NULGE chief backs council autonomy

THE Cross River State President of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Godwin Ayendi, has supported   local council autonomy in the country.

Ayendi spoke when he met with the Chairman of Ikom Local Council, Tony Ngban, during a courtesy call at the council’s headquarters.

Ayendi, who is also the chairman of the six-man NULGE National Technical Committee on the review of the 1999 Constitution, said the issue of local council reforms was now a national debate.

He said NULGE aligned itself with the proponents of autonomy for local councils as it was the only way that could bring about internal democracy at the local council and canvassed an electoral body to conduct elections into all the three tiers of government in the country.

Ayendi advocated the representation of local councils on the Federal Allocation Committee and Fiscal Revenue Mobilisation Allocation Commission.