AKINWALE ABOLUWADE
If elected as the representative of the Oyo South Senatorial District to the National Assembly on the platform of the All Progressives Congress on February 25, Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli, has said that he would attract greater federal government presence to his constituency.
He also said that he would lobby support for local government autonomy at the national assembly.
Alli spoke on Friday during a special guest forum organised by the Correspondents’ Chapel, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Oyo State Council at its secretariat in Ibadan, the state capital.
He lamented the faith of local government administration in the state under Governor Seyi Makinde, describing the council authorities as mere paper tigers.
The former Secretary to the Oyo State Government and one time Chairman, Ibadan North Local Government Council Area, said it is sad that local government administration is dead in the state as it had been stripped of the wherewithal to execute developmemtal projects.
According to the politician, restoration of local government autonomy remained critical for growth at the grassroots level.
Alli stressed that “It is a known fact that local government (councils) are dead in Oyo State. This has been admitted by the governor. He gave them N10million and he said that they did not do anything with it.
“We had local government (council administration) during (the time of) Lam Adesina, Chief Rasidi Ladoja, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala and even Abiola Ajimobi. It had not been like this. Local government councils are just existing; they do not have power to do anything.
“The primary healthcare centres are not functioning in the state, despite the fact that certain amount of money are budgeted for primary healthcare.
“People are now taking malaria to UCH. Something that should be treated at the primary healthcare centres, because local government are not functioning.
“The local government cannot do anything – as far as I am concerned – there is no local government in Oyo State. They are just existing on paper.
“I will support local government autonomy when I get to the national assembly. I want to attract more federal presence to Oyo south senatorial district.
“All the senators that have represented the district had tried and I am going there to do better. I know what our people need. I leave with our people and I know what they need.”
