attainment of true democracy in Nigeria.
Khaleel, during an interview with newsmen in Kano, stated that the issue of local government autonomy will continue to be a mirage unless SIECs were abolished.
He commended the Supreme Court for its recent verdict that autonomy for local governments remain sacrosanct, adding that the judgement had restored Nigerians hopes in the Judiciary.
But he added that the ruling may just result to a mere academic venture if states continued to conduct local government elections at their own discretion.
According to Khaleel, SIECs had been used as tools for governors to appoint and impose local government chairmen as well as ward representatives on the people.
He said: “We have seen how local government elections have been conducted over the years through the state electoral bodies.
“I am sure no one will dare call that processes a democratic process. Moreover, no governmental policy will effectively work if democratic governance is at stake.
“It is the government arm that is closest to the people and I believe the people should be given their constitutional right to vote who will govern them.”
The NULGE Chairman added that “the reason most government policies fail is because of lack of democracy at the local government level.”
“This, we should take note of and allow local governments enjoy their full autonomy as they should,” he said.