Alex Otti LG autonomy call grows louder as civil groups urge the Abia governor to lead reforms granting local councils financial and political independence

Alex Otti LG autonomy has become a rallying point for civil society groups in Abia State, as they urged the governor to take the lead in granting full financial and political independence to local governments.

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The call came during a one-day training on Economic Literacy and Budget Accountability for Local Government Stakeholders held in Umuahia, the state capital.

The event was jointly organised by the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room and the Citizens Centre for Integrated Development and Social Rights (CCIDESOR).

Speaking at the forum, Dr Emeka Ononamadu, Executive Director of CCIDESOR, alongside Amaka Biachi of CHARS Africa, urged Governor Otti to “take the lead in implementing autonomy even before constitutional amendments are finalised.”

They argued that empowering local governments would help replicate the governor’s developmental strides across all 17 LGAs and ensure sustainability beyond his tenure.

The groups stressed that Local Governments are the most effective development centres in Nigeria’s democracy but have been crippled by constitutional and administrative bottlenecks.

They called for full transparency in local budgeting, equitable revenue sharing, and the publication of annual financial and audit reports in compliance with the Freedom of Information Act.

“All LGA budgets in Abia State should be publicly available and developed through inclusive community processes,” the group said, adding that all federal allocations to LGAs must be spent exclusively within their respective jurisdictions.

They further proposed that internally generated revenue be shared with LGAs to stimulate grassroots economic growth and that state-created development centres, such as Greater Umuahia and Greater Aba, operate strictly as state-funded agencies, not substitutes for constitutionally recognised local governments.

Participants at the session included representatives of NULGE, labour unions, civil society groups, women’s associations, youth bodies, and community leaders.

Discussions centred on how economic literacy and citizen participation can drive accountability at the grassroots.

The forum also criticised the Joint Accounts Allocation Committee (JAAC) system, describing it as a mechanism that has “enabled state-level hijack of local government funds.”

It called on the Federal Government to amend the 1999 Constitution to abolish JAAC and empower INEC, rather than State Electoral Commissions, to conduct local elections.

“Restoring LGAs as a functional third tier of government will strengthen accountability, local development, and democracy,” the group concluded, commending Governor Otti’s reforms but warning that “without functional LGAs, his achievements may not be sustained after his tenure.”

In a related development, Nsirimo Amaise’s eze-elect, Dr Charles Amanze, recently called for an amendment to Abia’s local government law to ensure each autonomous community is directly represented in council decisions. He argued that the current ward-based system leaves many communities underrepresented.

Also read: Abia Governor Alex Otti commissions 14 roads in Aba as part of urban renewal drive

As the debate over Alex Otti LG autonomy intensifies, many observers believe Abia State could become the testing ground for a new model of local governance one that balances accountability, inclusiveness, and true fiscal independence.