An ex-federal lawmaker and lawyer, Hon Ned Nwoko, has advocated the abrogation of State Independent Electoral Commission (SIECs), stressing that their roles should be taken over by one Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Nwoko, who was a guest lecturer at Correspondents’ Chapel, Nigeria Union of Journalist, Abuja Council, said an INEC devoid of federal government or Presidency’s control is sine qua non to the growth of the country’s democracy.
He proposed an Ombudsman as governing board of INEC to be composed of frontline pressure groups in the country such as the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) amongst others.
“There should be one INEC; one truly independent INEC, an INEC that is devoid of control from the presidency or from the federal government. What I propose is that such an INEC should have direct funding from the federation account that has nothing to do with the presidency but it would be statutory if one percent or whatever that comes into the account is for INEC.”
Hon Nwoko also called on the federal government to show courage to address the autonomy of local governments in the country, by invoking the executive order, stressing that the president, though has identified the problem, has not taken steps to address the local government problems.
According to the ex-lawmaker, local government autonomy is the beginning and end of the problems of Nigeria, while “financial autonomy is a must for the survival of local governments.
“The local government system is dead. It’s all dead. All that the president needs to do is to execute some executive order, and this has been in the works. I know that local government workers, especially, the ALGON leadership, has been pushing for the President to support the autonomy of local governments. Financial autonomy is a must.
“The idea of monies belonging to local governments being sent to state joint account must stop. It must stop because it gives room for pilfering. It does not give enough money for local government to function.”
He noted that state governors were not able to deal with the current issues because they did not feel it was a duty adding that “they do not know what is happening in their villages and local governments except their own local governments and villages.”
