Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), has emphasized that granting full autonomy to local government areas is crucial in addressing the issue of insecurity in Nigeria.
General Lagbaja shared this insight during the Nigerian Army celebration held in Jos, where he highlighted the significance of local development for ending insecurity.
“Why are the elites resistant to LG autonomy that the people are clamoring for?” General Lagbaja questioned. “The surest way to bring development to the grassroots level is to ensure LG autonomy. Establishing commissions or bureaucracies alone will not suffice. We have already done that. It is only by taking development to the grassroots that we can truly solve the problem of insecurity.”
Drawing attention to the deteriorating security situation in the North East, General Lagbaja recounted his experience when he was posted to the 93 Battalion in 1992. At that time, it was possible to drive from Maiduguri to Manguno, Kukawa, and other areas within three hours. However, the current reality is far from that. General Lagbaja attributed this decline to the lack of good governance at the local level, which is driving insecurity not only in the North East but also in the North Central and other regions of the country.
Despite previous rejections by state governors, the federal government is now taking steps to grant autonomy to local government areas. The government has filed a case with the Supreme Court against the 36 states, led by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), in pursuit of LG autonomy. Recognizing the importance of local government autonomy in fostering development and addressing insecurity, the government aims to bring about positive change at the grassroots level.
